Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and a related apparatus, relating to the technical field of communications. In the method, when the load of a first network device is too large, the first network device indicates to a terminal that the first network device releases a first service and other network devices excepting the first network device take over the first service, such that the terminal can receive the first service from the other network devices. The present application realizes load balancing between two different network sides.

Description

Communication method and related device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on April 2, 2024, with application number 202410398066.4 and application name “Communication Methods and Related Devices”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

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

[0003] Compared to terrestrial network (TN) communications (such as terrestrial cellular communications), non-terrestrial network (NTN) communications (such as satellite communications) offer significant advantages. They offer longer communication distances, wider coverage areas, and wider frequency bands, providing users with communication services anytime, anywhere. However, TN and NTN networks currently face the problem of excessive load. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a communication method and related devices that can achieve load balancing.

[0005] The present application is introduced below from different aspects. It should be understood that the implementation methods and beneficial effects of the following different aspects can be referenced to each other.

[0006] On the first aspect, the present application provides a communication method, which can be applied to the terminal side, such as the terminal or the communication module in the terminal, or the circuit or chip responsible for the communication function in the terminal (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core). Taking the application of this method to the terminal as an example, in this method, the terminal receives a first message from a first network device, and then the terminal can receive a broadcast message from a second network device based on the first message. The above-mentioned first message indicates the release of the first service, and the first service is taken over by other network devices other than the first network device. The above-mentioned second network device is a network device that takes over the first service, and the broadcast message sent by the second network device includes data of the first service.

[0007] In this application, the first service may be a broadcast service or a multicast service. When the first network device is overloaded, the first network device releases the first service, and other network devices other than the first network device take over the first service, thereby achieving load balancing between two different network sides.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the first network device is a terrestrial network device, and the second network device is a satellite; or,

[0009] The first network device is a first satellite, and the second network device is a second satellite.

[0010] In this implementation, the second network device (i.e., satellite) takes over the first service, making full use of the satellite's wide coverage area to provide broadcast services. In addition, there are no additional capability requirements for the terminal because the terminal does not need to access two networks simultaneously.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the first message includes information about at least one service frequency point, and the at least one service frequency point includes the service frequency point of the second network device.

[0012] In this implementation, the information of the candidate service frequency point is carried in the first message so that the terminal can search for the first service on the candidate service frequency point.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the first message further includes one or more of the following information:

[0014] The frequency priority corresponding to each of the at least one serving frequency, or the ephemeris information of the second network device.

[0015] In this implementation, by including the frequency priority of the service frequency in the first message, the terminal can first search for service frequencies with higher frequency priorities based on the frequency priority. If the corresponding first service is found on the service frequency with higher frequency priority, the terminal can abandon the search for service frequencies with lower frequency priorities, which is conducive to improving service search efficiency. In addition, by including ephemeris information in the first message, it helps to quickly search for the satellite that can receive the first service.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the first message includes a frequency index corresponding to a service frequency of the second network device, where one frequency index corresponds to one service frequency.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the first message includes a time at which the other network device takes over the first service; and the receiving the broadcast message from the second network device includes:

[0018] The broadcast message is received from the second network device based on the validity time.

[0019] In this implementation, in addition to instructing the first service to be released and carried by other networks, the first network device may also indicate a certain effective time, so that the terminal can reserve corresponding processing time to receive broadcast messages from other networks.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the first message is carried on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and the first message includes a multicast control channel change notification field.

[0021] In this implementation, existing fields / bits are reused without adding additional indication overhead.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the first message includes an identifier of the first service, and a service type of the first service is a preset service type.

[0023] Under this implementation method, by classifying the service types of the services, only services belonging to the preset service types can be undertaken by other network sides, and services of other service types cannot be undertaken by other network sides. This helps reduce the terminal's frequent search for the first service on the service frequency of other network sides.

[0024] In a possible implementation, before receiving the first message from the first network device, the method further includes:

[0025] A first request is sent to the first network device, where the first request is used to request the first service.

[0026] Under this implementation, for a new terminal, such as a terminal that has just reselected the cell or has not received a broadcast message for a long time, the terminal may not know that the first service currently required has been undertaken by another network. Therefore, the terminal needs to request the first service through a first request so that the terminal can know that the first service is currently broadcast by another network.

[0027] In a possible implementation, the first service is a broadcast service.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the first service is a multicast service; before receiving the first message from the first network device, the method further includes:

[0029] Capability information is sent to the first network device, where the capability information indicates that the terminal supports simultaneous connection to two networks.

[0030] It should be understood that multicast services are shared by multiple terminals (or a group of terminals) and require the terminals to be connected, while broadcast services are intended for all users and can only be received when the terminal is idle. In this implementation, to achieve load balancing for multicast services, the terminal must support the ability to connect to two networks simultaneously.

[0031] In a second aspect, the present application provides a communication method that can be applied to a network side, such as a network device on the network side or a component in the network device (such as a circuit, a chip, or a chip system, etc.). Taking the application of this method to a network device as an example, in this method, the network device determines a first message and can send the first message to the terminal. The first message indicates the release of the first service, and the first service is taken over by other network devices other than the first network device.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the first message includes information about at least one service frequency, where the at least one service frequency includes a service frequency of a second network device, and the second network device is a network device that undertakes the first service.

[0033] In a possible implementation, the first message further includes one or more of the following information:

[0034] The frequency priority corresponding to each of the at least one serving frequency, or the ephemeris information of the second network device.

[0035] In a possible implementation, the first message includes a frequency index corresponding to a service frequency of the second network device, where one frequency index corresponds to one service frequency.

[0036] In a possible implementation, the first message includes the effective time when other network devices take over the first service.

[0037] In a possible implementation, the first message is carried on the PDCCH, and the first message includes a multicast control channel change notification field.

[0038] In a possible implementation, the first message includes an identifier of the first service, and a service type of the first service is a preset service type.

[0039] In a possible implementation, before sending the first message to the terminal, the method further includes:

[0040] A first request is received from the terminal, where the first request is used to request the first service.

[0041] In a possible implementation, the first service is a broadcast service.

[0042] In a possible implementation, the first service is a multicast service; before sending the first message to the terminal, the method further includes:

[0043] Capability information is received from the terminal, where the capability information indicates that the terminal supports simultaneous connection to two networks.

[0044] In a third aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a terminal, comprising:

[0045] a transceiver unit, configured to receive a first message from a first network device, wherein the first message indicates that a first service is released and that another network device other than the first network device takes over the first service;

[0046] The transceiver unit is configured to receive a broadcast message from a second network device, where the broadcast message includes data of the first service.

[0047] In a possible implementation, the first network device is a terrestrial network device, and the second network device is a satellite; or,

[0048] The first network device is a first satellite, and the second network device is a second satellite.

[0049] In a possible implementation, the first message includes information about at least one service frequency point, and the at least one service frequency point includes the service frequency point of the second network device.

[0050] In a possible implementation, the first message further includes one or more of the following information:

[0051] The frequency priority corresponding to each of the at least one serving frequency, or the ephemeris information of the second network device.

[0052] In a possible implementation, the first message includes a frequency index corresponding to a service frequency of the second network device, where one frequency index corresponds to one service frequency.

[0053] In a possible implementation, the first message includes an effective time when the other network device takes over the first service; when receiving the broadcast message from the second network device, the transceiver unit is specifically configured to:

[0054] The broadcast message is received from the second network device based on the validity time.

[0055] In a possible implementation, the first message is carried on the PDCCH, and the first message includes a multicast control channel change notification field.

[0056] In a possible implementation, the first message includes an identifier of the first service, and a service type of the first service is a preset service type.

[0057] In a possible implementation, before receiving the first message from the first network device, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0058] A first request is sent to the first network device, where the first request is used to request the first service.

[0059] In a possible implementation, the first service is a broadcast service.

[0060] In a possible implementation, the first service is a multicast service; before receiving the first message from the first network device, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0061] Capability information is sent to the first network device, where the capability information indicates that the terminal supports simultaneous connection to two networks.

[0062] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which may be a network device, comprising:

[0063] a processing unit, configured to determine a first message;

[0064] The transceiver unit is configured to send the first message to the terminal, where the first message indicates that the first service is released and that other network devices other than the first network device take over the first service.

[0065] In a possible implementation, the first message includes information about at least one service frequency, where the at least one service frequency includes a service frequency of a second network device, and the second network device is a network device that undertakes the first service.

[0066] In a possible implementation, the first message further includes one or more of the following information:

[0067] The frequency priority corresponding to each of the at least one serving frequency, or the ephemeris information of the second network device.

[0068] In a possible implementation, the first message includes a frequency index corresponding to a service frequency of the second network device, where one frequency index corresponds to one service frequency.

[0069] In a possible implementation, the first message includes the effective time when other network devices take over the first service.

[0070] In a possible implementation, the first message is carried on the PDCCH, and the first message includes a multicast control channel change notification field.

[0071] In a possible implementation, the first message includes an identifier of the first service, and a service type of the first service is a preset service type.

[0072] In a possible implementation, before sending the first message to the terminal, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0073] A first request is received from the terminal, where the first request is used to request the first service.

[0074] In a possible implementation, the first service is a broadcast service.

[0075] In a possible implementation, the first service is a multicast service; before sending the first message to the terminal, the transceiver unit is further configured to:

[0076] Capability information is received from the terminal, where the capability information indicates that the terminal supports simultaneous connection to two networks.

[0077] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, comprising a processor and a transceiver, wherein the processor and the transceiver are configured to execute any method of the first to second aspects, or any possible implementation of any of the aspects.

[0078] Optionally, the communication device also includes a memory in which a computer program is stored; the above-mentioned processor and transceiver are used to call the computer program in the memory, so that the communication device executes any method in the first aspect to the second aspect, or a method shown in any possible implementation of any aspect therein.

[0079] In one possible design, the communication device may be a chip that implements the above method or a device including a chip.

[0080] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a communication device, which includes a processor and an interface circuit, the interface circuit being used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, and the processor being used to implement any method as described in any of the first to second aspects, or any possible implementation of any of the aspects, through a logic circuit or executing code instructions.

[0081] In the seventh aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, which stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed by a computer, it implements the method shown in any method in the first aspect to the second aspect, or any possible implementation of any aspect therein.

[0082] In an eighth aspect, the present application provides a computer program product. When a computer reads and executes the computer program product, the computer executes any method in the first to second aspects, or a method shown in any possible implementation of any aspect.

[0083] In the ninth aspect, the present application provides a chip system comprising at least one processor and an interface, the processor being used to read and execute instructions stored in a memory, and when the instructions are executed, the chip executes a method as described in any one of the first aspect or the second aspect, or a method as shown in any possible implementation of any one of the aspects.

[0084] In a tenth aspect, the present application provides a communication system, which may include a terminal and a network device. The terminal is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect. The network device is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect or any possible implementation of the second aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0085] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0086] FIG2 is another schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system used in an embodiment of the present application;

[0087] FIG3 is a flow chart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0088] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a possible communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0089] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a possible communication device provided in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0090] The specific embodiments of the present application are further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0091] The terms "first" and "second" and the like in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish between different objects, not to describe a particular order. Furthermore, the terms "including" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus comprising a series of steps or elements is not limited to the listed steps or elements, but may optionally include steps or elements not listed, or may optionally include other steps or elements inherent to the process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0092] References herein to "embodiments" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor does it constitute an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive of other embodiments. It is understood, both explicitly and implicitly, by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0093] In this application, "at least one (item)" refers to one or more, "more than one" refers to two or more, "at least two (items)" refers to two or three and more than three, and "and / or" is used to describe the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, "A and / or B" can mean: only A exists, only B exists, and A and B exist at the same time, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the previous and next associated objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following items" or similar expressions refers to any combination of these items, including any combination of single items or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b or c can mean: a, b, c, "a and b", "a and c", "b and c", or "a and b and c", where a, b, c can be single or multiple.

[0094] To better understand the embodiments of the present application, the following first introduces the system architecture involved in the embodiments of the present application:

[0095] The technical solution of the present application can be applied to non-terrestrial networks (NTN) or scenarios where NTN and terrestrial networks (TN) are integrated. NTN systems can be, for example, satellite communication systems, high altitude platform station (HAPS) communication systems, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), etc. TN systems can be, for example, fourth-generation (4G) communication systems (for example, long-term evolution (LTE) systems), worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) communication systems, fifth-generation (5G) communication systems (for example, new radio (NR) systems), and future mobile communication systems.

[0096] The following is an exemplary explanation using the system architecture shown in Figure 1. Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system used in an embodiment of the present application. It should be noted that Figure 1 is a possible, non-limiting system diagram. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. Optionally, the communication system 10 may also include the Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay equipment and / or wireless backhaul equipment (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal 120 is connected to the RAN node 110 via a wireless connection. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 via a wireless or wired connection. The core network elements in the core network 200 and the RAN nodes 110 in the RAN 100 can be separate physical devices, or they can be a single physical device that integrates core network logical functions and radio access network logical functions. Alternatively, they can be a single physical device that integrates some core network element functions and some RAN node 110 functions. Terminals and RAN nodes 110 can be connected to each other via wired or wireless means. Figure 1 is merely a schematic diagram; the communication system may also include other devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in Figure 1.

[0097] RAN 100 can be a cellular system related to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), for example, a 4G, 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolution system. RAN 100 can also be an NTN system, an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN or ORAN), a cloud radio access network (CRAN), or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. RAN 100 can also be a communication system that integrates two or more of the above systems. The present application mainly relates to the scenario of the integration of NTN network and TN network. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the terminal accesses the network through the 5G new air interface, and the 5G base station is deployed on the satellite and connected to the core network on the ground through a wireless link. At the same time, there is a wireless link between the satellites to complete the signaling interaction and user data transmission between the base stations. In addition, the 5G base station in the ground network (hereinafter referred to as the ground base station) can also be connected to the ground core network based on a wireless link. That is, the ground base station and the 5G base station deployed on the satellite share the same core network.

[0098] RAN node 110, sometimes also referred to as network equipment, radio access network equipment, access network equipment, RAN entity, or access node, constitutes part of a communication system and facilitates wireless access for terminals. Multiple RAN nodes 110 in communication system 10 can be of the same type or different types. In some scenarios, the roles of RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are relative. For example, network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For terminal 120j accessing RAN 100 via network element 120i, network element 120i is a base station; however, for base station 110a, network element 120i is a terminal. RAN node 110 and terminal 120 are sometimes referred to as communication devices. For example, network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication devices with base station functionality, and network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0099] In one possible scenario, the RAN node 110 may be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system. The RAN node 110 may be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG1 ), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG1 ), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node 110 may also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or an onboard device. For example, the wireless access network device in the vehicle to everything (V2X) technology may be a road side unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node 110 in the present application may also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualized functions instantiated on a platform (such as a cloud platform). The RAN node 110 in this application may also be a logical node, a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the RAN node 110.

[0100] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes 110 collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, and different RAN nodes 110 respectively implement part of the functions of the base station. For example, the RAN node 110 can be a centralized unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU). The CU and DU can be set separately or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0101] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU may also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, CU may also be called O-CU (Open CU), DU may also be called O-DU, CU-CP may also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP may also be called O-CU-UP, and RU may also be called O-RU. For the convenience of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU as examples for description. Any unit of CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0102] A terminal may also be referred to as a terminal device, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal, etc. Terminals can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wearable, smart transportation, smart city, etc. A terminal may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, wearable device, vehicle, drone, helicopter, airplane, ship, robot, robotic arm, smart home device, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal.

[0103] For ease of description, the following description uses a base station as an example of RAN node 110. Base stations and terminals can be fixed or mobile. They can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld or vehicle-mounted; on water; or on aircraft, balloons, and satellites. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios of base stations and terminals.

[0104] The roles of base stations and terminals can be relative. For example, the helicopter or drone 120i in Figure 1 can be configured as a mobile base station. To terminals 120j accessing the wireless access network 100 via 120i, terminal 120i is a base station. However, to base station 110a, 120i is a terminal, meaning that communication between 110a and 120i occurs via a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, communication between 110a and 120i can also occur via a base station-to-base station interface protocol. In this case, 120i is also a base station relative to 110a. Therefore, base stations and terminals can be collectively referred to as communication devices. 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with base station functionality, while 120a-120j in Figure 1 can be referred to as communication devices with terminal functionality.

[0105] Communication between base stations and terminals, between base stations, and between terminals can be carried out through authorized spectrum, unauthorized spectrum, or both; communication can be carried out through spectrum below 6 gigahertz (GHz), spectrum above 6 GHz, or spectrum below 6 GHz and spectrum above 6 GHz. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the spectrum resources used for wireless communication.

[0106] In the embodiments of the present application, the functions of the base station may also be performed by a module (such as a chip) in the base station, or by a control subsystem that includes the base station functions. The control subsystem that includes the base station functions here may be a control center in the above-mentioned application scenarios such as smart grid, industrial control, smart transportation, and smart city. The functions of the terminal may also be performed by a module (such as a chip or modem) in the terminal, or by a device that includes the terminal functions.

[0107] It should be understood that the current standard does not support deep collaboration between satellite communication networks and terrestrial communication networks. Satellite communication networks and terrestrial communication networks are two independent networks, and terminals generally do not access satellite communication networks and terrestrial communication networks at the same time. For broadcast services or multicast services, multiple ground base stations are usually required to broadcast or multicast simultaneously to provide such services to the corresponding areas. If satellites provide such services, only one satellite may be needed to cover the area that needs to be covered. At present, there may be a problem of excessive business load for both satellite communication networks and terrestrial communication networks.

[0108] Based on this, the present application proposes a communication method that can achieve load balancing.

[0109] It should be noted that the first network device mentioned later may be a terrestrial network device (such as a terrestrial base station), and the second network device may be a non-terrestrial network device (such as a satellite). The first network device mentioned later may be a non-terrestrial network device (such as a satellite), and the second network device may be a terrestrial network device (such as a terrestrial base station). Alternatively, both the first network device and the second network device mentioned later may be non-terrestrial network devices, for example, the first network device is a first satellite, and the second network device is a second satellite. In the embodiment of the present application, the satellite may be a low earth orbiting satellite (LEO), a medium earth orbiting satellite (MEO), or a geostationary earth orbiting satellite (GEO), etc., without limitation.

[0110] In the embodiment of the present application, the broadcast message may also be referred to as a broadcast signal, which is not limited in this application.

[0111] The communication method and communication device provided by this application are described in detail below:

[0112] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a flow chart of the communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. The execution subject of the method shown in Figure 3 can be a network device, or a terminal. Alternatively, the execution subject of the method shown in Figure 3 can also be a network device, or a chip in the terminal. For the convenience of description, this application is mainly explained with network devices (i.e., the first network device and the second network device), or terminals as the execution subjects. It should be understood that Figure 3 is a schematic flow chart of an embodiment of the method of the present application, which shows the detailed communication steps or operations of the method, but these steps or operations are only examples. The embodiment of the present application can also perform other operations or variations of the various operations in Figure 3. In addition, the various steps in Figure 3 can be performed in a different order from that presented in Figure 3, and it is possible that not all operations in Figure 3 need to be performed. As shown in Figure 3, the communication method may include the following steps:

[0113] S301: A first network device sends a first message to a terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the first message from the first network device.

[0114] In some feasible implementations, a core network element (e.g., a multicast / broadcast service function (MBSF)) may decide whether to release the process of the first service in the first network device, and the MBSF may notify the first network device that the first service has been released. The first network device may then send a first message to the terminal, where the first message may include a service identifier of the first service. The first message indicates that the first service is released and that a network device other than the first network device is taking over the first service. Here, the fact that the first service is taken over by a network device other than the first network device can be understood as the reason for the first service being released from the first network device.

[0115] Optionally, the MBSF may further send an instruction to the second network device to take over / provide the first service, and indicate that the reason for taking over is that the first service is released from the first network device.

[0116] It should be understood that, generally, a service identifier can be used to identify a service. The first service may be a multicast broadcast service (MBS), that is, the first service may be a broadcast service or a multicast service, etc., which is not limited in this application. In one possible implementation, the first message may include first indication information, which indicates that the first service is released and that a network device other than the first network device takes over the first service.

[0117] In a feasible implementation (I), the first message may be carried on the PDCCH, and the first message includes a multicast control channel (MCCH) change notification field, which is used to carry the first indication information. It should be understood that in the current standard, the MBS is carried by the data channel and scheduled through the control channel (such as the PDCCH). If the MBS process is modified or a new MBS starts, it can be indicated by the two bits carried by the PDCCH signaling (these two bits are the multicast control channel change notification field). In the current standard, when the most significant bit (MSB) of the multicast control channel change notification field is 1, it indicates that the MBS has been modified, and when the least significant bit (LSB) of the multicast control channel change notification field is 1, it indicates that a new MBS has started. In this embodiment, the multicast control channel change notification field can be restored to carry the first indication information, which is conducive to reducing the indication overhead.

[0118] For example, it can be defined that when the value of the multicast control channel change notification field is 00, it indicates that the MBS has been modified; when the value of the multicast control channel change notification field is 01, it indicates that a new MBS has started; when the value of the multicast control channel change notification field is 10, it indicates that the first service is released and the first service is taken over by other network devices except the first network device; "11" is a reserved bit (that is, this value is not used).

[0119] For another example, a value of 00 in the Multicast Control Channel Change Notification field can be defined to indicate the start of a new MBS, and a value of 01 in the Multicast Control Channel Change Notification field can be defined to indicate that the MBS has been modified. A value of 10 in the Multicast Control Channel Change Notification field can be defined to indicate that the first service is released and the first frequency point takes over the first service. "11" is a reserved bit (i.e., this value is not used). Here, the first frequency point can be the service frequency point of the second network device.

[0120] For another example, the value of the Multicast Control Channel Change Notification field can be defined as 00 to indicate that the MBS has been modified; the value of the Multicast Control Channel Change Notification field can be defined as 01 to indicate the start of a new MBS; the value of the Multicast Control Channel Change Notification field can be defined as 10 to indicate that the first service is released and the first frequency point takes over the first service; the value of the Multicast Control Channel Change Notification field can be defined as 10 to indicate that the first service is released and the second frequency point takes over the first service. One of the first frequency point and the second frequency point is the service frequency of the second network device.

[0121] It should be understood that the correspondence between the values ​​of the multicast control channel change notification field and the meanings it represents is only an example and should not be regarded as a limitation to the present application.

[0122] In a feasible implementation manner (two), the first message may be a broadcast message, which includes first indication information for instructing to release the first service and to have other network devices other than the first network device take over the first service.

[0123] For example, the first indication information can be a bit in the broadcast message. When the value of the bit is 1, it indicates that the first service is released and the first service is taken over by other network devices except the first network device; when the value of the bit is 0, it indicates that the first service is released, and the first service will not be taken over by other network devices except the first network device (that is, the service is truly released).

[0124] For another example, the first indication information may be a service identifier carried in the first message. For the service identifier of the service, some classifications may be made. The service corresponding to the service identifier with certain labels can be undertaken by other network devices, and the service corresponding to the service identifier without a label cannot be undertaken by other network devices. Alternatively, for the service type of the service, some classifications may be made. The service belonging to the preset service type can be undertaken by other network devices, and the service that does not belong to the preset service type cannot be undertaken by other network devices. It is understandable that the above definition that only some services can be carried by other network sides can effectively avoid the terminal frequently searching for the first service on the service frequency point of other network sides, thereby reducing the search overhead of the terminal.

[0125] In one possible implementation, if an untagged service (or a service that does not belong to a preset service type) is released, the terminal may assume that the service is truly released (i.e., it will not be taken over by other network devices); if a tagged service (or a service that belongs to a preset service type) is released, the terminal may assume that the service is released from one network device but taken over by another network device.

[0126] In another possible implementation, if an untagged service (or a service that does not belong to a preset service type) is released, the terminal may assume that the service is truly released (i.e., it will not be taken over by other network devices); if a tagged service (or a service that belongs to a preset service type) is released, whether it is truly released or released from one network device and taken over by another network device, the terminal needs to determine it by receiving broadcast messages of other service frequencies. For example, taking the first service as a tagged service (or the first service that belongs to a preset service type) as an example, if the terminal does not search for the first service on a specified service frequency, or when the terminal does not search for the first service on all candidate service frequencies, or when the terminal does not search for the first service on candidate service frequencies with a frequency priority higher than the current frequency, the terminal can determine that the first service is truly released. Optionally, the candidate service frequencies may be predefined by the protocol, or may be configured by the network.

[0127] It can be understood that the so-called release of the first service means that the first network device stops broadcasting the data of the first service in the corresponding broadcast message. The following text mainly uses the example of the first network device releasing the first service and other network devices other than the first network device taking over the first service for schematic explanation. The specific network device that takes over the first service can be predefined by the protocol, or it can be configured by the first network device, and this application is not limited. For ease of understanding, the following text mainly uses the example of the second network device taking over the first service for schematic explanation. The following introduces various implementation methods of how to determine which network device takes over the first service.

[0128] In a possible implementation manner 1, a first network device may be configured as a network device for undertaking the first service. Specifically, the first network device may carry information about at least one serving frequency in a first message. The information about the at least one serving frequency may be sent in the form of a frequency list. That is, the first message includes a frequency list, and the frequency list includes information about the at least one serving frequency.

[0129] In one example, the information of the at least one service frequency point may specifically be a frequency point index corresponding to the at least one service frequency point, where one frequency point index corresponds to one service frequency point. It should be understood that the at least one service frequency point includes the service frequency point of the second network device. After receiving the first message, the terminal may obtain the at least one service frequency point corresponding to the at least one frequency point index based on the index of the at least one service frequency point configured in the first message, combined with the correspondence between the frequency point index predefined / preconfigured in the protocol and the service frequency point, and search for the first service on each service frequency point.

[0130] Optionally, the first message may also include a frequency priority corresponding to the service frequency, so that the terminal can search for the first service on each service frequency based on the frequency priority. Generally speaking, the higher the frequency priority of a service frequency, the higher the search order for the first service on the service frequency. Optionally, the frequency priority of the service frequency can be explicitly indicated by indication information in the first message, or the frequency priority of the service frequency can also be implicitly indicated by the order of appearance of information of at least one frequency in the frequency list. Generally speaking, the higher the order of appearance of the information of a service frequency in the frequency band list, the higher the frequency priority of the service frequency.

[0131] In another example, the information of the at least one service frequency point may also be a frequency size of the at least one service frequency point. After receiving the first message, the terminal may search for the first service on each service frequency point based on the at least one service frequency point configured in the first message.

[0132] In another example, in addition to including information about at least one serving frequency point, the first message may also include a frequency index corresponding to the serving frequency point of the second network device. The information about the at least one serving frequency point here may include a correspondence between at least one frequency index and at least one serving frequency point. After receiving the first message, the terminal may search for the first service on the serving frequency point of the corresponding second network device based on the correspondence between the at least one frequency index configured in the first message and the at least one serving frequency point, combined with the frequency index corresponding to the serving frequency point of the second network device. This may reduce search overhead for the first service.

[0133] In another example, the first message includes information about a service frequency, where the information about the service frequency is the frequency index corresponding to the service frequency of the second network device. After receiving the first message, the terminal can obtain the service frequency of the second network device corresponding to the frequency index corresponding to the service frequency of the second network device configured in the first message, based on the frequency index corresponding to the service frequency of the second network device configured in the first message, combined with the correspondence between the frequency index predefined / preconfigured in the protocol and the service frequency, and search for the first service on the service frequency of the second network device. This can reduce both the indication overhead of the first message and the terminal's search overhead for the first service.

[0134] In a possible implementation manner 2, the network device for undertaking the first service may be predefined by the protocol, so after receiving the first message, the terminal may search for the first service on various service frequencies predefined by the protocol.

[0135] Optionally, in some feasible implementations, if the second network device is a satellite, the first message may further include ephemeris information of the second network device, where the satellite ephemeris information may include one or more of the following: the inclination of the satellite's orbital plane, the right ascension of the ascending node, the semi-major axis of the orbital ellipse, the eccentricity of the orbital ellipse, the perigee angular distance, or the satellite's perigee time. It should be understood that by indicating the ephemeris information, the terminal can be assisted in quickly searching for a satellite for receiving the first service.

[0136] Optionally, in some feasible implementations, the first message may also include the effective time for the other network devices to take over the first service. For example, the effective time may be the next update cycle after N update cycles (MBS in the current standard has a corresponding update cycle). This allows the terminal to reserve appropriate processing time to receive broadcast messages from other network devices, where N is an integer greater than 0. For another example, the effective time may be a specific time point, such as the terminal may receive broadcast messages from other network devices at 10:00 AM. For another example, the effective time may be a duration, such as the terminal may receive broadcast messages from other network devices 60 seconds after receiving the first message.

[0137] Optionally, in some feasible implementations, the first message can be sent all at once. In this scenario, a new terminal, i.e., a terminal that has just reselected the cell or has not received broadcast messages for a long time, may not be aware that the first service it currently needs is already carried by another network device. Therefore, when the terminal needs to obtain the first service, the terminal can send a first request to the first network device, where the first request is used to request the first service. Accordingly, the first network device receives the first request from the terminal and, based on the first request, feeds back a first message to the terminal.

[0138] Generally speaking, a terminal needs to enter the radio resource control (RRC) connected state before initiating the first request. However, when the first service is a broadcast service, the terminal can receive it while in the RRC idle state. To avoid the terminal having to enter the RRC connected state before requesting the corresponding first service from the network, the first message can also be sent periodically. Compared to requiring the terminal to send the first request to request the first service, this method of periodically sending the first message can reduce the complexity and overhead of the terminal.

[0139] It should be noted that, unlike broadcast services, multicast services are shared by multiple terminals (or a group of terminals) and can only be received when the terminal is in the RRC connected state. Broadcast services are for all users and can be received by terminals as long as they are in the RRC idle state. Therefore, when the first service is a multicast service, the terminal can report the ability to support simultaneous connection to two networks. If a group of terminals all support the ability to connect to two networks, the first network device can release the multicast service, and other network devices other than the first network device can take over the multicast service.

[0140] For example, taking the first network device as a TN base station in a TN network and the second network device as a satellite in an NTN network, for multicast services, after a group of terminals have reported the capability information of supporting access to both TN and NTN, the multicast services can be delivered from the TN base station to the satellite.

[0141] In addition, when the TN network switches (i.e., in the TN base station switching scenario), the source TN base station can inform the target TN base station through the Xn port which multicast services of the current source TN base station are undertaken by the satellite. For example, taking the source TN base station releasing multicast service 1 and the satellite undertaking multicast service 1 as an example, during the period when the satellite undertakes multicast service 1, the target TN base station does not need to provide the multicast service 1 to the corresponding terminal, but the target TN base station needs to establish the multicast service 1-related bearer so that when the multicast service 1 is transferred back to the target TN base station by the satellite, the target TN base station can send the corresponding multicast service 1.

[0142] It is understandable that the above service frequency information, frequency priority, ephemeris information, effective time and other information are all carried in the first message as an example for schematic illustration. In other implementations, the above information can also be carried in different messages, which is not limited in this application.

[0143] S302: The second network device sends a broadcast message to the terminal. Correspondingly, the terminal receives the broadcast message from the second network device.

[0144] In some feasible implementations, if the second network device is the network device that handles the first service, the second network device may send a broadcast message, and accordingly, the terminal may receive the broadcast message from the second network device, the broadcast message including data of the first service. Optionally, if the first message includes an effective time, the second network device may send the broadcast message at the effective time. Accordingly, the terminal may receive the broadcast message from the second network device based on the effective time.

[0145] In an embodiment of the present application, when the load on the first network device is too large, the first network device instructs the terminal to release the first service, and other network devices other than the first network device take over the first service, so that the terminal can receive the first service on the other network devices, thereby achieving load balancing between the two different network sides.

[0146] The communication device provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 .

[0147] It is understood that in order to implement the functions in the above embodiments, the communication device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. It should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that, in combination with the units and method steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this application, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in hardware or in a manner driven by computer software depends on the specific application scenario and design constraints of the technical solution.

[0148] Figures 4 and 5 are schematic diagrams of possible communication devices provided in embodiments of the present application. These communication devices can be used to implement the functions of a terminal or network device (e.g., a ground base station or satellite) in the above-described method embodiments, thereby also achieving the beneficial effects of the above-described method embodiments. In the embodiments of the present application, the communication device can be one of the terminals 120a-120j shown in Figure 1, or it can be a RAN node 110a or 110b shown in Figure 1. Alternatively, it can be a module (e.g., a chip) applied to a terminal or network device.

[0149] As shown in Figure 4, the communication device 400 includes a processing unit 410 and a transceiver unit 420. The communication device 400 is used to implement the functions of the terminal or network device in the method embodiment shown in Figure 3 above.

[0150] In one implementation, when the communication device 400 is used to implement the functions of the terminal in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 :

[0151] The transceiver unit 420 is used to receive a first message from a first network device, where the first message indicates the release of a first service and that the first service is taken over by other network devices other than the first network device; the transceiver unit 420 is used to receive a broadcast message from a second network device, where the broadcast message includes data of the first service.

[0152] When the communication device 400 is used to implement the functions of the network device in the method embodiment shown in FIG3 :

[0153] The processing unit 410 is used to determine a first message; the transceiver unit 420 is used to send the first message to the terminal, where the first message indicates that the first service is released and that other network devices other than the first network device take over the first service.

[0154] For a more detailed description of the processing unit 410 and the transceiver unit 420 , reference may be made to the relevant description in the method embodiment shown in FIG. 3 .

[0155] As shown in Figure 5, communication device 500 includes a processor 510 and an interface circuit 520. Processor 510 and interface circuit 520 are coupled to each other. It is understood that interface circuit 520 can be a transceiver or an input / output interface. Optionally, communication device 500 may also include a memory 530 for storing instructions executed by processor 510, input data required by processor 510 to execute instructions, or data generated after processor 510 executes instructions.

[0156] When the communication device 500 is used to implement the method shown in FIG. 3 , the processor 510 is used to implement the functions of the processing unit 410 , and the interface circuit 520 is used to implement the functions of the transceiver unit 420 .

[0157] When the communication device is a chip used in a terminal, the terminal chip implements the terminal functions in the above method embodiments. The terminal chip receives information sent by the network device to the terminal through other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna); or the terminal chip sends information to other modules in the terminal (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the network device.

[0158] When the above-mentioned communication device is a module applied to a network device, the network device module implements the functions of the network device in the above-mentioned method embodiment. The network device module receives information from other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the terminal to the network device; or, the network device module sends information to other modules in the network device (such as a radio frequency module or an antenna), and the information is sent by the network device to the terminal. The network device module here can be a baseband chip of the network device, or a CU, DU or other module, or a device under the open radio access network (O-RAN) architecture, such as an open CU, open DU and other devices.

[0159] 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.

[0160] 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.

[0161] 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.

[0162] In the various embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0163] 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 communication method, characterized in that: include: receiving a first message from a first network device, where the first message indicates that a first service is released and that another network device other than the first network device takes over the first service; A broadcast message is received from a second network device, where the broadcast message includes data of the first service.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first network device is a terrestrial network device, and the second network device is a satellite; or The first network device is a first satellite, and the second network device is a second satellite.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first message includes information about at least one service frequency point, and the at least one service frequency point includes the service frequency point of the second network device.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first message also includes one or more of the following information: The frequency priority corresponding to each of the at least one serving frequency, or the ephemeris information of the second network device.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The first message includes a frequency index corresponding to a service frequency of the second network device, where one frequency index corresponds to one service frequency.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The first message includes the effective time when other network devices take over the first service; The receiving a broadcast message from the second network device includes: The broadcast message is received from the second network device based on the validity time.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first message is carried on a physical downlink control channel PDCCH, and the first message includes a multicast control channel change notification field.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first message includes an identifier of the first service, and a service type of the first service is a preset service type.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that Before receiving the first message from the first network device, the method further includes: A first request is sent to the first network device, where the first request is used to request the first service.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The first service is a broadcast service.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The first service is a multicast service; before receiving the first message from the first network device, the method further includes: Capability information is sent to the first network device, where the capability information indicates that the terminal supports simultaneous connection to two networks.

12. A communication method, characterized in that: include: confirming the first message; The first message is sent to the terminal, where the first message indicates that the first service is released and that other network devices except the first network device take over the first service.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The first message includes information about at least one service frequency point, where the at least one service frequency point includes a service frequency point of a second network device, and the second network device is a network device that undertakes the first service.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The first message also includes one or more of the following information: The frequency priority corresponding to each of the at least one serving frequency, or the ephemeris information of the second network device.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that: The first message includes a frequency index corresponding to a service frequency of the second network device, where one frequency index corresponds to one service frequency.

16. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that: The first message includes the effective time when other network devices take over the first service.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The first message is carried on a physical downlink control channel PDCCH, and the first message includes a multicast control channel change notification field.

18. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that The first message includes an identifier of the first service, and a service type of the first service is a preset service type.

19. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that: Before sending the first message to the terminal, the method further includes: A first request is received from the terminal, where the first request is used to request the first service.

20. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, characterized in that: The first service is a broadcast service.

21. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, wherein: The first service is a multicast service; before sending the first message to the terminal, the method further includes: Capability information is received from the terminal, where the capability information indicates that the terminal supports simultaneous connection to two networks.

22. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a unit or module for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, or comprises a unit or module for executing the method according to any one of claims 12 to 21.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: The method comprises a processor and an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor or send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device, and the processor is used to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 through a logic circuit or by executing code instructions, or to implement the method according to any one of claims 12 to 21.

24. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores a computer program or instruction. When the computer program or instruction is executed by the communication device, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 12 to 21 is implemented.

25. A computer program product, characterized in that The method comprises a computer program code, and when the computer program code is run on a computer, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 is implemented, or the method according to any one of claims 12 to 21 is implemented.

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