Handover method and apparatus

Abstract

A handover method and an apparatus. The method comprises: receiving relay information from a core network element, wherein the relay information comprises a network device handover condition and an identifier of a relay node; handing over from a first network device to a second network device on the basis of the network device handover condition; and receiving a handover response from the second network device, wherein the handover response is sent by the second network device on the basis of an authentication result after the second network device authenticates the identifier. According to the present application, by means of the authentication of the identifier of the relay node and according to the authentication result, the connection handover between the relay node and different network devices is completed, thereby avoiding additional session indication information, reducing the data transmission and the signaling overhead, and improving the network device handover efficiency of the relay node.

Description

Switching method and device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on March 25, 2024, with application number 202410358721.3 and application name “Switching 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 switching method and device. Background Art

[0003] Non-terrestrial communication networks (NTNs), encompassing nodes such as satellite networks, high-altitude platforms, and drones, offer significant advantages, including global coverage, long-distance transmission, flexible networking, easy deployment, and unrestricted geographic presence. They are widely used in a variety of fields, including maritime communications, positioning and navigation, disaster relief, scientific experiments, video broadcasting, and Earth observation. The integration of terrestrial 5G networks and satellite networks, leveraging their strengths and complementing their weaknesses, will form a seamless, integrated global communication network spanning land, sea, air, space, and space, meeting the diverse service needs of users everywhere.

[0004] In satellite communication systems, the movement of satellite nodes can cause group handoffs or group reselections for users within a certain area (or wave position). Due to the rapid movement of satellite nodes, the multiple base stations involved in group handoffs or group reselections are far apart and often lack interfaces, necessitating group handoffs or group reselections through relay nodes. Furthermore, group handoffs occur frequently in satellite communication scenarios, while existing handoff or reselection processes are suitable for static relay nodes, resulting in high data transmission latency and unsuitable for relay node mobility. Therefore, new, targeted designs are needed in mobile relay scenarios to improve the effectiveness of mobility management. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present application provides a switching method and device for improving switching efficiency.

[0006] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a switching method, which can be applied to the relay node side, for example, a relay node or a component in a relay node (such as a circuit or chip or chip system, etc.). Taking the application of this method to a relay node as an example, the method includes: receiving relay information from a core network network element, wherein the relay information includes a network device switching condition and an identifier of the relay node; switching from a first network device to a second network device according to the network device switching condition; receiving a switching response from the second network device, wherein the switching response is sent by the second network device after authenticating the identifier according to the result of the authentication.

[0007] By adopting the above method, the dedicated identifier of the relay node can be authenticated and the network device can be switched according to the authentication result, thereby avoiding the signaling overhead caused by unnecessary transmission of user data during the authentication process. In addition, the switching is performed according to the network device switching conditions, simplifying the switching process and improving the switching efficiency.

[0008] In one possible design, the network device switching condition includes at least one of the following: the clock of the relay node is at a first time node; the distance between the position of the relay node and a preset reference position meets a first threshold; the signal quality between the relay node and the first network device is less than a second threshold and / or the signal quality between the relay node and the second network device is greater than a third threshold.

[0009] By adopting the above method, multiple factors such as location, time, and signal quality can be considered during switching, thus avoiding the low efficiency of network device switching under the influence of a single factor and improving the flexibility of network control.

[0010] In one possible design, after receiving the relay information from the core network element, the method also includes: sending a configuration response to the first network device.

[0011] In one possible design, after receiving the switching response sent by the second network device after authenticating the identifier, the method further includes: completing data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device based on the switching response; or rejecting data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device based on the switching response.

[0012] In one possible design, the switching response includes control signaling; completing data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device based on the switching response includes: completing data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device based on the control signaling.

[0013] In one possible design, the relay node includes a first relay sub-node and a second relay sub-node.

[0014] In one possible design, the method also includes: receiving a service request from a terminal device; in response to the service request being a first type of service, storing and forwarding the service data corresponding to the service request through the first relay sub-node; and / or in response to the service request being a second type of service, transparently forwarding the service data corresponding to the service request through the second relay sub-node.

[0015] By adopting the above method, it is possible to adopt corresponding forwarding modes for different types of services through the configuration of relay nodes, which can not only meet the service quality requirements of the services, but also improve the efficiency of data forwarding.

[0016] In one possible design, the relay information is generated by the core network element according to the target access request; before receiving the relay information from the core network element, the method also includes: sending the target access request to the core network element.

[0017] In one possible design, sending the target access request to the core network network element includes: sending the target access request to the core network network element through the first network device; receiving the relay information from the core network network element includes: receiving the relay information sent by the core network network element through the first network device.

[0018] In one possible design, the target access request includes node capability information of the relay node, wherein the node capability information is used to indicate whether the relay node supports simultaneous connection with multiple network devices.

[0019] By adopting the above method, the relay node can be adapted according to its capability, thereby reducing the mobile interruption delay.

[0020] In one possible design, the method further includes: updating the configuration information of the first network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the first network device; or updating the configuration information of the second network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the second network device.

[0021] By adopting the above method, different types of cells adopt corresponding types of configuration update methods, which can reduce the frequency of configuration information updates.

[0022] In one possible design, the type of the cell is a non-terrestrial network cell or a terrestrial network cell; the updating of the configuration information of the first network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the first network device includes: in response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, updating the configuration information of the first network device according to an event trigger; in response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, updating the configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation status; the updating of the configuration information of the second network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the second network device includes: in response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, updating the configuration information of the second network device according to an event trigger; in response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, updating the configuration information of the second network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation status.

[0023] In one possible design, the method further includes: in response to updating the configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or the activation status of the neighboring area, not triggering the update of the system information block (such as SIB1); or in response to updating the configuration information of the second network device according to the preset period and / or the activation status of the neighboring area, not triggering the update of the system information block (such as SIB1).

[0024] In one possible design, the target access request includes no session indication information.

[0025] On the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a switching method, which can be applied to the second network device side, such as the second network device or a component in the second network device (such as a circuit, a chip or a chip system, etc.). Taking the application of this method to the second network device as an example, it includes: receiving the identifier of the relay node sent by the core network network element; authenticating the identifier; and sending a switching response to the relay node based on the result of the authentication.

[0026] By adopting the above method, the dedicated identifier of the relay node can be authenticated and the network device can be switched according to the authentication result, thereby avoiding the signaling overhead caused by unnecessary transmission of user data during the authentication process. In addition, the switching is performed according to the network device switching conditions, simplifying the switching process and improving the switching efficiency.

[0027] In one possible design, after sending a switching response to the relay node based on the authentication result, the method further includes: sending a connection establishment response to the core network element, wherein the connection establishment response includes an identifier of the relay node.

[0028] In one possible design, the relay information also includes local network device authentication information; the method also includes: in response to the second network device not existing in the local network device authentication information, sending a context update request to the core network network element, wherein the context update request is configured to update the local network device authentication information and / or the identifier of the relay node; receiving the updated local network device authentication information and / or the identifier of the relay node sent by the core network network element.

[0029] In one possible design, before sending the context update request to the core network network element, the method also includes: receiving a local authentication result notification from the relay node side, wherein the local authentication result notification indicates whether the second network device exists in the local network device authentication information.

[0030] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a communication device, applied to a relay node side, configured to perform the following steps: receiving relay information from a core network network element, wherein the relay information includes a network device switching condition and an identifier of the relay node; switching from a first network device to a second network device according to the network device switching condition; and receiving a control signaling switching response from the second network device, wherein the control signaling switching response is sent by the second network device after authenticating the identifier and based on the authentication result. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device can refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the first aspect above.

[0031] In one possible design, the network device switching condition includes at least one of the following conditions: the clock of the relay node is at a first time node; the distance between the position of the relay node and a preset reference position meets a first threshold; the signal quality between the relay node and the first network device is less than a second threshold and / or the signal quality between the relay node and the second network device is greater than a third threshold.

[0032] In one possible design, the apparatus is further configured to send a configuration response to the first network device.

[0033] In one possible design, the apparatus is further configured to complete data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device based on the switching response; or to reject data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device based on the switching response.

[0034] In one possible design, the switching response includes control signaling; completing data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device based on the switching response includes: completing data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device based on the control signaling.

[0035] In one possible design, the relay node includes a first relay sub-node and a second relay sub-node.

[0036] In one possible design, the device is further configured to: receive a service request from a terminal device; in response to the service request being a first type of service, store and forward the service data corresponding to the service request through the first relay sub-node; and / or in response to the service request being a second type of service, transparently forward the service data corresponding to the service request through the second relay sub-node.

[0037] In one possible design, the relay information is generated by the core network element according to the target access request; the device is further configured to: send the target access request to the core network element.

[0038] In one possible design, the device is further configured to: send the target access request to the core network network element through the first network device; the receiving of relay information from the core network network element includes: receiving the relay information sent by the core network network element through the first network device.

[0039] In one possible design, the target access request includes node capability information of the relay node, wherein the node capability information is used to indicate whether the relay node supports simultaneous connection with multiple network devices.

[0040] In one possible design, the apparatus is further configured to: update the configuration information of the first network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the first network device; or update the configuration information of the second network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the second network device.

[0041] In one possible design, the type of the cell is a non-terrestrial network cell or a terrestrial network cell; the device is further configured to: in response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, update the configuration information of the first network device according to an event trigger; in response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, update the configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or neighboring cell activation status; in response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, update the configuration information of the second network device according to an event trigger; in response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, update the configuration information of the second network device according to a preset period and / or neighboring cell activation status.

[0042] In one possible design, the apparatus is further configured to: in response to updating the configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or the activation status of the neighboring cell, not trigger the update of the system information block SIB; or in response to updating the configuration information of the second network device according to the preset period and / or the activation status of the neighboring cell, not trigger the update of the system information block SIB1.

[0043] In one possible design, the target access request includes no session indication information.

[0044] In a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present application further provide a communications device, applied to a second network device, configured to perform the following steps: receiving an identifier of a relay node sent by a core network element; authenticating the identifier; and sending a handover response to the relay node based on the authentication result. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communications device can be referenced to the method and beneficial effects described in the second aspect above.

[0045] In one possible design, the device is further configured to: send a connection establishment response to the core network element, wherein the connection establishment response includes an identifier of the relay node.

[0046] In one possible design, the relay information also includes local network device authentication information; the device is further configured to: in response to the second network device not existing in the local network device authentication information, send a context update request to the core network network element, wherein the context update request is configured to update the local network device authentication information and / or the identifier of the relay node; receive the updated local network device authentication information and / or the identifier of the relay node sent by the core network network element.

[0047] In one possible design, the apparatus is further configured to: receive a local authentication result notification from the relay node side, wherein the local authentication result notification indicates whether the second network device exists in the local network device authentication information.

[0048] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device that can execute the method described in the first aspect. The communication device has the function of implementing the first aspect. For example, the communication device includes a module or unit or means corresponding to the operation involved in the first aspect. The module or unit or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device can refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the first aspect. In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit.

[0049] In one possible design, the communication device also includes a transceiver unit.

[0050] In one possible design, the communication device also includes a storage unit.

[0051] In one possible design, the communication device also includes a transceiver unit and a storage unit.

[0052] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device that can perform the method described in the second aspect. The communication device has the function of implementing the second aspect. For example, the communication device includes a module or unit or means corresponding to the operation involved in the second aspect. The module or unit or means can be implemented by software, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The operations and beneficial effects performed by the communication device can refer to the method and beneficial effects described in the second aspect.

[0053] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit.

[0054] In one possible design, the communication device also includes a transceiver unit.

[0055] In one possible design, the communication device also includes a storage unit.

[0056] In one possible design, the communication device also includes a transceiver unit and a storage unit.

[0057] In a seventh aspect, the application provides a communication device comprising a memory and one or more processors. The memory is used to store part or all of the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions of the first aspect. The one or more processors can execute the computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the method in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect.

[0058] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is configured to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0059] In one possible design, the communication device may further include the memory.

[0060] The communication device may be a terminal, or a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in the terminal responsible for communication functions such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip) or a SoC or SIP chip including a modem module.

[0061] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising a memory and one or more processors. The memory is used to store part or all of the necessary computer programs or instructions for implementing the functions involved in the second aspect. The one or more processors can execute the computer programs or instructions. When the computer programs or instructions are executed, the communication device implements the method in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect.

[0062] In the ninth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, comprising: the apparatus described in the third aspect and the apparatus described in the fourth aspect; or, comprising the apparatus described in the fifth aspect and the apparatus described in the sixth aspect; or, comprising the apparatus described in the seventh aspect and the apparatus described in the eighth aspect.

[0063] In the tenth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores instructions or programs. When the instructions or programs are run on a communication device, the communication device executes instructions of the method in the first aspect, the second aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, or any possible implementation of the second aspect.

[0064] In the eleventh aspect, the present application provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program or instructions, which, when the computer program or instructions are run on a computer, are instructions for the method in the first aspect, the second aspect, any possible implementation of the first aspect, or any possible implementation of the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of an NCR-based network architecture provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0067] FIG3 is a flow chart of a network device switching method provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an NCR node switching process provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG5A is a schematic diagram of data transmission during NCR soft handover according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG5B is a schematic diagram of data transmission during NCR hard switching according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG6A is a schematic diagram of NCR node data transmission according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG6B is a schematic diagram of another NCR node data transmission according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG7 is a flow chart of another method for switching a network device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a communication system structure provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application; and

[0076] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0077] The embodiments of the present application provide a network device switching method, a communication device, a system, a storage medium, and a computer program product for ensuring normal access of a mobile relay device. The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0078] The technical solution of the present application can be applied to a terrestrial network (TN), a non-terrestrial network (NTN), or a scenario where NTN and TN are integrated. The NTN system can be, for example, a satellite communication system, a high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication system, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), etc. The TN system can be, for example, a fourth generation (4G) communication system (for example, a long term evolution (LTE) system), a world-wide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication system, a fifth generation (5G) communication system (for example, a new radio (NR) system), a sixth generation mobile communication (6G) system, and future mobile communication systems.

[0079] In order to better understand the embodiments of the present application, the network architecture of the embodiments of the present application will be described below. Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a network architecture provided by the embodiments of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the network architecture may include terminal devices, relay devices, network devices and core network elements. Figure 1 only illustrates the situation of one terminal device, one relay device and one network device. The link between the terminal device and the relay device is an access link, and the link between the relay device and the network device is a backhaul link. Both the access link and the backhaul link are wireless links. The relay device is used to provide wireless access services for the terminal device, and is connected to the network device through a wireless backhaul link to transmit the user's business data. The network device is used to connect to the core network element through a wired link.

[0080] Terminal equipment can be called user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc., and refers to a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to users. The terminal device may be a mobile phone, a handheld terminal, a customer premises equipment (CPE), a laptop computer, a subscriber unit, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a computing device, a wireless data card, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wireless modem, a tactile terminal device, a handheld device, a laptop computer, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a cordless phone or a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a wearable device (such as a smart watch, a smart bracelet, a pedometer, etc.), an in-vehicle terminal device (such as a car, a bicycle, an electric car, an airplane, a ship, a train, a high-speed rail, etc.), an extended reality (XR) terminal device, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, or a wearable device (such as a smart watch, a smart bracelet, a pedometer, etc.). The wireless terminals include: artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI), artificial intelligence (AI),

[0081] In addition, the terminal device may also be a terminal device in a future communication system (e.g., a sixth generation (6G) communication system) or a terminal device in a future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN). For example, a 6G network may further extend the form and function of a 5G communication terminal device. 6G terminal devices include, but are not limited to, vehicles, cellular network terminal devices (with integrated satellite terminal functions), drones, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

[0082] The relay device is used to provide wireless access services for the terminal device, and the service data of the terminal device is transmitted by the relay device to the network device through the wireless backhaul link. The relay device can also be called a mobile relay (MR) device, such as a vehicle-mounted mobile relay or a satellite relay. The relay device can be a fixed relay device or a mobile relay device. The location of the fixed relay device is fixed, while the location of the mobile relay device can change over time. The network device may include an access network element separated by a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB or eNodeB) in the long-term evolution. The access network device may also include a next-generation base station (gNB) or a transmission and receiving point (TRP) in a 5G network or a next-generation base station in a sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication system, or a base station in a future mobile communication system. Access network equipment may also include base stations developed after the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), or base stations in future PLMNs, broadband network gateways (BNGs), 3GPP aggregation switches or non-3GPP access devices, access points (APs), transmitting points (TPs), and mobile switching centers in wireless fidelity (WiFi) systems. It may also include equipment that performs base station functions in device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. Network equipment may be macro base stations, micro base stations, or indoor stations.

[0083] Core network elements refer to the equipment in the core network (CN) that provides service support for terminal devices. They are mainly responsible for registration, call connection, billing, mobility management, providing user connection, user management, service carrying, data processing and routing, etc. Core access network equipment can correspond to different devices in different communication systems. For example, in the fourth generation (4G) communication system, it can correspond to one or more of the mobility management entity (MME), serving gateway (S-GW), etc. For another example, in the 5G communication system, it can correspond to one or more of the access and mobility management function (AMF) network element, session management function (SMF) network element, user plane function (UPF) network element, etc. One or more network elements, devices or entities that can provide service support for terminal devices in the next generation communication system or future communication system.

[0084] It should be noted that the network architecture shown in Figure 1 is not limited to the terminal devices, relay nodes, network devices and core network elements shown in the figure, but may also include other terminal devices, relay devices, network devices and core network elements not shown in the figure, which will not be listed one by one in this application.

[0085] For example, a Network-Controlled Repeater (NCR) is a relay device used to amplify and forward signals when a terminal device accesses a base station. It includes two parts: NCR-MT (Mobile Terminal) and NCR-FWD (Forwarding).

[0086] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture based on NCR provided in this application. As shown in Figure 2, the NCR-MT is connected to the base station gNB, for example, through the LTE air interface (User to Network Interface-Universal, Uu) interface, and receives control information of the base station gNB through the control link control link; NCR-MT uses the control link C-link (control link) to control the NCR, for example, the NCR can receive control information of the base station (i.e., side control information (Side Control Information)) through the control link, the backhaul link (Backhaul link), the backhaul beam or the direction of the control link beam to realize the switching and power control of the NCR; NCR-FWD supports transparent forwarding (Amplify and forwarding) of data between the base station and the UE through the Backhaul link and the access link (Access link).

[0087] For example, NCRs can be deployed in non-terrestrial network systems such as satellite communication systems, high altitude platform station (HAPS) communications, and drones. These systems include the integrated communication and navigation (ICAN) system, the global navigation satellite system (GNSS), and ultra-dense low-orbit satellite communication systems. Satellite communication systems can be integrated with traditional mobile communication systems. For example, mobile communication systems can include fourth-generation (4G) communication systems (e.g., long-term evolution (LTE) systems), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) communication systems (e.g., new radio (NR) systems), sixth-generation (6G) communication systems, and future mobile communication systems.

[0088] Satellite communication systems include user equipment (UE) and network equipment. User equipment can also be referred to as a user terminal, mobile station, etc. Network equipment can include one or more satellites and ground station equipment. Ground station equipment can also be referred to as core network equipment, which includes core network elements. Satellites can be low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, non-geostationary Earth orbit (NGEO) satellites, etc.

[0089] In order to facilitate understanding of the relevant contents of the embodiments of the present application, some of the terms and processes involved in the embodiments of the present application are explained below. This part is only for ease of understanding and cannot be regarded as a disclosure or specific limitation of the technical solution of the present application.

[0090] 1. Gaze (earth-fixed or quasi-earth fixed) and non-gaze

[0091] In satellite communication systems, according to the working mode of the payload (such as the beam), they can be divided into staring (earth-fixed or quasi-earth-fixed) and non-staring (earth-moving) satellite communication systems. In the non-staring satellite communication system, the satellite beam coverage moves with the satellite during a specific time period; in the staring satellite communication system, the satellite dynamically adjusts the beam pointing so that the beam covers approximately the same area on the ground during a specific time period.

[0092] In non-staring LEO satellite communication systems, the movement of satellite nodes can cause group handover (connected UEs) or group reselection (idle UEs) for users within a certain area (which can include one or more beams). For example, a group handover occurs when a UE cluster within a single beam within a specific area is served by one or more beams of a first satellite during a first timeframe. However, within a second timeframe, the movement of the first satellite renders that beam unserviceable, and one or more beams of a second satellite take over service for the UE cluster. This represents a group handover for the UE cluster.

[0093] 2. Mobility Management

[0094] Mobility management mainly includes cell handover, cell reselection, registration update, and tracking area update. Taking cell handover as an example, the existing handover process mainly includes the following steps:

[0095] 1) Cell handover measurement: The network sends measurement configurations corresponding to multiple cells (including serving cells and neighboring cells) to the UE. The UE measures the cell signal quality (such as reference signal received power (RSRP) and / or reference signal received quality (RSRQ)) according to the measurement configuration. Exemplarily, the measurement signal may be a synchronization signal and a PBCH block (SSB) signal or a CSI-RS (Channel State Information Reference Signal) signal;

[0096] 2) Measurement result reporting: The UE reports the measurement results to the network. The reporting mode can be periodic reporting or event-triggered reporting. In event-triggered reporting, the reporting conditions are usually configured as the serving cell signal quality is less than threshold 1 and / or the neighboring cell signal quality is greater than threshold 2;

[0097] 3) Handover decision: The network selects an appropriate neighboring cell based on the reported results and exchanges user handover-related context information, admission control, and reserved resources;

[0098] 4) Handover execution: The UE receives handover-related control information from the serving cell and completes the access process in the new cell.

[0099] 3. Near-far effect

[0100] Since the distance between users and base stations changes randomly, if the transmission power of each user is the same, the signal strength reaching the base station will be different. The signal is strong when it is close to the base station and weak when it is far away from the base station. The nonlinearity of the communication system is aggravated. This phenomenon is usually called the near-far effect.

[0101] However, the existing communication protocol only supports static NCR nodes and does not support the mobility of NCR nodes. In the scenario of mobile NCR nodes, group switching based on network mobility becomes the norm. However, since the overall process of existing mobility management is complex and NCR node switching usually does not involve the data plane, it is a special type of switching. If the existing process is reused, it will lead to large signaling overhead and prolonged mobile interruption time of communication.

[0102] In order to improve the communication efficiency based on the NCR network architecture in mobile scenarios and support the continuity of NCR node services during node switching, at least one embodiment of the present application provides a network device switching method.

[0103] FIG3 shows a schematic flow chart of a network device switching method provided by at least one embodiment of the present application, which is applied to a relay node. As shown in FIG3 , the method includes steps S301-S303:

[0104] Step S301: receiving relay information from a core network element, wherein the relay information includes a network device switching condition and an identifier of a relay node.

[0105] For example, the relay node side may include the relay device as described above, or the chip, chip system, circuit, module, unit and other parts of the relay device that provide wireless access services. The core network network element may be an AMF, or other network element that can implement registration management or security or access management or service authorization related functions. The identifier of the relay node may be a radio network temporary identifier (Radio Network Temporary Identifier, NCR-RNTI) or an identifier of a relay node-related device, such as a satellite identifier (satellite-ID, SAT-ID).

[0106] In one possible implementation, before receiving relay information from a core network element, the relay node may also send a target access request to the core network element. The relay information may, for example, be generated by the core network element based on the target access request. For example, the relay node may send a target access request to the core network element through a first network device. For example, the relay node may send an initial access request to the first network device, and then the first network device may send access information of the terminal device to the core network element. The access information of the terminal device may include an initial access request. The relay node may, for example, receive relay information from the core network element through the first network device.

[0107] For example, the target access request includes no session indication information, such as the no session indication information may include no protocol data unit session indication information (NO Protocol Data Unit Session Indication, NO PDUSession Indication), or other information that can be used to indicate that the relay node does not generate user data. By reducing session indications, the switching process is simplified, and the data transmission delay is reduced to enhance the service continuity of the relay node.

[0108] For example, after receiving the relay information from the core network network element, the relay node can also send a configuration response to the first network device. For example, after the core network network element sends the relay information to the first network device, the first network device puts the relay information into the radio resource control (Radio Resource Control, RRC) reconfiguration information, and then sends the RRC reconfiguration information to the relay node. In response to receiving the RRC reconfiguration information, the relay node notifies the first network device by sending a reconfiguration response.

[0109] In one possible implementation, the network device switching condition includes at least one of the following: the relay node's clock is at a first time node; the distance between the relay node's location and a preset reference location satisfies a first threshold; the signal quality between the relay node and the first network device is less than a second threshold and / or the signal quality between the relay node and the second network device is greater than a third threshold. For example, the first network device is the base station corresponding to the cell in which the terminal device served by the relay node currently resides, and the second network device may be, for example, a base station corresponding to a cell adjacent to the cell in which the terminal device currently resides.

[0110] It is understandable that since the near-far effect in NTN is not obvious (i.e., the difference in signal quality between the cell center and the edge is not obvious), the efficiency of cell switching or reselection based on signal quality is low. In view of this, the present application considers location-assisted switching and reselection enhancement technology, which can be based on time or timer, UE location information (such as the reference location distance between the UE and the cell corresponding to the first network device is greater than the first threshold, and the reference location distance between the UE and the cell corresponding to the second network device is less than the second threshold) and timer and signal quality, location information and signal quality. In a variety of ways, mobility management under the NTN network is achieved, which is conducive to improving the accuracy of judging relevant criteria in the cell switching or reselection process, thereby improving the communication efficiency of cell switching or reselection; in addition, the relay node can select the threshold and / or threshold in the network switching condition according to the actual connection between the relay node and the network device, thereby improving the flexibility of network control.

[0111] Step S302: Switch from the first network device to the second network device according to the network device switching condition.

[0112] For example, when the relay node satisfies a combination of one or more of the network device switching conditions described above, the communication efficiency between the relay node and the first network device is lower than the communication efficiency between the relay node and the second network device. Therefore, the relay node switches from a state connected to the first network device to a state connected to the second network device.

[0113] Step S303: receiving a handover response from the second network device, wherein the handover response is sent by the second network device according to the result of authentication after authenticating the identifier of the relay node.

[0114] For example, after receiving the initial access request sent by the relay node, the core network element can configure the relay node's identifier, such as NCR-RNTI or SAT-ID, to the second network device in advance before the network device switching condition of the relay node takes effect, and can establish an NG connection between the core network and the second network device in advance. After receiving the switching response sent by the second network device after authenticating the relay node's identifier, the relay node can also complete the data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the switching response; or reject the data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the switching response.

[0115] In one possible implementation, the second network device may authenticate the identifier of the relay node when the relay node switches its connection from the first network device to the second network device; if the authentication fails, a switching response indicating that the authentication fails (e.g., a negative acknowledgment (NACK) information) may be sent to the relay node. After receiving the switching response indicating that the authentication fails, the relay node refuses to transmit the data uploaded by the terminal device to the second network device; if the authentication passes, a switching response indicating that the authentication passes may be sent to the relay node. After receiving the switching response indicating that the authentication passes, the relay node allows the data uploaded by the terminal device to be transmitted to the second network device.

[0116] In one possible implementation, the handover response includes control signaling, and completing data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the handover response includes: completing data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the control signaling. For example, the control signaling may be the border control information described above.

[0117] The following describes a process in which an NCR node is switched from a first network device to a second network device, taking an NCR node as a relay node, a base station as a first network device and a second network device, and an AMF as a core network element as an example. FIG4 is a schematic diagram of an NCR node switching process provided by at least one embodiment of the present application. For ease of description, the first network device is represented by a source base station, and the second network device is represented by a target base station. As shown in FIG4 , the switching process includes all or part of steps S401-S409:

[0118] S401: The NCR node initiates an initial access request to the source base station. The access request information may carry the capability indication of the NCR node. The capability indication information includes NO PDU Session Indication indication information. NO PDU Session Indication is used to indicate that the NCR node itself does not generate user data.

[0119] S402: The source base station sends a UE initial access message to the core network element AMF, where the UE initial access message includes an initial access request or the content of the initial access request;

[0120] S403: The AMF sends the NCR authentication information, the dedicated identifier (NCR-RNTI or SAT-ID) in the current AMF registration area, and the NCR handover conditions for a subsequent period of time to the source eNB. The handover conditions include one or more of S403-1 to S403-3:

[0121] S403-1: The NCR node's own clock is at [t1, t2];

[0122] S403-2: The distance between the NCR position and the reference position is greater than the first threshold; or the distance between the NCR position and the first reference position is greater than the first threshold, and the distance between the NCR position and the second reference position is less than the second threshold;

[0123] S403-3: The signal quality between the NCR and the source base station is less than a third threshold and / or the signal quality between the NCR and the target base station is greater than a fourth threshold;

[0124] S404: Before the NCR handover condition takes effect, the AMF configures the target base station with the dedicated identifier (NCR-RNTI or SAT-ID) corresponding to the NCR in advance and establishes an NG connection with the target base station in advance;

[0125] S405: The source base station sends an RRC reconfiguration message to the NCR node. The reconfiguration message includes a handover condition of the NCR node.

[0126] S406: The NCR node returns an RRC reconfiguration response to the source base station;

[0127] S407: When the handover condition is met (the NCR performs a handover evaluation (HO (Hand Over) Evaluation)), the NCR switches the connection to the target base station or the cell corresponding to the target base station;

[0128] S408: The target eNB authenticates the NCR-MT based on the dedicated identifier issued by the AMF (NCR Authorization). If the authentication is successful, the target eNB returns a handover response to the NCR and issues side control information to the new gNB. If the authentication fails, the target eNB returns a NACK (failure response) to the NCR.

[0129] S409: The target base station returns an NG setup completion response to the core network. The response message includes NCR-RNTI or SAT-ID.

[0130] It should be noted that steps S401-S409 are an exemplary network device switching process, and the specific names of the devices, nodes, etc. involved are also exemplary. In the actual network device switching process, the executed steps may include all or part of the above steps S401-S409.

[0131] In an embodiment of the present application, by authenticating the relay node identifier and completing the connection switching between the relay node and different network devices based on the authentication result, data transmission and signaling overhead are reduced. In addition, by adding NO PDU Session Indication indication information, additional session indication information is avoided and the NCR node switching process is simplified.

[0132] In the satellite communication scenario, the relay node NCR can include two parts, NCR-MT and NCR-FWD, as described above. The two parts have different functions. For example, NCR-FWD can assume the function of transparent transmission of data. For example, NCR-MT can control the transmission of the switching response signal from the second network device or control whether NCR-FWD performs data transparent transmission.

[0133] In a possible implementation manner, the relay node includes a first relay sub-node and a second relay sub-node.

[0134] For example, the first relay sub-node may be NCR-MT, and the second relay sub-node may be NCR-FWD.

[0135] In a possible implementation, the target access request includes node capability information of the relay node, wherein the node capability information is used to indicate whether the relay node supports simultaneous connection with multiple network devices.

[0136] For example, the node capability information report may be carried through signaling related to the initial access process, such as message (MSG) 3, MSG5 or RRC reconfiguration information.

[0137] For example, the first relay node configures the second relay node to the first switching mode or the second switching mode according to the node capability information.

[0138] Among them, when the second relay sub-node is in the first switching mode, the first relay sub-node supports simultaneous connection to multiple network devices (such as the first network device and the second network device); when the second relay sub-node is in the second switching mode, the first relay sub-node does not support simultaneous connection to multiple network devices. For example, at the same time, the relay sub-node can only be connected to one network device (such as the first network device or the second network device).

[0139] In response to the second relay sub-node being in the first switching mode, taking into account the control signaling corresponding to the second network device; and / or

[0140] In response to the second relay sub-node being in the second switching mode, after communication with the first network device is interrupted, the control signaling corresponding to the second network device is activated.

[0141] Since the NCR-MT in the relay nodes on different satellites supports different connection modes with network devices, the NCR-MT on some satellites supports SoftHO (soft switching), that is, the NCR-MT supports establishing communication connections with the first network device and the second network device at the same time; and the NCR-MT on some satellites only supports HardHO (hard switching), that is, the NCR-MT does not support establishing communication connections with the first network device and the second network device at the same time.

[0142] Before the NCR node switches its connection from the first base station to the second base station according to the network device switching conditions, the NCR-MT configures the switching mode of the NCR-FWD according to whether it supports SoftHO (node ​​capability information). When the NCR-MT supports SoftHO, the NCR-FWD is configured to the first switching mode; when the NCR-MT does not support SoftHO, the NCR-FWD is configured to the second switching mode.

[0143] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of data transmission during NCR soft switching shown in at least one embodiment of the present application, and Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of data transmission during NCR hard switching shown in at least one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5A, in the first switching mode, when the NCR switches from the first network device to the second network device, the NCR-MT can be connected to the control links of the first network device and the second network device at the same time, and can directly take effect on the configuration corresponding to the control signaling sent by the second network device, and then complete the data transmission between the terminal device (UE-1 and UE-2 in the figure) and the network device through the backhaul link and the access link; as shown in Figure 5B, in the second switching mode, when the NCR switches from the first network device to the second network device, it is necessary to first disconnect the connection with the first network device (the red cross in the figure), and then activate the control link between the second network device as needed. Before activating the connection between the NCR-MT and the second network device, the data transmission of the terminal device may be interrupted. The embodiment of the present application can reduce the mobile interruption delay by adapting the capabilities of the NCR node.

[0144] Because NCR-MT has certain data processing capabilities, it can dynamically configure the NCR's operating mode for different types of services. Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of NCR node data transmission, shown in at least one embodiment of the present application, and Figure 6B is another schematic diagram of NCR node data transmission, shown in at least one embodiment of the present application. The following, in conjunction with Figures 6A and 6B, illustrates how the present application embodiment dynamically configures different types of services.

[0145] In one possible embodiment, the network device switching method also includes: receiving a service request from a terminal device; in response to the service request being a first type of service, storing and forwarding the service data corresponding to the service request through a first relay sub-node; and / or in response to the service request being a second type of service, transparently forwarding the service data corresponding to the service request through a second relay sub-node.

[0146] For example, the first type of service is a delay-insensitive type of service, such as a non-real-time IoT service. As shown in Figure 6A, the terminal device uploads a data packet to the NCR-MT through the access link, and the NCR-MT stores the data packet and forwards it to the network device through the control link. The data packet can be generated by the terminal after packaging local data. At this time, the service data is stored and forwarded (Store-and-forward, SF) through the NCR-MT.

[0147] For example, the second type of service is a delay-sensitive service with high requirements for data transmission delay, such as the eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband) service. As shown in Figure 6B, the terminal equipment (UE-1 and UE-2 in the figure) uploads real-time data to the NCR-MT through the access link, and the NCR-FWD transparently transmits the data packet and forwards it to the network device through the control link. At this time, the service data is amplified and forwarded (AF) by the NCR-FWD.

[0148] For example, when NCR determines whether the service type is the first type of service or the second type of service, it can be judged by the type of terminal device sending the data. For example, the data sent by the non-real-time IoT device is delay-insensitive type data, that is, the corresponding service type is the first type of service; it can also be judged by the network slice identifier (networksliceID) contained in the service data, and different slices (that is, AF slices or SF slices) are used in different time, frequency, space, and polarization domains (corresponding to at least one of the polarization modes such as linear polarization, circular polarization, and elliptical polarization), and support for different service types is improved through different NCR modes.

[0149] In the communication system, the cells corresponding to different network devices are divided into two types, including quasi-static (such as TN (Terrestrial Network) cell) and dynamic (such as NTNNCR cell). The beam change frequencies corresponding to the two types of cells are different. Using the same neighboring cell management method will lead to increased signaling overhead. The following describes how this application configures neighboring cell relationships for two different types of cells.

[0150] In a possible implementation, the network device switching method further includes: updating configuration information of the first network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the first network device; or updating configuration information of the second network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the second network device.

[0151] For example, the cell types corresponding to the first network device and the second network device can be quasi-static (ground network) or dynamic (non-ground network) as described above. Selecting different neighboring area configuration update methods according to different cell types can reduce the frequency of neighboring area updates and adapt to different types of neighboring areas.

[0152] In a possible implementation manner, the type of the cell is a non-terrestrial network cell or a terrestrial network cell;

[0153] Updating configuration information of the first network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the first network device includes:

[0154] In response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the first network device according to an event trigger;

[0155] In response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state;

[0156] Updating configuration information of the second network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the second network device includes:

[0157] In response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the second network device according to an event trigger;

[0158] In response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, configuration information of the second network device is updated according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state.

[0159] For example, the beams corresponding to the cells of the terrestrial network are relatively stable, and the neighbor relationship configuration can be updated by event triggering to reduce the update frequency. The beams corresponding to the cells of the non-terrestrial network often change due to the high-speed mobility of the satellite. The neighbor relationship configuration can be updated by periodic updates or by designing an activation state to adapt to the constantly changing beams.

[0160] The neighboring relationship of different cell types can be shown in the following table:

[0161] Among them, Type1 represents a cell of a terrestrial network, Type2 represents a cell of a non-terrestrial network, the neighbor cell identifier is the identification information of the corresponding cell, NA in the neighbor cell status and the neighbor cell validity period indicates that it is not configured, T1 represents the first time node, and T2 represents the second time node. For example, for a non-terrestrial network cell, the neighbor cell status or validity period can be configured and activated by time or location from a given configuration set.

[0162] For example, during the process of network device switching, the network device that can be switched can be selected according to the status of the neighboring cell. For example, if the status of Cell-N2 is activated, the relay node can switch to the network device corresponding to the cell Cell-N2. If the status of Cell-N1 is inactivated, the relay node cannot switch to the network device corresponding to the cell Cell-N1. The time for switching to the network device corresponding to the cell Cell-N2 can be selected according to the validity period of the neighboring cell, for example, the switching is completed between the time period T1-T2. In addition, it is not limited to network device switching. Cell reselection can also be performed based on the status of the neighboring cell and the validity period of the neighboring cell. Different cells can exchange information related to the status of the neighboring cell and the validity period of the neighboring cell.

[0163] In a possible implementation, the network device switching method further includes:

[0164] In response to updating configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state, not triggering an update of a system information block (SIB); or

[0165] In response to updating the configuration information of the second network device according to the preset period and / or the neighboring cell activation state, updating of the system information block SIB is not triggered.

[0166] For example, two types of neighbor relation configuration update information are carried in different SIB messages, and changes in the neighbor relation configuration of cells in non-terrestrial networks do not trigger changes in SIB1, thereby reducing the change frequency of SIB1 messages.

[0167] FIG7 is a flowchart of another network device switching method provided in at least one embodiment of the present application, which is applied to the second network device side. As shown in FIG7 , the method includes steps S701-S703:

[0168] S701: Receive a relay node identifier sent by a core network element;

[0169] S702: Authenticate the relay node's identity;

[0170] S703: Send a handover response to the relay node according to the authentication result.

[0171] For example, after receiving the initial access request sent by the relay node, the core network network element can configure the relay node identifier, such as NCR-RNTI or SAT-ID, to the second network device in advance before the network device switching conditions of the relay node take effect, and can establish an NG connection between the core network and the second network device in advance.

[0172] For example, the second network device can determine whether the NCR-RNTI or SAT-ID is an authorized identifier. If so, it passes the authentication. The second network device can also authenticate the relay node identifier in other ways, and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0173] After sending a handover response to the relay node according to the authentication result, the relay node completes the data transmission between the terminal device and the network device according to the handover response sent by the second network device.

[0174] In an embodiment of the present application, by authenticating the relay node identifier and completing the connection switching between the relay node and different network devices based on the authentication result, additional session indication information is avoided and data transmission and signaling overhead are reduced.

[0175] In a possible implementation, after sending a handover response to the relay node according to the authentication result, the network device handover method further includes:

[0176] Send a connection establishment response to the core network element, where the connection establishment response includes an identifier of the relay node.

[0177] For example, after completing the authentication of the relay node, the second network device may report to the core network and return a response indicating that the NG connection establishment is complete.

[0178] In one possible implementation, the relay information further includes local network device authentication information;

[0179] The network device switching method further includes:

[0180] In response to the second network device not being present in the local network device authentication information, sending a context update request to the core network element, wherein the context update request is configured to update the local network device authentication information and / or an identifier of the relay node;

[0181] Receive updated local network device authentication information and / or relay node identifier sent by the core network network element.

[0182] For example, the local network device authentication information may include a list of network devices, such as a network device list, which includes information about network devices such as network device-1, network device-2, ..., network device-N. The network devices in this list have local authentication capabilities. When the relay node determines that the second network device is in the list, it can directly establish a connection with the second network device and receive a handover response sent by the second network device. It should be noted that the local network device authentication information may also be in a form other than a list, such as a data packet or a real-time data stream, and this application does not impose any restrictions thereon.

[0183] In a possible implementation, before sending the context update request to the core network element, the network device switching method further includes:

[0184] A local authentication result notification is received from the relay node side, wherein the local authentication result notification indicates whether the second network device exists in the local network device authentication information.

[0185] For example, when the relay node determines that the second network device is not in the local network device authentication information, it sends information to the second network device, notifying the second network device to send a UE context update request to the core network, and the core network returns the new local network device authentication information and the relay identifier to the second network device and / or the relay node; through the local authentication function, the second base station initiates the authentication area update process to achieve mobility support for the NCR node.

[0186] It should be noted that the above-mentioned multiple embodiments can be combined and the combined solutions can be implemented. Optionally, some operations in the process of each method embodiment are optionally combined, and / or the order of some operations is optionally changed. In addition, the execution order between the steps of each process is only exemplary and does not constitute a limitation on the execution order between the steps. There can also be other execution orders between the steps. It is not intended to indicate that the execution order is the only order in which these operations can be performed. Ordinary technicians in this field will think of many ways to reorder the operations of this article. In addition, it should be pointed out that the process details involved in a certain embodiment of this article are also applicable to other embodiments in a similar manner, or different embodiments can be used in combination.

[0187] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a communication system structure provided by at least one embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG8 , the communication system 30 includes a relay node 31 and a second network device 32, wherein the relay node 31 is configured to perform the relay node-side function in any of the network device switching methods described above;

[0188] The second network device 32 is configured to perform the second network device side function in any of the above-mentioned network device switching methods.

[0189] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in at least one embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG9 , the communication device can be used to implement any possible function in the above method embodiment, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above method embodiment.

[0190] As shown in FIG. 9 , the communication device 900 includes a processing unit 910 .

[0191] In a possible implementation, the communication device 900 may further include a transceiver unit 920 .

[0192] In a possible implementation, the communication device 900 may further include a storage unit 930 .

[0193] In a possible implementation, the communication device 900 may further include a transceiver unit 920 and a storage unit 930 .

[0194] In an embodiment of the present application, the communication device 900 can be the relay node 31 shown in Figure 8, or it can be a module (such as a chip) applied to the relay node 31, or the communication device 900 can be the second network device 32 shown in Figure 8, or it can be a module (such as a chip) applied to the second network device 32.

[0195] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the functions of the relay node side as described above, the transceiver unit 920 is used to receive relay information from the core network network element, wherein the relay information includes the network device switching conditions and the identifier of the relay node; the processing unit 910 is used to switch from the first network device to the second network device according to the network device switching conditions; the transceiver unit 920 is also used to receive a control signaling switching response from the second network device, wherein the control signaling switching response is sent by the second network device according to the authentication result after authenticating the identifier.

[0196] In one possible implementation, the network device switching condition includes at least one of the following conditions:

[0197] The clock of the relay node is at the first time node;

[0198] The distance between the position of the relay node and the preset reference position meets a first threshold;

[0199] The signal quality between the relay node and the first network device is less than a second threshold and / or the signal quality between the relay node and the second network device is greater than a third threshold.

[0200] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 920 is further configured for the first network device to send a configuration response.

[0201] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 910 is further configured to complete data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the handover response; or,

[0202] Data transmission between the terminal and the second network device is rejected based on the handover response.

[0203] In one possible implementation, the handover response includes control signaling;

[0204] The method of completing data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the handover response includes:

[0205] Complete data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the control signaling.

[0206] In a possible implementation manner, the relay node includes a first relay sub-node and a second relay sub-node.

[0207] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 920 is further configured to:

[0208] Receive service requests from terminal devices;

[0209] In response to the service request being a first type of service, storing and forwarding service data corresponding to the service request through the first relay sub-node; and / or

[0210] In response to the service request being a second type of service, the service data corresponding to the service request is transparently forwarded through the second relay sub-node.

[0211] In a possible implementation, the relay information is generated by a core network element according to a target access request;

[0212] The transceiver unit 920 is further configured to:

[0213] Send a target access request to the core network element.

[0214] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 920 is specifically configured to:

[0215] Sending a target access request to a core network element through the first network device;

[0216] Relay information received from core network elements includes:

[0217] Relay information from a core network element is received through the first network device.

[0218] In a possible implementation, the target access request includes node capability information of the relay node, wherein the node capability information is used to indicate whether the relay node supports simultaneous connection with the first network device and the second network device.

[0219] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 910 is further configured to:

[0220] updating configuration information of the first network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the first network device; or

[0221] Configuration information of the second network device is updated according to the type of the cell corresponding to the second network device.

[0222] In a possible implementation manner, the type of the cell is a non-terrestrial network cell or a terrestrial network cell;

[0223] The processing unit 910 is further configured to:

[0224] In response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the first network device according to an event trigger;

[0225] In response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state;

[0226] In response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the second network device according to an event trigger;

[0227] In response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, configuration information of the second network device is updated according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state.

[0228] In a possible implementation, the processing unit 910 is further configured to:

[0229] In response to updating configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state, not triggering an update of a system information block SIB; or

[0230] In response to updating the configuration information of the second network device according to the preset period and / or the neighboring cell activation state, updating of the system information block SIB is not triggered.

[0231] When the communication device 900 is used to implement the function of the second network device side as described above, the transceiver unit 920 is used to receive the identifier of the relay node sent by the core network network element; the processing unit 910 is used to authenticate the identifier; the transceiver unit 920 is also used to send a switching response to the relay node based on the authentication result.

[0232] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 920 is further configured to:

[0233] Send a connection establishment response to the core network element, where the connection establishment response includes an identifier of the relay node.

[0234] In one possible implementation, the relay information further includes local network device authentication information;

[0235] The transceiver unit 920 is further configured to:

[0236] In response to the second network device not being present in the local network device authentication information, sending a context update request to the core network element, wherein the context update request is configured to update the local network device authentication information and / or an identifier of the relay node;

[0237] Receive updated local network device authentication information and / or relay node identifier sent by the core network network element.

[0238] In a possible implementation, the transceiver unit 920 is further configured to:

[0239] A local authentication result notification is received from the relay node side, wherein the local authentication result notification indicates whether the second network device exists in the local network device authentication information.

[0240] The storage unit 930 is used to store any data, computer instructions, and / or computer programs that may be involved in the various embodiments of the present application. For example, the storage unit 930 is used to store data packets from the terminal device. For a more detailed description of the processing unit 910 and the transceiver unit 920, please refer to the relevant description of the method embodiment shown in Figure 4. The processing unit 910 and the transceiver unit 920 may also perform other steps, and the specific implementation can be referred to the method embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0241] Optionally, the transceiver unit 920 may be a transceiver, which may include an antenna and a radio frequency circuit, etc.

[0242] The processing unit 910 may be a processor (or a processing circuit), such as a baseband processor, which may include one or more CPUs.

[0243] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided by the present application. The communication device can be used to implement any possible functions in the above method embodiments, and thus can also achieve the beneficial effects possessed by the above method embodiments.

[0244] As shown in FIG10 , the communication device 1000 includes at least one processor 1010. In one possible implementation, the communication device 1000 may further include an interface circuit 1020.

[0245] In a possible implementation, the communication device 1000 may further include a memory 1030 .

[0246] In a possible implementation, the communication device 1000 may further include a memory 1030 and an interface circuit 1020 .

[0247] In some embodiments, the processor 1010 and the memory 1030 are coupled to each other; and / or the processor 1010 and the interface circuit 1020 are coupled to each other. It will be appreciated that the interface circuit 1020 may be a transceiver or an input / output interface. The memory 1030 may be used to store computer instructions executed by the processor 1010, input data required by the processor 1010 to execute computer instructions, or data generated by the processor 1010 after executing computer instructions.

[0248] When the communication device 1000 is used to implement the method shown in FIG3 , the processor 1010 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 1010 , and the interface circuit is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 1020 .

[0249] The communication device shown in Figures 9 and 10 is merely an example. In actual applications, the communication device may have more or fewer components than those shown in Figures 9 and 10, may combine two or more components, or may have a different component configuration. In Figures 9 and 10, the processing unit may also be referred to as a processing unit or processor; the transceiver unit may also be referred to as a transceiver unit or transceiver; and the storage unit may also be referred to as a storage module or memory. It should be understood that the division of units in the above device is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, other divisions may be used. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be omitted or not implemented. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some interface, device, or unit, or may be an electrical, mechanical, or other form of connection. 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 the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the technical effects of the solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0250] It is understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application may be a central processing unit (CPU), or may be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor.

[0251] The method steps in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented in hardware or in software instructions that can be executed by a processor. The software instructions can be composed of corresponding software modules, and the software modules can be stored in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, registers, hard disk, mobile hard disk, CD-ROM or any other form of storage medium well known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. The storage medium can also be an integral part of the processor. The processor and storage medium can be located in an ASIC. In addition, the ASIC can be located in a network device or a terminal. The processor and storage medium can also exist in a network device or a terminal as discrete components.

[0252] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented using software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, the processes or functions described in the embodiments of the present application are performed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device, or other programmable device. The computer program or instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transferred from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer program or instructions may be transferred from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, such as a floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape; an optical medium, such as a digital video disk; or a semiconductor medium, such as a solid-state drive. The computer-readable storage medium may be a volatile or nonvolatile storage medium, or may include both volatile and nonvolatile types of storage media.

[0253] In each embodiment of the present application, unless otherwise specified or provided by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0254] In this application, when entity A sends information to entity B, it can be done directly from A to B or indirectly through another entity. Similarly, when entity B receives information from entity A, it can be done directly from entity B or indirectly through another entity. Entities A and B herein can be RAN nodes or terminals, or modules within a RAN node or terminal. The sending and receiving of information can be information exchange between a RAN node and a terminal, for example, between a base station and a terminal; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between two RAN nodes, for example, between a CU and a DU; the sending and receiving of information can also be information exchange between different modules within a device, for example, between a terminal chip and other modules in the terminal, or between a base station chip and other modules within the base station.

[0255] In this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the text description of this application, the character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship; in the formula of this application, the character " / " indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in a "division" relationship. "Including at least one of A, B and C" can mean: including A; including B; including C; including A and B; including A and C; including B and C; including A, B and C.

[0256] It is understood that the various numbers used in the embodiments of this application are merely for ease of description and are not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments of this application. The order of the sequence numbers of the above-mentioned processes does not necessarily imply a specific order of execution; the order of execution of the processes should be determined by their functions and inherent logic.

Claims

1. A network device switching method, applied to a relay node side, comprising: Receiving relay information from a core network element, wherein the relay information includes a network device switching condition and an identifier of the relay node; Switching from the first network device to the second network device according to the network device switching condition; A handover response is received from the second network device, wherein the handover response is sent by the second network device after authenticating the identifier according to a result of the authentication.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The network device switching condition includes at least one of the following: The clock of the relay node is at a first time node; The distance between the position of the relay node and a preset reference position meets a first threshold; The signal quality between the relay node and the first network device is less than a second threshold and / or the signal quality between the relay node and the second network device is greater than a third threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein After receiving the relay information from the core network element, the method further includes: Send a configuration response to the first network device.

4. The network device switching method according to claim 1, wherein: After receiving the handover response sent by the second network device after authenticating the identifier, the method further includes: Complete data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the switching response; or, Data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device is rejected according to the handover response.

5. The network device switching method according to claim 4, wherein: The handover response includes control signaling; The completing data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the handover response includes: Complete data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the control signaling.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The relay node includes a first relay sub-node and a second relay sub-node.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The method further comprises: Receive service requests from terminal devices; In response to the service request being a first type of service, storing and forwarding service data corresponding to the service request through the first relay sub-node; and / or In response to the service request being a second type of service, the service data corresponding to the service request is transparently forwarded through the second relay sub-node.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein The relay information is generated by the core network element according to the target access request; Before receiving the relay information from the core network element, the method further includes: Send the target access request to the core network element.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The sending the target access request to the core network element includes: Sending the target access request to the core network element through the first network device; The receiving relay information from the core network element includes: Relay information sent by the core network network element is received through the first network device.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein The target access request includes node capability information of the relay node, wherein the node capability information is used to indicate whether the relay node supports simultaneous connection with multiple network devices.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises: updating configuration information of the first network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the first network device; or Configuration information of the second network device is updated according to the type of the cell corresponding to the second network device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The type of the cell is a non-terrestrial network cell or a terrestrial network cell; The updating of configuration information of the first network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the first network device includes: In response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the first network device according to an event trigger; In response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state; The updating of configuration information of the second network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the second network device includes: In response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the second network device according to an event trigger; In response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, configuration information of the second network device is updated according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation status.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The method further comprises: In response to updating the configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state, not triggering an update of a system information block SIB; or In response to updating the configuration information of the second network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state, updating of the system information block SIB is not triggered.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein The target access request includes session-free indication information.

15. A network device switching method, applied to a second network device side, comprising: Receiving the relay node identifier sent by the core network element; authenticating the identification; A handover response is sent to the relay node according to the result of the authentication.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein After sending a handover response to the relay node according to the authentication result, the method further includes: Sending a connection establishment response to the core network element, wherein the connection establishment response includes an identifier of the relay node.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The relay information also includes local network device authentication information; The method further comprises: In response to the second network device not being present in the local network device authentication information, sending a context update request to the core network network element, wherein the context update request is configured to update the local network device authentication information and / or the identifier of the relay node; Receive updated local network device authentication information and / or the identifier of the relay node sent by the core network network element.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein Before sending the context update request to the core network element, the method further includes: A local authentication result notification is received from the relay node side, wherein the local authentication result notification indicates whether the second network device exists in the local network device authentication information.

19. A communication device, provided at a relay node side, configured to perform the following steps: Receive relay information from core network elements, where: The relay information includes a network device switching condition and an identifier of the relay node; Switching from the first network device to the second network device according to the network device switching condition; A control signaling switching response is received from the second network device, wherein the control signaling switching response is sent by the second network device after authenticating the identifier and according to a result of the authentication.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein The network device switching condition includes at least one of the following conditions: The clock of the relay node is at a first time node; The distance between the position of the relay node and a preset reference position meets a first threshold; The signal quality between the relay node and the first network device is less than a second threshold and / or the signal quality between the relay node and the second network device is greater than a third threshold.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein The apparatus is further configured to send a configuration response to the first network device.

22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein The apparatus is further configured to complete data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the handover response; or, Data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device is rejected according to the handover response.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein The handover response includes control signaling; The completing data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the handover response includes: Complete data transmission between the terminal device and the second network device according to the control signaling.

24. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein The relay node includes a first relay sub-node and a second relay sub-node.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein The device is further configured to: Receive service requests from terminal devices; In response to the service request being a first type of service, storing and forwarding service data corresponding to the service request through the first relay sub-node; and / or In response to the service request being a second type of service, the service data corresponding to the service request is transparently forwarded through the second relay sub-node.

26. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein The relay information is generated by the core network element according to the target access request; The device is further configured to: Send the target access request to the core network element.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein The device is further configured to: Sending the target access request to the core network element through the first network device; The receiving relay information from the core network element includes: Relay information sent by the core network network element is received through the first network device.

28. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein The target access request includes node capability information of the relay node, wherein the node capability information is used to indicate whether the relay node supports simultaneous connection with multiple network devices.

29. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein The device is further configured to: updating configuration information of the first network device according to the type of the cell corresponding to the first network device; or Configuration information of the second network device is updated according to the type of the cell corresponding to the second network device.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein The type of the cell is a non-terrestrial network cell or a terrestrial network cell; The device is further configured to: In response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the first network device according to an event trigger; In response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state; In response to the cell type being a terrestrial network cell, updating configuration information of the second network device according to an event trigger; In response to the cell type being a non-terrestrial network cell, configuration information of the second network device is updated according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation status.

31. The device according to claim 30, wherein The device is further configured to: In response to updating the configuration information of the first network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state, not triggering an update of a system information block SIB; or In response to updating the configuration information of the second network device according to a preset period and / or a neighboring cell activation state, updating of the system information block SIB is not triggered.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein: The target access request includes session-free indication information.

33. A communication device, provided on a second network device side, configured to perform the following steps: Receiving the relay node identifier sent by the core network element; authenticating the identification; A handover response is sent to the relay node according to the result of the authentication.

34. The apparatus according to claim 33, wherein The device is further configured to: Sending a connection establishment response to the core network element, wherein the connection establishment response includes an identifier of the relay node.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein: The relay information also includes local network device authentication information; The device is further configured to: In response to the second network device not being present in the local network device authentication information, sending a context update request to the core network network element, wherein the context update request is configured to update the local network device authentication information and / or the identifier of the relay node; Receive updated local network device authentication information and / or the identifier of the relay node sent by the core network network element.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein: The device is further configured to: A local authentication result notification is received from the relay node side, wherein the local authentication result notification indicates whether the second network device exists in the local network device authentication information.

37. A communication system comprising: a relay node and a second network device; The relay node is configured to perform the network device switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 14; The second network device is configured to execute the network device switching method according to any one of claims 15 to 18.

38. A communication device comprising: A memory and at least one processor, wherein the memory is used to store computer instructions, and the processor is configured to execute the computer instructions so that the communication device performs the network device switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 or the network device switching method according to any one of claims 15 to 18.

39. A computer-readable storage medium, wherein: The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions or programs, which, when executed on a communication device, enable the communication device to execute the network device switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 or the network device switching method according to any one of claims 15 to 18.

40. A computer program product, wherein The computer program product includes a computer program or instructions, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the network device switching method according to any one of claims 1 to 14 or the network device switching method according to any one of claims 15 to 18.

Images