Communication method, apparatus and system

Abstract

The present application is applied to the technical field of communications, and provides a communication method, apparatus and system. According to the communication method provided by the present application, a network side can acquire a communication situation between a first communication apparatus and a satellite, so that the network side can reasonably allocate resources. The communication method comprises: the first communication apparatus determines a first time period, wherein the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication apparatus and the satellite is possible or impossible. The first communication apparatus sends first indication information to a second communication apparatus, wherein the first indication information is used for indicating the first time period.

Description

Communication method, device and system

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on February 1, 2024, with application number 202410154251.9 and application name “Communication Methods, Devices and Systems”, 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 systems. Background Art

[0003] Satellite communication networks, also known as non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), offer unique advantages over terrestrial communications, such as wider coverage and reduced vulnerability to natural disasters and external forces. The introduction of satellite communications to support both terrestrial and satellite communications is a future trend in communications technology.

[0004] However, in satellite communications, because the terminal device is on the ground and the satellite is in the air, there may be obstruction between the terminal device and the satellite in some cases. This obstruction can affect communication between the terminal device and the satellite, even preventing normal communication and resulting in wasted resources. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the design of the communication system to reduce the adverse effects of obstruction between the terminal device and the satellite. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, device, and system, which can enable the network side to know the communication status between the first communication device and the satellite, and help the network side to reasonably allocate resources.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be performed by a first communication device. The first communication device can be a terminal device or a module (e.g., a processor, chip, or chip system) implemented in the terminal device. The method includes: the first communication device determining a first time period; the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and a satellite is possible or impossible. The first communication device sends first indication information to a second communication device, where the first indication information indicates the first time period.

[0008] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to scenarios where the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite may affect communication, and can optimize the design of the communication system when there is obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite. In the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the first communication device can determine the time period during which it can communicate with the satellite or the time period during which it cannot communicate with the satellite. For example, it can determine the time period during which it can communicate with the satellite or the time period during which it cannot communicate with the satellite based on the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite, and report information indicating the above time period to the network side so that the network side can learn about the communication status between the terminal device and the satellite, which helps the network side to achieve reasonable resource allocation and user scheduling based on the learned information, reduce the adverse effects that may be caused by the inability to communicate normally between the first communication device and the satellite, for example, avoid waste of resources, and improve the overall communication efficiency of the system.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect above, in a possible design, the first communication device determines the first time period, including: the first communication device determines the first time period based on the satellite coverage time corresponding to the satellite, and at least one of the following: measurement results of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement, three-dimensional data, or signal quality between the satellite.

[0010] Based on this solution, the first communication device can determine the communication status between the first communication device and the satellite based on the relevant auxiliary information, which can improve the accuracy of the first time period determined by the first communication device.

[0011] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in one possible design, the first communication device sends first indication information to the second communication device, including: the first communication device sends the first indication information during the process of establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the second communication device; or, the first communication device sends the first indication information when the duration corresponding to the first time period is less than or equal to the first threshold; or, the first communication device sends the signal measurement result of the current service cell and the first indication information.

[0012] This solution provides multiple scenarios in which the first communication device sends the first indication information.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect above, in one possible design, the method further includes: the first communication device receiving first information, the first information being used to configure the first communication device to be in a first communication state during a second time period; wherein the first communication state is a discontinuous transmission state, a discontinuous sending and receiving state, a discontinuous communication state, a discontinuous sending state, or a discontinuous receiving state. If the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible, the second time period includes the first time period; if the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible, the second time period does not overlap with the first time period. Based on the first information, the first communication device is in the first communication state during the second time period.

[0014] Based on this solution, the network side can configure a power-saving communication state for the first communication device based on the received information indicating the communication status between the first communication device and the satellite. The first communication device can be in a power-saving communication state based on the configuration of the network side when it cannot communicate with the satellite, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption.

[0015] [Corrected on 23.04.2025 according to Rule 91] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in one possible design, the first communication device is in the first communication state during the second time period based on the first information, including: the first communication device suspends monitoring of downlink signals and sending uplink signals during the second time period.

[0016] [Corrected 23.04.2025 according to Rule 91] Based on this solution, when the first communication device cannot communicate with the satellite, it can suspend monitoring the downlink signal and sending the uplink signal to save power consumption.

[0017] In combination with the first aspect above, in a possible design, the method also includes: after the second time period ends, the first communication device exits the first communication state and maintains communication with the satellite.

[0018] Based on this solution, the first communication device can resume communication with the satellite after the second time period ends.

[0019] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: the first communication device sends a random access request to the service satellite within the second time period when the signal quality of the service cell meets the first requirement.

[0020] Based on this solution, the first communication device can initiate a connection request in advance before the end of the second time period, thereby reducing service interruption time.

[0021] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: the first communication device receives second indication information, and the second indication information is used to instruct the first communication device to measure the signal quality of the neighboring area of ​​the current service cell before the second time period; the first communication device measures the signal quality of the neighboring area according to the second indication information.

[0022] Based on this solution, the first communication device can measure the signal quality of the neighboring cell, so as to select a suitable neighboring cell for access.

[0023] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: after the second time period ends, the first communication device sends the GNSS valid time to the second communication device, and the GNSS valid time is the time between the first reference time and the start time of the next GNSS measurement. The first reference time is within the second time period, or is the end time of the second time period, or after the end time of the second time period.

[0024] Based on this solution, the first communication device can use the second time period to perform GNSS measurements, reducing the overhead of performing GNSS measurements during the time period when the first communication device can communicate with the satellite. In addition, the first communication device can send the GNSS valid duration to indicate that the first communication device has performed GNSS measurements during the second time period.

[0025] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible design, the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is impossible. The method further includes: the first communication device receiving second information, the second information being used to configure the first communication device to switch to a neighboring cell of the current serving cell at a third time; the third time being before a start time of the first time period. The first communication device switches to the neighboring cell at the third time based on the second information.

[0026] Based on this solution, the network side can configure the first communication device to switch to the neighboring area of ​​the serving cell according to the communication status between the first communication device and the satellite, thereby reducing the service interruption time.

[0027] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in a possible design, after the first communication device sends the first indication information to the second communication device, the method also includes: the first communication device sends the third indication information to the second communication device, and the third indication information is used to indicate the updated first time period.

[0028] Based on this solution, the first communication device can update the first time period and send the updated first time period to ensure the timeliness of the first time period obtained by the network side.

[0029] In combination with the above-mentioned first aspect, in one possible design, the first communication device sends third indication information to the second communication device, including: the first communication device sends the third indication information when the difference between the duration of the updated first time period and the duration of the first time period indicated by the first indication information exceeds or is not less than the second threshold.

[0030] Based on this solution, the first communication device sends the updated first time period only when the difference between the original first time period and the updated first time period is large, thereby avoiding the overhead of sending the updated first time period which is not much different from the original first time period.

[0031] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be performed by a second communication device. The second communication device can be a satellite, or a module applied to a satellite (such as a processor, chip, or chip system). Alternatively, the second communication device can be a core network element connected to the satellite, or a module applied to the core network element (such as a processor, chip, or chip system). The method includes: the second communication device receives first indication information from the first communication device, the first indication information is used to indicate a first time period, and the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible or a time period during which communication is not possible. The second communication device sends the first information or the second information to the first communication device according to the first time period.

[0032] When the second communication device sends the first information, the first information is used to configure the first communication device to be in a first communication state within a second time period, and the first communication state is a discontinuous transmission state, a discontinuous sending and receiving state, a discontinuous communication state, a discontinuous sending state, or a discontinuous receiving state; when the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is impossible, the second time period includes the first time period; when the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible, the second time period does not overlap with the first time period.

[0033] When the second communication device sends the second information, the second information is used to configure the first communication device to switch to the neighboring area of ​​the current service cell at a third moment; when the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is impossible, the third moment is before the start time of the first time period.

[0034] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to scenarios where the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite may affect communication, and can optimize the design of the communication system when there is an obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite. In the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the first communication device can determine the time period during which it can communicate with the satellite or the time period during which it cannot communicate with the satellite. For example, it can determine the time period during which it can communicate with the satellite or the time period during which it cannot communicate with the satellite based on the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite, and report information indicating the above time period to the network side. The network side can make corresponding configurations based on the information received indicating the above time period to reduce the adverse effects that may be caused by the inability to communicate normally between the first communication device and the satellite. Optionally, the network side can configure a power-saving communication state for the first communication device to reduce unnecessary power consumption of the first communication device. Alternatively, the network side can configure the first communication device to switch to a neighboring area of ​​the service cell based on the communication situation between the first communication device and the satellite to reduce the time of service interruption.

[0035] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in one possible design, the second communication device receives the first indication information from the first communication device, including: the second communication device receives the first indication information during the process of establishing an RRC connection with the first communication device; or, the second communication device receives the signal measurement results and the first indication information from the service cell of the first communication device.

[0036] This solution provides multiple scenarios in which the first communication device sends the first indication information.

[0037] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: the second communication device sends second indication information to the first communication device, and the second indication information is used to instruct the first communication device to measure the signal quality of the neighboring area of ​​the current service cell before the second time period.

[0038] Based on this solution, the first communication device can measure the signal quality of the neighboring cell, so as to select a suitable neighboring cell for access.

[0039] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: the second communication device receives the GNSS valid time from the first communication device; the GNSS valid time is the time between the first reference time and the start time of the next GNSS measurement, and the first reference time is within the second time period, or is the end time of the second time period, or is after the end time of the second time period.

[0040] Based on this solution, the first communication device can use the second time period to perform GNSS measurement, thereby reducing the overhead of performing GNSS measurement during the time period when the first communication device can communicate with the satellite.

[0041] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in a possible design, the method also includes: the second communication device receives second indication information from the first communication device, and the second indication information is used to indicate the updated first time period.

[0042] Based on this solution, the first communication device can update the first time period and send the updated first time period to ensure the timeliness of the first time period obtained by the network side.

[0043] In combination with the above-mentioned second aspect, in one possible design, the second communication device sends the first information or the second information to the first communication device according to the first time period, including: when the duration of the first time period does not exceed or is less than the third threshold, and / or when the neighboring area of ​​the current serving cell of the first communication device does not meet the switching condition, the second communication device sends the first information to the first communication device. Alternatively, when the neighboring area of ​​the current serving cell of the first communication device meets the switching condition, the second communication device sends the second information to the first communication device.

[0044] This solution provides possible conditions that the network side needs to meet to send the first information or the second information according to the first time period.

[0045] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the method described in the first aspect.

[0046] The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the above-mentioned method, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or hardware executing corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0047] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible design, the communication device includes a processing module and a transceiver module; the processing module is configured to determine a first time period, wherein the first time period is a time period during which communication between the communication device and the satellite is possible or not possible; and the transceiver module is configured to send first indication information to the second communication device, the first indication information being configured to indicate the first time period.

[0048] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in one possible design, the processing module determines the first time period, including: determining the first time period based on the satellite coverage time corresponding to the satellite, and at least one of the following: the measurement results of the GNSS measurement, three-dimensional data, or the signal quality between the satellite.

[0049] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in one possible design, the transceiver module sends the first indication information to the second communication device, including: sending the first indication information during the process of establishing an RRC connection with the second communication device; or, sending the first indication information when the duration corresponding to the first time period is less than or equal to the first threshold; or, sending the signal measurement result of the current service cell and the first indication information.

[0050] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible design, the transceiver module is further configured to receive first information, the first information being used to configure the communication device to be in a first communication state during a second time period; the first communication state being a discontinuous transmission state, a discontinuous sending and receiving state, a discontinuous communication state, a discontinuous sending state, or a discontinuous receiving state. If the first time period is a time period during which communication between the communication device and the satellite is not possible, the second time period includes the first time period; if the first time period is a time period during which communication between the communication device and the satellite is possible, the second time period does not overlap with the first time period. The processing module is further configured to, based on the first information, cause the communication device to be in the first communication state during the second time period.

[0051] [Corrected on 23.04.2025 according to Rule 91] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in one possible design, the processing module causes the communication device to be in the first communication state within the second time period based on the first information, including: causing the communication device to suspend monitoring downlink signals and sending uplink signals within the second time period.

[0052] In combination with the third aspect above, in a possible design, the processing module is further used to cause the communication device to exit the first communication state and maintain communication with the satellite after the second time period ends.

[0053] In combination with the above third aspect, in a possible design, the transceiver module is also used to send a random access request to the service satellite during the second time period when the signal quality of the service cell meets the first requirement.

[0054] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in a possible design, the transceiver module is also used to receive second indication information, and the second indication information is used to instruct the communication device to measure the signal quality of the neighboring area of ​​the current service cell before the second time period; the processing module is also used to measure the signal quality of the neighboring area based on the second indication information.

[0055] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in a possible design, the transceiver module is also used to send the GNSS valid time to the second communication device after the end of the second time period. The GNSS valid time is the time between the first reference time and the start time of the next GNSS measurement. The first reference time is within the second time period, or is the end time of the second time period, or after the end time of the second time period.

[0056] In conjunction with the third aspect, in one possible design, the first period is a period during which communication between the communication device and the satellite is not possible. The transceiver module is further configured to receive second information, where the second information is configured to configure the communication device to switch to a neighboring cell of the current serving cell at a third time; the third time is before the start time of the first period. The processing module is further configured to cause the communication device to switch to the neighboring cell at the third time based on the second information.

[0057] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in a possible design, the transceiver module is also used to send third indication information to the second communication device, and the third indication information is used to indicate the updated first time period.

[0058] In combination with the above-mentioned third aspect, in a possible design, the transceiver module sends a third indication message to the satellite, including: the transceiver module sends the third indication message when the difference between the duration of the updated first time period and the duration of the first time period indicated by the first indication message exceeds or is not less than the second threshold.

[0059] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided for implementing the method described in the second aspect.

[0060] The communication device includes modules, units, or means corresponding to the above-mentioned method, which can be implemented by hardware, software, or hardware executing corresponding software implementation. The hardware or software includes one or more modules or units corresponding to the above-mentioned functions.

[0061] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in one possible design, a communication device includes a transceiver module and a processing module. The transceiver module is configured to receive first indication information from a first communication device, the first indication information indicating a first time period, where the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and a satellite is possible or a time period during which communication is not possible. The processing module is configured to determine first information or second information based on the first time period. The transceiver module is further configured to send the first information or second information to the first communication device. The first information is configured to configure the first communication device to be in a first communication state during a second time period, where the first communication state is a discontinuous transmission state, a discontinuous transmission and reception state, a discontinuous communication state, a discontinuous transmission state, or a discontinuous reception state. If the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible, the second time period includes the first time period. If the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible, the second time period does not overlap with the first time period. The second information is configured to configure the first communication device to switch to a neighboring cell of the current serving cell at a third time point. If the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible, the third time point is before the start time of the first time period.

[0062] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in one possible design, the transceiver module receives first indication information from the first communication device, including: receiving the first indication information during the process of establishing an RRC connection with the first communication device; or, receiving the signal measurement results and first indication information of the service cell from the first communication device.

[0063] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in a possible design, the transceiver module is also used to send second indication information to the first communication device, and the second indication information is used to instruct the first communication device to measure the signal quality of the neighboring area of ​​the current service cell before the second time period.

[0064] In combination with the above-mentioned fourth aspect, in a possible design, the transceiver module is also used to receive the GNSS valid time from the first communication device; the GNSS valid time is the time between the first reference time and the start time of the next GNSS measurement, and the first reference time is within the second time period, or is the end time of the second time period, or is after the end time of the second time period.

[0065] In combination with the fourth aspect above, in a possible design, the transceiver module is further used to receive second indication information from the first communication device, and the second indication information is used to indicate the updated first time period.

[0066] In conjunction with the fourth aspect, in one possible design, the processing module determines the first information or the second information based on the first time period, including: determining the first information when the duration of the first time period does not exceed or is less than a third threshold, and / or when a neighboring cell of the current serving cell of the first communication device does not meet the switching condition. Alternatively, determining the second information when a neighboring cell of the current serving cell of the first communication device meets the switching condition.

[0067] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, wherein when the processor executes the instructions, the communication device performs the method described in any of the above aspects. The communication device may be the first communication device described in the first aspect or a module (e.g., a chip) applied to the first communication device. Alternatively, the communication device may be the second communication device described in the second aspect or a module (e.g., a chip) applied to the second communication device.

[0068] In one possible design, the communication device further includes a memory for storing computer instructions. Optionally, the processor and the memory are integrated together, or the processor and the memory are separately provided.

[0069] In one possible design, the memory is coupled to the processor and is external to the communication device.

[0070] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being configured to communicate with a module external to the communication device; the processor being configured to execute the method described in any of the above aspects via a logic circuit or by running a computer program or instruction. The communication device may be the first communication device described in the first aspect or a module (e.g., a chip) applied to the first communication device. Alternatively, the communication device may be the second communication device described in the second aspect or a module (e.g., a chip) applied to the second communication device.

[0071] Alternatively, the interface circuit can be a code / data read / write interface circuit, which is used to receive computer execution instructions (the computer execution instructions are stored in the memory, may be read directly from the memory, or may pass through other devices) and transmit them to the processor so that the processor runs the computer execution instructions to execute the method described in any of the above aspects.

[0072] In some possible designs, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system.

[0073] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores instructions. When the instructions are run on a computer, the computer can execute the method executed by the first communication device in the above-mentioned first aspect or a possible design of the first aspect, or the computer can execute the method executed by the second communication device in the above-mentioned second aspect or a possible design of the second aspect.

[0074] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method executed by the first communication device in the above-mentioned first aspect or a possible design of the first aspect, or enables the computer to execute the method executed by the second communication device in the above-mentioned second aspect or a possible design of the second aspect.

[0075] In a ninth aspect, a communication device (for example, a chip or a chip system) is provided, wherein the communication device includes a processor for implementing the functions involved in any of the above aspects. In one possible design, the communication device also includes a memory for storing necessary program instructions and data. When the communication device is a chip system, it can be composed of a chip or include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0076] In a tenth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising a first communication device and a second communication device, wherein the first communication device is used to implement the method described in the first aspect, and the second communication device is used to implement the method described in the second aspect.

[0077] Among them, the technical effects brought about by any design method in the third to tenth aspects can refer to the technical effects brought about by the different design methods in the above-mentioned first to second aspects, and will not be repeated here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0078] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG2 is an interactive diagram of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0082] In order to facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, a brief introduction to the relevant technologies of the present application is first given as follows.

[0083] 1. Satellite communication network:

[0084] Satellite communication networks, also known as non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), offer advantages such as wide coverage, long communication distances, high reliability, and high throughput. Integrating satellite communications into existing communication networks can provide communication services to areas difficult to reach by terrestrial networks, such as oceans and forests, enhancing network reliability, providing more data transmission resources, and supporting a greater number of connections.

[0085] In satellite communications, the network provides the terminal device with satellite ephemeris information. Based on this information, the terminal device can determine the satellite coverage time for its current location. The terminal device can only communicate with the satellite during the satellite coverage time.

[0086] However, in actual scenarios, the terminal device cannot guarantee that it can communicate with the satellite within the satellite coverage time. For example, in some scenarios, there is an obstruction between the terminal device and the satellite currently serving the terminal device (which can be referred to as the service satellite), such as when the terminal device is in a train, tunnel, subway or elevator. If the obstruction between the terminal device and the satellite causes the signal between the terminal device and the satellite to be unable to be transmitted normally, the terminal device cannot be served within the satellite coverage time of the satellite. In addition, the number of satellites is limited. When the terminal device cannot communicate with the current service satellite, there is not always an adjacent satellite to connect to. The network side cannot know the communication status of the terminal device, which is not conducive to the network side to perform corresponding resource scheduling. For example, when there is an obstruction between the terminal device and the satellite, the network side still schedules data and resources for the terminal device, but the terminal device cannot obtain the satellite service and cannot transmit data normally, resulting in a waste of resources.

[0087] To address the aforementioned issues, embodiments of the present application provide a communication method, apparatus, and system suitable for satellite communication scenarios, optimizing the design of communication systems when there is obstruction between the terminal device and the satellite. Terminal devices can report to the network the time periods during which they can or cannot communicate with the satellite, helping the network implement reasonable resource allocation and user scheduling based on this information.

[0088] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Among them, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B; "and / or" in the present application is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, in the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" refers to two or more than two. "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 represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, c can be single or multiple. 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.

[0089] In the embodiment of the present application, "indication" may include direct indication and indirect indication, and may also include explicit indication and implicit indication. The information indicated by a certain information (such as the first indication information below) is called information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as but not limited to, the information to be indicated can be directly indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, wherein the other information and the information to be indicated have an association relationship. It is also possible to indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts of the information to be indicated are known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by means of the arrangement order of each piece of information agreed in advance (such as specified in the protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. At the same time, the common parts of each piece of information can also be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by indicating the same information separately.

[0090] In addition, the specific indication method can also be various existing indication methods, such as but not limited to the above-mentioned indication methods and various combinations thereof. The specific details of the various indication methods can be referred to the prior art and will not be repeated herein. As can be seen from the above, for example, when it is necessary to indicate multiple information of the same type, there may be a situation where the indication methods for different information are different. In the specific implementation process, the required indication method can be selected according to specific needs. The embodiment of the present application does not limit the selected indication method. In this way, the indication method involved in the embodiment of the present application should be understood to cover various methods that can enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0091] It should be understood that the information to be indicated can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately, and the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be the same or different. The specific sending method is not limited in the embodiments of this application. The sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be predefined, for example, predefined according to a protocol, or can be configured by the transmitting device by sending configuration information to the receiving device.

[0092] In the embodiment of the present application, "sending a signal to a device" includes both transmitting the signal directly to the device and transmitting the signal to the device through another or other devices; "pre-definition", "pre-definition", "pre-configuration" or "pre-configuration" can be achieved by pre-saving the corresponding code, table or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device. For example, it can be burned into the device when the device leaves the factory. The embodiment of the present application does not limit its specific implementation method. Among them, "saving" can mean saving in one or more memories. The one or more memories can be set separately or integrated in an encoder or decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The one or more memories can also be partially set separately and partially integrated in a decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0093] The "protocol" involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a protocol family in the communication field, a standard protocol with a similar protocol family frame structure, or a related protocol used in future communication systems. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0094] In the embodiments of the present application, descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that the device will perform corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. It does not limit the time, nor does it require the device to perform judgment actions when implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0095] The technical solutions provided in this application can be used in various communication systems, for example, they can be applied to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) communication system, such as the 4th generation (4G) long term evolution (LTE) system, the 5th generation (5G) mobile communication system and its evolution system, NTN system, vehicle to everything (V2X) system, LTE and new radio (NR) hybrid networking system, or device to device (D2D) system, machine to machine (M2M) communication system, Internet of Things (IoT), wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, and other communication systems, such as future communication systems. In addition, the term "system" and "network" can be used interchangeably.

[0096] It should be noted that the network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0097] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a possible, non-restrictive communication system applicable to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG1 , in the communication system, a terminal device is located on the ground and is connected to an access network device deployed on a satellite via an air interface (or, in other words, is connected to an access network device deployed on a satellite via a wireless link). The access network device on the satellite is connected to a ground station on the ground via a wireless link, and the ground station is connected to a core network on the ground. Furthermore, signaling or data can be transmitted between access network devices deployed on different satellites via wireless links (also referred to as inter-satellite links).

[0098] Optionally, the communication system may further include a data network (DN). The data network may be connected to the core network. For example, as shown in FIG1 , the data network may be connected to a user plane function (UPF) network element in the core network.

[0099] In a communication system, the air interface between a terminal device and a satellite can be an air interface in various communication systems. For example, it can be an air interface in a 3GPP communication system, such as a 4G or 5G communication system, or an air interface in a future-oriented evolution system. Alternatively, it can be an air interface in an open radio access network (O-RAN or ORAN) or a cloud radio access network (CRAN). Alternatively, it can be an air interface in a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0100] In the communication system, the various network elements and the interfaces between them are described as follows:

[0101] A terminal device may be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, and may also be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal device, etc. Terminal devices can be widely used in various scenarios, such as D2D, V2X communication, machine-type communication (MTC), IOT, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, self-driving, remote medical, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. Terminal devices may be mobile phones, tablet computers, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal device.

[0102] Access network equipment, also known as RAN node or access node, is used to help terminal equipment achieve wireless access. In one possible scenario, the access network equipment may be a base station, an evolved base station (evolvedNodeB, eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation base station (next generationNodeB, gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. The access network equipment may be a macro base station, a micro base station, a relay node or a master node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. All or part of the functions of the access network equipment in this application may also be implemented through software functions running on hardware, or through virtualization functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The access network equipment in this application may also be a logical node, a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the access network equipment.

[0103] In another possible scenario, multiple access network devices collaborate to assist terminal devices in achieving wireless access, and different access network devices respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the access network device can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set separately, or they can be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0104] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0105] In the communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application, the access network device is deployed on a satellite. Based on this, in the following embodiments, unless otherwise specified, the satellite can be considered as an access network device, which is used to implement the functions of the access network device described above.

[0106] Core network, logically, the core network can be divided into two parts: the user plane and the control plane. The control plane is responsible for the management of the mobile network, and the user plane is responsible for the transmission of service data. In the core network, different network elements can be responsible for different functions. For example, as shown in Figure 1, in the 5G core network, the access and mobility management function (AMF) network element is mainly responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The session management function (SMF) network element is mainly responsible for interacting with the separated data plane, creating, updating and deleting protocol data unit (PDU) sessions, and managing the session environment (session context) with the UPF. The UPF network element is mainly responsible for managing the transmission of user plane data, traffic statistics and other functions.

[0107] The ground station is responsible for forwarding signaling and data between the satellite and the core network.

[0108] The Xn interface is an interface between access network devices and is mainly used for signaling interactions such as switching.

[0109] The NG interface is the interface between the access network equipment and the core network, and is mainly used for signaling such as non-access stratum (NAS) messages and service data of the interactive core network.

[0110] In the embodiment of the present application, a network element may also be referred to as an entity or a functional entity.

[0111] The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to FIG1 .

[0112] It should be noted that the message names between network elements or the names of parameters in the messages in the following embodiments of the present application are only examples, and other names may be used in specific implementations. The embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this.

[0113] As shown in Figure 2, a communication method is provided for an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 illustrates the method by taking the first communication device and the second communication device as the execution subjects of the interaction diagram as an example, but the present application does not limit the execution subjects of the interaction diagram. For example, the first communication device in Figure 2 may also be a module applied to the first communication device, such as a chip, a chip system, or a processor, or a logical node, a logical module, or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the first communication device. The second communication device in Figure 2 may also be a module applied to the second communication device, such as a chip, a chip system, or a processor, or a logical node, a logical module, or software that can realize all or part of the functions of the second communication device. The communication method includes the following steps S201-S202:

[0114] S201. A first communication device determines a first time period, where the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and a satellite is possible or not possible.

[0115] S202: The first communication device sends first indication information to the second communication device, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first time period. Correspondingly, the second communication device receives the first indication information.

[0116] The communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application can be applied in satellite communication scenarios. In satellite communication scenarios, the first communication device is located on the ground and can be a terminal device. The second communication device can be a satellite, or a device deployed on a satellite. Alternatively, the second communication device can be a core network element located on the ground and connected to the satellite (for example, via a ground station).

[0117] Based on the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application, the first communication device can determine the time period when it can communicate with the satellite or the time period when it cannot communicate with the satellite, and report information indicating the above time period to the network side, so that the network side can know the communication status between the first communication device and the satellite, which helps the network side to achieve reasonable resource allocation and user scheduling based on the information obtained, avoid resource waste, and improve the overall communication efficiency of the system.

[0118] The following is an introduction to S201 and S202.

[0119] In S201, for the first time period, it can be understood that there is a corresponding relationship between the first time period and the satellite, or in other words, the first communication device can determine different first time periods for different satellites.

[0120] In an embodiment of the present application, a first communication device may determine a first time period corresponding to one or more satellites. For example, the first communication device may determine a first time period corresponding to a satellite currently serving the first communication device (hereinafter referred to as a serving satellite). For another example, the first communication device may determine a first time period corresponding to a satellite adjacent to the serving satellite.

[0121] The following is an introduction to determining the first time period.

[0122] In the embodiment of the present application, the first time period is a prediction made by the first communication device of a time period in the future during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible or impossible.

[0123] It should be understood that if the first time period is a prediction by the first communication device of a future time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite will be possible, it does not necessarily mean that communication between the first communication device and the satellite will actually be possible during the first time period. Similarly, if the first time period is a prediction by the first communication device of a future time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite will not be possible, it does not necessarily mean that communication between the first communication device and the satellite will actually be impossible during the first time period.

[0124] In particular, when the first communication device determines the first time period, the embodiment of the present application does not impose any specific restrictions on the "future period" targeted. In one possible implementation, the "future period" can be a period of time with a certain reference moment (which can be any moment, without specific restrictions) as the starting moment and a preset length. Alternatively, the "future period" can be a period of time with a certain reference moment as the ending moment and a preset length. For example, the first communication device can predict a period of time within 1 hour after the current moment when the first communication device and the satellite cannot communicate or a period of time when communication is possible.

[0125] In another possible implementation, the "future period" may be the satellite coverage period of the satellite. In this implementation, the first communication device may determine the first period based on the satellite coverage period. The first period is a period within the satellite coverage period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible. Alternatively, the first period is a period within the satellite coverage period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible.

[0126] For the satellite coverage time in this implementation, the first communication device can obtain a mapping between the satellite's coverage area and time periods, and based on the first communication device's location, determine the time period corresponding to the coverage area that includes the first communication device's location as the satellite coverage time. For example, for satellite A, the first communication device can obtain the following mapping: when satellite A is between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM, its coverage area includes region 1; when satellite A is between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM, its coverage area includes region 2. If the first communication device is currently located in region 1 but not in region 2, then, for the first communication device's current location, the satellite coverage time corresponding to satellite A includes 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM.

[0127] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the manner in which the first communication device obtains the mapping relationship between the satellite coverage range and the time period. For example, the mapping relationship between the satellite coverage range and the time period may be provided to the first communication device by the network, or may be determined by the first communication device based on the communication constellation (i.e., the satellite's orbital information) and the satellite's ephemeris information provided by the network.

[0128] Furthermore, it is understood that, because satellites circulate along certain orbits, the satellite coverage period corresponding to a given location may be periodic. Based on this, when determining the first time period, the first communication device may determine the first time period within one or more satellite coverage periods. For example, the first communication device may determine the first time period within the most recent satellite coverage period.

[0129] The above describes the time considered when the first communication device determines the first time period. On the other hand, when the first communication device determines the first time period, the location of the first communication device also needs to be considered.

[0130] In one possible implementation, the first communication device determines the first time period based on the first communication device's current location. That is, in this implementation, the first time period is a prediction by the first communication device, based on the first communication device's current location, of a future period during which communication between the first communication device and a satellite is possible or impossible.

[0131] For example, assuming that the first communication device is currently in area 1, if the coverage of satellite A between 12:00 and 13:00 includes area 1, the first time period may be the first communication device's prediction of the time period between 12:00 and 13:00 during which the first communication device and the satellite can communicate or cannot communicate.

[0132] In another possible implementation, the first communication device determines the first time period based on a prediction of the first communication device's location within a future period. That is, in this implementation, the first time period is a prediction, based on the prediction of the first communication device's location within a future period, of a time period during which communication between the first communication device and a satellite is possible or impossible.

[0133] [Corrected 23.04.2025 according to Rule 91] For example, a first communication device is currently located in area 1 and is also predicted to arrive in area 2 in one hour. Based on this, the first communication device can predict the location of the first communication device within the one hour and, based on the predicted location of the first communication device within the one hour, predict a time period within the one hour during which communication between the first communication device and a satellite is possible or impossible.

[0134] The embodiment of the present application does not limit how the first communication device predicts the location of the first communication device within a period of time in the future. For example, the first communication device can predict the location of the first communication device within a period of time in the future based on information such as the moving speed and moving direction of the first communication device.

[0135] The following describes how the first communication device predicts a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible, or a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible.

[0136] In one possible implementation, the first communication device can estimate the obstruction situation between the first communication device and the satellite, and based on the obstruction situation between the first communication device and the satellite, predict the time period during which the first communication device and the satellite can communicate, or the time period during which the first communication device and the satellite cannot communicate.

[0137] The obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite may refer to a situation where the wireless link between the first communication device and the satellite is blocked by an obstruction, which may specifically include the following situations: the first communication device is located in a closed environment such as a subway, train, tunnel, building, or elevator; the first communication device is located in an open environment such as a dense forest but with obstructions in the air; the first communication device is inside an object such as a user's clothing pocket, handbag, box, or vehicle, or any other possible obstruction situation, which is not limited in this application. In addition, some weather conditions may also be considered as obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite, such as heavy fog or cloudy sky in the area where the first communication device is located.

[0138] Optionally, in this implementation, the first communication device can estimate the obstruction situation between the first communication device and the satellite based on relevant information, such as at least one of the following information: location information of the first communication device (for example, location information obtained by the first communication device performing global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement), information indicating the coverage range of the satellite (for example, satellite ephemeris information, orbit information, etc.), information characterizing the environment in which the first communication device is located (for example, environmental information obtained by the first communication device performing GNSS measurement, three-dimensional (3D) map information of the environment around the first communication device), or signal quality between the first communication device and the satellite.

[0139] Regarding estimating the obstruction situation between the first communication device and the satellite based on relevant information, in one possible implementation, the first communication device may preset an algorithm or model for estimating the obstruction situation, the input of the algorithm or model may be the above-mentioned relevant information, and the output may be a prediction of the obstruction situation between the first communication device and the satellite in the future. Optionally, the algorithm or model may output a prediction of whether there is obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite in the future. Optionally, the algorithm or model may also output a prediction of the specific obstruction situation (such as the reason for the obstruction, the severity of the impact of the obstruction on the signal, etc.) between the first communication device and the satellite in the future.

[0140] For example, assuming that at 13:00, the first communication device inputs the measurement results of the GNSS measurement of the position of the first communication device, the 3D data of the environment in which the first communication device is located, the measurement results of the signal quality between the first communication device and the satellite, and the ephemeris information of the satellite into a preset model, the model can output a prediction result of the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite during the period of 13:00-14:00. The prediction result output by the model may be: there is obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite during the period of 13:00-14:00. Optionally, the model can also output the reason for the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite during the period of 13:00-14:00, for example, the first communication device may be in the subway. Optionally, the model can also output the severity of the impact of the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite on the signal during the period of 13:00-14:00, for example, it may be relatively severe.

[0141] This application does not limit how the first communication device predicts the time period during which communication is possible or not possible between the first communication device and the satellite based on the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite.

[0142] In one possible implementation, the first communication device may consider the period when there is obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite as a period when communication between the first communication device and the satellite is impossible, and consider the period when there is no obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite as a period when communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible.

[0143] In another possible implementation, the first communication device may consider the impact of obstruction on the signal, and consider the period when there is obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite and the obstruction will seriously affect the signal as a period when the first communication device and the satellite cannot communicate, and consider the period when there is obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite but the impact of the obstruction on the signal is small, as well as the period when there is no obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite, as a period when the first communication device and the satellite can communicate.

[0144] The embodiment of the present application does not limit how the first communication device determines the degree of influence of the shielding on the signal. The following introduces several possible implementation methods provided by the present application.

[0145] In a first implementation, a first communication device may measure the signal quality between the first communication device and a satellite, and estimate the degree to which the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite affects the signal based on the obtained signal quality measurement results, such as at least one of the following information: signal-to-noise ratio, signal received power, or signal strength. For example, if the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal between the first communication device and the satellite is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the first communication device may determine that the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite has a minor impact on the signal. If the signal-to-noise ratio of the signal between the first communication device and the satellite is less than the preset threshold, the first communication device may determine that the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite has a significant impact on the signal.

[0146] For example, assuming that for the current location of the first communication device, the satellite coverage time corresponding to satellite A includes 12:00-13:00, and at 12:10, based on the measurement results of the GNSS measurement of the first communication device's position, 3D data of the environment in which the first communication device is located, the measurement results of the signal quality between the first communication device and the satellite, and the satellite's ephemeris information, the first communication device estimates that from 12:10 to 12:30, there is obstruction between the first communication device and satellite A, and the obstruction severely affects the signal quality. From 12:30 to 13:00, there is no obstruction between the first communication device and satellite A. The first communication device can then predict that from 12:10 to 12:30, communication between the first communication device and the satellite is impossible, and from 12:30 to 13:00, communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible.

[0147] In a second implementation method, the first communication device can predict a specific scenario of obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite within a certain period of time in the future, and the first communication device can preset one or more specific scenarios in which the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite will seriously affect the signal. If the specific scenario of obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite within a certain period of time in the future predicted by the first communication device is a certain preset specific scenario in which the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite will seriously affect the signal, the first communication device can deem that the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite will seriously affect the signal within a certain period of time in the future. Alternatively, the first communication device can also preset one or more specific scenarios in which the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite has little effect on the signal. If the specific scenario of obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite within a certain period of time in the future predicted by the first communication device is a certain preset specific scenario in which the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite has little effect on the signal, the first communication device can deem that the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite has little effect on the signal within a certain period of time in the future.

[0148] For example, the first communication device can preset a scenario in which the first communication device is located in a subway, train, tunnel, building or elevator, which is a scenario in which the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite will seriously affect the signal; a scenario in which the first communication device is in the pocket of the user's clothing or handbag, which is a scenario in which the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite has little impact on the signal. The first communication device can predict, based on relevant information, which scenario of the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite will be in a period of time in the future, and thus can determine, based on the preset scenario, whether the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite will seriously affect the signal or have little impact on the signal in a period of time in the future. For example, according to the prediction based on the navigation information that the first communication device is about to enter a tunnel, it can be considered that there will be an obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite, which will seriously affect the signal.

[0149] Regarding how the first communication device predicts a period of time during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible or incommunicable based on the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite, in another possible implementation, the first communication device may preset an algorithm or model that can predict a period of time during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible or incommunicable within a future period of time. Specifically, the input of the algorithm or model can be the relevant information for estimating the obstruction between the first communication device and the satellite, and the output can be a prediction of a period of time during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible or incommunicable within a future period of time.

[0150] For example, assuming that at 13:00, the first communication device inputs the measurement results of the GNSS measurement of the position of the first communication device, the 3D data of the environment in which the first communication device is located, the measurement results of the signal quality between the first communication device and the satellite, and the ephemeris information of the satellite into a preset model. The model can output a prediction of the time period between 13:00 and 14:00 when the first communication device and the satellite can communicate or cannot communicate.

[0151] In addition, the first communication device may also directly determine a time period outside the satellite coverage time corresponding to the satellite as a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is impossible.

[0152] In one possible case, if the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is impossible, if the first communication device accesses the satellite during the first time period, the first communication device will trigger a wireless link failure, causing the wireless link between the first communication device and the satellite to be interrupted.

[0153] In S202, if the second communication device is a serving satellite of the first communication device or a device deployed on a serving satellite, the first communication device may directly send the first instruction information to the second communication device. If the second communication device is not a serving satellite of the first communication device, for example, if the second communication device is a core network element on the ground, the first communication device may send the first instruction information to the serving satellite, and the serving satellite may send the first instruction information to the second communication device.

[0154] After receiving the first indication information, the second communication device can determine the communication status between the first communication device and the satellite based on the first indication information. Specifically, if the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible, the second communication device can determine the time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible based on the first indication information. Optionally, the second communication device can also determine time periods outside the first time period as time periods during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible. If the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible, the second communication device can determine the time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible based on the first indication information. Optionally, the second communication device can also determine time periods outside the first time period as time periods during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible.

[0155] For sending the first indication information, the first communication device may send the first indication information immediately after determining the first time period. Alternatively, the first communication device may send the first indication information during the process of accessing the network, that is, establishing an RRC connection with a certain satellite. Alternatively, the first communication device may send the first indication information when a preset event triggers the sending of the first indication information. For example, the first communication device may send the first indication information when the duration of the first time period (hereinafter referred to as the first duration) is less than or equal to a first threshold, wherein the first threshold is used to measure whether the first duration meets the conditions for sending the first indication information, and the first threshold may be preset, or may be obtained by the first communication device from other network elements, such as the second communication device. For another example, the first communication device may send the signal measurement result of the current service cell and the first indication information together after completing the signal measurement of the current service cell. The service cell is the coverage range of the service satellite.

[0156] Optionally, if the first communication device determines the first time period and sends the first indication information within the first time period, the first time period indicated by the first indication information at this time may be the original first time period, or may be the remaining first time period, and the remaining first time period is the time period from the current moment of sending the first indication information to the end moment of the original first time period.

[0157] For example, assuming that the first communication device sends the first indication information when the first duration is less than or equal to the first threshold. The first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible, and the first time period is 12:30-13:00, and the first threshold is 20 minutes, then the first communication device may send the first indication information at or after 12:40. Taking the example of the first communication device sending the first indication information at 12:40, the first time period indicated by the first indication information may be 12:30-13:00, or 12:40-13:00.

[0158] The embodiments of the present application do not limit how the first indication information indicates the first time period. For example, the first indication information may indicate the start time and end time of the first time period. For another example, the first indication information may indicate the start time and duration of the first time period. For another example, the first indication information may indicate the end time and duration of the first time period.

[0159] Optionally, when the first indication information indicates the first time period, it may also indicate the satellite corresponding to the first time period, that is, indicate which satellite the first communication device can communicate with or cannot communicate with during the first time period. For example, the first indication information may also indicate the satellite identifier.

[0160] Optionally, after S202, if the first communication device again determines a new first time period (which may be referred to as an updated first time period), for example, the first communication device moves after S202 and determines the first time period again after the movement, the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application may further include the following steps:

[0161] The first communication device sends third indication information to the second communication device, where the third indication information is used to indicate the updated first time period.

[0162] In one possible implementation, the first communication device may send the third indication information if certain conditions are met. For example, the first communication device may send the third indication information if the difference between the duration of the updated first time period and the duration of the first time period indicated by the first indication information exceeds or is not less than a second threshold. The second threshold is used to measure whether the updated first time period meets the conditions for sending the third indication information. The second threshold may be preset, or may be obtained by the first communication device from another network element, such as the second communication device.

[0163] The above describes the first communication device sending the first indication information indicating the first time period to the second communication device. The following describes some optional solutions that may be implemented based on the first indication information after the second communication device receives the first indication information.

[0164] Scenario 1: After receiving the first indication information, the second communication device can perform resource allocation or data scheduling according to the first time period. For example, if the first indication information received by the second communication device from terminal device 1 indicates that 12:00-13:00 is a time period during which communication between terminal device 1 and the satellite is not possible, and another first indication information from terminal device 2 indicates that 12:00-13:00 is a time period during which communication between terminal device 2 and the satellite is possible, the second communication device can allocate the resources originally allocated to terminal device 1 with a time domain position between 12:00-13:00 to terminal device 2. The second communication device can also suspend sending service data to terminal device 1 between 12:00-13:00.

[0165] Optionally, if the second communication device is the service satellite of the first communication device, and the first indication information includes a first time period for the service satellite, after receiving the first indication information, the second communication device can also stop communicating with the first communication device according to the first time period during the time period when the first communication device and the service satellite cannot communicate.

[0166] Based on this solution, the network can rationally allocate resources or perform data scheduling based on the received information indicating the communication status between the first communication device and the satellite. This, on the one hand, improves resource utilization and avoids resource waste. On the other hand, it avoids data reception or decoding failures caused by sending data during periods of unavailable communication, further reducing data transmission overhead and resource waste.

[0167] Scenario 2: After the second communication device receives the first indication information, it can configure a communication state for the first communication device according to the first time period, such as a power-saving communication state, which can be discontinuous transmission (DTX), discontinuous transmission and reception (DT&RX), discontinuous communication, discontinuous transmission, discontinuous reception (DRX), such as discontinuous reception in a connected state (connected discontinuous reception, C-DRX) and other communication states, or it can be replaced with any possible power-saving communication state, and the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this.

[0168] [Corrected 23.04.2025 in accordance with Rule 91] Hereinafter, the communication state configured by the second communication device for the first communication device according to the first time period is referred to as the first communication state. As shown in S203 of Figure 2 , in one possible implementation, the second communication device may send first information to the first communication device, where the first information is used to configure the first communication device to be in the first communication state during the second time period. Accordingly, after receiving the first information, the first communication device is in the first communication state during the second time period according to the first information. For example, the first communication device may suspend monitoring downlink signals and suspend sending uplink signals during the second time period to save power.

[0169] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation of the first information indicating the first communication state and the second time period. For example, to indicate the first communication state, the first information may include a certain number of bits, and different values ​​of the bits may be used to indicate different first communication states. For example, assuming that two bits in the first information have a value of 00 indicating a DTX state, and a value of 01 indicating a DT&RX state, etc. For indicating the second time period, reference may be made to how the first indication information indicates the first time period.

[0170] If the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible, the second time period may include the first time period. Specifically, the start time of the second time period is earlier than or equal to the start time of the first time period, and the end time of the second time period is later than or equal to the end time of the first time period. If the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible, the second time period may be a time period that does not overlap with the first time period.

[0171] Based on this solution, the network side can configure a power-saving communication state for the first communication device based on the received information indicating the communication status between the first communication device and the satellite. The first communication device can be in a power-saving communication state based on the configuration of the network side when it cannot communicate with the satellite, thereby reducing unnecessary power consumption.

[0172] Optionally, after receiving the first indication information, the second communication device may directly configure the second time period based on the first time period. Alternatively, the second communication device may configure the second time period if certain conditions are met. The following describes several possible conditions that the second communication device must meet to configure the second time period.

[0173] Condition 1: After receiving the first indication information, if the second communication device determines that the duration of the period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is unavailable is relatively short, the second communication device configures the second period for the first communication device. For example, if the second communication device determines that the duration of the period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is unavailable is less than or equal to a third threshold, the second communication device configures the second period for the first communication device.

[0174] Condition 2: If the second communication device determines that there is no adjacent satellite to which the first communication device can switch during the period when the first communication device and the satellite cannot communicate, that is, the neighboring area of ​​the current serving cell of the first communication device does not meet the switching condition, then the second communication device can configure a second time period for the first communication device.

[0175] Condition 3: The second communication device may configure a second time period for the first communication device when both conditions 1 and 2 above are met.

[0176] The following describes implementations that may be performed by the first communication device after receiving the first information, in addition to being in the first communication state during the second time period.

[0177] Implementation 1: Because the first communication device knows that the network side configured the second time period based on the first indication information reported by the first communication device, if there is no suitable candidate satellite (an adjacent satellite that meets the handover conditions) during the second time period, the first communication device will not initiate a radio link failure. Alternatively, if a suitable candidate satellite is available during the second time period, the first communication device may initiate a radio link failure and handover to the candidate satellite.

[0178] Implementation 2: The first communication device may measure the signal quality of the current serving cell before the end of the second time period. If the signal quality of the serving cell meets the corresponding requirement (which may be referred to as the first requirement, and the first requirement may be a protocol agreement or a network side requirement, such as that configured by the second communication device), the first communication device may initiate random access and send a random access request to the serving satellite. If the signal quality of the serving cell does not meet the first requirement, the first communication device may continue to measure the signal quality of the neighboring cell of the serving cell. Optionally, if the signal quality of the neighboring cell meets the first requirement, the first communication device may send a random access request to the satellite corresponding to the neighboring cell.

[0179] In this implementation, if the first communications device completes measurement of the serving cell within the second time period and the signal quality of the serving cell meets the first requirement, the first communications device may initiate random access within the second time period. In this case, the first communications device may end the second time period early to reduce service interruption. Alternatively, the first communications device may initiate random access after the second time period ends.

[0180] In this implementation, if the second communication device is a serving satellite, the second communication device can determine, based on a random access request from the first communication device, that the communication connection between the first communication device and the serving satellite has been restored. For example, the second communication device can determine, based on identification information of the first communication device carried in the random access request, such as the UE ID, that the first communication device currently initiating the random access is the first communication device that previously sent the first indication information. Furthermore, after determining that the first communication device previously sent the first indication information, the second communication device can restore some of the first communication device's configurations from before the period when communication between the first communication device and the serving satellite was unavailable.

[0181] Implementation 3: The first communications device begins measuring the signal quality of the neighboring cell before the start of the second time period. If the signal quality of the neighboring cell measured by the first communications device meets a corresponding requirement (the requirement may be a protocol requirement or a network requirement, such as that configured by the second communications device), the first communications device may connect to the neighboring cell (also referred to as reselecting to the neighboring cell).

[0182] In this implementation, the first communication device may be a communication device that does not support mobility management in a connected state, i.e., does not support cell switching, but supports mobility management in an idle state, i.e., supports neighbor cell measurement and selection in the idle state. For example, the first communication device is a terminal device in a narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT).

[0183] Implementation 4: The first communication device may perform GNSS measurements during the second time period. The first communication device may independently determine the time to begin the GNSS measurement during the second time period. The first communication device may complete the GNSS measurement during the second time period or after the end of the second time period. After completing the GNSS measurement, the first communication device may send the GNSS validity period to the second communication device if the first communication device resumes communication with the network.

[0184] The GNSS validity period is the duration between the first reference time and the start time of the next GNSS measurement. The first reference time is the time when the first communication device completes the current GNSS measurement, or it can be the time when the GNSS validity period is sent. If the first reference time is the time when the first communication device completes the current GNSS measurement, the first reference can be within the second time period, or it can be the end time of the second time period, or it can be after the end time of the second time period. If the first reference time is the time when the first communication device sends the GNSS validity period, the first reference time can be the end time of the second time period, or it can be after the end time of the second time period.

[0185] Optionally, in this implementation, the first communication device may be a communication device with relatively weak capabilities that cannot perform uplink and downlink data transmission with the network side when performing GNSS measurement. For example, the first communication device may be a terminal device in the IoT.

[0186] Based on this solution, the first communication device can use the second time period to perform GNSS measurement when it cannot communicate with the network side, thereby reducing the overhead caused by performing GNSS measurement.

[0187] Optionally, for any of the above implementations 2-4, after receiving the first information, the first communication device may decide on its own to execute any of the above implementations 2-4. Alternatively, the first communication device may receive instruction information from the second communication device and, under the instruction of the instruction information, execute any of the above implementations 2-4. For example, in the above implementation 2, the second communication device may send second instruction information to the first communication device, and the second instruction information is used to instruct the first communication device to measure the signal quality of the neighboring area of ​​the current serving cell before the start time of the second time period. Accordingly, the first communication device measures the signal quality of the neighboring area of ​​the current serving cell before the start time of the second time period based on the second instruction information.

[0188] Optionally, the first communication device may independently perform one of the above implementations 1-4, or may simultaneously perform at least two of the above implementations 1-4. For example, the first communication device may simultaneously perform implementation 2 and implementation 4. If the first communication device accesses the serving cell through random access, the first communication device may send the measurement results of the GNSS measurement performed during the second time period to the serving satellite.

[0189] In addition, in one possible case, after the second time period ends, the first communication device can exit the first communication state and continue to maintain communication with the network without disconnecting from the network.

[0190] Scenario three: After the second communication device receives the first indication information, it can configure time-based cell switching for the first communication device according to the first time period. As shown in S204 in Figure 2, in a possible implementation, the second communication device can send second information to the first communication device, and the second information is used to configure the first communication device to switch to the neighboring cell of the current service cell at a third moment. Accordingly, after the first communication device receives the second information, it switches to the neighboring cell of the current service cell at the third moment according to the second information. The third moment is before the start time of the period during which communication between the first communication device and the service satellite is not possible. If the first time period included in the first indication information is a period during which communication between the first communication device and the service satellite is not possible, the third moment is before the first time period. If the first time period included in the first indication information is a period during which communication between the first communication device and the service satellite is possible, the second communication device can determine the period during which communication between the first communication device and the service satellite is not possible based on the first time period, and further determine the third moment.

[0191] Based on this solution, the network side can configure the first communication device to switch to the neighboring area of ​​the serving cell according to the communication status between the first communication device and the satellite, thereby reducing the service interruption time.

[0192] Optionally, after receiving the first indication information, the second communication device can configure time-based cell switching for the first communication device when it determines that the duration of the period during which communication is impossible between the first communication device and the current service satellite is long (for example, the second communication device determines that the duration of the period during which communication is impossible between the first communication device and the current service satellite is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold, and the fourth threshold can be preset, or can be obtained by the second communication device from other network elements), and there is an adjacent satellite that can be switched, that is, the neighboring area of ​​the current service cell of the first communication device meets the switching conditions.

[0193] Optionally, if the first indication information sent by the first communication device includes not only the time period when the first communication device and the service satellite cannot communicate or can communicate, but also the time period when the first communication device and the adjacent satellite can communicate, the second communication device can determine that the first communication device has an adjacent satellite that can be switched based on the time period when the first communication device and the adjacent satellite can communicate.

[0194] Optionally, if the first indication information includes a time period during which the first communication device and the adjacent satellite can communicate, the third time determined by the second communication device may be within the time period during which the first communication device and the adjacent satellite can communicate.

[0195] Optionally, in addition to the above scenarios 1, 2, and 3, the second communication device may also perform other actions according to the first time period, which is not limited in the present embodiment. For example, the second communication device may adjust the network policy according to the first time period.

[0196] In addition, embodiments of the present application also provide another communication method. In this method, a first communication device sends relevant information that can be used to determine a first time period to a second communication device. The second communication device determines the first time period based on the obtained relevant information. The second communication device determines the first time period based on the relevant information. For details on how the second communication device determines the first time period based on the relevant information, please refer to the above description of how the first communication device determines the first time period, which will not be elaborated here.

[0197] In this method, the relevant information used to determine the first time period may include at least one of the following information: location information of the first communication device, information indicating the coverage range of the satellite, information characterizing the environment in which the first communication device is located, or information such as the signal quality between the first communication device and the satellite. For details, please refer to the above introduction and will not be elaborated here.

[0198] Optionally, in this method, after determining the first time period, the second communication device may perform any one or more of the following based on the first time period: resource allocation, data scheduling, configuring a first communication state for the first communication device, or configuring time-based cell switching for the first communication device. For details, please refer to the above description of Scenario 1, Scenario 2, and Scenario 3, which will not be elaborated here.

[0199] The above mainly introduces the solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application from the perspective of interaction between various network elements. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present application also provide a communication device, which is used to implement the various methods described above. The communication device can be the first communication device in the above method embodiments, or a device including the above first communication device, or a component that can be used for the first communication device; or the communication device can be the second communication device in the above method embodiments, or a device including the above second communication device, or a component that can be used for the second communication device.

[0200] It is understandable that, in order to realize the above functions, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. It should be easily appreciated by those skilled in the art that, in combination with the units and algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed herein, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0201] In the embodiment of the present application, the functional modules of the communication device can be divided according to the above method embodiment. For example, each functional module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The above integrated modules can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. It should be noted that the division of modules in the embodiment of the present application is schematic and is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods.

[0202] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 300. The communication device 300 includes a transceiver module 301 and a processing module 302. The transceiver module 301, also known as a transceiver unit, implements transceiver functions and may be, for example, a transceiver circuit, a transceiver, a transceiver, or a communication interface. The processing module 302, also known as a processing unit 302, implements processing functions. Optionally, the communication device 300 may also include a storage module 303.

[0203] Taking communication device 300 as the first communication device in the above method embodiment as an example, processing module 302 is configured to determine a first time period; the first time period is a time period during which communication device 300 and a satellite can or cannot communicate. Transceiver module 301 is configured to send first indication information to the second communication device, where the first indication information indicates the first time period.

[0204] Taking communication device 300 as the second communication device in the above method embodiment as an example, transceiver module 301 is configured to receive first indication information from the first communication device, the first indication information indicating a first time period, where the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible or not. Processing module 302 is configured to determine first information or second information based on the first time period. Transceiver module 301 is further configured to send the first information or second information to the first communication device. The first information is configured to configure the first communication device to be in a first communication state during the second time period, where the first communication state is a discontinuous transmission state, a discontinuous transmission and reception state, a discontinuous communication state, a discontinuous transmission state, or a discontinuous reception state. If the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible, the second time period includes the first time period. If the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible, the second time period does not overlap with the first time period. The second information is configured to configure the first communication device to switch to a neighboring cell of the current serving cell at a third time point. If the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible, the third time point is before the start time of the first time period.

[0205] Among them, all relevant contents of each step involved in the above method embodiment can be referred to the functional description of the corresponding functional module and will not be repeated here.

[0206] Optionally, in the communication device shown in FIG3 , the names of the modules may not be the names shown in the figure. For example, the transceiver module may also be called a communication module or a communication unit.

[0207] If the various units in Figure 3 are implemented in the form of software function modules and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a number of instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) or a processor to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The storage medium for storing computer software products includes various media that can store program codes, such as a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0208] In the embodiment of the present application, the communication device 300 is presented in the form of various functional modules divided in an integrated manner. The "module" here can refer to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a circuit, a processor and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs, an integrated logic circuit, and / or other devices that can provide the above functions.

[0209] In a simple embodiment, those skilled in the art may appreciate that the communication device 300 may take the form of the communication device 400 shown in FIG. 4 .

[0210] As shown in Figure 4, the communication device 400 includes one or more processors 401, a communication line 402, and at least one communication interface (Figure 4 is only illustrative of the example of including a communication interface 404 and a processor 401), and may optionally also include a memory 403.

[0211] The processor 401 may be a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0212] The communication line 402 may include a path for connecting different components.

[0213] Communication interface 404 may be a transceiver module for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, RAN, terminals, and wireless local area networks (WLANs). For example, the transceiver module may be a device such as a transceiver or a transceiver. Alternatively, communication interface 404 may be a transceiver circuit or input / output interface within processor 401, used to implement signal input and output to the processor.

[0214] The memory 403 may be a device having a storage function. For example, it may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other types of dynamic storage devices that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compact discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory may be independent and connected to the processor via a communication line 402. The memory may also be integrated with the processor.

[0215] The memory 403 is used to store computer-executable instructions for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 401. The processor 401 is used to execute the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 403, thereby implementing the communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application.

[0216] Alternatively, optionally, in an embodiment of the present application, the processor 401 may also perform processing-related functions in the communication method provided in the above embodiment of the present application, and the communication interface 404 is responsible for communicating with other devices or communication networks, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0217] Optionally, the computer-executable instructions in the embodiments of the present application may also be referred to as application code, which is not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0218] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 401 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG. 4 .

[0219] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 400 may include multiple processors, such as the processor 401 and the processor 407 in FIG4 . Each of these processors may be a single-core processor or a multi-core processor. The processors herein may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: a CPU, a microprocessor, a digital signal processing (DSP), a microcontroller unit (MCU), or an artificial intelligence processor, and other types of computing devices that run software. Each computing device may include one or more cores for executing software instructions to perform calculations or processing.

[0220] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 400 may further include an output device 405 and an input device 406. The output device 405 communicates with the processor 401 and can display information in a variety of ways. For example, the output device 405 can be a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display device, a cathode ray tube (CRT) display device, or a projector. The input device 406 communicates with the processor 401 and can receive user input in a variety of ways. For example, the input device 406 can be a mouse, a keyboard, a touch screen device, or a sensor device.

[0221] The communication device 400 described above may sometimes also be referred to as a communication device, which may be a general-purpose device or a dedicated device. For example, the communication device 400 may be the first communication device or the second communication device described above, or a device having a similar structure as shown in FIG4 . The embodiments of the present application do not limit the type of the communication device 400.

[0222] In addition, the composition structure shown in Figure 4 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device. In addition to the components shown in Figure 4, the communication device 400 may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0223] Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 301 and the processing module 302 in FIG3 may be implemented by the processor 401 in the communication device 400 shown in FIG4 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 403. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing module 302 in FIG3 may be implemented by the processor 401 in the communication device 400 shown in FIG4 calling computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 403, and the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver module 301 in FIG3 may be implemented by the communication interface 404 in the communication device 400 shown in FIG4.

[0224] It should be understood that one or more of the above modules or units can be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination of the two. When any of the above modules or units is implemented in 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. The processor can be built into an SoC or ASIC, or it can be an independent semiconductor chip. In addition to the core used to execute software instructions to perform calculations or processing within the processor, it can further include necessary hardware accelerators, such as FPGAs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), or logic circuits that implement dedicated logic operations.

[0225] When the above modules or units are implemented in hardware, the hardware can be any one or any combination of a CPU, a microprocessor, a DSP chip, an MCU, an artificial intelligence processor, an ASIC, a SoC, an FPGA, a 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.

[0226] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication device (for example, the communication device may be a chip or a chip system), which includes a processor for implementing the method in any of the above method embodiments. In one possible design, the communication device also includes a memory. The memory is used to store necessary program instructions and data, and the processor can call the program code stored in the memory to instruct the communication device to execute the method in any of the above method embodiments. Of course, the memory may not be in the communication device. When the communication device is a chip system, it may be composed of a chip, or it may include a chip and other discrete devices, which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0227] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is run on a communication device, the communication device can execute the method described in any of the above method embodiments or any of its implementation methods.

[0228] Optionally, an embodiment of the present application further provides a communication system, which includes the network device described in the above method embodiment and the terminal device described in the above method embodiment.

[0229] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using a software program, all or part of the embodiments can be implemented 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, all or part of the processes or functions according to the embodiments of the present application are generated. 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 a wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that includes one or more media integrated therein. The available media may be magnetic media (eg, floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes), optical media (eg, DVDs), or semiconductor media (eg, solid state drives (SSDs)).

[0230] 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 may understand and implement other variations of 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 may 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.

[0231] Although the present application has been described with reference to specific features and embodiments thereof, it is apparent that various modifications and combinations may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present application. Accordingly, this specification and the drawings are merely illustrative of the present application as defined by the appended claims and are deemed to cover any and all modifications, variations, combinations or equivalents within the scope of the present application. Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various modifications and variations to the present application without departing from the scope of the present application. Thus, the present application is intended to encompass such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The first communication device determines a first time period; the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible or not possible; The first communication device sends first indication information to the second communication device, where the first indication information is used to indicate the first time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first communication device determining a first time period includes: The first communication device determines the first time period based on the satellite coverage time corresponding to the satellite and at least one of the following: a measurement result of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurement, three-dimensional data, or a signal quality with the satellite.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first communication device sending first indication information to the second communication device includes: The first communication device sends the first indication information during a process of establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the second communication device; or The first communication device sends the first indication information when the duration corresponding to the first time period is less than or equal to a first threshold; or The first communication device sends a signal measurement result of a current serving cell and the first indication information.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The method further comprises: The first communication device receives first information, the first information being used to configure the first communication device to be in a first communication state during a second time period; wherein the first communication state is a discontinuous transmission state, a discontinuous sending and receiving state, a discontinuous communication state, a discontinuous sending state, or a discontinuous receiving state; if the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible, the second time period includes the first time period; if the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible, the second time period does not overlap with the first time period; The first communication device is in the first communication state during the second time period according to the first information.

5. [Corrected 23.04.2025 according to Rule 91] The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The first communication device being in the first communication state within a second time period according to the first information includes: The first communication device suspends monitoring downlink signals and sending uplink signals during the second time period.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The method further comprises: After the second period ends, the first communication device exits the first communication state and maintains communication with the satellite.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that The method further comprises: During the second time period, when the signal quality of the serving cell meets a first requirement, the first communication device sends a random access request to the serving satellite.

8. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The first communication device receives second indication information, where the second indication information is used to instruct the first communication device to measure the signal quality of a neighboring cell of the current serving cell before the second time period; The first communication device measures the signal quality of the neighboring cell according to the second indication information.

9. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: The method further comprises: After the second time period ends, the first communication device sends the GNSS valid duration to the second communication device, where the GNSS valid duration is the duration between the first reference time and the start time of the next GNSS measurement. The first reference time is within the second time period, or is the end time of the second time period, or is after the end time of the second time period.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is impossible. The method further includes: The first communication device receives second information, where the second information is used to configure the first communication device to switch to a neighboring cell of a current serving cell at a third time; the third time is before a start time of the first time period; The first communication device switches to the neighboring cell at the third moment according to the second information.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that After the first communication device sends the first indication information to the second communication device, the method further includes: The first communication device sends third indication information to the second communication device, where the third indication information is used to indicate the updated first time period.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first communication device sending third indication information to the second communication device includes: The first communication device sends the third indication information when the difference between the duration of the updated first time period and the duration of the first time period indicated by the first indication information exceeds or is not less than a second threshold.

13. A communication method, characterized in that: The method comprises: The second communication device receives first indication information from the first communication device, where the first indication information is used to indicate a first time period, where the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible or impossible; The second communication device sends the first information or the second information to the first communication device according to the first time period; The first information is used to configure the first communication device to be in a first communication state during a second time period, where the first communication state is a discontinuous transmission state, a discontinuous sending and receiving state, a discontinuous communication state, a discontinuous sending state, or a discontinuous receiving state; if the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is not possible, the second time period includes the first time period; if the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is possible, the second time period does not overlap with the first time period; The second information is used to configure the first communication device to switch to a neighboring cell of the current serving cell at a third moment; when the first time period is a time period during which communication between the first communication device and the satellite is impossible, the third moment is before the start time of the first time period.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The second communication device receiving first indication information from the first communication device includes: The second communication device receives the first indication information during a process of establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the first communication device; or The second communication device receives the signal measurement result of the serving cell and the first indication information from the first communication device.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second communication device sends second indication information to the first communication device, where the second indication information is used to instruct the first communication device to measure the signal quality of a neighboring cell of the current serving cell before the second time period.

16. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The method further comprises: The second communication device receives the GNSS valid duration from the first communication device; the GNSS valid duration is the duration between the first reference time and the start time of the next GNSS measurement, and the first reference time is within the second time period, or is the end time of the second time period, or is after the end time of the second time period.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that: The method further comprises: The second communication device receives second indication information from the first communication device, where the second indication information is used to indicate the updated first time period.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that: The second communication device sending the first information or the second information to the first communication device according to the first time period includes: When the duration of the first time period does not exceed or is less than a third threshold, and / or when the neighboring cell of the current serving cell of the first communication device does not meet the switching condition, the second communication device sends the first information to the first communication device; or In a case where a neighboring cell of a current serving cell of the first communication device meets a switching condition, the second communication device sends the second information to the first communication device.

19. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes a module or unit for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12; or, the communication device includes a module or unit for implementing the method according to any one of claims 13 to 18.

20. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device includes: a processor, the processor being configured to execute instructions stored in a memory; when the instructions are executed by the processor, the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, or the communication device executes the method according to any one of claims 13 to 18.

21. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that Instructions are stored thereon, and when the instructions are executed by a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is executed; or the method according to any one of claims 13 to 18 is executed.

22. A computer program product, characterized in that Instructions are stored thereon, and when the instructions are executed by a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 is executed; or the method according to any one of claims 13 to 18 is executed.

23. A communication system, characterized in that: The communication system includes a first communication device and a second communication device; the first communication device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, and the second communication device is used to execute the method according to any one of claims 13 to 18.

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