Cell measurement method, terminal, network device and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a cell measurement method, a terminal, a network device and a storage medium. The method comprises: if a terminal is in a connected state, a serving cell where the terminal is located is a terrestrial network (TN) cell, and a measurement configuration comprises a non-terrestrial network (NTN) neighbor cell, determining cell information of the NTN neighbor cell, wherein the cell information comprises at least one of the following: service starting time of the NTN neighbor cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal; and determining a measurement starting moment for the NTN neighbor cell on the basis of the cell information. Therefore, the problem of invalid measurement of neighbor cells is solved to a certain extent.

Description

Cell measurement method, terminal, network equipment and storage medium Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of communication technologies, and in particular to a cell measurement method, a terminal, a network device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In a communication system, for a connected terminal, if the network configures a neighboring cell measurement configuration for the terminal, the terminal will perform neighboring cell measurement. How to determine the time to start the measurement of the neighboring cell is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cell measurement method, access network equipment, terminal, and storage medium, which to a certain extent solve the problem of invalid measurement of neighboring cells.

[0005] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cell measurement method is provided, where the method is performed by a terminal and includes:

[0006] The terminal is in a connected state, its serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, determining cell information of the NTN neighbor cell, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal;

[0007] Determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

[0008] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cell measurement method is provided. The method is performed by a network device, and the method includes:

[0009] Sending indication information to the terminal, wherein the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell based on the cell information, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a start service time of the NTN neighbor cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal.

[0010] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cell measurement method is proposed. The method is performed by a communication system, the communication system including: a network device and a terminal. The method includes:

[0011] The network device sends indication information to the terminal, wherein the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal;

[0012] The terminal is in a connected state, its serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, determining cell information of the NTN neighbor cell, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal;

[0013] The terminal determines a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

[0014] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, including:

[0015] a processing module, configured to, when a terminal is in a connected state and its serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and a measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, determine cell information of the NTN neighbor cell, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal;

[0016] The processing module is further configured to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

[0017] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, including:

[0018] a transceiver module, configured to send indication information to a terminal, wherein the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell based on the cell information, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal.

[0019] According to a sixth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, characterized by comprising:

[0020] one or more processors;

[0021] The access network device is used to execute the cell measurement method described in the first aspect.

[0022] According to a seventh aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, characterized in that it includes:

[0023] one or more processors;

[0024] The network device is used to execute the cell measurement method described in the second aspect.

[0025] According to an eighth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a communication system is proposed, characterized in that it includes a network device and a terminal, wherein the network device is configured to implement the cell measurement method described in the second aspect, and the terminal is configured to implement the cell measurement method described in the first aspect.

[0026] According to a ninth aspect of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium is proposed, wherein the storage medium stores instructions, and wherein when the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the cell measurement method as described in any one of the first and second aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the following drawings required for describing the embodiments are introduced. The following drawings are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] 2A-2B are interactive schematic diagrams illustrating a cell measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] 3A-3C are schematic flow charts illustrating a cell measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of a cell measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG5 is an interactive schematic diagram illustrating a cell measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG6A is a schematic structural diagram of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] FIG7A is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the chip proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a cell measurement method, a terminal, a network device, and a storage medium.

[0038] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a cell measurement method, which is performed by a terminal and includes:

[0039] The terminal is in a connected state, the serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, determining cell information of the NTN neighbor cell, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal;

[0040] Determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

[0041] In the above embodiment, when the terminal is in a connected state and its serving cell is a TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes an NTN neighbor cell, the measurement start time for the neighbor cell can be determined based on the cell information of the neighbor cell. This improves the accuracy of the measurement time and provides conditions for improving the accuracy and reliability of the measurement results.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the NTN neighbor cell includes a quasi-terrestrial fixed cell and a terrestrial mobile cell, and determining, based on the cell information, the measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell includes:

[0043] For the quasi-terrestrial fixed cell, a measurement start time is determined according to its service start time.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the corresponding measurement start time is determined only for quasi-terrestrial fixed cells based on their service start time, which further ensures the accuracy of the determined measurement start time and avoids meaningless measurement of such cells.

[0045] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the service start time is the time when the NTN neighboring cell starts serving a first area, wherein the first area covers or partially covers the coverage area of ​​the TN cell.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the terminal determines the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell according to the time when the NTN neighboring cell starts serving the area where the terminal is located, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of the measurement result.

[0047] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0048] Indication information is received, where the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell according to the cell information.

[0049] In the above embodiment, the terminal determines whether it can determine the measurement start time for the neighboring cell based on the cell information according to the instruction of the network, so that the terminal and the network device have the same understanding of the measurement start time determined by the terminal, thereby improving the reliability of the communication system.

[0050] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell based on the start service time, and the indication information is carried by the time measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0051] In the above embodiment, by multiplexing the time measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration to carry the indication information, the amount of resources occupied by transmitting the indication information is reduced, thereby saving transmission resources.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0053] After the service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, measurement of the NTN neighbor cell is started.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the terminal measures the neighboring cell after the NTN neighboring cell starts to provide services for the terminal, thereby avoiding meaningless early measurement and wasting resources, and improving the reliability of the measurement.

[0055] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell based on distance, and the indication information is carried by a location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0056] In the above embodiment, by multiplexing the location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration to carry the indication information, the amount of resources occupied by transmitting the indication information is reduced, thereby saving transmission resources.

[0057] In combination with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the service start time is determined according to a first parameter in a third type of system information block SIB3.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the service start time of the NTN neighboring cell is determined by reusing the time parameter in SIB3, thereby saving transmission resources.

[0059] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, determining the cell information of the NTN neighboring cell includes:

[0060] Determine a first distance between a reference position of the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal at each moment;

[0061] The determining, based on the cell information, a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell includes:

[0062] The first distance at any moment is less than the distance threshold, and the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell is determined according to the any moment.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the measurement start time for the neighboring cell is determined by comparing the first distance between the reference position of the neighboring cell and the terminal with the distance threshold at each moment, thereby further improving the accuracy and reliability of the determined measurement start time.

[0064] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0065] The distance threshold and the reference position of the NTN neighboring cell are received.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the distance threshold and the reference position of the neighboring cell are determined according to the instruction of the network device, thereby further ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the determined measurement start time for the neighboring cell.

[0067] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a cell measurement method, which is performed by a network device and includes:

[0068] Send an instruction message to the terminal, wherein the instruction message is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to root

[0069] Determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal.

[0070] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the non-terrestrial network NTN neighboring cell based on time, and the indication information is carried by the time measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0071] In combination with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell based on distance, and the indication information is carried by the location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0072] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0073] Sending a distance threshold and a reference position of the NTN neighboring cell to the terminal.

[0074] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a cell measurement method, which is performed by a communication system including a terminal and a network device. The method includes:

[0075] The network device sends indication information to the terminal, wherein the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal;

[0076] The terminal is in a connected state, its serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, determining cell information of the NTN neighbor cell, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal;

[0077] The terminal determines a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

[0078] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a terminal, comprising:

[0079] a processing module, configured to, when a terminal is in a connected state and its serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and a measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, determine cell information of the NTN neighbor cell, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal;

[0080] The processing module is further configured to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

[0081] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the NTN neighboring cell includes a quasi-terrestrial fixed cell and a terrestrial mobile cell, and the processing module is further configured to:

[0082] Determining, according to the cell information, a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell, including:

[0083] For the quasi-terrestrial fixed cell, a measurement start time is determined according to its service start time.

[0084] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the service start time is the time when the NTN neighboring cell starts serving a first area, wherein the first area covers or partially covers the coverage area of ​​the TN cell.

[0085] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the terminal further includes:

[0086] The transceiver module is configured to receive indication information, wherein the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell based on the cell information.

[0087] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell based on the start service time, and the indication information is carried by the time measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0088] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the processing module is further used to: start measurement of the NTN neighboring cell after the service start time of the NTN neighboring cell.

[0089] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell based on distance, and the indication information is carried by the location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0090] In combination with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the processing module is further used to: determine the service start time according to the first parameter in the third type system information block SIB3.

[0091] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the processing module is further configured to:

[0092] Determine a first distance between a reference position of the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal at each moment;

[0093] The first distance at any moment is less than the distance threshold, and the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell is determined according to the any moment.

[0094] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the transceiver module is further configured to:

[0095] The distance threshold and the reference position of the NTN neighboring cell are received.

[0096] In a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a network device, comprising:

[0097] The transceiver module is used to send instruction information to the terminal, wherein the instruction information is used

[0098] Indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell based on the cell information, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: the service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and the first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal.

[0099] In combination with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the non-terrestrial network NTN neighboring cell based on time, and the indication information is carried by the time measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0100] In combination with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell based on distance, and the indication information is carried by the location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0101] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fifth aspect, in some embodiments, the transceiver module is further configured to:

[0102] Sending a distance threshold and a reference position of the NTN neighboring cell to the terminal.

[0103] In a sixth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a terminal, which includes: one or more processors; wherein the terminal is used to execute an optional implementation of the cell measurement method proposed in the first aspect.

[0104] In a seventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a network device, and the above-mentioned terminal includes: one or more processors; wherein the above-mentioned network device is used to execute an optional implementation method of the cell measurement method proposed in the second aspect.

[0105] In the eighth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a communication system, which includes: a network device and a terminal; wherein the network device is configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation manner of the second aspect, and the terminal is configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0106] In the ninth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a storage medium, which stores instructions. When the instructions are executed on a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0107] In a tenth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a program product. When the program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device executes the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0108] In an eleventh aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, enables the computer to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects.

[0109] In a twelfth aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a chip or a chip system, which includes a processing circuit configured to execute the method described in the optional implementation of the first and second aspects above.

[0110] It is understandable that the above-mentioned access network devices, terminals, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all used to perform the methods proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods and will not be repeated here.

[0111] The present disclosure provides a cell measurement method. In some embodiments, the terms cell measurement method, measurement method, communication method, and configuration method are interchangeable; the terms communication device, configuration device, measurement device, and cell measurement device are interchangeable; and the terms communication system, configuration system, measurement system, and cell measurement system are interchangeable.

[0112] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not exhaustive and are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and are not intended to be a specific limitation on the scope of protection of the present disclosure. In the absence of contradiction, each step in a certain embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a certain embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily exchanged. In addition, the optional implementation methods in a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; in addition, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. For example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a certain embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments.

[0113] In each embodiment of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified or provided for by logic, the terms and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form a new embodiment based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0114] The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0115] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, unless otherwise specified, elements expressed in the singular, such as "a", "an", "the", "above", "said", "the", "the", etc., may mean "one and only one", or "one or more", "at least one", etc. For example, when using articles such as "a", "an", "the" in English in translation, the noun following the article may be understood as a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0116] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” refers to two or more.

[0117] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one," "one or more," "a plurality of," "multiple," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0118] In some embodiments, descriptions such as "at least one of A and B," "A and / or B," "A in one case, B in another case," or "in response to one case A, in response to another case B" may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); and in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0119] In some embodiments, "A or B" and other descriptions may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (A is executed independently of B); in some embodiments, B (B is executed independently of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The above is also applicable when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0120] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only used to distinguish different description objects and do not constitute any restriction on the position, order, priority, quantity or content of the description objects. For the statement of the description object, please refer to the description in the context of the claims or embodiments, and no unnecessary restriction should be constituted due to the use of prefixes. For example, if the description object is a "field", the ordinal number before the "field" in the "first field" and the "second field" does not limit the position or order between the "fields". "First" and "second" do not limit whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they limit the order of the "first field" and the "second field". For another example, if the description object is a "level", the ordinal number before the "level" in the "first level" and the "second level" does not limit the priority between the "levels". For another example, the number of description objects is not limited by the ordinal number and can be one or more. Taking "first device" as an example, the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the description object is "device", then the "first device" and the "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different; for another example, if the description object is "information", then the "first information" and the "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their contents can be the same or different.

[0121] In some embodiments, “including A,” “comprising A,” “used to indicate A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0122] In some embodiments, terms such as "in response to...", "in response to determining...", "in the case of...", "at the time of...", "when...", "if...", "if...", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0123] In some embodiments, terms such as "greater than", "greater than or equal to", "not less than", "more than", "more than or equal to", "not less than", "higher than", "higher than or equal to", "not less than", and "above" can be replaced with each other, and terms such as "less than", "less than or equal to", "not greater than", "less than", "less than or equal to", "not more than", "lower than", "lower than or equal to", "not higher than", and "below" can be replaced with each other.

[0124] In some embodiments, devices and equipment can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. In some cases, they can also be understood as "equipment", "device", "circuit", "network element", "node", "function", "unit", "section", "system", "network", "chip", "chip system", "entity", "subject", etc.

[0125] In some embodiments, "network (or network device)" can be interpreted as a device included in the network, such as an access network device, a core network device, etc.

[0126] In some embodiments, "access network device (AN device)" may also be referred to as "radio access network device (RAN device)", "base station (BS)", "radio base station", "fixed station", and in some embodiments may also be understood as "node", "access point", "transmission point (TP)", "reception point (RP)", "transmission and / or reception point (TRP)" "panel", "antenna panel", "antenna array", "cell", "macro cell", "small cell", "femto cell", "pico cell", "sector", "cell group", "serving cell", "carrier", "component carrier", "bandwidth part (BWP)", etc.

[0127] In some embodiments, "terminal" or "terminal device" may be referred to as "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal" "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, etc.

[0128] In some embodiments, obtaining data, information, etc. may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the data is obtained.

[0129] In some embodiments, data, information, etc. may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0130] FIG1 is a schematic diagram showing the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0131] As shown in FIG1 , a communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102 .

[0132] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 includes, for example, a mobile phone, a wearable device, an Internet of Things device, a car with communication function, a smart car, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal device in industrial control, a wireless terminal device in self-driving, a wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, a wireless terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal device in transportation safety, a wireless terminal device in a smart city, and at least one of a wireless terminal device in a smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0133] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may include at least one of an access network device 1021 and a core network device 1022 .

[0134] In some embodiments, the access network device 1021 is, for example, a node or device that accesses the terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include an evolved NodeB (eNB), a next generation evolved NodeB (ng-eNB), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a node B (NB), a home node B (HNB), a home evolved nodeB (HeNB), a wireless backhaul device, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a base band unit (BBU), a mobile switching center, a base station in a 6G communication system, an open base station (Open RAN), a cloud base station (Cloud RAN), a base station in other communication systems, and at least one of an access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0135] In some embodiments, the technical solution of the present disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within the access network devices involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of the Open RAN, and the processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented through software or programs.

[0136] In some embodiments, the access network device 1021 can be composed of a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU), where the CU can also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can be used to split the protocol layer of the access network device, with the functions of some protocol layers centrally controlled by the CU, and the functions of the remaining part or all of the protocol layers distributed in the DU, which is centrally controlled by the CU, but is not limited to this.

[0137] In some embodiments, the core network device 1022 can be a device including one or more network elements, or can be multiple devices or device groups, each including all or part of the one or more network elements. The network element can be virtual or physical. The core network includes, for example, at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), and a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0138] It can be understood that the communication system described in the embodiment of the present disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Ordinary technicians in this field can know that with the evolution of the system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solution proposed in the embodiment of the present disclosure is also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0139] The following embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1 , or a portion thereof, but are not limited thereto. The entities shown in FIG1 are illustrative only. The communication system may include all or part of the entities shown in FIG1 , or may include other entities outside of FIG1 . The number and form of the entities are arbitrary, and the entities may be physical or virtual. The connection relationships between the entities are illustrative only. The entities may be connected or disconnected, and the connection may be in any manner, including direct or indirect, wired or wireless.

[0140] The embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), future radio access (FRA), new radio access technology (RAT), new radio (NR), new radio access (NX), future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM (registered trademark)), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX (registered trademark)), IEEE 802.20, Ultra-WideBand (UWB), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems based on and extending these methods. Furthermore, multiple systems may be combined (for example, a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0141] In the field of communications technology, for a connected terminal, if the network has configured neighbor cell measurement for the terminal, the terminal will perform neighbor cell measurements. If the neighbor cell is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) earthfixed cell and does not start providing service until a certain time (for example, the service start time t-ServiceStartNeigh), it is meaningless for the terminal to start measurements before this time.

[0142] In the present disclosure, the measurement start time of the NTN neighbor cell is determined based on the cell information of the NTN neighbor cell (such as the start service time of the cell and the first distance between the cell and the terminal). This improves the accuracy and reliability of the cell measurement results and provides a basis and conditions for improving the quality of communication services.

[0143] FIG2A is an interactive diagram of a cell measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2A , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a cell measurement method for a terminal 101 and a network device 102, the method comprising:

[0144] In step S2101 , the network device 102 sends instruction information to the terminal 101 .

[0145] The indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal 101 is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

[0146] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may be a base station, or may be a wireless access point (such as a wireless network access point), etc., which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0147] In some embodiments, the terms "wireless network access point", "Wireless Fidelity Access Point", "WiFi AP", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0148] In some embodiments, the terms "non-terrestrial networks", "Non-Terrestrial Networks", "NTN", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0149] In some embodiments, the indication information may reuse a field in the measurement configuration.

[0150] In some embodiments, the terms "measurement configuration", "MeasConfig", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0151] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may provide a measurement configuration for each satellite (PerSatellite).

[0152] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may provide a measurement configuration for each frequency band (Perfrequency).

[0153] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may provide a measurement configuration for each cell (Per cell).

[0154] In some embodiments, the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal;

[0155] In some embodiments, terms such as "service start time" and "t-ServiceStartNeigh" can be used interchangeably.

[0156] In some embodiments, the service start time is the time when the NTN neighbor cell starts serving the first area, where the first area covers or partially covers the coverage area of ​​the TN cell.

[0157] In some embodiments, the first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal may be the first distance between a reference position of the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal.

[0158] In some embodiments, the reference position of the NTN neighbor cell may be the center position of the NTN neighbor cell, or the position of any area of ​​the NTN neighbor cell, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

[0159] In some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell based on time, and the indication information is carried by the time measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0160] In some embodiments, the terms "time measurement configuration information element", "timeMeasConfig IE", "time MeasConfig Information Element", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0161] In some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal 101 is allowed to determine a measurement start time for a non-terrestrial network NTN neighboring cell based on distance, and the indication information is carried by a location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0162] In some embodiments, the terms "location measurement configuration information element", "location MeasConfig IE", "location MeasConfig Information Element", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0163] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives indication information.

[0164] In step S2102 , the network device 102 sends the distance threshold and the reference position of the NTN neighboring cell to the terminal 101 .

[0165] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may broadcast the distance threshold and the reference location of the NTN neighbor cell via a system message.

[0166] For example, the network device 102 may provide the distance threshold and the reference location of the NTN neighbor cell in the NTN neighbor cell configuration broadcast in the system information, for example, in the third type of system information block SIB3, such as the neighbor satellite cell information element in SIB3.

[0167] In some embodiments, terms such as "third type system information block", "System Information Block type3", "SIB3" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0168] In some embodiments, terms such as “neighboring satellite cell information element,” “NeighSatelliteInfo IE,” and “NeighSatelliteInfo Information Element” may be used interchangeably.

[0169] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may send the distance threshold and the reference position of the NTN neighboring cell to the terminal through dedicated signaling.

[0170] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may provide a distance threshold and a reference position of an NTN neighboring cell for each satellite (PerSatellite).

[0171] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may provide a distance threshold and a reference position of an NTN neighboring cell for each frequency band (Per frequency).

[0172] In some embodiments, the network device 102 may provide a distance threshold and a reference position of an NTN neighboring cell for each cell (Per cell).

[0173] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 receives the distance threshold and the reference position of the NTN neighboring cell sent by the network device 102 .

[0174] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned step S2101 and step S2102 can be executed simultaneously, or step S2102 can be executed first and then step S2101.

[0175] In step S2103, the terminal 101 is in a connected state, the serving cell is a TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes an NTN neighbor cell. The indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighbor cell based on the service start time, and determine the service start time of the NTN neighbor cell.

[0176] In some embodiments, the terms "terrestrial network", "Terrestrial Networks", "TN", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0177] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 may determine the service start time based on the first parameter in SIB3.

[0178] In some embodiments, the first parameter may be "t-ServiceStartNeigh" in SIB3.

[0179] In some embodiments, the NTN neighboring cells include quasi-terrestrial fixed cells and terrestrial mobile cells. For the quasi-terrestrial fixed cells, the measurement start time is determined according to their service start time.

[0180] In some embodiments, terms such as "quasi-terrestrial fixed cell" and "Quasi-earth fixed cell" can be used interchangeably.

[0181] In some embodiments, a quasi-terrestrial fixed cell refers to a satellite cell that covers one geographical area during a period of time and a different geographical area during another period of time. In other words, the satellite cell's terrestrial coverage area is not fixed. Therefore, the measurement start time is determined based on the start time of the satellite cell's service (the time when it covers different areas) to ensure that the measurement of the cell is meaningful.

[0182] In some embodiments, the terms "ground mobile cell" and "earth-moving cell" can be used interchangeably.

[0183] Step S2104: Determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell according to the service start time of the NTN neighboring cell.

[0184] Step S2105: Terminal 101 starts measuring the NTN neighboring cells at the determined start time.

[0185] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 may determine the service start time of the NTN neighboring cell as the start time of measuring the NTN neighboring cell.

[0186] In some embodiments, the terminal 101 may determine a time after the service start time of the NTN neighboring cell and whose interval with the service start time of the NTN neighboring cell meets a first interval threshold as the start time for measuring the NTN neighboring cell.

[0187] The cell measurement method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2105. For example, step S2101 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2101+S2102 may be implemented as independent embodiments, steps S2103+step 2104 may be implemented as independent embodiments, steps S2103+step 2104+step 2105 may be implemented as independent embodiments, and so on, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0188] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations of other embodiments.

[0189] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, each step can also be implemented independently.

[0190] In this embodiment, when the network device instructs the terminal to initiate measurement of an NTN neighboring cell based on the cell's service start time, the terminal, upon determining that measurement of the NTN neighboring cell is necessary, can initiate measurement of the neighboring cell based on the cell's service start time. This improves the accuracy of the measurement time, the accuracy and reliability of the cell measurement results, and provides a basis and conditions for improving communication service quality.

[0191] FIG2B is an interactive diagram of a cell measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG2B , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a cell measurement method for terminal 101 and network device 102, the method comprising:

[0192] In step S2201, the network device 102 sends instruction information.

[0193] In step S2202 , the network device 102 sends the distance threshold and the reference position of the NTN neighboring cell to the terminal 101 .

[0194] For detailed description of step S2201 and step S2202, reference may be made to step S2101 and step S2102 in the embodiment shown in FIG2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0195] In step S2203, the terminal 101 is in a connected state, the serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell. The indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighbor cell based on the distance, and determine the first distance between the reference position of the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal at each moment.

[0196] Step S2204: The first distance at any moment is less than the distance threshold, and a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell is determined according to the any moment.

[0197] Step S2205: At the determined start time, start measuring the NTN neighboring cells.

[0198] In some embodiments, any time may be determined as the start time for measuring the NTN neighboring cells.

[0199] In some embodiments, a time that is after any time and whose interval with the any time satisfies a second interval threshold may be determined as the start time for measuring the NTN neighboring cell.

[0200] The cell measurement method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S2201 to S2205. For example, step S2201 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, steps S2201+S2202 may be implemented as independent embodiments, steps S2203+step 2204 may be implemented as independent embodiments, steps S2203+step 2204+step 2205 may be implemented as independent embodiments, and so on, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0201] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations of other embodiments.

[0202] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, each step can also be implemented independently.

[0203] In this embodiment, when the network device instructs the terminal to allow the terminal to initiate measurement of the NTN neighboring cell based on a first distance between the terminal and the NTN neighboring cell, the terminal, upon determining that measurement of the NTN neighboring cell is necessary, may initiate measurement of the neighboring cell based on the first distance. This improves the accuracy of measurement timing, the accuracy and reliability of cell measurement results, and provides a basis and conditions for improving communication service quality.

[0204] FIG3A is a flow chart of a cell measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3A , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a cell measurement method for a terminal, the method comprising:

[0205] Step S3101, receiving instruction information.

[0206] The indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

[0207] For a detailed description of step S3101, please refer to step S2101 in the embodiment shown in FIG2A , which will not be repeated here.

[0208] In step S3102, the terminal is in a connected state, the serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes an NTN neighbor cell. The indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighbor cell based on the service start time, and determine the service start time of the NTN neighbor cell.

[0209] Step S3103: Determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell according to the service start time of the NTN neighboring cell.

[0210] Step S3104: At the determined start time, start measuring the NTN neighboring cells.

[0211] For a detailed description of steps S3102 to S3104 , please refer to steps S2103 to S2105 in the embodiment shown in FIG2A , which will not be repeated here.

[0212] The cell measurement method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3104. For example, step S3102 and step S3103 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0213] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations of other embodiments.

[0214] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, each step can also be implemented independently.

[0215] In this embodiment, when a terminal receives an instruction from a network device allowing the terminal to initiate measurement of an NTN neighboring cell based on the cell's service start time, and if the terminal determines that measurement of the NTN neighboring cell is necessary, the terminal can initiate measurement of the neighboring cell based on the cell's service time. This improves the accuracy of the measurement time, the accuracy and reliability of the cell measurement results, and provides a basis and conditions for improving the quality of communication services.

[0216] FIG3B is a flow chart of a cell measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3B , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a cell measurement method for terminal 101, the method comprising:

[0217] Step S3201, receiving instruction information.

[0218] The indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

[0219] For a detailed description of step S3201, please refer to step S2101 in the embodiment shown in FIG2A , which will not be repeated here.

[0220] In step S3202, the terminal is in a connected state, the serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes an NTN neighbor cell. The indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighbor cell based on the first distance between the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal, and determine the first distance between the reference position of the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal at each moment.

[0221] Step S3203: The first distance at any moment is less than the distance threshold, and a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell is determined according to the any moment.

[0222] Step S3204: At the determined start time, start measuring the NTN neighboring cells.

[0223] For a detailed description of steps S3202 to S3204 , please refer to steps S2203 to S2205 in the embodiment shown in FIG2A , which will not be repeated here.

[0224] The cell measurement method involved in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of steps S3201 to S3204. For example, steps S3202 and S3203 may be implemented as independent embodiments, but are not limited thereto.

[0225] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, some or all of the steps and their optional implementations may be arbitrarily combined with some or all of the steps in other embodiments, or may be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementations of other embodiments.

[0226] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, each step can also be implemented independently.

[0227] In this embodiment, when a terminal receives an instruction from a network device allowing the terminal to initiate measurement of an NTN neighboring cell based on a first distance between the terminal and the NTN neighboring cell, the terminal, upon determining that measurement of the NTN neighboring cell is necessary, may initiate measurement of the neighboring cell based on the first distance. This improves the accuracy of measurement timing, the accuracy and reliability of cell measurement results, and provides a basis and conditions for improving communication service quality.

[0228] FIG3C is a flow chart of a cell measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG3D , an embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a cell measurement method for terminal 101, the method comprising:

[0229] Step S3301: The terminal is in a connected state, its serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, and the cell information of the NTN neighbor cell is determined.

[0230] The cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal.

[0231] In some embodiments, the service start time is the time when the NTN neighbor cell starts serving a first area, where the first area covers or partially covers the coverage area of ​​the TN cell.

[0232] In some embodiments, it further includes:

[0233] Indication information is received, where the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell according to the cell information.

[0234] In some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell based on a service start time, and the indication information is carried by a time measurement configuration information element in a measurement configuration.

[0235] In some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell based on distance, and the indication information is carried by a location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0236] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0237] The service start time is determined according to a first parameter in a third type of system information block SIB3.

[0238] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving the distance threshold and a reference position of the NTN neighbor cell.

[0239] Step S3302: Determine the measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell based on the cell information.

[0240] In some embodiments, the NTN neighboring cells include quasi-terrestrial fixed cells and terrestrial mobile cells. Determining the measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cells according to the cell information includes:

[0241] For the quasi-terrestrial fixed cell, a measurement start time is determined according to its service start time.

[0242] In some embodiments, determining the cell information of the NTN neighboring cell includes:

[0243] Determine a first distance between a reference position of the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal at each moment;

[0244] The determining, based on the cell information, a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell includes:

[0245] The first distance at any moment is less than the distance threshold, and the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell is determined according to the any moment.

[0246] In some embodiments, the method further comprises:

[0247] After the service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, measurement of the NTN neighbor cell is started.

[0248] For a detailed description of steps S3301 - S3302 , please refer to the above embodiment description.

[0249] FIG4 is a flow chart of a cell measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG4 , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a cell measurement method for a network device 102, the method comprising:

[0250] Step S4101: Send indication information to the terminal, where the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for an NTN neighboring cell according to cell information.

[0251] The cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal.

[0252] In some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the non-terrestrial network NTN neighboring cell based on time, and the indication information is carried by the time measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0253] In some embodiments, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell based on distance, and the indication information is carried by a location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0254] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending a distance threshold and a reference position of an NTN neighboring cell to the terminal.

[0255] For a detailed description of steps S3301 - S3302 , please refer to the above embodiment description.

[0256] FIG5 is an interactive diagram of a cell measurement method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , the embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a cell measurement method for a communication system, including: a terminal 101 and a network device 102, the method including:

[0257] Step S5101 , the network device 102 sends instruction information to the terminal 101 .

[0258] In step S5102, the terminal 101 is in a connected state, the serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, and the cell information of the NTN neighbor cell is determined.

[0259] The cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal;

[0260] Step S5103: Determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighbor cell according to its information.

[0261] For a detailed description of steps S5101 - S5103 , please refer to the above embodiment description.

[0262] In the disclosed embodiments, when a terminal receives an instruction from a network device allowing the terminal to determine the measurement start time for an NTN neighboring cell based on the cell information of the NTN neighboring cell, and if the terminal determines that measurement of the NTN neighboring cell is necessary, the terminal can determine the measurement start time for the neighboring cell based on the neighboring cell information. This improves the accuracy of the measurement time, the accuracy and reliability of the cell measurement results, and provides a basis and conditions for improving the quality of communication services.

[0263] The following is an exemplary introduction to the above method.

[0264] The UE is currently in a connected state and the serving cell is a TN cell. If the UE's current measurement configuration includes an NR NTN neighbor cell, the UE determines whether to start measuring the neighbor cell based on the neighbor cell's service start time or the distance between the UE and the neighbor cell.

[0265] Optionally, the NR NTN neighboring cell is a Quasi-earth fixed cell or an earth-moving cell. The service time-based method is applicable to Quasi-earth fixed cells.

[0266] Optionally, the serving cell is a PCell or a PSCell, and it is an LTE TN cell or an NR TN cell.

[0267] Optionally, the service start time refers to the time when the neighboring cell starts serving an area, and the area covers or partially covers the coverage area of ​​the current serving cell.

[0268] The base station indicates in the measurement configuration whether the terminal is allowed to start the measurement based on time.

[0269] Optionally, the terminal starts measuring the neighboring cell when the NR NTN neighboring cell starts serving the area only when the configuration allows.

[0270] Optionally, the indication information may reuse the timeMeasConfig IE in MeasConfig, or define a new IE.

[0271] The service start time of the neighboring cell is t-ServiceStartNeigh in SIB33.

[0272] The UE starts measuring the neighboring cell after the service start time of the neighboring cell arrives.

[0273] The judging based on the distance between the UE and the neighboring cell includes starting measurement when the distance between the UE and the neighboring cell reference position is less than a threshold.

[0274] Optionally, the distance threshold and neighbor cell reference location are configured via system message broadcast or dedicated signaling. The configuration information may be provided per-Satellite, per-frequency, or per-cell. For example, it may be provided in the NTN neighbor cell configuration broadcast in a system message. Specifically, it may be provided in SIB33, such as the NeighSatelliteInfo IE in SIB33.

[0275] The base station indicates in the measurement configuration whether the terminal is allowed to initiate location-based measurement.

[0276] Optionally, the indication information may reuse the locationMeasConfig IE in MeasConfig, or define a new IE.

[0277] The embodiments of the present disclosure further provide an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, a communication apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a terminal in any of the above methods. For another example, another communication apparatus is provided, comprising units or modules for implementing each step performed by a network device (e.g., a RAN) in any of the above methods.

[0278] It should be understood that the division of the various units or modules in the above device is merely a division of logical functions. In actual implementation, they may be fully or partially integrated into a physical entity, or they may be physically separated. In addition, the units or modules in the device may be implemented in the form of a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor, the processor is connected to a memory, and the memory stores instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or implement the functions of the various units or modules of the above device, wherein the processor is, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory is a memory within the device or a memory outside the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits, and the functions of some or all of the units or modules can be realized by designing the hardware circuits. The above-mentioned hardware circuits can be understood as one or more processors; for example, in one implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which realizes the functions of some or all of the above units or modules by designing the logical relationship of the components in the circuit; for example, in another implementation, the above-mentioned hardware circuit can be realized by a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gate circuits, and the connection relationship between the logic gate circuits is configured by configuring the configuration file, thereby realizing the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. All units or modules of the above devices can be realized in the form of software called by the processor, or in the form of hardware circuits, or in part by the form of software called by the processor, and the rest by hardware circuits.

[0279] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction reading and execution capabilities, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationship of the hardware circuit. The logical relationship of the above-mentioned hardware circuit is fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented by an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and implementing the hardware circuit configuration can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. In addition, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a neural network processing unit (NPU), a tensor processing unit (TPU), a deep learning processing unit (DPU), etc.

[0280] FIG6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG6A , the terminal 6100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 6101 and a processing module 6102. The terminal 6100 may include:

[0281] The processing module 6102 is configured to, when the terminal is in a connected state and its serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, determine cell information of the NTN neighbor cell, where the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal;

[0282] The processing module 6102 is further configured to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

[0283] Optionally, the NTN neighboring cells include quasi-terrestrial fixed cells and terrestrial mobile cells. According to the cell information, the processing module 6102 is further configured to:

[0284] For the quasi-terrestrial fixed cell, a measurement start time is determined according to its service start time.

[0285] Optionally, the service start time is the time when the NTN neighboring cell starts serving a first area, where the first area covers or partially covers the coverage area of ​​the TN cell.

[0286] Optionally, the transceiver module 6101 is configured to:

[0287] Indication information is received, where the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell according to the cell information.

[0288] Optionally, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell based on a service start time, and the indication information is carried by a time measurement configuration information element in a measurement configuration.

[0289] Optionally, the processing module 6102 is further configured to:

[0290] After the service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, measurement of the NTN neighbor cell is started.

[0291] Optionally, the process starts measuring the NTN neighboring cell after the service start time of the NTN neighboring cell.

[0292] Optionally, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell based on distance, and the indication information is carried by a location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0293] Optionally, the processing module 6102 is further configured to:

[0294] The service start time is determined according to a first parameter in a third type of system information block SIB3.

[0295] Optionally, the processing module 6102 is further configured to:

[0296] Determine a first distance between a reference position of the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal at each moment;

[0297] The first distance at any moment is less than the distance threshold, and the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell is determined according to the any moment.

[0298] FIG6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG6B , the network device 6200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 6201 and a processing module 6202. The network device 6200 may include:

[0299] The transceiver module 6201 is configured to send an indication message to the terminal, wherein the indication message is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: the NTN neighboring cell

[0300] The service start time, and the first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal.

[0301] Optionally, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for a non-terrestrial network NTN neighboring cell based on time, and the indication information is carried by a time measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0302] Optionally, the indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell based on distance, and the indication information is carried by a location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

[0303] Optionally, the transceiver module 6201 is further configured to:

[0304] Sending a distance threshold and a reference position of the NTN neighboring cell to the terminal.

[0305] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, and the transmitting module and the receiving module may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with the transceiver.

[0306] In some embodiments, the processing module can be a single module or can include multiple submodules. Optionally, the multiple submodules respectively execute all or part of the steps required to be executed by the processing module. Optionally, the processing module can be interchangeable with the processor.

[0307] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device 7100 proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Communication device 7100 can be a network device, a terminal, a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports an access network device to implement any of the above methods, or a chip, a chip system, or a processor that supports a terminal to implement any of the above methods. Communication device 7100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments. For details, please refer to the description of the above method embodiments.

[0308] As shown in FIG7A , the communication device 7100 includes one or more processors 7101. The processor 7101 may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, for example, a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control a communication device (e.g., a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal device, a terminal device chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. The communication device 7100 is used to perform any of the above methods.

[0309] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more memories 7102 for storing instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 7102 may be located outside the communication device 7100.

[0310] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 further includes one or more transceivers 7103. When the communication device 7100 includes one or more transceivers 7103, the transceiver 7103 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, step S2101, step S2102, etc., but not limited thereto), and the processor 7101 performs at least one of the other steps (for example, step S2103, step S2104, etc., but not limited thereto).

[0311] In some embodiments, a transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter. The receiver and transmitter may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, and transceiver circuit may be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit may be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit may be used interchangeably.

[0312] In some embodiments, the communication device 7100 may include one or more interface circuits 7104. Optionally, the interface circuit 7104 is connected to the memory 7102. The interface circuit 7104 may be configured to receive signals from the memory 7102 or other devices, and may be configured to send signals to the memory 7102 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 7104 may read instructions stored in the memory 7102 and send the instructions to the processor 7101.

[0313] [Corrected 10.04.2024 according to Rule 91] The communication device 7100 described in the above embodiment may be a terminal, a network device, or a third entity, but the scope of the communication device 7100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 7100 may not be limited to FIG. 7A. The communication device may be an independent device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: 1) an independent integrated circuit IC, or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the above IC collection may also include a storage component for storing data or programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, a terminal device, an intelligent terminal device, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a mobile unit, an in-vehicle device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0314] 7B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip 7200 proposed in an embodiment of the present disclosure. If the communication device 7100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of the structure of the chip 7200 shown in FIG7B , but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0315] The chip 7200 includes one or more processors 7201 , and the chip 7200 is configured to execute any of the above methods.

[0316] In some embodiments, the chip 7200 further includes one or more interface circuits 7202. Optionally, the interface circuit 7202 is connected to the memory 7203. The interface circuit 7202 can be used to receive signals from the memory 7203 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to the memory 7203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 7202 can read instructions stored in the memory 7203 and send the instructions to the processor 7201.

[0317] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 7202 executes at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (for example, step S2101, step S2102, but not limited to this), and the processor 7201 executes other steps such as step S2103, step S2104, etc.

[0318] In some embodiments, terms such as interface circuit, interface, transceiver pin, and transceiver may be used interchangeably.

[0319] In some embodiments, the chip 7200 further includes one or more memories 7203 for storing instructions. Alternatively, all or part of the memories 7203 may be located outside the chip 7200.

[0320] The present disclosure also proposes a storage medium having instructions stored thereon. When the instructions are executed on the communication device 7100, the communication device 7100 executes any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but is not limited thereto and may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0321] The present disclosure also provides a program product, which, when executed by the communication device 7100, enables the communication device 7100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0322] The present disclosure also proposes a computer program, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform any one of the above methods.

Claims

1. A cell measurement method, characterized in that: The method is executed by a terminal, and includes: The terminal is in a connected state, the serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, and the cell information of the NTN neighbor cell is determined; The cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal; Determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The NTN neighboring cells include quasi-terrestrial fixed cells and terrestrial mobile cells, and determining the measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cells according to the cell information includes: For the quasi-terrestrial fixed cell, a measurement start time is determined according to its service start time.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The service start time is the time when the NTN neighboring cell starts serving a first area, wherein the first area covers or partially covers the coverage area of ​​the TN cell.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: Indication information is received, where the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell according to the cell information.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell based on a service start time, and the indication information is carried by a time measurement configuration information element in a measurement configuration.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein The method further comprises: After the service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, measurement of the NTN neighbor cell is started.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein The indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell based on distance, and the indication information is carried by a location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: The method further comprises: The service start time is determined according to a first parameter in a third type of system information block SIB3.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The determining the cell information of the NTN neighboring cell includes: Determining a first distance between a reference position of the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal at each moment; The determining, based on the cell information, a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell includes: The first distance at any moment is less than the distance threshold, and the measurement start time of the NTN neighboring cell is determined according to the any moment.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein The method further comprises: The distance threshold and the reference position of the NTN neighboring cell are received.

11. A cell measurement method, characterized in that: The method is performed by a network device, and includes: Sending indication information to the terminal, wherein the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell according to the cell information; The cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for a non-terrestrial network NTN neighboring cell based on time, and the indication information is carried by a time measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein: The indication information indicates that the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighbor cell based on distance, and the indication information is carried by a location measurement configuration information element in the measurement configuration.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein: The method further comprises: Sending a distance threshold and a reference position of the NTN neighboring cell to the terminal.

15. A cell measurement method, characterized in that: The method is performed by a communication system, and includes: The network device sends indication information to the terminal, wherein the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information; The terminal is in a connected state, the serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and the measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, and the cell information of the NTN neighbor cell is determined; The cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal; The terminal determines a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

16. A terminal, characterized in that: The terminal includes: a processing module, configured to, when a terminal is in a connected state and its serving cell is a terrestrial network TN cell, and a measurement configuration includes a non-terrestrial network NTN neighbor cell, determine cell information of the NTN neighbor cell, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighbor cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighbor cell and the terminal; The processing module is further configured to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell according to the cell information.

17. A network device, characterized in that: The network equipment includes: a transceiver module, configured to send indication information to a terminal, wherein the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal is allowed to determine a measurement start time for the NTN neighboring cell based on the cell information, wherein the cell information includes at least one of the following: a service start time of the NTN neighboring cell, and a first distance between the NTN neighboring cell and the terminal.

18. A terminal, characterized in that: include: one or more processors; The terminal is configured to execute the cell measurement method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

19. A network device, characterized in that: include: one or more processors; The network device is configured to execute the cell measurement method according to any one of claims 11 to 14.

20. A communication system, characterized in that: The system comprises a network device and a terminal, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the measurement method of claim 15.

21. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that: When the instruction is executed on a communication device, the communication device is caused to perform the cell measurement method according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images