Cell management method and apparatus for non-terrestrial network

Abstract

The present invention provides a cell management method and apparatus for a non-terrestrial network. The method comprises: receiving a management request message for a target cell; determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell, wherein the configuration parameter management information comprises at least one of location tracking area (TA) information of the target cell, a mapping relation table between a Mapped Cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographic area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell; and sending the configuration parameter management information, wherein the configuration parameter management information is used for configuring and / or updating parameters of the target cell. The method can dynamically configure and / or update information related to cell coverage areas in non-terrestrial networks.

Description

A cell management method and device for non-terrestrial network

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to a Chinese patent application filed with the Patent Office of China on February 27, 2024, with application number 2024102141807 and titled “A cell management method and device for a non-terrestrial network,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a cell management method and device for a non-terrestrial network. Background Art

[0003] In the 5G terrestrial network, base stations broadcast area information within their coverage area, such as Tracking Area (TA) information. Terminal devices report their own TA based on the broadcasted TA information, thereby enabling the network to manage the mobility of the terminal device.

[0004] However, in scenarios where satellite communications and 5G converge, that is, in non-terrestrial network (NTN) scenarios, the situation is more complicated. In NTN scenarios, the coverage area of ​​a satellite is usually called a cell, and a cell may cover one or more TAs. As satellites continuously move in orbit, their coverage area also moves, causing the TAs covered by a cell to change over time. Therefore, the method of broadcasting TA-related information by base stations in terrestrial networks is not applicable to NTN scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure at least provide a method and apparatus for managing a cell in a non-terrestrial network, so as to solve the problem of configuring and / or updating information related to cell coverage areas in the non-terrestrial network.

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a cell management method for a non-terrestrial network, which is applied to a network management device. The method includes:

[0007] receiving a management request message for a target cell;

[0008] Determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell; the configuration parameter management information includes at least one item of the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell;

[0009] Send the configuration parameter management information; the configuration parameter management information is used to configure and / or update the parameters of the target cell.

[0010] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information, and the acquisition indication information includes at least one of the following:

[0011] First instruction information for instructing to obtain the location tracking area TA information of the target cell;

[0012] Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area;

[0013] Third indication information instructing to obtain a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0014] In some embodiments, the management request message also carries cell configuration information;

[0015] The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0016] identification information of the target cell;

[0017] identification information of neighboring cells of the target cell;

[0018] base station identification information corresponding to the target cell;

[0019] Satellite identification information corresponding to the target cell;

[0020] Satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell;

[0021] Satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell;

[0022] The first geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell;

[0023] NCGI information corresponding to the target cell;

[0024] Slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell;

[0025] Indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update or update when triggered by an event.

[0026] In some embodiments, when the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

[0027] In some embodiments, the configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following:

[0028] identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the target cell;

[0029] identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching a neighboring cell of the target cell;

[0030] Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0031] Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring area of ​​the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0032] second geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell;

[0033] Available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information;

[0034] The non-available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information.

[0035] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information and cell configuration information; and determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes:

[0036] Determining, based on the cell configuration information, location information of a ground coverage range of the target cell within a future preset time period;

[0037] Based on the location information and the acquisition indication information, configuration parameter management information of the target cell within a future preset time period is determined.

[0038] In some embodiments, the cell configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information of the target cell and satellite beam information of the target cell;

[0039] The determining, based on the cell configuration information, location information of the ground coverage range of the target cell within the future preset time period includes:

[0040] Determining, based on the satellite ephemeris information, the satellite orbit position information of the target cell within the future preset time period;

[0041] Based on the satellite orbit position information and the satellite beam information, position information of the ground coverage range of the target cell within the future preset time period is determined.

[0042] In some embodiments, determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes:

[0043] Determine the slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell;

[0044] Based on the management request message, and the geographical area location information corresponding to the target slice subnet and the identification information of the public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the target slice subnet contained in the slice subnet configuration information, the configuration parameter management information of the target cell is determined.

[0045] In some embodiments, the management request message carries indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update;

[0046] The determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes:

[0047] After reaching an update time point corresponding to a current update period indicated by the update triggering mode, determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell;

[0048] The sending of the configuration parameter management information includes:

[0049] Sending configuration parameter management information determined in the current update period.

[0050] In some embodiments, the management request message carries indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate an update when an event is triggered;

[0051] The determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes:

[0052] After an update event indicated by the update triggering mode occurs, determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell;

[0053] The sending of the configuration parameter management information includes:

[0054] Sending configuration parameter management information corresponding to the update event.

[0055] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides another cell management method for a non-terrestrial network, applied to a network device, the method comprising:

[0056] receiving configuration parameter management information for a target cell; the configuration parameter management information being determined by a network management device based on a management request message for the target cell; the configuration parameter management information including at least one item of location tracking area (TA) information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell;

[0057] The parameters of the target cell are configured and / or updated based on the configuration parameter management information.

[0058] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information, and the acquisition indication information includes at least one of the following:

[0059] First instruction information for instructing to obtain the location tracking area TA information of the target cell;

[0060] Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area;

[0061] Third indication information instructing to obtain a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0062] In some embodiments, the management request message also carries cell configuration information;

[0063] The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0064] identification information of the target cell;

[0065] identification information of neighboring cells of the target cell;

[0066] base station identification information corresponding to the target cell;

[0067] Satellite identification information corresponding to the target cell;

[0068] Satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell;

[0069] Satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell;

[0070] The first geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell;

[0071] NCGI information corresponding to the target cell;

[0072] Slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell;

[0073] Indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update or update when triggered by an event.

[0074] In some embodiments, when the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

[0075] In some embodiments, the configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following:

[0076] identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the target cell;

[0077] identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching a neighboring cell of the target cell;

[0078] Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0079] Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring area of ​​the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0080] second geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell;

[0081] Available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information;

[0082] The non-available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information.

[0083] In some embodiments, before receiving the configuration parameter management information for the target cell, the method further includes:

[0084] Send a management request message to the target cell.

[0085] In some embodiments, configuring and / or updating the parameters of the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information includes:

[0086] Based on the configuration parameter management information, a broadcast message of the target cell is sent.

[0087] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a network management device, including a memory, a transceiver, and a processor:

[0088] A memory for storing a computer program; a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data under the control of the processor; and a processor for reading the computer program in the memory and performing the following operations:

[0089] receiving a management request message for a target cell;

[0090] Determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell; the configuration parameter management information includes at least one item of the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell;

[0091] Send the configuration parameter management information; the configuration parameter management information is used to configure and / or update the parameters of the target cell.

[0092] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information, and the acquisition indication information includes at least one of the following:

[0093] First instruction information for instructing to obtain the location tracking area TA information of the target cell;

[0094] Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area;

[0095] Third indication information instructing to obtain a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0096] In some embodiments, the management request message also carries cell configuration information;

[0097] The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target cell; identification information of the neighboring cells of the target cell; base station identification information corresponding to the target cell; satellite identification information corresponding to the target cell; satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; first geographic area location information corresponding to the target cell; global identifier NCGI information corresponding to the target cell; slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; indication information indicating the update triggering method of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering method is used to indicate periodic updates or updates when triggered by events.

[0098] In some embodiments, when the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

[0099] In some embodiments, the configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following:

[0100] identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the target cell;

[0101] identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching a neighboring cell of the target cell;

[0102] Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0103] Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring area of ​​the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0104] second geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell;

[0105] Available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information;

[0106] The non-available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information.

[0107] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information and cell configuration information; and determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes:

[0108] Determining, based on the cell configuration information, location information of a ground coverage range of the target cell within a future preset time period;

[0109] Based on the location information and the acquisition indication information, configuration parameter management information of the target cell within a future preset time period is determined.

[0110] In some embodiments, the cell configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information of the target cell and satellite beam information of the target cell;

[0111] The determining, based on the cell configuration information, location information of the ground coverage range of the target cell within the future preset time period includes:

[0112] Determining, based on the satellite ephemeris information, the satellite orbit position information of the target cell within the future preset time period;

[0113] Based on the satellite orbit position information and the satellite beam information, position information of the ground coverage range of the target cell within the future preset time period is determined.

[0114] In some embodiments, determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes:

[0115] Determine the slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell;

[0116] Based on the management request message, and the geographical area location information corresponding to the target slice subnet and the identification information of the public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the target slice subnet contained in the slice subnet configuration information, the configuration parameter management information of the target cell is determined.

[0117] In some embodiments, the management request message carries indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update;

[0118] The determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes:

[0119] After reaching an update time point corresponding to a current update period indicated by the update triggering mode, determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell;

[0120] The sending of the configuration parameter management information includes:

[0121] Sending configuration parameter management information determined in the current update period.

[0122] In some embodiments, the management request message carries indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate an update when an event is triggered;

[0123] The determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes:

[0124] After an update event indicated by the update triggering mode occurs, determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell;

[0125] The sending of the configuration parameter management information includes:

[0126] Sending configuration parameter management information corresponding to the update event.

[0127] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a network device, including a memory, a transceiver, and a processor:

[0128] A memory for storing a computer program; a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data under the control of the processor; and a processor for reading the computer program in the memory and performing the following operations:

[0129] receiving configuration parameter management information for a target cell; the configuration parameter management information being determined by a network management device based on a management request message for the target cell; the configuration parameter management information including at least one item of location tracking area (TA) information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell;

[0130] The parameters of the target cell are configured and / or updated based on the configuration parameter management information.

[0131] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information, and the acquisition indication information includes at least one of the following:

[0132] First instruction information for instructing to obtain the location tracking area TA information of the target cell;

[0133] Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area;

[0134] Third indication information instructing to obtain a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0135] In some embodiments, the management request message also carries cell configuration information;

[0136] The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target cell; identification information of the neighboring cells of the target cell; base station identification information corresponding to the target cell; satellite identification information corresponding to the target cell; satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; first geographic area location information corresponding to the target cell; global identifier NCGI information corresponding to the target cell; slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; indication information indicating the update triggering method of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering method is used to indicate periodic updates or updates when triggered by events.

[0137] In some embodiments, when the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

[0138] In some embodiments, the configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following:

[0139] identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the target cell;

[0140] identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching a neighboring cell of the target cell;

[0141] Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0142] Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring area of ​​the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0143] second geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell;

[0144] Available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information;

[0145] The non-available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information.

[0146] In some embodiments, before receiving the configuration parameter management information for the target cell, the processor is further configured to:

[0147] Send a management request message to the target cell.

[0148] In some embodiments, configuring and / or updating the parameters of the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information includes:

[0149] Based on the configuration parameter management information, a broadcast message of the target cell is sent.

[0150] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a cell management device for a non-terrestrial network, including:

[0151] A first receiving unit, configured to receive a management request message for a target cell;

[0152] a determining unit, configured to determine configuration parameter management information of the target cell; the configuration parameter management information includes at least one item of the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell;

[0153] The sending unit is used to send the configuration parameter management information; the configuration parameter management information is used to configure and / or update the parameters of the target cell.

[0154] In a sixth aspect, the embodiments of the present disclosure further provide another non-terrestrial network cell management device, including:

[0155] a second receiving unit, configured to receive configuration parameter management information for a target cell; the configuration parameter management information being determined by a network management device based on a management request message for the target cell; the configuration parameter management information including at least one item from the following: location tracking area (TA) information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell;

[0156] A configuration unit is configured to configure and / or update parameters of the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information.

[0157] In the seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure also provides a processor-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program, and the computer program is used to enable the processor to execute the steps of the cell management method for a non-terrestrial network as described in the first aspect above, or execute the steps of the cell management method for a non-terrestrial network as described in the second aspect above.

[0158] The cell management method and device for a non-terrestrial network provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can enable a network management device to dynamically determine the configuration parameter management information of a target cell based on a management request for the target cell, and send the configuration parameter management information to a network device such as a satellite or a base station. The configuration parameter management information includes the target cell TA information, a mapping relationship table between the Mapped Cell ID corresponding to the target cell and the geographical area, and at least one item in the neighboring cell list, thereby enabling dynamic configuration and / or update of information related to the cell coverage area in the non-terrestrial network.

[0159] In order to make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, preferred embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0160] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. The drawings herein are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification. These drawings illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and, together with the specification, are used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0161] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0162] FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing satellite coverage areas and tracking areas provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0163] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing how satellite cell coverage varies over time, as provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0164] FIG4 shows a flowchart of a cell management method for a non-terrestrial network provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0165] FIG5 shows a flowchart of another non-terrestrial network cell management method provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0166] FIG6 shows a schematic diagram of interaction between a network management device and a network device provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0167] FIG7 shows a schematic diagram of a network management device provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0168] FIG8 shows a schematic diagram of a network device provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0169] FIG9 shows a schematic diagram of a cell management device of a non-terrestrial network provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0170] FIG10 shows a schematic diagram of another non-terrestrial network cell management device provided by some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0171] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, rather than all of the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present disclosure generally described and shown here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure for protection, but merely represents the selected embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0172] Some terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are explained below to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0173] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "plurality" refers to two or more, and other quantifiers are similar. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "and / or" describes the relationship between associated objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0174] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0175] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cell management method and apparatus for a non-terrestrial network, so as to solve the problem of configuring and / or updating information related to cell coverage areas in the non-terrestrial network.

[0176] Among them, the method and the device are based on the same inventive concept. Since the principles of solving problems by the method and the device are similar, the implementation of the device and the method can refer to each other, and the repeated parts will not be repeated.

[0177] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applicable to a variety of systems equipped with non-terrestrial networks (such as satellite networks). For example, applicable systems may be long term evolution (LTE) systems, LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, LTE time division duplex (TDD) systems, long term evolution advanced (LTE-A) systems, universal mobile telecommunication systems (UMTS), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) systems, 5G new air interface (NR) systems and their evolved communication systems, etc. These various systems may include terminal devices and network devices. The system may also include a core network part, such as an evolved packet system (EPS), a 5G system (5GS), etc.

[0178] The terminal device involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to a user, a handheld device with wireless connection function, or other processing device connected to a wireless modem. In different systems, the name of the terminal device may also be different. For example, in a 5G system, the terminal device may be called User Equipment (UE). A wireless terminal device may be a USB storage device, other personal computer memory devices, and a dongle. It may also communicate with one or more core networks (CN) via a radio access network (RAN). A wireless terminal device may be a mobile terminal device, such as a mobile phone (or "cellular" phone) and a computer with a mobile terminal device. For example, it may be a portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in, or vehicle-mounted mobile device that exchanges language and / or data with a radio access network. For example, Personal Communication Service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) phones, Wireless Local Loop (WLL) stations, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), personal computers, tablet computers, Machine-type Communication (MTC) terminal devices, etc. Wireless terminal devices may also be referred to as systems, subscriber units, subscriber stations, mobile stations, mobile stations, remote stations, access points, remote terminal devices, access terminal devices, user terminal devices, user agents, user devices, and wireless access points and routers / modems that meet the limitations of this definition, but are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0179] The network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include base stations and / or core network devices. The base station may include multiple cells providing services to the terminal. Depending on the application scenario, the base station may also be referred to as an access point, or may be a device in the access network that communicates with the wireless terminal device through one or more sectors on the air interface, or other names. The network device may be used to interchange received air frames with Internet Protocol (IP) packets, acting as a router between the wireless terminal device and the rest of the access network, wherein the rest of the access network may include an Internet Protocol (IP) communication network. The network device may also coordinate the attribute management of the air interface. For example, the network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be an evolutionary network device (eNB or e-NodeB) in a long term evolution (LTE) system, a 5G base station (gNB) in a next generation 5G network architecture, etc., or a home evolved Node B (HeNB), a relay node, a femto, a pico base station, a network test device, etc., which are not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure. In some network structures, network devices may include centralized unit (CU) nodes and distributed unit (DU) nodes, and the centralized unit and the distributed unit may also be arranged geographically separately.

[0180] The core network equipment is, for example, the equipment in the core network (CN) of the mobile communication architecture (such as the 3GPP access architecture of the 5G network). As a bearer network, the core network provides an interface to the data network, provides communication connection, authentication, management, policy control, and data service carrying for the user equipment (UE). Among them, the CN may further include: Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Policy Control Function (PCF), User Plane Function (UPF) and other network elements. Among them, the AMF network element is used to manage the access and mobility of the UE, and is mainly responsible for UE authentication, UE mobility management, UE paging and other functions.

[0181] 1 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The satellite communication system includes user equipment (UE), a network device, and a network management device. The network device may include one or more satellite nodes (for ease of illustration, only one satellite is shown in the figure, for example, a non-geostationary orbit satellite) and a core network device. The UE may wirelessly communicate with the satellite node, and the satellite node may wirelessly communicate with the core network device.

[0182] Satellite nodes may include base stations, and may include orbital receivers or repeaters for relaying information. Satellite nodes may communicate and interact with core network equipment to provide communication services to UEs.

[0183] UE may include smartphones, cellular phones, smart watches, smart tablets, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptops, servers, gateways (GW), controllers, wireless modems, sensors, mobility devices (such as bicycles / cars / vehicles), etc.

[0184] The network management device may include an Operation Administration Maintenance (OAM) entity device, which can manage network devices and implement functions such as operation, management, and maintenance. The network management device can communicate with base stations and / or core network devices.

[0185] Refer to Figure 2, which is a schematic diagram of the satellite coverage area and tracking area provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. In a satellite communication system, the coverage area of ​​a non-geostationary Earth Orbit (NGEO) satellite (such as a low Earth orbit (LEO) and a medium Earth orbit (MEO)) is a geographical area on the surface of the earth that is within the signal range of the satellite. The coverage area is usually divided into "satellite cells" (Cells) by the satellite's beamforming antenna. That is, each beam may correspond to a satellite cell, and each satellite cell covers a geographical area of ​​a specific range. Depending on the direction of the beam, satellite cells from the same satellite or from different satellites may partially overlap. If a user equipment (UE) is located in the coverage area of ​​a satellite, the satellite can send signals to the UE and receive signals from the UE.

[0186] The network needs to track the UE's location in real time to ensure timely and efficient paging of the called UE when a service arrives, avoiding communication congestion. Typically, UE tracking management is based on the concept of a Tracking Area (TA), which is defined as an area where the UE can move freely without requiring service updates.

[0187] Typically, in terrestrial communication systems, tracking areas (TAs) are configured at the cell level and are fixedly bound to the cell. In UE location management, a cell belongs to only one tracking area (TA), which can include multiple cells. TAs are identified by tracking area codes (TACs), which are typically assigned by network operators and define a unique tracking area code for a particular operator. In terrestrial communication systems, cell locations do not change over time, so a cell's TA and other related information can be statically configured.

[0188] However, in non-terrestrial communication systems, the location of satellite cells can change dynamically due to the movement of satellites or UEs themselves. Using the static configuration method of terrestrial communication systems can cause problems in tracking the location of terminal devices. Therefore, static configuration of cell TA-related information is no longer suitable for non-terrestrial communication systems.

[0189] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the network management device actively and dynamically configures the information related to the coverage area of ​​the cell, and dynamically updates the information related to the cell coverage area by dynamically sending configuration parameter management information to network devices such as satellites or base stations based on a management request for the target cell. The configuration parameter management information here is related to the cell coverage area and may include the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between the mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and the geographical area, and at least one item in the neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0190] In some scenarios, a satellite cell may cover multiple TAs. In addition, at the boundary of the satellite cell, the UE may receive TA information sent by adjacent cells. If a TA is configured for a satellite cell, the UE may frequently trigger location updates. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the TA information in the above-mentioned configuration parameter management information may include the corresponding tracking area list (TAL) information of the satellite in the future period of operation, that is, the information of multiple TAs corresponding to the satellite in a period of time may be configured. In some possible implementations, the above-mentioned future period of time may include one or more time windows, and there may be a corresponding relationship between the time window and the TA information. For example, the TAL information may indicate a time window (T1, T2), TA information (TAC1, TAC2, TAC3) corresponding to the time window (T1, T2), and TA information (TAC4, TAC5) corresponding to the time window (T3, T4), and time window (T3, T4). After the UE registers with the core network, the core network device may allocate a tracking area list (TAL) for the UE, and the network management device may configure TAL information for the satellite cell. The TAL may include one or more TACs, and different TACs correspond to different TAs. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the tracking area TA may also be referred to as a location tracking area TA.

[0191] The satellite broadcasts the TAC in the TAL corresponding to the satellite cell to the UE. If the TAC received by the UE is within the TAL configured by the core network, no location update (such as Tracking Area Update (TAU) or Register Request message) is required. If the TAC received by the UE is not within the TAL configured by the core network, a location update is required. This prevents frequent location updates for the UE, even if the UE is at or crossing the boundary of a satellite cell.

[0192] See Figure 3, which shows how satellite cell coverage changes over time. As can be seen, as the satellite cell moves from TA1 to TA2, the TAC included in the satellite's TAL changes from TA1 to TA1, TA2, and then back to TA2. In the scenario shown in this figure, the satellite cell moves to the boundary between TA1 and TA2. Since the satellite updates the TAL during movement, the updated TAL can include both TA1 and TA2. When the UE moves between the TAs included in the TAL (i.e., between TA1 and TA2), it does not need to perform the TA update process, thereby reducing the frequency of interaction with the network.

[0193] In non-terrestrial networks, the concept of mapped cells is also often used. "Mapped Cell" or "Mapped Cell ID" refers to a specific area or cell used to identify and locate mobile devices in a mobile communication system. In a cellular network, the service area is usually divided into many cells, and each cell has a unique identifier for identification and management in the network. In some embodiments, when the UE interacts with a base station (such as a satellite base station) and triggers the base station to report the UE location, the base station can convert the UE's location into a Mapped Cell ID, that is, a smaller geographical area, thereby improving positioning accuracy.

[0194] For Mapped Cell ID, since the mapping relationship between Mapped Cell ID and geographical area needs to be configured on multiple network devices (such as gNB, eNB, AMF and MME), if it is configured globally, the data in the mapping table will be too large, which is a heavy burden for network devices with limited resources. Therefore, the mapping relationship between Mapped Cell ID and geographical area can be dynamically updated, that is, the mapping relationship between Mapped Cell ID and geographical area can be dynamically configured for a period of time in the future.

[0195] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, configuration parameter management information can be used to configure and / or update parameters of a target cell. For example, the configuration parameter management information can contain multiple TALs and corresponding time windows. The base station can determine the TALs to be broadcast in a specific cell based on the configuration parameter management information. Since the satellite orbit may shift, the parameters that the target cell should use after the shift may differ from the configured parameters. The configuration parameter management information can be used to update the parameters of the target cell.

[0196] It should be noted that in order to facilitate the explanation of the functions of each entity in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the core network equipment, satellite, and OAM are each independently present as an example. However, in some cases, part or all of the functions of the core network equipment or OAM can also be directly integrated and deployed in the satellite or integrated and deployed in the base station, and the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0197] It should also be noted that, for the sake of brevity, this article mainly describes the technical solution based on the satellite communication system shown in Figure 1. Based on this technical idea, those skilled in the art will be able to implement similar technical solutions based on other systems deployed with non-terrestrial networks, which will not be described in detail herein. Figure 1 is only an example and does not limit the number, type, etc. of devices included in the system. The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present disclosure are for the purpose of illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will know that with the evolution of the network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0198] The following describes the cell management method for a terrestrial network provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, taking the execution subject as the above-mentioned network management device as an example.

[0199] FIG4 is a flowchart of a cell management method for a non-terrestrial network provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method is applied to a network management device, which may be an OAM device, for example. The method includes:

[0200] S401: Receive a management request message for a target cell.

[0201] A cell can correspond to the coverage area of ​​a satellite beam on the Earth's surface. A cell can also correspond to a cell ID. The location of a cell moves with the movement of the satellite. In satellite communication systems, a cell is formed by the coverage of the Earth's surface by a satellite beam. A cell can be covered by a single or multiple satellite beams.

[0202] In a specific implementation, the configuration information of the target cell can be managed by a network management device such as OAM, and the management request of the target cell can be sent to the network management device by the network device corresponding to the target cell. The network device can be a satellite, base station or other related device corresponding to the target cell.

[0203] In one implementation, OAM can act as a message service producer (MnS Producer) to provide cell management services. Operators can configure cell management services by performing operations such as create, read, update, and delete on OAM. Network devices can send management request messages to the network management device to create a managed object instance (MOI) on the network management device.

[0204] The network equipment can be 5G base stations (gNB), evolved network equipment (eNB), access and mobility management elements (AMF), key control nodes (Mobility Management Entity, MME) and other equipment.

[0205] In this embodiment, the network device may send a management request message to the OAM, or another device associated with the network device may send the management request message. In a possible implementation, the management request message may also be directly input by an administrator on the OAM.

[0206] The management request message may include information indicating the configuration parameters that need to be managed. To address the issue of delayed tracking area or mapped cell updates due to satellite movement, the network device may subscribe to the OAM for at least one of the following: the target cell's location tracking area (TA) information, the neighbor cell list, and the mapping table between the mapped cell ID and the geographic area. To reduce the amount of data stored by the network device, the network device may dynamically request the OAM for the latest update of the mapping table between the mapped cell ID and the geographic area.

[0207] Therefore, the management request message carries the current relevant information when the configuration parameters need to be updated. The information carried in the management request message may be different at different time points.

[0208] In a possible implementation, the management request information may carry acquisition instruction information. Exemplarily, the acquisition instruction information includes at least one of the following:

[0209] First instruction information for instructing to obtain location tracking area TA information of a target cell;

[0210] Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to a target cell and a geographical area;

[0211] The third indication information instructs obtaining the neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0212] In addition, the management request message may also carry cell configuration information of the target cell, so that the OAM can use the cell configuration information to determine the information required by the network device.

[0213] Exemplarily, the cell configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0214] Identification information of the target cell; identification information of the neighboring cells of the target cell; identification information of the base station corresponding to the target cell; identification information of the satellite corresponding to the target cell; satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; first geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; global identifier (NR Cell Global Identifier, NCGI) information corresponding to the target cell; slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; indication information indicating the update triggering method of the configuration parameter management information.

[0215] The above-mentioned update triggering method is used to indicate periodic updates or updates when an event is triggered; here, the management request message can instruct the network management device to periodically update the configuration parameter management information. After receiving the management request message, the network management device can periodically update and send the configuration parameter management information for the target cell; if the management request message indicates an update when an event is triggered, the network management device will update and send the configuration parameter management information for the target cell when the corresponding event occurs.

[0216] In actual application scenarios, the network device can dynamically select the information carried in the cell configuration information according to the required information.

[0217] For example, when the acquisition indication information includes the above-mentioned first indication information, the cell configuration information may include the identification information (Cell ID) of the target cell, the identification information of the neighboring cells of the target cell, the satellite identification information of the target cell, the satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell, the satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell, etc.

[0218] The satellite identification information may be Satellite Id, the satellite beam identification information may be Beam Id, and the neighboring cell of the target cell may be a cell that is geographically adjacent to the target cell.

[0219] Through the identification information of the above-mentioned target cell, OAM can screen out the target cell from multiple cells; based on the identification information of the public land mobile network PLMN of the target cell, OAM can determine the operator corresponding to the target cell, thereby determining the tracking area division standard used by the operator; based on the satellite ephemeris information and satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell, the satellite movement trajectory of the target cell and the movement trajectory of the coverage area can be determined, and then the above information can be used to determine the information required by the target cell (that is, the information corresponding to the first indication information).

[0220] When the acquisition indication information includes the above-mentioned second indication information, the cell configuration information may include the global identifier NCGI information corresponding to the target cell, the base station identification information corresponding to the target cell, the satellite identification information of the target cell, the satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell, the satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell, etc.

[0221] Among them, the above-mentioned NCGI is an important identifier in the 5G new radio access technology (NR), which can be composed of the identification information of the public land mobile network (PLMN) to which the Cell belongs, and the NR Cell identifier (NCI) of the Cell. NGCI is a globally unique identifier assigned to each NR cell, which is used to uniquely identify a specific cell in the entire network. By carrying the NCGI identification information corresponding to the target cell, the mapped cell of the target cell on the ground can be identified, and OAM can use the NCGI identification information to determine the mapping relationship table between the mapped cell ID required by the target cell and the geographical area.

[0222] The above-mentioned PLMN generally refers to a network that provides mobile communication services via satellite connection. According to the PLMN identifier, the operator that provides mobile communication services to the satellite can be determined.

[0223] When the acquisition indication information includes the above-mentioned third indication information, the cell configuration information includes the identification information of the target cell, the NCGI identification information corresponding to the target cell, the satellite ephemeris information of the target cell, the satellite beam information of the target cell, the satellite identification information of the target cell, the physical cell identification information of the target cell, etc.

[0224] In some embodiments, when a network device registers a management service with OAM, regardless of the indication information carried in the acquisition indication information, the management request message may also carry indication information of the update triggering method of the configuration parameter management information. The above-mentioned update triggering method can be used to indicate periodic updates or updates when an event is triggered, thereby setting the triggering timing for OAM to provide management services to the network device.

[0225] For example, if the update triggering method indicates periodic updates, the management request message may also carry time parameter information for the periodic updates, such as the length of the update period, the time window in which updates can be performed (which may include a start timestamp and an end timestamp), etc. In this way, OAM can provide management services to the network device according to the update period indicated by the time parameter information.

[0226] If the update triggering method includes event-triggered update, the management request message may also include target event information that can trigger the update. This allows OAM to provide management services to the network device upon detecting the target event. The target event may include an administrator triggering a specific operation or a system error.

[0227] In one possible implementation, the management request message may not include information indicating the update triggering method. The OAM may determine the update triggering method based on actual circumstances. For example, an administrator may pre-set the update method on the OAM. When the OAM receives the management request message, it may directly regard it as an update event and further determine the configuration parameter management information.

[0228] In some scenarios, network devices are pre-configured with geographic area (GeoArea) location information. GeoArea generally refers to a geographic location area used in network planning, management, or location services. It can be a geographic area, the boundary of a geographic area, or the center point of a geographic area. In communication networks, GeoArea can be used to describe coverage, service areas, or other geo-related information. For example, in wireless network planning, a city can be divided into several GeoAreas to optimize and manage network coverage in different areas. GeoArea is also commonly used in location services to determine the geographic location of a mobile device or user. By using geographic area information, users can be provided with personalized location-based services or information, such as nearby stores, attractions, etc.

[0229] Typically, the geographic location information configured for a network device corresponds to a relatively large area. The network device may use the configured geographic location information as first geographic location information and carry it in the cell configuration information. The OAM may update the first geographic location information to second geographic location information with a smaller area and reconfigure it to the network device. The second geographic location information may be a subset of the first geographic location information.

[0230] S402. Determine configuration parameter management information of the target cell; the configuration parameter management information includes at least one item in the target cell's location tracking area TA information, a mapping relationship table between the target cell's mapped cell ID and the geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0231] Here, the network management device may periodically update and send configuration parameter management information for the target cell, or update and send configuration parameter management information for the target cell when a specified event occurs. In short, the network management device may dynamically update and send configuration parameter management information for the target cell.

[0232] After receiving the management request message, OAM can use the information contained in the management request message to determine the configuration parameter management information for the target cell within a preset future time period. If the management request message carries the update triggering method indication information, OAM can perform the step of determining the configuration parameter management information according to the update timing corresponding to the update triggering method indication information.

[0233] For example, OAM can determine the configuration parameter management information of the target cell in the future preset time period after reaching the update time point corresponding to the current update cycle indicated by the update trigger mode. When sending the configuration parameter management information, the configuration parameter management information determined by the current update cycle can be directly sent.

[0234] Alternatively, after an update event indicated by the update triggering mode occurs, the OAM may determine the configuration parameter management information of the target cell within a future preset time period, and then send the configuration parameter management information corresponding to the update event.

[0235] The configuration parameter management information may include at least one of the following information:

[0236] Identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the target cell; identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the neighboring cell of the target cell; location tracking area TA information corresponding to each public land mobile network PLMN in the target cell within a preset time period in the future; location tracking area TA information corresponding to each public land mobile network PLMN in the neighboring cell of the target cell within a preset time period in the future; second geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; available time window indication information of configuration parameter management information; unavailable time window indication information of configuration parameter management information.

[0237] There are usually multiple matching public land mobile networks (PLMNs) in the target cell, and each PLMN may correspond to different location tracking area (TA) information. Therefore, OAM can determine the identification information of each PLMN corresponding to the target cell, and then determine the location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each PLMN.

[0238] Because satellites are constantly moving, the location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to the target cell will also change. Therefore, the configuration parameter management information is dynamic information and can be configuration parameter management information for a period of time in the future. The configuration parameter management information for the period of time in the future can include different configuration parameter management information corresponding to different time periods. By including information related to the coverage areas corresponding to different coverage positions of the satellite cell over a period of time in the configuration parameter management information, the frequency of parameter configuration for the target cell can be reduced.

[0239] The length of the above-mentioned future period of time may be related to satellite ephemeris information, etc., and may be preset based on satellite ephemeris information, etc. (also referred to as a future preset time period). For example, if the satellite movement rate is faster, the dynamic configuration time length may be shorter; if the satellite movement rate is slower, the dynamic configuration time length may be longer.

[0240] In some embodiments, the OAM may select the information carried in the configuration parameter management information based on the acquisition indication information carried in the management request message. For example, if the acquisition indication information indicates the above-mentioned first indication information, the configuration parameter management information may include the location tracking area TA information corresponding to each public land mobile network PLMN in the target cell within a future preset time period. If the acquisition indication information indicates the above-mentioned second indication information, the configuration parameter management information may include a mapping relationship table between the mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and the geographical area. If the acquisition indication information indicates the above-mentioned third indication information, the configuration parameter management information may include a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell, and / or the location tracking area TA information of the neighboring cells of the target cell.

[0241] Furthermore, OAM can also select information carried in the configuration parameter management information based on the cell configuration information. For example, if the management request message also carries the location information of the first geographic area, the configuration parameter management information can also include the updated location information of the second geographic area with a smaller area range. If the management request message also carries the identification information of the neighboring cells of the target cell, the configuration parameter management information can include the location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring cells of the target cell within a preset time period in the future.

[0242] In one possible implementation, the cell configuration information may not carry the first geographic area location information. OAM can query the slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell, and query the first geographic area location information corresponding to the target cell in the slice subnet configuration information. Similarly, OAM can also determine the identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the target cell from the above-mentioned slice subnet configuration information.

[0243] The slice subnet configuration information can be stored in the OAM memory. Slice subnet configuration information refers to the network resources and parameters configured to support network slicing in a 5G network. Network slicing is a technology that divides a physical network into multiple logical networks. Each logical network is called a slice, which can be customized according to different business needs to meet various quality of service (QoS) and business requirements. OAM can quickly locate the slice corresponding to the target cell based on the slice subnet configuration information, thereby responding to management request messages using only slice-related data.

[0244] In some embodiments, OAM can first determine the slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell, and determine the configuration parameter management information of the target cell based on the management request message, and the geographic area location information corresponding to the target slice subnet and the identification information of the public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the target slice subnet contained in the slice subnet configuration information.

[0245] The information carried in the configuration parameter management information is typically the configuration parameters required by the network device. The network device can broadcast the configuration parameters to the user equipment (UE) via an air interface broadcast. Because there may be some time periods on the ground when broadcasting is prohibited, and because the satellite is constantly moving, the configuration parameter management information has a certain timeliness. The configuration parameter management information may also indicate information indicating the available time window for the configuration parameter management information and / or information indicating the unavailable time window for the configuration parameter management information, thereby allowing the network device to broadcast the configuration parameters to the UE within the specified time period.

[0246] The available time window indication information and the unavailable time window indication information may respectively include two timestamps for indicating the start time and end time of the time window.

[0247] The configuration parameter management information determined by the OAM may also carry part or all of the information carried in the management request message, so that the network device can identify or verify the configuration parameter management information.

[0248] Because each network node in a satellite network orbits the Earth along a predefined orbit, the predictability of network topology changes can be leveraged when determining configuration parameter management information. Each network node (onboard satellite) is associated with an ephemeris, which contains information such as the network topology and validity period. As long as all network nodes operate in a consistent environment and maintain accurate system time, the network topology is relatively stable, and the location information of fixed cells is also relatively stable.

[0249] For example, when OAM determines the configuration parameter management information, it can first determine the location information of the ground coverage range of the target cell in the future preset time period based on the cell configuration information, and then determine the configuration parameter management information of the target cell in the future preset time period based on the location information and acquisition indication information.

[0250] In some embodiments, when OAM determines the configuration parameter management information, it can determine the satellite's system time, coordinates, movement direction, speed and other parameters through the cell configuration information (such as satellite ephemeris information), and then determine the satellite orbital position information of the target cell (such as the position of the satellite corresponding to the target cell in orbit), and combine the satellite beam information of the target cell in the cell configuration information to determine the location information of the ground coverage range (that is, the ground coverage area Cell) of the target cell within a preset time period in the future, and determine the location tracking area TA information based on the location information of the coverage area, and / or, a mapping relationship table between the mapped cell identifier Mapped Cell ID and the geographical area.

[0251] The location tracking area TA information may be represented in a table form, such as a location tracking area list TA List; the mapping relationship table between the mapped cell IDs and geographical areas may be a Mapped Cell ID List.

[0252] S403. Send configuration parameter management information; the configuration parameter management information is used to configure and / or update parameters of the target cell.

[0253] After OAM determines the configuration parameter management information, it sends it to the network device corresponding to the target cell. Upon receiving the configuration parameter management information, the network device uses it to update its own configuration parameters and broadcasts the updated configuration parameters so that the UE can obtain the updated information.

[0254] In some embodiments, OAM can determine the configuration parameter management information of the target cell in a future preset time period after reaching the update time point corresponding to the current update cycle indicated by the update trigger mode, and then send the configuration parameter management information determined in the current update cycle to the network device.

[0255] OAM can also determine the configuration parameter management information of the target cell within a future preset time period after an update event indicated by the update triggering mode occurs, and then send the configuration parameter management information corresponding to the update event to the network device.

[0256] It is worth noting that the network device that sends the management request message and the network device that receives the configuration parameter management information can be different network devices. For example, the management request message can be sent by the MME of the core network, and the configuration parameter management information can be received by the base station on the satellite.

[0257] The cell management method for a non-terrestrial network provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can determine the configuration parameter management information of the target cell and send the configuration parameter management information to network devices such as satellites or base stations, thereby realizing dynamic updates of cell configuration parameters such as tracking areas.

[0258] FIG5 is a flowchart of another non-terrestrial network cell management method provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method may be performed by the aforementioned network device and includes:

[0259] S501. Receive configuration parameter management information for the target cell; the configuration parameter management information is determined by the network management device based on a management request message for the target cell; the configuration parameter management information includes the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between the mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and the geographical area, and at least one item in the neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0260] The configuration parameter management information may be sent by the network management device OAM, and the network management device OAM may determine the configuration parameter management message to be sent to the network device based on the management request message for the target cell.

[0261] The management request message may be sent by the network device or by other network devices related to the target cell. For example, the network device may register for management services with the network management device OAM through the management request message. The network management device OAM may provide management services to the network device and send configuration parameter management information to the network device periodically or when a trigger event is detected.

[0262] In some implementations, the management request message may include acquisition instruction information, and the acquisition instruction information may include at least one of the following:

[0263] First instruction information for instructing to obtain location tracking area TA information of a target cell;

[0264] Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to a target cell and a geographical area;

[0265] The third indication information instructs obtaining the neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0266] The management request message may also carry cell configuration information, which may be relevant information of the target cell. The cell configuration information may include at least one of the following:

[0267] Identification information of the target cell; identification information of the neighboring cells of the target cell; identification information of the base station corresponding to the target cell; identification information of the satellite corresponding to the target cell; satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; first geographic area location information corresponding to the target cell; NCGI information corresponding to the target cell; slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; indication information indicating the update triggering method of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering method is used to indicate periodic updates or updates when triggered by events.

[0268] In a possible implementation, when the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message further carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

[0269] The configuration parameter management information may include at least one of the following:

[0270] Identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the target cell; identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the neighboring cell of the target cell; location tracking area TA information corresponding to each public land mobile network PLMN in the target cell within a preset time period in the future; location tracking area TA information corresponding to each public land mobile network PLMN in the neighboring cell of the target cell within a preset time period in the future; second geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; available time window indication information of configuration parameter management information; unavailable time window indication information of configuration parameter management information.

[0271] For example, the network device may select information carried in the management request message according to its own management requirements. The network management device may determine what type of information is carried in the configuration parameter management information according to the type of information carried in the management request message.

[0272] S502: Configure and / or update parameters of the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information.

[0273] In this step, the network device may send a broadcast message of the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information, and send part or all of the information in the configuration parameter management information to the user equipment UE, thereby sending the updated configuration parameters to the UE.

[0274] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the interaction between a network management device and network devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The network management device in the figure may be a MnS Producer (OAM), and the network device may be a gNB, eNB, AMF, or MME. Operators can perform operations such as creating, reading, updating, and deleting services on the MnS Producer (OAM) to configure management services.

[0275] The interaction between the network management device and network devices is as follows:

[0276] 0. Network management equipment performs wireless network provisioning and configuration.

[0277] 1. The network device creates a management object instance of the non-terrestrial network dynamic information request (such as the management request message in the above embodiment) on the network management device.

[0278] 2. The network device subscribes to feedback information of non-terrestrial network dynamic information (such as the configuration parameter management information in the above embodiment) from the network management device.

[0279] 3. The network management device calculates the location tracking area list information.

[0280] 4a. The network management device is triggered by an event and sends feedback information of non-ground network dynamic information to the network device.

[0281] 4b. When the network device is set with a feedback information cycle, a notification is sent to the network device in a cycle to update the feedback information of the non-terrestrial network dynamic information.

[0282] Based on the same technical concept, the embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a network management device, which may be the network management device in the above embodiment.

[0283] 7 , which is a schematic diagram of a network management device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, the device may include: a memory 710, a transceiver 720, and a processor 730. The processor 730 and the memory 710 may also be physically separated.

[0284] The memory 710 is used to store computer programs; the transceiver 720 is used to receive and send data under the control of the processor 730.

[0285] In some embodiments, the transceiver 720 is used to receive and transmit data under the control of the processor 730 .

[0286] In FIG7 , the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, linking together various circuits of one or more processors represented by processor 730 and memory represented by memory 710. The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and are therefore not further described herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 720 may be a plurality of components, i.e., a transmitter and a receiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium, such as a wireless channel, a wired channel, an optical cable, and the like. The processor 730 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 710 may store data used by the processor 730 when performing operations.

[0287] The processor 730 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD). The processor may also adopt a multi-core architecture.

[0288] The processor 730 calls the computer program stored in the memory 710 to execute any of the methods provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure according to the obtained executable instructions, for example: receiving a management request message for the target cell; determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell; the configuration parameter management information includes the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, the mapping relationship table between the mapped cell identifier Mapped Cell ID corresponding to the target cell and the geographical area, and at least one item in the neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell; sending the configuration parameter management information; the configuration parameter management information is used to configure and / or update the parameters of the target cell.

[0289] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information, and the acquisition indication information includes at least one of the following:

[0290] First instruction information for instructing to obtain location tracking area TA information of a target cell;

[0291] Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to a target cell and a geographical area;

[0292] The third indication information instructs obtaining the neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0293] In some embodiments, the management request message also carries cell configuration information;

[0294] The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0295] Identification information of the target cell; identification information of the neighboring cells of the target cell; identification information of the base station corresponding to the target cell; identification information of the satellite corresponding to the target cell; satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; first geographic area location information corresponding to the target cell; NCGI information corresponding to the target cell; slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; indication information indicating the update triggering method of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering method is used to indicate periodic updates or updates when triggered by events.

[0296] In some embodiments, when the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

[0297] In some embodiments, the configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following:

[0298] Identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the target cell; identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the neighboring cell of the target cell; location tracking area TA information corresponding to each public land mobile network PLMN in the target cell within a preset time period in the future; location tracking area TA information corresponding to each public land mobile network PLMN in the neighboring cell of the target cell within a preset time period in the future; second geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; available time window indication information of configuration parameter management information; unavailable time window indication information of configuration parameter management information.

[0299] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information and cell configuration information;

[0300] Determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes:

[0301] Determining, based on the cell configuration information, location information of a ground coverage range of the target cell within the future preset time period;

[0302] Based on the location information and the acquisition indication information, configuration parameter management information of the target cell within a future preset time period is determined.

[0303] In some embodiments, the cell configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information of the target cell and satellite beam information of the target cell;

[0304] Determining, based on the cell configuration information, location information of a ground coverage range of the target cell within a future preset time period, including:

[0305] Based on the satellite ephemeris information, determine the satellite orbit position information of the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0306] Based on the satellite orbit position information and satellite beam information, the location information of the ground coverage range of the target cell within a preset time period in the future is determined.

[0307] In some embodiments, determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes:

[0308] Determine the slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell;

[0309] Based on the management request message, and the geographical area location information corresponding to the target slice subnet and the identification information of the public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the target slice subnet contained in the slice subnet configuration information, the configuration parameter management information of the target cell is determined.

[0310] In some embodiments, the management request message carries indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update;

[0311] Determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes:

[0312] After reaching the update time point corresponding to the current update period indicated by the update triggering mode, determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell;

[0313] Send configuration parameter management information, including:

[0314] Sends configuration parameter management information determined in the current update cycle.

[0315] In some embodiments, the management request message carries indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate an update when an event is triggered;

[0316] Determine the configuration parameter management information of the target cell, including:

[0317] After an update event indicated by the update triggering mode occurs, determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell;

[0318] Send configuration parameter management information, including:

[0319] Send configuration parameter management information corresponding to the update event.

[0320] Based on the same technical concept, the embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a network device, which may be the network device in the above embodiment.

[0321] 8 , which is a schematic diagram of a network device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, the device may include: a memory 810, a transceiver 820, and a processor 830. The processor 830 and the memory 810 may also be physically separated.

[0322] The memory 810 is used to store computer programs; the transceiver 820 is used to receive and send data under the control of the processor 830.

[0323] In some embodiments, the transceiver 820 is used to receive and transmit data under the control of the processor 830 .

[0324] In FIG8 , the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, linking together various circuits of one or more processors represented by processor 830 and memory represented by memory 810. The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits such as peripheral devices, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art and are therefore not further described herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 820 may be a plurality of components, i.e., a transmitter and a receiver, providing a unit for communicating with various other devices over a transmission medium, such as a wireless channel, a wired channel, an optical cable, and the like. The processor 830 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 810 may store data used by the processor 830 when performing operations.

[0325] The processor 830 may be a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a complex programmable logic device (CPLD). The processor may also adopt a multi-core architecture.

[0326] The processor 830 calls the computer program stored in the memory 810 to execute any of the methods provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure according to the obtained executable instructions, for example: receiving configuration parameter management information for the target cell; the configuration parameter management information is determined by the network management device based on the management request message for the target cell; the configuration parameter management information includes the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, the mapping relationship table between the mapped cell identifier Mapped Cell ID corresponding to the target cell and the geographical area, and at least one item in the neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell; and configuring and / or updating the parameters of the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information.

[0327] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information, and the acquisition indication information includes at least one of the following:

[0328] First instruction information for instructing to obtain location tracking area TA information of a target cell;

[0329] Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to a target cell and a geographical area;

[0330] The third indication information instructs obtaining the neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0331] In some embodiments, the management request message also carries cell configuration information;

[0332] The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0333] Identification information of the target cell; identification information of the neighboring cells of the target cell; identification information of the base station corresponding to the target cell; identification information of the satellite corresponding to the target cell; satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; first geographic area location information corresponding to the target cell; NCGI information corresponding to the target cell; slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; indication information indicating the update triggering method of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering method is used to indicate periodic updates or updates when triggered by events.

[0334] In some embodiments, when the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

[0335] In some embodiments, the configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following:

[0336] Identification information of each PLMN matching the target cell; identification information of each PLMN matching the neighboring cells of the target cell; location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each PLMN in the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0337] Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring area of ​​the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0338] Location information of a second geographical area corresponding to the target cell;

[0339] Available time window indication information of configuration parameter management information;

[0340] Indicates the non-available time window of the configuration parameter management information.

[0341] In some embodiments, the processor 830 is further configured to, before receiving the configuration parameter management information of the target cell, execute:

[0342] Send a management request message to the target cell.

[0343] In some embodiments, configuring and / or updating parameters of the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information includes:

[0344] Send a broadcast message to the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information.

[0345] It should be noted here that the above-mentioned device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can implement all the method steps implemented in the above-mentioned method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. The parts and beneficial effects of this embodiment that are the same as those in the method embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0346] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network cell management device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device can be applied to a network management device, and includes:

[0347] A first acquiring unit 910 is configured to receive a management request message for a target cell;

[0348] The determining unit 920 is configured to determine configuration parameter management information of the target cell; the configuration parameter management information includes at least one item of the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell;

[0349] The sending unit 930 is configured to send configuration parameter management information; the configuration parameter management information is used to configure and / or update parameters of the target cell.

[0350] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information, and the acquisition indication information includes at least one of the following:

[0351] First instruction information for instructing to obtain location tracking area TA information of a target cell;

[0352] Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to a target cell and a geographical area;

[0353] The third indication information instructs obtaining the neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0354] In some embodiments, the management request message also carries cell configuration information;

[0355] The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0356] Identification information of the target cell; identification information of the neighboring cells of the target cell; identification information of the base station corresponding to the target cell; identification information of the satellite corresponding to the target cell; satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; first geographic area location information corresponding to the target cell; NCGI information corresponding to the target cell; slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; indication information indicating the update triggering method of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering method is used to indicate periodic updates or updates when triggered by events.

[0357] In some embodiments, when the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

[0358] In some embodiments, the configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following:

[0359] Identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching the target cell;

[0360] Identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching the neighboring cells of the target cell;

[0361] The location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0362] Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring area of ​​the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0363] Location information of a second geographical area corresponding to the target cell;

[0364] Available time window indication information of configuration parameter management information;

[0365] Indicates the non-available time window of the configuration parameter management information.

[0366] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information and cell configuration information; the determining unit 920 is configured to:

[0367] Based on the cell configuration information, determine the location information of the ground coverage range of the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0368] Based on the location information and the acquisition indication information, configuration parameter management information of the target cell within a future preset time period is determined.

[0369] In some embodiments, the cell configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information of the target cell and satellite beam information of the target cell;

[0370] When determining the location information of the ground coverage of the target cell within a future preset time period based on the cell configuration information, the determining unit 920 is configured to:

[0371] Based on the satellite ephemeris information, determine the satellite orbit position information of the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0372] Based on the satellite orbit position information and satellite beam information, the location information of the ground coverage range of the target cell within a preset time period in the future is determined.

[0373] In some embodiments, the determining unit 920 is configured to:

[0374] Determine the slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell;

[0375] Based on the management request message, and the geographical area location information corresponding to the target slice subnet and the identification information of the public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the target slice subnet contained in the slice subnet configuration information, the configuration parameter management information of the target cell is determined.

[0376] In some embodiments, the management request message carries indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update;

[0377] The determining unit 920 is configured to:

[0378] After reaching the update time point corresponding to the current update period indicated by the update triggering mode, determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell;

[0379] The sending unit 930 is configured to:

[0380] Sends configuration parameter management information determined in the current update cycle.

[0381] In some embodiments, the management request message carries indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate an update when an event is triggered;

[0382] The determining unit 920 is configured to:

[0383] After an update event indicated by the update triggering mode occurs, determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell;

[0384] The sending unit 930 is configured to:

[0385] Send configuration parameter management information corresponding to the update event.

[0386] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of another non-terrestrial network cell management device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device can be applied to network equipment and includes:

[0387] The second acquiring unit 1010 is configured to receive configuration parameter management information for a target cell; the configuration parameter management information is determined by a network management device based on a management request message for the target cell; the configuration parameter management information includes at least one item of location tracking area (TA) information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell;

[0388] The configuration unit 1020 is configured to configure and / or update parameters of the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information.

[0389] In some embodiments, the management request message carries acquisition indication information, and the acquisition indication information includes at least one of the following:

[0390] First instruction information for instructing to obtain location tracking area TA information of a target cell;

[0391] Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to a target cell and a geographical area;

[0392] The third indication information instructs obtaining the neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

[0393] In some embodiments, the management request message also carries cell configuration information;

[0394] The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following:

[0395] Identification information of the target cell; identification information of the neighboring cells of the target cell; identification information of the base station corresponding to the target cell; identification information of the satellite corresponding to the target cell; satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; first geographic area location information corresponding to the target cell; NCGI information corresponding to the target cell; slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; indication information indicating the update triggering method of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering method is used to indicate periodic updates or updates when triggered by events.

[0396] In some embodiments, when the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

[0397] In some embodiments, the configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following:

[0398] Identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching the target cell;

[0399] Identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching the neighboring cells of the target cell;

[0400] The location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0401] Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring area of ​​the target cell within a preset time period in the future;

[0402] Location information of a second geographical area corresponding to the target cell;

[0403] Available time window indication information of configuration parameter management information;

[0404] Indicates the non-available time window of the configuration parameter management information.

[0405] In some embodiments, the second acquiring unit 1010 is further configured to:

[0406] Send a management request message to the target cell.

[0407] In some embodiments, the configuration unit 1020 is configured to:

[0408] Send a broadcast message to the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information.

[0409] It should be noted that the division of units in the embodiments of the present disclosure is schematic and is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be integrated into a single processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or software functional units.

[0410] If the integrated unit is implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a processor-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present disclosure is essentially or the part that contributes to the relevant technology 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 disclosure. The aforementioned storage medium includes: various media that can store program codes, such as a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

[0411] It should be noted here that the above-mentioned device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can implement all the method steps implemented in the above-mentioned method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. The parts and beneficial effects of this embodiment that are the same as those in the method embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0412] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is used to enable a computer to execute the cell management method for a non-terrestrial network provided in the above embodiments.

[0413] It should be noted here that the computer-readable storage medium provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can implement all the method steps implemented in the above-mentioned method embodiment and can achieve the same technical effect. The parts and beneficial effects of this embodiment that are the same as those in the method embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0414] The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium or data storage device that can be accessed by a computer, including but not limited to magnetic storage (such as floppy disks, hard disks, magnetic tapes, magneto-optical disks (MO), etc.), optical storage (such as CDs, DVDs, BDs, HVDs, etc.), and semiconductor storage (such as ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, non-volatile memories (NANDFLASH), solid-state drives (SSDs)), etc.

[0415] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the present disclosure may take the form of a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage and optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0416] The present disclosure is described with reference to the flowcharts and / or block diagrams of the methods, devices (systems), and computer program products according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each process and / or box in the flowchart and / or block diagram, as well as the combination of the processes and / or boxes in the flowchart and / or block diagram, can be implemented by computer-executable instructions. These computer-executable instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor, or other programmable data processing device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing device produce a device for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0417] These processor-executable instructions may also be stored in a processor-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the processor-readable memory produce a product including an instruction device that implements the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0418] These processor-executable instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operational steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, whereby the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more processes in the flowchart and / or one or more boxes in the block diagram.

[0419] Obviously, those skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications to the present disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present disclosure fall within the scope of the claims of the present disclosure and their equivalents, the present disclosure is intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A cell management method for a non-terrestrial network, wherein: Applicable to network management equipment, including: receiving a management request message for a target cell; Determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell; the configuration parameter management information includes at least one item of the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell; Send the configuration parameter management information; the configuration parameter management information is used to configure and / or update the parameters of the target cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The management request message carries acquisition instruction information, and the acquisition instruction information includes at least one of the following: First instruction information for instructing to obtain the location tracking area TA information of the target cell; Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area; Third indication information instructing to obtain a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The management request message also carries cell configuration information; The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target cell; identification information of neighboring cells of the target cell; base station identification information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite identification information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; The first geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; NCGI information corresponding to the target cell; Slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; Indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update or update when triggered by an event.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: In the case where the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following: identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the target cell; identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching a neighboring cell of the target cell; Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the target cell within a preset time period in the future; Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring area of ​​the target cell within a preset time period in the future; second geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; Available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information; The non-available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The management request message carries acquisition indication information and cell configuration information; the determining of the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes: Determining, based on the cell configuration information, location information of a ground coverage range of the target cell within a future preset time period; Based on the location information and the acquisition indication information, configuration parameter management information of the target cell within a future preset time period is determined.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The cell configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information of the target cell and satellite beam information of the target cell; The determining, based on the cell configuration information, location information of the ground coverage range of the target cell within the future preset time period includes: Determining, based on the satellite ephemeris information, the satellite orbit position information of the target cell within the future preset time period; Based on the satellite orbit position information and the satellite beam information, position information of the ground coverage range of the target cell within the future preset time period is determined.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein The determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes: Determine the slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; Based on the management request message, and the geographical area location information corresponding to the target slice subnet and the identification information of the public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the target slice subnet contained in the slice subnet configuration information, the configuration parameter management information of the target cell is determined.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein The management request message carries indication information indicating a triggering mode for updating the configuration parameter management information; The update trigger mode is used to indicate periodic update; The determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes: After reaching an update time point corresponding to a current update period indicated by the update triggering mode, determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell; The sending of the configuration parameter management information includes: Sending configuration parameter management information determined in the current update period.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein The management request message carries indication information indicating a triggering mode for updating the configuration parameter management information; The update trigger mode is used to indicate update when an event is triggered; The determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes: After an update event indicated by the update triggering mode occurs, determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell; The sending of the configuration parameter management information includes: Sending configuration parameter management information corresponding to the update event.

11. A cell management method for a non-terrestrial network, wherein: Applicable to network equipment, including: receiving configuration parameter management information for a target cell; the configuration parameter management information being determined by a network management device based on a management request message for the target cell; the configuration parameter management information including at least one item of location tracking area (TA) information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell; The parameters of the target cell are configured and / or updated based on the configuration parameter management information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The management request message carries acquisition instruction information, and the acquisition instruction information includes at least one of the following: First instruction information for instructing to obtain the location tracking area TA information of the target cell; Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area; Third indication information instructing to obtain a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The management request message also carries cell configuration information; The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target cell; identification information of neighboring cells of the target cell; base station identification information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite identification information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; The first geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; NCGI information corresponding to the target cell; Slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; Indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update or update when triggered by an event.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein In the case where the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein The configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following: identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the target cell; identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching a neighboring cell of the target cell; Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the target cell within a preset time period in the future; Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring area of ​​the target cell within a preset time period in the future; second geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; Available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information; The non-available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein Before receiving the configuration parameter management information for the target cell, the method further includes: Send a management request message to the target cell.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein The configuring and / or updating the parameters of the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information includes: Based on the configuration parameter management information, a broadcast message of the target cell is sent.

18. A network management device, wherein: Including memory, transceiver, processor; The memory is used to store a computer program; the transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of the processor; and the processor is used to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: receiving a management request message for a target cell; Determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell; The configuration parameter management information includes at least one item of the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell; Sending the configuration parameter management information; The configuration parameter management information is used to configure and / or update parameters of the target cell.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein The management request message carries acquisition instruction information, and the acquisition instruction information includes at least one of the following: First instruction information for instructing to obtain the location tracking area TA information of the target cell; Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area; Third indication information instructing to obtain a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18 or 19, wherein The management request message also carries cell configuration information; The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target cell; identification information of neighboring cells of the target cell; base station identification information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite identification information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; The first geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; NCGI information corresponding to the target cell; Slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; Indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update or update when triggered by an event.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein In the case where the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein The configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following: identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the target cell; identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching a neighboring cell of the target cell; Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the target cell within a preset time period in the future; Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring area of ​​the target cell within a preset time period in the future; second geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; Available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information; The non-available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein: The management request message carries acquisition instruction information and cell configuration information; The determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes: Determining, based on the cell configuration information, location information of a ground coverage range of the target cell within a future preset time period; Based on the location information and the acquisition indication information, configuration parameter management information of the target cell within a future preset time period is determined.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein The cell configuration information includes satellite ephemeris information of the target cell and satellite beam information of the target cell; The determining, based on the cell configuration information, location information of the ground coverage range of the target cell within the future preset time period includes: Determining, based on the satellite ephemeris information, the satellite orbit position information of the target cell within the future preset time period; Based on the satellite orbit position information and the satellite beam information, position information of the ground coverage range of the target cell within the future preset time period is determined.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein The determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes: Determine the slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; Based on the management request message, and the geographical area location information corresponding to the target slice subnet and the identification information of the public land mobile network PLMN corresponding to the target slice subnet contained in the slice subnet configuration information, the configuration parameter management information of the target cell is determined.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein The management request message carries indication information indicating a triggering mode for updating the configuration parameter management information; The update trigger mode is used to indicate periodic update; The determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes: After reaching an update time point corresponding to a current update period indicated by the update triggering mode, determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell; The sending of the configuration parameter management information includes: Sending configuration parameter management information determined in the current update period.

27. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein The management request message carries indication information indicating a triggering mode for updating the configuration parameter management information; The update trigger mode is used to indicate update when an event is triggered; The determining the configuration parameter management information of the target cell includes: After an update event indicated by the update triggering mode occurs, determining configuration parameter management information of the target cell; The sending of the configuration parameter management information includes: Sending configuration parameter management information corresponding to the update event.

28. A network device, wherein: Including memory, transceiver, processor; The memory is used to store a computer program; the transceiver is used to send and receive data under the control of the processor; and the processor is used to read the computer program in the memory and perform the following operations: receiving configuration parameter management information for a target cell; The configuration parameter management information is determined by the network management device based on a management request message for the target cell; the configuration parameter management information includes at least one item of the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighbor cell list corresponding to the target cell; The parameters of the target cell are configured and / or updated based on the configuration parameter management information.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein The management request message carries acquisition instruction information, and the acquisition instruction information includes at least one of the following: First instruction information for instructing to obtain the location tracking area TA information of the target cell; Second instruction information for instructing to obtain a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area; Third indication information instructing to obtain a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell.

30. The apparatus according to claim 28 or 29, wherein The management request message also carries cell configuration information; The cell configuration information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the target cell; identification information of neighboring cells of the target cell; base station identification information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite identification information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite ephemeris information corresponding to the target cell; Satellite beam identification information corresponding to the target cell; The first geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; NCGI information corresponding to the target cell; Slice subnet configuration information corresponding to the target cell; Indication information indicating an update triggering mode of the configuration parameter management information; the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update or update when triggered by an event.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein: In the case where the update triggering mode is used to indicate periodic update, the management request message also carries time parameter information of the periodic update.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein The configuration parameter management information includes at least one of the following: identification information of each public land mobile network PLMN matching the target cell; identification information of each public land mobile network (PLMN) matching a neighboring cell of the target cell; Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the target cell within a preset time period in the future; Location tracking area (TA) information corresponding to each public land mobile network (PLMN) in the neighboring area of ​​the target cell within a preset time period in the future; second geographical area location information corresponding to the target cell; Available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information; The non-available time window indication information of the configuration parameter management information.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein The processor is further configured to, before receiving configuration parameter management information for a target cell, execute: Send a management request message to the target cell.

34. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein The configuring and / or updating the parameters of the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information includes: Based on the configuration parameter management information, a broadcast message of the target cell is sent.

35. A cell management device for a non-terrestrial network, wherein: include: A first receiving unit, configured to receive a management request message for a target cell; a determining unit, configured to determine configuration parameter management information of the target cell; The configuration parameter management information includes at least one item of the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell; A sending unit, configured to send the configuration parameter management information; The configuration parameter management information is used to configure and / or update parameters of the target cell.

36. A cell management device for a non-terrestrial network, wherein: include: a second receiving unit, configured to receive configuration parameter management information of a target cell; The configuration parameter management information is determined by the network management device based on a management request message for the target cell; The configuration parameter management information includes at least one item of the location tracking area TA information of the target cell, a mapping relationship table between a mapped cell ID corresponding to the target cell and a geographical area, and a neighboring cell list corresponding to the target cell; A configuration unit is configured to configure and / or update parameters of the target cell based on the configuration parameter management information.

37. A processor-readable storage medium, wherein: The processor-readable storage medium stores a program, and the program is used to enable the processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

38. A processor-readable storage medium, wherein: The processor-readable storage medium stores a program, and the program is configured to cause the processor to execute the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

39. A computer program product, wherein When the computer program product is called by a computer, the computer executes the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10 or the method according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

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