Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a communication method and apparatus. In the method, a terminal selectively accesses a more suitable network device on the basis of a reference point covered by a cell served by the network device and the time of covering the reference point by the cell, thereby improving the utilization rate of resources of the network device. For example, on the basis the distance between the reference point covered by the cell served by the network device and the terminal, as well as whether the time of covering the reference point by the cell satisfies a condition, the terminal determines whether to access the network device, thereby avoiding switching caused by movement of the network device and / or the terminal when the terminal just accesses the network device, reducing the switching frequency of the network device, and further ensuring the efficient access.

Description

Communication method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office on March 4, 2024, with application number 202410245780.X and application name “Communication Method and Device,” the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] For low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, there are two main scenarios: quasi earth-fixed and earth-moving.

[0004] In a ground mobility scenario, when selecting a cell, the terminal equipment (UE) usually follows the S criterion. That is, the cell is selected based on signal quality. If the signal quality of the upper-layer satellite is greater than that of the lower-layer satellite, the UE will always choose the upper-layer satellite for access. If the signal quality of the upper-layer satellite is less than that of the lower-layer satellite, the UE will always choose the lower-layer satellite for access. This reduces the utilization of satellite resources, and the UE always chooses to access the satellite with higher signal quality, resulting in an increased frequency of satellite switching. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus, which reduce the frequency of satellite switching, enable a terminal to select a more suitable satellite, and ensure efficient access.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be executed by a terminal, or a chip or logic module within the terminal. The method includes receiving first information from a network device, where the network device is a non-terrestrial network device and the cell served by the network device moves with the network device. The first information includes a reference point covered by the cell and a time parameter associated with the reference point, where the time parameter indicates the time when the cell covers the reference point. Determining whether to access the network device is based on the reference point and the time parameter.

[0007] Based on the method of the first aspect, it can be seen that the terminal selectively accesses a more suitable network device based on the reference point of the cell coverage served by the network device and the time when the cell covers the reference point, thereby improving the utilization rate of network device resources. For example, whether to access the network device is determined by determining whether the distance between the reference point of the cell coverage served by the network device and the terminal and whether the time when the cell covers the reference point meets the conditions. This can avoid switching caused by the movement of the network device and / or the terminal as soon as the terminal accesses the network device, reduce the frequency of network device switching, and thus ensure efficient access.

[0008] In one possible implementation, there are multiple reference points, and the time parameter is used to indicate the remaining time that the cell covers the reference point; determining whether to access the network device based on the reference point and the time parameter may include: the terminal determines the first reference point that is closest to the terminal's location among the multiple reference points, and determines whether to access the network device based on the remaining time that the cell covers the first reference point. It can be understood that the remaining time that the cell covers the reference point can be the remaining service time corresponding to the reference point, that is, the remaining time that the network device serves the location corresponding to the reference point. The terminal can obtain the first reference point closest to the terminal through a minimum distance algorithm, and the remaining time that the network device serves the location corresponding to the first reference point is close to the remaining time that the network device serves the terminal. In this way, the switching frequency caused by the movement of the network device can be reduced, so that the terminal can select a more suitable satellite to ensure efficient access.

[0009] Optionally, determining whether to access the network device based on the remaining time that the cell covers the first reference point may include: accessing the network device if the remaining time that the cell covers the first reference point is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold. It can be understood that the first reference point is the reference point closest to the terminal. Therefore, the remaining time that the cell covers the first reference point is close to the remaining time that the network device serves the terminal, and whether the terminal should access the network device can be determined by the remaining time that the cell covers the first reference point. The preset time threshold can represent the minimum required service time. If the remaining time that the network device serves the location corresponding to the first reference point is greater than or equal to the minimum required service time, then the network device meets the terminal's selection criteria, and the terminal accesses the network device. In this way, a network device with a longer remaining time to serve the terminal can be selected, reducing the frequency of switching caused by the movement of the network device, allowing the terminal to select a more suitable network device and ensure efficient access.

[0010] Optionally, when the time the network device serves the first reference point is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, before accessing the network device, the communication method may further include: the terminal receiving the preset time threshold from the network device. It is understood that the terminal may receive the preset time threshold via a message broadcast by the network device, eliminating the need for the terminal to determine the preset time threshold independently, thereby reducing terminal-side overhead.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the reference point includes a second reference point, which is a reference point covered by the center position of the cell, and the time parameter is used to indicate the first moment when the center position of the cell covers the second reference point; determining whether to access the network device based on the remaining time that the cell covers the first reference point may include: determining a third reference point based on the second reference point, the first moment, and the movement trajectory of the network device, the third reference point being the reference point covered by the center position of the cell at the current moment, and determining whether to access the network device based on the third reference point.

[0012] It can be understood that since the cell served by the network device moves as the network device moves, the center position of the cell served by the network device also moves with the network device. The first moment can be a reference time associated with the second reference point, for example, it can be the timestamp of the information when the network device sends the second reference point. During the movement of the network device, the terminal determines the reference point information covered by the center position of the cell served by the network device at the current moment based on the movement trajectory of the network device, the time difference between the current moment and the reference time, and other information, that is, determines that the center position of the cell served by the network device moves from the second reference point to the third reference point during the time from the reference time to the current moment. Whether to access the network device is selected based on the center position of the cell served by the network device at the current moment, thereby improving the accuracy of the judgment on whether to access the network device.

[0013] Optionally, determining whether to access the network device based on a third reference point may include: accessing the network device if the distance between the terminal's location and the third reference point is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold. It will be understood that the third reference point is a reference point covered by the center of the cell served by the network device at the current moment. The preset distance threshold may represent the maximum distance between the terminal and the third reference point. If the distance between the terminal and the third reference point is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold, the network device meets the terminal's selection criteria, and the terminal accesses the network device. In this way, when the distance between the terminal and the third reference point is large, such as when the terminal is at the edge of a cell covered by a satellite beam, that is, when the terminal is far from the center of the satellite beam coverage area, the terminal does not select that satellite for access, thereby avoiding handover issues caused by terminal movement immediately after accessing the satellite.

[0014] Optionally, when the distance between the terminal and the third reference point is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, before accessing the network device, the communication method may further include: the terminal receiving the preset distance threshold from the network device. It will be appreciated that the terminal may receive the preset distance threshold via a message broadcast by the network device, eliminating the need for the terminal to determine the preset distance threshold independently, thereby reducing terminal-side overhead.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first information indicates a speed vector of the network device, and determining whether to access the network device based on the third reference point may include: determining a vector with the third reference point as the starting point and the position of the terminal as the end point, and determining whether to access the network device based on the third reference point, and / or the angle between the vector and the speed vector.

[0016] It can be understood that the angle between the vector with the third reference point as the starting point and the terminal's position as the end point and the velocity vector can represent the relationship between the terminal's position relative to the cell center and the direction of network device movement. For example, when the angle is acute, the network device moves to the right, and the terminal is located to the right of the cell center; when the angle is obtuse, the network device moves to the right, and the terminal is located to the left of the cell center. Based on the relationship between the terminal's position relative to the cell center and the direction of network device movement, the terminal can select a more appropriate network device to ensure efficient access.

[0017] Optionally, determining whether to access the network device based on a third reference point, and / or the angle between the vector and the velocity vector may include: accessing the network device when the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point is greater than a preset distance threshold and the angle is less than or equal to an angle threshold.

[0018] It can be understood that the angle threshold can be a value arbitrarily specified according to actual needs. When the distance between the terminal and the third reference point is large, such as when the terminal is at the edge of the cell covered by the satellite beam, that is, when the terminal is far away from the center point of the satellite beam coverage area, it is also necessary to determine whether the angle between the vector with the third reference point as the starting point and the terminal position as the end point and the velocity vector meets the conditions. An angle less than or equal to the angle threshold can indicate that the position of the terminal relative to the center point of the cell is consistent with the direction of movement of the network device, that is, when the network device moves to the right, the terminal is located on the right side of the center point of the cell; when the network device moves to the left, the terminal is located on the left side of the center point of the cell. Although the distance between the terminal and the third reference point is large at this time, as the network device moves, the center point of the cell served by the network device will get closer and closer to the terminal, and the signal quality of the network device will get better and better, which can better serve the terminal and ensure efficient access.

[0019] Optionally, when the distance between the terminal and the third reference point is greater than a preset distance threshold and the angle is less than or equal to the angle threshold, before accessing the network device, the communication method may further include: the terminal receiving the angle threshold from the network device. It will be appreciated that the terminal may receive the angle threshold via a message broadcast by the network device, eliminating the need for the terminal to determine the angle threshold independently, thereby reducing terminal-side overhead.

[0020] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided. The method can be performed by a network device, or a chip or logic module within the network device. The method includes: the network device obtains first information, where the network device is a non-terrestrial network device and the cell served by the network device moves with the network device. The first information includes a reference point covered by the cell and a time parameter associated with the reference point, where the time parameter indicates the time when the cell covers the reference point. The network device sends the first information to a terminal.

[0021] In a possible implementation, the communication method may further include: the network device sends second information to the terminal, where the second information includes at least one of the following: a preset time threshold, a preset distance threshold, or an angle threshold.

[0022] It can be understood that the relevant technical effects of the method of the second aspect mentioned above can also refer to the relevant introduction of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0023] In a third aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes a module for executing the method described in any one of aspects 1 to 2, such as a transceiver module and a processing module. For example, the transceiver module is configured to perform the transceiver function of the communication device, and the processing module is configured to perform functions other than the transceiver function of the communication device.

[0024] Optionally, the transceiver module may include a sending module and a receiving module, wherein the sending module is used to implement the sending function of the communication device described in the third aspect, and the receiving module is used to implement the receiving function of the communication device described in the third aspect.

[0025] Optionally, the communication device described in the third aspect may further include a storage module, wherein the storage module stores a program or instruction. When the processing module executes the program or instruction, the communication device may execute the method described in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect.

[0026] It can be understood that the communication device described in the third aspect can be a terminal or a network device, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in a terminal or a network device, or a device that includes a terminal or a network device, or a component that completes part or all of the functions of a network device. This application does not limit this.

[0027] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device described in the third aspect can refer to the technical effects of the first aspect mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0028] In a fourth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor configured to execute the method described in any one of the first to second aspects.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver may be used for the communication device described in the fourth aspect to communicate with other communication devices.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the communication device described in the fourth aspect may further include a memory. The memory may be integrated with the processor or provided separately. The memory may be used to store the computer program and / or data involved in the method described in any one of the first and second aspects.

[0031] In an embodiment of the present application, the communication device described in the fourth aspect can be the terminal or network device described in any one of the first to second aspects, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in the terminal or network device, or a device that includes the terminal or network device, or can be a component that completes part or all of the functions of the network device.

[0032] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device described in the fourth aspect can refer to the technical effects of the methods described in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0033] In a fifth aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a processor coupled to a memory, the processor configured to execute a computer program or instruction stored in the memory, so that the communication device performs the method described in any one of the first to second aspects.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the communication device may further include a transceiver. The transceiver may be a transceiver circuit or an interface circuit. The transceiver may be used for the communication device to communicate with other communication devices.

[0035] In a possible implementation, the communication device further includes the memory for storing the above-mentioned computer program or instruction. Optionally, the memory and the processor are integrated together.

[0036] In an embodiment of the present application, the communication device described in the fifth aspect can be the terminal or network device described in any one of the first to second aspects, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in the terminal or network device, or a device that includes the terminal or network device.

[0037] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device described in the fifth aspect can refer to the technical effects of the methods described in any one of the first aspect to the second aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0038] In a sixth aspect, a communication system is provided, comprising: a terminal for executing the method according to the first aspect, and a network device for executing the method according to the second aspect.

[0039] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, comprising: a computer program or instructions; when the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, the method described in any one of the first to second aspects above is implemented.

[0040] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the method described in any one of the first to second aspects to be implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a ground gaze scenario;

[0042] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a ground movement scenario;

[0043] FIG3 is a first structural diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG4 is a second structural diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of a communication system provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the process of the communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a cell reference point provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG9 is a first structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG10 is a second structural diagram of the communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] Base stations / sites in non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) primarily include low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), and high altitude platform station (HAPS) systems. For LEO satellites, there are two main scenarios: staring at the Earth and moving around. As shown in Figure 1, in the staring scenario, the satellite serves a single area on the ground over a period of time. This means that as the satellite moves, the satellite adjusts its beam pointing, with the satellite's beam pointing towards the same area at times t0 and t1, providing staring service to the ground. As shown in Figure 2, in the moving around scenario, the satellite does not adjust its beam; instead, the beam moves with the satellite's motion, with the satellite's beam pointing towards different areas at times t0 and t1.

[0052] Currently, for satellite selection in ground mobile scenarios, cells are usually selected according to the S criterion. That is, cells are selected based on signal quality, including the measured reference signal receiving power (RSRP) and reference signal received quality (RSRQ). The cell meets the S criterion, that is, the received power Srxlev in the cell search is greater than 0dB, and the received signal quality Squal in the cell search is greater than 0dB. Srxlev and Squal satisfy the following formula: Srxlev = Q rxlevmeas –(Q rxlevmin +Q rxlevminoffset )–P compensation -Qoffset temp Squal=Q qualmeas –(Q qualmin +Q qualminoffset )–Qoffset temp

[0053] Among them, P compensation =max(P max -PU max , 0). Q rxlevmeas is the RSRP value of the measured cell, Q rxlevmin is the lowest receiving level of the cell, Q rxlevminoffset is the minimum receiving level offset of the cell, P maxis the maximum uplink transmit power allowed for UE in the cell, PU max The maximum uplink transmit power determined by the UE capability. qualmeas is the RSRQ value of the measured cell, Q qualmin is the minimum received signal quality, Q qualminoffset The minimum received signal quality offset value, Qoffset temp A temporary power offset.

[0054] As can be seen, if the cell selection is typically based on the S criterion, the UE will consistently select higher-layer satellites for access when the signal quality of higher-layer satellites is greater than that of lower-layer satellites. If the signal quality of higher-layer satellites is less than that of lower-layer satellites, the UE will consistently select lower-layer satellites for access. If the UE selects a cell based on the maximum service time criterion, the UE will consistently select higher-layer satellites due to their larger beam coverage and slower mobility. This reduces satellite resource utilization, and the UE will consistently select satellites with higher signal quality, increasing the frequency of satellite handoffs.

[0055] In response to the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application propose the following technical solutions.

[0056] The technical solution in this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0057] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, such as wireless network (Wi-Fi) systems, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication systems, device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, Internet of Vehicles communication systems, fourth-generation (4G) mobile communication systems such as LTE systems, fifth-generation (5G) mobile communication systems such as NR systems, and future communication networks and other communication systems evolved after 5G.

[0058] In the embodiment of the present application, "indication" may include direct indication and indirect indication, and may also include explicit indication and implicit indication. The information indicated by a certain information (such as the first indication information, the second indication information, or the third indication information below) is called information to be indicated. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be indicated, such as but not limited to, the information to be indicated can be directly indicated, such as the information to be indicated itself or the index of the information to be indicated. The information to be indicated can also be indirectly indicated by indicating other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be indicated. It is also possible to indicate only a part of the information to be indicated, while the other parts of the information to be indicated are known or agreed in advance. For example, the indication of specific information can be achieved by means of the arrangement order of each piece of information agreed in advance (such as specified in the protocol), thereby reducing the indication overhead to a certain extent. At the same time, the common parts of each piece of information can be identified and indicated uniformly to reduce the indication overhead caused by indicating the same information separately.

[0059] In addition, the specific indication method can also be various existing indication methods, such as but not limited to the above-mentioned indication methods and various combinations thereof. As can be seen from the above, for example, when it is necessary to indicate multiple pieces of information of the same type, different indication methods may be used for different pieces of information. During the specific implementation process, the desired indication method can be selected according to specific needs. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the selected indication method. As such, the indication methods involved in the embodiments of the present application should be understood to cover various methods that can enable the party to be indicated to obtain the information to be indicated.

[0060] It should be understood that the information to be indicated can be sent as a whole or divided into multiple sub-information and sent separately, and the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be the same or different. The specific sending method is not limited in the embodiments of this application. Among them, the sending period and / or sending time of these sub-information can be predefined, for example, predefined according to a protocol, or can be configured by the sending node device by sending configuration information to the receiving node device.

[0061] "Pre-definition" or "pre-configuration" can be implemented by pre-saving corresponding codes, tables or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in the device, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit the specific implementation method. Among them, "saving" can mean saving in one or more memories. The one or more memories can be set separately or integrated in an encoder or decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The one or more memories can also be partially set separately and partially integrated in a decoder, a processor, or a communication device. The type of memory can be any form of storage medium, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0062] The "protocol" involved in the embodiments of the present application may refer to a protocol family in the communication field, a standard protocol with a similar protocol family frame structure, or a related protocol used in future communication systems. The embodiments of the present application do not make specific limitations on this.

[0063] In the embodiments of the present application, descriptions such as "when...", "in the case of...", "if" and "if" all mean that the device will perform corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances. It does not limit the time, nor does it require the device to perform judgment actions when implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0064] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, " / " indicates that the objects associated with each other are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in the embodiments of the present application is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" refers to two or more than two. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple. In addition, in order to facilitate the clear description of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "first" and "second" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with basically the same functions and effects. Those skilled in the art will understand that words such as "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity and execution order, and words such as "first" and "second" do not necessarily limit differences. At the same time, in the embodiments of the present application, words such as "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations or explanations. Any embodiment or implementation described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of the present application should not be interpreted as being more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or implementations. Specifically, the use of words such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present related concepts in a concrete way for easy understanding.

[0065] The network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are intended to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field will know that with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0066] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of the present application, a communication system applicable to the embodiments of the present application is first described in detail using the communication system shown in Figure 3 as an example. For example, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system applicable to the method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0067] As shown in FIG3 , the communication system mainly includes at least one of the following: a terminal and a network device.

[0068] In one possible scenario, the communication system can be applied to the communication systems of 5G or future communication networks. For example, as shown in FIG4 , the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100, a core network (CN) 200, and the Internet 300. RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (e.g., 110a and 110b in FIG4 , collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (e.g., 120a-120j in FIG4 , collectively referred to as 120). RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in FIG4 ). Terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to RAN node 110. RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to core network 200. The core network devices in core network 200 and RAN node 110 in RAN 100 can be separate physical devices, or they can be a single physical device that integrates core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions.

[0069] The RAN 100 may be a 3GPP-related cellular system, such as a 4G or 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system (such as a future mobile communication system). The RAN 100 may also be an open access network (O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a Wi-Fi system. The RAN 100 may also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems.

[0070] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of the communication system and facilitates wireless access for terminals. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 4 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal 120j accessing the RAN 100 via network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 4 can be understood as communication devices with base station functionality, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0071] In one possible scenario, a RAN node may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access point (AP) in a Wi-Fi system. A RAN node may be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG4 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG4 ), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, a RAN node may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an onboard device, etc. For example, an access network device in vehicle to everything (V2X) technology may be a road side unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application may also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The RAN node in this application may also be a logical node, a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of a RAN node.

[0072] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set separately, or they can be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0073] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0074] It is understood that the above-mentioned RAN node can be a newly defined name, and RAN node can also be expressed in different ways, such as access node, network device, wireless access node, etc., without limitation. Unless otherwise specified in this application, network device is used to express it.

[0075] Terminals can also be referred to as terminal devices, user equipment (UE), mobile stations, or mobile terminals. They can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), the Internet of Things (IoT), smart point-of-sale (POS), customer-premises equipment (CPE), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables (such as smart watches, smart bracelets, pedometers, and smart glasses), smart transportation, and smart cities. Terminals can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicle devices (such as complete vehicle devices, vehicle-mounted modules, vehicle-mounted chips, on-board units (OBUs), or telematics boxes (T-BOXs)), drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, and satellite terminals. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0076] The embodiments provided in this application can be applied to satellite communications, and the communication system can be applied to typical application scenarios of satellite networks. Figure 5 shows a typical application architecture of a satellite network provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, a ground mobile terminal UE accesses the data network through the 5G new air interface. The 5G base station is deployed on the satellite, providing communication services for the UE and connecting to the core network on the ground through a wireless link. At the same time, there is a wireless link between the satellites to complete the signaling interaction and user data transmission between the base stations.

[0077] 5G base stations mainly provide wireless access services, dispatch wireless resources to access terminals, and provide reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols.

[0078] The 5G core network mainly provides services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. The 5G core network consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into functional entities of the control plane and the data plane. The control plane mainly includes the access and mobility management function (AMF) network element and the session management function (SMF) network element. Among them, the AMF network element is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The SMF network element is mainly used for session management in mobile networks, such as session establishment, modification, and release. The data plane mainly includes the user plane function (UPF) network element, which is responsible for managing the transmission of user plane data, traffic statistics, and other functions.

[0079] The ground station is responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between the satellite base station and the 5G core network.

[0080] The 5G new air interface is the wireless link between the terminal and the base station.

[0081] The Xn interface is the interface between 5G base stations and is mainly used for signaling interactions such as switching.

[0082] The NG interface is the interface between the 5G base station and the 5G core network, which mainly exchanges the core network's non-access stratum (NAS) signaling and user service data.

[0083] In this communication system, a terminal selectively accesses a more suitable network device based on the reference point covered by the cell served by the network device and the time the cell covered the reference point, thereby improving the utilization of network device resources. For example, network device access is determined based on the distance between the reference point covered by the cell served by the network device and the terminal, as well as whether the time the cell covered the reference point meets certain conditions. This can prevent handovers caused by network device and / or terminal movement immediately after the terminal accesses the network device, reduce the frequency of network device handovers, and thus ensure efficient access.

[0084] The embodiments of this application do not limit the device form factor of the network device. The device used to implement the function of the network device can be a network device; it can also be a device that supports the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system. The device can be installed in the network device or used in conjunction with the network device. In the embodiments of this application, the chip system can be composed of chips or can include chips and other discrete components.

[0085] The following will specifically describe the interaction process between each network element / device in the above communication system through a method embodiment in conjunction with Figure 6. The communication method provided in the embodiment of the present application can be applied to the above communication system and specifically applied to various scenarios / processes mentioned in the above communication system, which are described in detail below.

[0086] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a communication method provided in an embodiment of the present application. This communication method is applicable to the above-mentioned communication system and mainly involves the interaction between a terminal and a network device.

[0087] As shown in Figure 6, the process of the communication method is as follows:

[0088] S601: A network device obtains first information.

[0089] The network device is a non-terrestrial network device, and the cell served by the network device moves with the network device. For example, the embodiment of the present application is applicable to the ground mobile scenario. As the satellite moves, the satellite side does not adjust the beam pointing, that is, the beam moves with the movement of the satellite. Accordingly, the cell served by the network device is a ground mobile cell.

[0090] The first information may include a reference point for cell coverage and a time parameter associated with the reference point. It is understandable that the reference point is fixed on the ground, and the cell served by the network device moves with the movement of the network device. The reference point for the cell covered by the network device may be, for example, a reference point covered by a satellite beam. The reference point may be a cell reference point (movingReferenceLocation) defined in the standard, or a location customized by the user according to actual needs, for example, a location with a finer sampling granularity than the cell reference point defined in the standard. The time parameter associated with the reference point is used to indicate the time when the cell covers the reference point. The time parameter may include the remaining time for the cell served by the network device to cover the first reference point, the time when the cell served by the network device has covered the first reference point, or at least one of the timestamps associated with the first information sent by the network device.

[0091] S602: The network device sends first information to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first information from the network device.

[0092] The network device may reuse existing signaling to deliver the first information. For example, the time parameter may be carried in the mobile service time (t-Service-moving) signaling. The network device broadcasts the mobile service time signaling through the system information block 19 (SIB19), which includes the remaining service time corresponding to each reference point. For another example, the network device may reuse the moving reference location (movingReferenceLocation) signaling to deliver the cell reference point information and the reference time (epoch time) associated with the reference point. The reference time may be the timestamp of the delivered cell reference point information.

[0093] S603: The terminal determines whether to access the network device according to the reference point and time parameters.

[0094] The terminal can determine whether to access the network device based on the reference point covered by the cell served by the network device and the time when the cell covers the reference point, such as the distance between the reference point covered by the cell served by the network device and the terminal, and whether the time when the cell covers the reference point meets the conditions.

[0095] In one possible implementation, there are multiple reference points, and the time parameter is used to indicate the remaining time for the cell to cover the reference point; S603 may include: the terminal determines the first reference point among the multiple reference points that is closest to the terminal's position, and determines whether to access the network device based on the remaining time for the cell to cover the first reference point.

[0096] It is understood that a cell may cover multiple reference points, and the remaining time for a cell to cover a reference point may be the remaining service time corresponding to the reference point, that is, the remaining time for the network device to serve the location corresponding to the reference point. For example, the network device broadcasts mobile service time signaling via SIB19, which includes a reference point list and a remaining service time list. Each reference point in the reference point list corresponds to the remaining service time in the remaining service time list. The reference point list and the remaining service time list are shown in Table 1.

[0097] Table 1: Reference point list and remaining service time list

[0098] It can be seen that each reference point in the reference point list corresponds one-to-one to the remaining service time in the remaining service time list. After the terminal receives information about multiple reference points and the remaining time of the cell covering the reference point, it determines the first reference point among the multiple reference points that is closest to the terminal's position. The terminal can obtain the terminal's position through the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), and then calculate the reference point closest to the terminal based on the terminal's position and ephemeris. Specifically, the reference point closest to the terminal can be obtained through the minimum distance algorithm. Furthermore, the terminal determines whether to access the network device based on the remaining time of the cell covering the first reference point. For example, the terminal determines that the reference point closest to the terminal in the reference point list in Table 1 is the first reference point (referenceLocationMoving_n) through the minimum distance algorithm, and determines whether to access the network device based on the remaining service time (t-ServiceMoving_n) corresponding to the first reference point in the remaining service time list.

[0099] Optionally, determining whether to access the network device based on the remaining time that the cell covers the first reference point may include: accessing the network device if the remaining time that the cell covers the first reference point is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold.

[0100] It can be understood that the remaining time for the cell to cover the first reference point can be the remaining time for the network device to serve the location corresponding to the first reference point, and the first reference point is the reference point closest to the terminal. Therefore, the remaining time for the cell to cover the first reference point is close to the remaining time for the network device to serve the terminal, and the remaining time for the cell to cover the first reference point can be used to determine whether the terminal should access the network device. The preset time threshold value can represent the minimum required service time. If the remaining time for the network device to serve the location corresponding to the first reference point is greater than or equal to the minimum required service time, the network device meets the terminal's selection criteria and the terminal accesses the network device. If the remaining time for the network device to serve the location corresponding to the first reference point is less than the minimum required service time, the terminal does not access the network device. In this way, the terminal selects a network device to access based on the remaining time for the cell to cover the first reference point. It can select a network device with a longer remaining time to serve the terminal, reduce the switching frequency caused by the movement of the network device, enable the terminal to select a more suitable network device, and ensure efficient access.

[0101] In addition, if the time parameter is used to indicate the time when the cell served by the network device has covered the first reference point, the preset time threshold value can represent the maximum service time. At this time, if the time when the cell served by the network device has covered the first reference point is less than or equal to the maximum service time, the network device meets the terminal selection criteria and the terminal accesses the network device.

[0102] Optionally, when the time the network device serves the first reference point is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, before accessing the network device, the communication method may further include: the terminal receiving the preset time threshold from the network device. It is understood that the preset time threshold may be carried in a newly added time signaling, and the terminal may obtain the preset time threshold by receiving the newly added time signaling from the network device, thereby reducing the overhead on the terminal side. For example, the network device broadcasts a message through SIB19 or other system information block (SIB), and the message includes Q timemin , where Q timemin Of course, the preset time threshold value may also be a threshold value determined by the terminal itself, which is not limited here.

[0103] In one possible implementation, when the remaining time for the cell to cover the first reference point is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, the access network device may also include: when the remaining time for the cell to cover the first reference point is greater than or equal to the preset time threshold and the signal quality of the cell meets a preset condition, the terminal accesses the network device.

[0104] It can be understood that the signal quality of the cell may include the received power in the cell search and the signal quality received in the cell search, and the preset conditions may include a preset power threshold corresponding to the received power and a preset quality threshold corresponding to the signal quality received in the cell search. If the remaining time for the cell to cover the first reference point is greater than or equal to the preset time threshold, the received power is greater than the preset power threshold, and the signal quality received in the cell search is greater than the preset quality threshold, the terminal accesses the network device. For example, the conditions that the terminal needs to meet to select a satellite are Srxlev≥0, Squal≥0 and Stime≥0, where Srxlev and Squal are as described in the above-mentioned S criterion and will not be repeated here. Stime=t1–Q timemin , where t1 is the remaining time for the cell to cover the first reference point, Q timemin In this way, in the ground mobile scenario, the terminal selects a satellite based on both the S criterion and the remaining time of the cell covering the first reference point, avoiding handover problems caused by the satellite right after accessing the satellite.

[0105] In one possible implementation, the reference point includes a second reference point, which is a reference point covered by the center position of the cell, and the time parameter is used to indicate the first moment when the center position of the cell covers the second reference point; S603 may include: determining a third reference point based on the second reference point, the first moment and the movement trajectory of the network device, the third reference point being the reference point covered by the center position of the cell at the current moment, and determining whether to access the network device based on the third reference point.

[0106] It can be understood that since the cell served by the network device moves with the movement of the network device, the center position of the cell served by the network device also moves with the network device. For example, in a ground motion scenario, the area covered by the satellite's beam moves with the movement of the satellite, and the center position of the covered area also moves with the satellite. The reference point covered by the center position of the cell can be, for example, the center point of the area covered by the satellite beam. The first moment can be a reference time associated with the second reference point. For example, the network device reuses the moving reference location (movingReferenceLocation) signaling to send the information of the second reference point and the reference time (epoch time) associated with the second reference point. During the movement of the network device, the terminal determines the reference point information covered by the center position of the cell served by the network device at the current moment based on the movement trajectory of the network device, the time difference between the current moment and the reference time, and other information, that is, determines that the center position of the cell served by the network device moves from the second reference point to the third reference point during the time from the reference time to the current moment. For example, as shown in Figure 7, during the movement of the satellite, the center position of the cell served by the satellite moves from the second reference point to the third reference point. The terminal derives the reference point information (movingReferenceLocation_t) of the center position coverage of the cell served by the satellite at the selection time t1 (current moment) based on the information of the second reference point in the moving reference location (movingReferenceLocation) signaling and the reference time t0 associated with the second reference point, and then based on the satellite motion trajectory.

[0107] Optionally, determining whether to access the network device according to the third reference point may include: accessing the network device when the distance between the terminal location and the third reference point is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold.

[0108] It is understood that the terminal's location can be acquired via GNSS, and the third reference point is a reference point covered by the center position of the cell currently served by the network device. The preset distance threshold value can represent the maximum distance between the terminal and the third reference point. If the distance between the terminal and the third reference point is less than or equal to the preset distance threshold value, the network device meets the terminal selection criteria, and the terminal accesses the network device. In this way, when the distance between the terminal and the third reference point is large, such as when the terminal is at the edge of the cell covered by the satellite beam, that is, when the terminal is far from the center point of the satellite beam coverage area, the terminal does not select that satellite for access, thereby avoiding handover issues caused by terminal movement immediately after accessing the satellite.

[0109] Optionally, when the distance between the terminal's location and the third reference point is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, before accessing the network device, the communication method may further include: the terminal receiving the preset distance threshold from the network device. It is understood that the preset distance threshold may be carried in a newly added distance signaling, and the terminal may obtain the preset distance threshold by receiving the newly added distance signaling from the network device. For example, the network device broadcasts a message through SIB19 or other SIBs, and the message includes Q dismin , where Q dismin Indicates the maximum distance between the terminal and the third reference point. The preset distance threshold value can also reuse the distance threshold (distanceThresh) defined in the standard, that is, Q dismin =distanceThresh. Of course, the preset distance threshold value may also be a threshold value determined by the terminal itself, which is not limited here.

[0110] In one possible implementation, when the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the access network device may further include: when the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold and the signal quality of the cell meets a preset condition, the terminal accesses the network device.

[0111] For example, the conditions that the terminal needs to meet for selecting a satellite are Srxlev ≥ 0, Squal ≥ 0, and Sdis ≤ 0, where Srxlev and Squal are as described in the above S criterion and will not be repeated here. Sdis = dis(UE_GNSS, movingReferenceLocation_t) – Q dismin , where dis(UE_GNSS, movingReferenceLocation_t) represents the distance between the terminal's location and the third reference point, Q dismin In this way, the terminal selects a satellite based on both the S criterion and the center position of the cell served by the network device, thus avoiding handover problems caused by the terminal right after accessing the satellite.

[0112] In a possible implementation, S603 may further include: when the remaining time of the cell covering the first reference point is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, and the signal quality of the cell meets a preset condition, the terminal accesses the network device. For example, the conditions that the terminal needs to meet to select a satellite are Srxlev ≥ 0, Squal ≥ 0, Stime ≥ 0, and Sdis ≤ 0, where Srxlev, Squal, Stime, and Sdis are as described above and will not be repeated here. In this way, the terminal selects a satellite based on the S criterion, time, and position at the same time, avoiding switching problems caused by satellite movement and / or terminal movement as soon as the satellite is accessed.

[0113] In one possible implementation, the first information indicates a speed vector of the network device, and determining whether to access the network device based on the third reference point may include: determining a vector with the third reference point as the starting point and the position of the terminal as the end point, and determining whether to access the network device based on the third reference point, and / or the angle between the vector and the speed vector.

[0114] It can be understood that the angle between the vector with the third reference point as the starting point and the terminal position as the end point and the velocity vector can represent the relationship between the terminal position relative to the center point of the cell and the direction of movement of the network device. For example, when the angle is acute, the network device moves to the right and the terminal is located on the right side of the center point of the cell; when the angle is obtuse, the network device moves to the right and the terminal is located on the left side of the center point of the cell. For example, as shown in Figure 8, at the satellite selection time t1, the third reference point (movingReferenceLocation_t) covered by the center position of the cell served by the satellite is used as the starting point, the terminal position (UE_GNSS) is used as the end point, the connecting vector d between the two points is calculated, and the velocity vector of the satellite is obtained as v sat . Through d and v sat The angle ang(d,v sat ) is an acute angle. It can be seen that the terminal is located on one side of the direction of satellite movement, that is, the satellite moves to the right, and the terminal is located on the right side of the satellite beam coverage area, or in other words, the terminal is located on the right side of the center point of the satellite beam coverage area.

[0115] Optionally, determining whether to access the network device based on a third reference point, and / or the angle between the vector and the velocity vector may include: accessing the network device when the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point is greater than a preset distance threshold and the angle is less than or equal to an angle threshold.

[0116] It can be understood that the angle threshold can be a value arbitrarily specified according to actual needs, for example, it can be 90 degrees. When the distance between the terminal and the third reference point is large, such as when the terminal is at the edge of the cell covered by the satellite beam, that is, when the terminal is far away from the center point of the satellite beam coverage area, it is also necessary to determine whether the angle between the vector with the third reference point as the starting point and the terminal's position as the end point and the velocity vector meets the conditions. An angle less than or equal to the angle threshold can indicate that the position of the terminal relative to the cell center point is consistent with the direction of movement of the network device, that is, when the network device moves to the right, the terminal is located on the right side of the cell center point; when the network device moves to the left, the terminal is located on the left side of the cell center point. Although the distance between the terminal and the third reference point is large at this time, as the network device moves, the cell center point served by the network device will get closer and closer to the terminal, and the signal quality of the network device will get better and better, which can better serve the terminal. Therefore, the network device meets the selection criteria and the terminal accesses the network device.

[0117] For example, as shown in Figure 8, if the terminal is located on one side of the direction of satellite movement, the satellite moves to the right, and the terminal is at the right edge of the satellite beam coverage area, then d and v sat The angle ang(d,v sat ) is an acute angle or may be 0. In this case, although the terminal is far from the center of the satellite beam coverage area, as the satellite moves, the center of the satellite beam coverage area will get closer to the terminal. Therefore, the terminal can choose to access the satellite, avoiding handover problems caused by terminal and / or satellite movement immediately after accessing the satellite.

[0118] Optionally, when the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point is greater than a preset distance threshold, and the angle is less than or equal to the angle threshold, before accessing the network device, the communication method may further include: the terminal receives the angle threshold from the network device. It can be understood that the network device can reuse the existing signaling to send the angle threshold, or it can carry the angle threshold in the newly added angle signaling. The terminal can obtain the angle threshold by receiving the newly added angle signaling from the network device, thereby reducing the overhead on the terminal side. For example, the network device broadcasts a message through SIB19 or other SIBs, and the message contains Q angmin , where Q angmin Of course, the angle threshold can also be a threshold determined by the terminal itself, which is not limited here.

[0119] In a possible implementation, when the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point is greater than or equal to a preset distance threshold, and the angle is less than or equal to the angle threshold, the access network device may further include: when the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point is greater than a preset distance threshold, the angle is less than or equal to the angle threshold, and the signal quality of the cell meets a preset condition, the terminal accesses the network device. For example, the conditions that the terminal needs to meet to select a satellite are Srxlev ≥ 0, Squal ≥ 0, Sdis > 0, and Sang ≤ 0, where Srxlev, Squal, and Sdis are as described above and will not be repeated here. Sang = ang(d,v sat )–Q angmin , where ang(d,v sat ) is the angle between the vector with the third reference point as the starting point and the terminal position as the end point and the speed vector of the network device movement, Q angmin In this way, the terminal selects satellites based on the S criterion, position, and angle, reducing the switching frequency caused by terminal movement, allowing the terminal to select more suitable satellites and ensure efficient access.

[0120] In one possible implementation, S603 may also include: when the remaining time of the cell covering the first reference point is greater than or equal to the preset time threshold, the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point is greater than the preset distance threshold, and the angle is less than or equal to the angle threshold, the terminal accesses the network device.

[0121] In a possible implementation, S603 may further include: when the remaining time of the cell covering the first reference point is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point is greater than a preset distance threshold, the angle is less than or equal to the angle threshold, and the signal quality of the cell meets the preset conditions, the terminal accesses the network device. For example, the conditions that the terminal needs to meet to select a satellite are Srxlev≥0, Squal≥0, Stime≥0, Sdis>0 and Sang≤0, where Srxlev, Squal, Stime, and Sdis are as described above and will not be repeated here. It can be seen that the terminal can select a network device based on any combination of the remaining time of the cell covering the first reference point, the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point, the angle between the vector with the third reference point as the starting point and the terminal's position as the end point and the speed vector of the network device movement, and the signal quality of the cell, thereby improving the flexibility of selecting network devices and reducing the switching frequency of network devices, thereby ensuring efficient access.

[0122] In summary, the terminal selectively accesses a more appropriate network device based on the reference point of the cell coverage served by the network device and the time when the cell covered the reference point, thereby improving the utilization rate of network device resources. For example, whether to access the network device is determined by the distance between the reference point of the cell coverage served by the network device and the terminal, as well as whether the time when the cell covered the reference point meets the conditions. This can avoid switching caused by the movement of the network device and / or the terminal as soon as the terminal accesses the network device, reduce the frequency of network device switching, and thus ensure efficient access.

[0123] The method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described in detail above in conjunction with Figures 6 to 8. The communication device for executing the communication method provided by the embodiment of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with Figures 9 and 10.

[0124] Figure 9 is a structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 9 , the communication device 900 includes a transceiver module 901 and a processing module 902. For ease of illustration, Figure 9 only shows the main components of the communication device.

[0125] The transceiver module 901 is used to perform the transceiver function of the method shown in FIG. 6 , and the processing module 902 is used to perform other functions of the method shown in FIG. 6 except the transceiver function.

[0126] Optionally, the transceiver module 901 may include a sending module (not shown in FIG9 ) and a receiving module (not shown in FIG9 ). The sending module is used to implement the sending function of the communication device 900 , and the receiving module is used to implement the receiving function of the communication device 900 .

[0127] Optionally, the communication device 900 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 9 ) storing a program or instruction. When the processing module 902 executes the program or instruction, the communication device 900 may perform the functions of the terminal or network device in the method shown in FIG. 6 in the above method.

[0128] It can be understood that the communication device 900 can be a terminal or a network device, or a chip (system) or other parts or components that can be set in a terminal or a network device, or a device that includes a terminal or a network device. This application does not limit this.

[0129] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device 900 can refer to the technical effects of the communication method shown in Figure 6, and will not be repeated here.

[0130] Figure 10 is a second structural diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. Exemplarily, the communication device may be a terminal, or a chip (system) or other component or assembly that can be provided in a terminal. As shown in Figure 10, the communication device 1000 may include a processor 1001. Optionally, the communication device 1000 may further include a memory 1002 and / or a transceiver 1003. The processor 1001 is coupled to the memory 1002 and / or the transceiver 1003, such as by connecting via a communication bus, by connecting via an interface within the chip, or by connecting via other communication lines. Optionally, the memory 1002 may be integrated with the processor 1001.

[0131] The following is a detailed introduction to the various components of the communication device 1000 in conjunction with FIG10 :

[0132] The processor 1001 is the control center of the communication device 1000 and can be a single processor or a collective term for multiple processing elements. For example, the processor 1001 can be one or more central processing units (CPUs), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiments of the present application, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs) or one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

[0133] Optionally, the processor 1001 may execute various functions of the communication device 1000 , such as executing the communication method shown in FIG. 6 , by running or executing a software program stored in the memory 1002 and calling data stored in the memory 1002 .

[0134] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the processor 1001 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 shown in FIG10 .

[0135] In a specific implementation, as an embodiment, the communication device 1000 may also include multiple processors, such as the processor 1001 and the processor 1004 shown in FIG10 . Each of these processors may be a single-core processor (single-CPU) or a multi-core processor (multi-CPU). The processor herein may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0136] The memory 1002 is used to store the software program for executing the solution of the present application, and the execution is controlled by the processor 1001. The specific implementation method can refer to the above method embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0137] Alternatively, the memory 1002 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device that can store static information and instructions, a random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, an optical disc storage (including a compact disc, laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.), a magnetic disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited thereto. The memory 1002 may be integrated with the processor 1001 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1001 via an interface circuit (not shown in FIG. 10 ) of the communication device 1000. This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0138] Transceiver 1003 is used for communication with other communication devices. For example, if communication device 1000 is a terminal, transceiver 1003 can be used to communicate with a network device or another terminal device. For another example, if communication device 1000 is a network device, transceiver 1003 can be used to communicate with a terminal or another network device.

[0139] Optionally, the transceiver 1003 may include a receiver and a transmitter (not shown separately in FIG10 ), wherein the receiver is used to implement a receiving function, and the transmitter is used to implement a sending function.

[0140] Optionally, the transceiver 1003 may be integrated with the processor 1001 or exist independently and be coupled to the processor 1001 through an interface circuit (not shown in FIG. 10 ) of the communication device 1000 . This embodiment of the present application does not specifically limit this.

[0141] It is understandable that the structure of the communication device 1000 shown in FIG10 does not constitute a limitation on the communication device, and an actual communication device may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0142] In addition, the technical effects of the communication device 1000 can refer to the technical effects of the methods described in the above method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0143] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), and the processor may also be other general-purpose processors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0144] It should also be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a ROM, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an EEPROM, or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of example but not limitation, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous link dynamic random access memory (SLDRAM), and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM).

[0145] The above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware (such as circuits), firmware or any other combination. When implemented using software, the above embodiments can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions or computer programs. When the computer instructions or computer program are loaded or executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server or data center to another website, computer, server or data center via a wired (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) method. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that contains one or more available media sets. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (for example, a DVD), or a semiconductor medium. The semiconductor medium can be a solid-state drive.

[0146] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein simply describes a relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A alone, A and B together, or B alone. A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, the character " / " as used herein generally indicates an "or" relationship between the associated objects, but it may also indicate an "and / or" relationship. For specific understanding, please refer to the context.

[0147] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "plurality" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or plural.

[0148] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application.

[0149] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the units and algorithm steps of each example described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0150] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0151] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely schematic. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, such as multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be through some interfaces, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0152] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0153] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

[0154] If the functions are implemented in the form of software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of the present application, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or the part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for enabling a computer device (which can be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The aforementioned storage medium includes the various possible memories mentioned above.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving first information from a network device, where the network device is a non-terrestrial network device and a cell served by the network device moves with the network device, the first information including a reference point covered by the cell and a time parameter associated with the reference point, the time parameter being used to indicate a time when the cell covers the reference point; Determine whether to access the network device according to the reference point and the time parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that There are multiple reference points, and the time parameter is used to indicate the remaining time for the cell to cover the reference point; and determining whether to access the network device according to the reference point and the time parameter includes: Determine a first reference point among the plurality of reference points that is closest to the location of the terminal; Determine whether to access the network device according to the remaining time that the cell covers the first reference point.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The determining, according to a remaining time during which the cell covers the first reference point, whether to access the network device includes: When the remaining time of the cell covering the first reference point is greater than or equal to a preset time threshold, the network device is accessed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The reference point includes a second reference point, where the second reference point is a reference point covered by the center position of the cell, and the time parameter is used to indicate a first moment when the center position of the cell covers the second reference point; and determining whether to access the network device according to the reference point and the time parameter includes: Determining a third reference point according to the second reference point, the first moment, and a motion trajectory of the network device, where the third reference point is a reference point covered by the center position of the cell at the current moment; Determine whether to access the network device according to the third reference point.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The determining, according to the third reference point, whether to access the network device includes: When the distance between the terminal location and the third reference point is less than or equal to a preset distance threshold, the terminal accesses the network device.

6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that The first information indicates a speed vector of the network device, and determining whether to access the network device according to the third reference point includes: Determine a vector with the third reference point as the starting point and the position of the terminal as the ending point; Whether to access the network device is determined according to the third reference point and / or the angle between the vector and the speed vector.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The determining whether to access the network device according to the third reference point and / or the angle between the vector and the speed vector includes: When the distance between the terminal's position and the third reference point is greater than a preset distance threshold and the included angle is less than or equal to an included angle threshold, access is performed to the network device.

8. A communication method, characterized in that: include: A network device acquires first information, where the network device is a non-terrestrial network device and a cell served by the network device moves with the network device, the first information including a reference point covered by the cell and a time parameter associated with the reference point, the time parameter being used to indicate a time when the cell covers the reference point; The network device sends the first information to the terminal.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that The method further comprises: The network device sends second information to the terminal, where the second information includes at least one of the following: a preset time threshold, a preset distance threshold, or an angle threshold.

10. A communication device, characterized in that: The apparatus comprises: a module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1-9.

11. A communication device, characterized in that: The communication device comprises: a processor and a memory; the memory is used to store computer instructions, and when the processor executes the instructions, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is executed.

12. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium includes a computer program or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is caused to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer program product comprises a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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