Satellite communication methods

Abstract

Provided in the present application are satellite communication methods. A satellite communication method maintains an association information set by means of a first satellite or a third satellite, the association information set comprising association information of a terminal device, and the association information of the terminal device comprising identification information of the terminal device and address information of a satellite accessed by the terminal device. When communication between a first terminal device and a second terminal device is needed, namely, when a communication link between a first satellite accessed by the first terminal device and a second satellite accessed by the second terminal device needs to be established, the first satellite quickly acquires address information of the second satellite from the association information set maintained by the first satellite or the third satellite, such that the first satellite establishes a communication link between the communication system on the first satellite and the communication system on the second satellite on the basis of the address information of the second satellite. The present application achieves rapid addressing between two satellites, thus quickly establishing a communication link between two independent communication systems deployed on the two satellites.

Description

Satellite communication method

[0001] This application claims priority from the Chinese patent application No. 2024106443219, filed on May 23, 2024, and entitled "Satellite communication method", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of satellite communication, in particular to a satellite communication method. BACKGROUND

[0003] With the development of information technology, more urgent requirements are put forward for efficient, mobile and diverse communication. At present, in some important fields such as space communication, aviation communication, military communication and various communication scenarios, satellites play an important role. Satellite communication has the characteristics of long communication distance, large coverage area and flexible networking, and can provide services for fixed terminals and various mobile terminals.

[0004] When a terminal device communicates by using a satellite, if two terminal devices access two different satellites respectively, a communication link needs to be established between the two satellites. In related technologies, the establishment of the communication link between the two satellites needs to control the user plane functions (UPFs) corresponding to the two satellites by a same session management function (SMF) deployed on the ground, so that the UPF corresponding to one of the satellites can address the UPF corresponding to the other satellite, and then the communication link between the two satellites is established according to the addressing result. The UPF can be deployed on the ground or on the satellite. At present, only base stations are deployed on the satellite. However, when the number and types of network elements deployed on the satellite change, the addressing mode between the two satellites also changes, which causes the above-mentioned method of establishing the communication link between the two satellites to be no longer applicable. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a satellite communication method, which can realize fast addressing between two satellites, and then realize fast establishment of a communication link between communication systems on the two satellites according to address information of the two satellites.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a satellite communication method applied to a first satellite, the method comprising:

[0007] receiving a first message sent by a first terminal device; wherein the first message is used to request communication with a second terminal device, and the first message carries identification information of the second terminal device; the second terminal device currently successfully accesses a second satellite;

[0008] sending, to the second satellite, a second message based on the identification information of the second terminal device; wherein the second message is used to request to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the second message carries address information of the first satellite and address information of the second satellite; the address information of the second satellite is determined by the first satellite or the third satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and a set of association information; the set of association information includes association information of at least one terminal device, and the association information of the terminal device includes identification information of the terminal device and address information of a satellite accessed by the terminal device; the communication system includes a base station, or the communication system includes a base station and a core network, or the communication system includes a base station and an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), or the communication system includes a base station, a core network and an IMS.

[0009] In a second aspect, the application provides a satellite communication method applied to a third satellite, and the method comprises:

[0010] receiving a third message sent by a first satellite based on identification information of a second terminal device; wherein the second terminal device currently successfully accesses a second satellite; the identification information of the second terminal device is information carried in a first message, and the first message is sent by a first terminal device that successfully accesses the first satellite, and the first message is used to request to communicate with the second terminal device; the third message is used to request the third satellite to determine address information of the second satellite based on a set of association information stored by the third satellite, and the third message carries the identification information of the second terminal device and address information of the first satellite; the set of association information includes association information of at least one terminal device, and the association information of the terminal device includes identification information of the terminal device and address information of a satellite accessed by the terminal device;

[0011] sending, to the first satellite, a response message based on the address information of the first satellite; wherein the response message includes the identification information of the second terminal device and address information of the second satellite; the address information of the second satellite is used to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite; the communication system includes a base station, or the communication system includes a base station and a core network, or the communication system includes a base station and an IMS, or the communication system includes a base station, a core network and an IMS.

[0012] In a third aspect, the application provides a satellite communication method applied to a third satellite, and the method comprises:

[0013] receive a fourth message sent by a first satellite based on identification information of a second terminal device; wherein the second terminal device currently successfully accesses a second satellite; the fourth message is used to request to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the fourth message carries address information of the first satellite and identification information of the second terminal device; the identification information of the second terminal device is information carried in a first message, and the first message is sent by a first terminal device that successfully accesses the first satellite, and the first message is used to request to communicate with the second terminal device;

[0014] determine address information of the second satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and a set of associated information stored by the third satellite; wherein the set of associated information includes associated information of at least one terminal device, and the associated information of the terminal device includes identification information of the terminal device and address information of a satellite accessed by the terminal device;

[0015] send a second message to the second satellite according to the address information of the second satellite; wherein the second message is used to request to establish a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the second message carries the address information of the first satellite and the address information of the second satellite; the communication system includes a base station, or the communication system includes a base station and a core network, or the communication system includes a base station and an IMS, or the communication system includes a base station, a core network and an IMS.

[0016] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a satellite communication method applied to a second satellite, and the method comprises:

[0017] receive a second message; wherein the second message is a message sent by the first satellite or the third satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device, the second message is used to request to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the second message carries address information of the first satellite and address information of the second satellite; the address information of the second satellite is determined by the first satellite or the third satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and a set of association information, the set of association information includes association information of at least one terminal device, the association information of the terminal device includes identification information of the terminal device and address information of a satellite accessed by the terminal device; the second terminal device currently successfully accesses the second satellite, the identification information of the second terminal device is information carried in the first message, the first message is sent by a first terminal device that successfully accesses the first satellite, and the first message is used to request to communicate with the second terminal device; the communication system includes a base station, or the communication system includes a base station and a core network, or the communication system includes a base station and an IMS, or the communication system includes a base station, a core network and an IMS.

[0018] In a fifth aspect, the present application provides a satellite communication system, which includes a first satellite for executing the satellite communication method in the first aspect and a second satellite for executing the satellite communication method in the fourth aspect.

[0019] In a sixth aspect, the present application provides a satellite communication system, which includes a first satellite for executing the satellite communication method in the first aspect, a third satellite for executing the satellite communication method in the second aspect or the third aspect, and a second satellite for executing the satellite communication method in the fourth aspect.

[0020] The satellite communication method provided by the present application is suitable for the satellite communication system involved in the satellite communication method, and one or more satellites maintain the association information of terminal devices. When a communication link between two satellites needs to be established, the satellite receiving the request quickly obtains the address of the satellite that needs to be connected from the satellite maintaining the association information of terminal devices, and then establishes a communication link according to the address of the satellite that needs to be connected. The above-mentioned method is suitable for the satellite communication system involved in the present application, and provides an effective solution for establishing a communication link between communication systems on two satellites. Moreover, the satellites maintain the association information of terminal devices, which is beneficial to realize quick addressing and then establish a communication link between two satellites quickly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a satellite communication system in the related art;

[0022] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an architecture of another satellite communication system in the related art;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a method for generating and broadcasting associated information provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a method for storing associated information provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of another satellite communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of another satellite communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of another satellite communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a structure of another communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a structure of another communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a structure of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the following three cases: A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after it. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b or c alone can represent: a alone, b alone, c alone, combination of a and b, combination of a and c, combination of b and c, or combination of a, b and c, where a, b and c can be single or multiple. In addition, the terms "first", "second" are only for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0034] The terms "connected" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, for example, the "connected" or "connection" of a circuit structure can refer to physical connection, electrical connection or signal connection, for example, it can be directly connected, that is, physically connected, or indirectly connected through at least one intermediate element, as long as the circuit is connected, it can also be the internal connection of two elements; Signal connection can be signal connection through a circuit, or signal connection through a medium such as radio waves. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] Taking the fifth generation (5G) communication system as an example, the traditional 5G satellite communication system includes a base station A, a satellite A, a base station B, a satellite B, and a ground core network; a terminal device A accesses the satellite A through the base station A, and a terminal device B accesses the satellite B through the base station B.

[0036] The terminal device A and the terminal device B can be wireless terminals, which can be devices that provide voice and / or other service data connectivity to users, handheld devices with wireless connection capability, or other processing devices connected to wireless modems. The wireless terminal can communicate with the AMF via a radio access network (RAN), and can be a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone (or called "cellular" phone) and a computer with a mobile termination, for example, can be a portable, pocket, handheld, computer built-in or vehicle-mounted mobile device that exchanges voice and / or data with a radio access network. For example, personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), unmanned aerial vehicles, wearable devices, terminals in Internet of Vehicles, etc. The wireless terminal can also be referred to as a system, a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile, a remote station, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, a user agent, a user device, a user equipment (UE), which are not limited herein. In addition, the terminal device can use iOS or Android or Harmony or other mobile operating systems, which are not limited by the embodiments of the present application.

[0037] The 5G mobile communication network includes ground stations and core network elements, and the core network elements include: UPF, SMF, access and mobility management function (AMF), etc.

[0038] UPF: used for packet routing and forwarding, quality of service (QoS) processing of user plane data, etc. In the 5G communication system, the user plane network element can be UPF. In the future communication system, the user plane network element can still be UPF, or can also have other names, which are not limited by the present application.

[0039] SMF: mainly used for session management, IP address allocation and management of user equipment, selection of manageable user plane function, terminal point of policy control and charging function interface and downlink data notification. In the future communication system, the session management network element can still be SMF, or there can be other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0040] AMF: access and mobility management function network element is mainly used for mobility management and access management, etc., which can be used to realize the functions other than session management in MME function, such as access authorization / authentication function. In the future communication system, the access and mobile management device can still be AMF, or there can be other names, which are not limited in this application.

[0041] It should be noted that in the case that terminal device A needs to communicate with terminal device B by satellite, terminal device A and terminal device B need to be controlled by the same SMF deployed on the ground, and the ground SMF interacts with the address related information with UPF-A corresponding to satellite A accessed by terminal device A and UPF-B corresponding to satellite B accessed by terminal device B, so that UPF-A and UPF-B can know each other's address, and then a communication tunnel is established between UPF-A and UPF-B according to the addresses of UPF-A and UPF-B, so as to realize the satellite communication between terminal device A and terminal device B.

[0042] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a satellite communication system in the related art. As shown in FIG. 1, in the satellite communication system, base station A is deployed on satellite A, base station B is deployed on satellite B, and UPF-A and UPF-B are deployed on the ground; that is, only base stations are deployed on the satellites. In this case, the ground SMF and the ground UPF-A interact through the N4 interface, and the ground SMF and the ground UPF-B interact through the N4 interface; the ground UPF-A and the ground UPF-B interact through the N9, N19 or N6 interface; the base station A and the ground UPF-A interact through the N3 interface, and the base station B and the ground UPF-B interact through the N3 interface.

[0043] When the ground UPF-A addresses the ground UPF-B, the address related information needs to be exchanged between the base station A on the satellite A and the ground UPF-A, and the base station B on the satellite B and the ground UPF-B. At this time, the address related information needs to be frequently transmitted between the satellite and the ground, resulting in large time delay, low addressing efficiency, and further low efficiency of establishing the communication link between satellite A and satellite B.

[0044] In addition, after the inter-satellite link between satellite A and satellite B is established, when terminal device A and terminal device B communicate, the data sent by terminal device A is sent to ground UPF-A via base station A, and then sent to ground UPF-B via N9, N19 or N6 interface by ground UPF-A, and finally sent to terminal device B by ground UPF-B through base station B. Therefore, in the process of transmitting data from terminal device A to terminal device B, frequent data interaction between satellite and ground is required, which increases the communication delay and reduces the communication efficiency, thereby affecting the user experience.

[0045] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of another satellite communication system in the related art. As shown in FIG. 2, in the satellite communication system, base station A and UPF-A are deployed on satellite A, and base station B and UPF-B are deployed on satellite B; that is, the base station and UPF network element are deployed on the satellite at the same time. In this case, the UPF-A on satellite A and the ground SMF need to interact through the N4 interface, and the UPF-B on satellite B and the ground SMF need to interact through the N4 interface, and the UPF-A on satellite A and the UPF-B on satellite B need to interact through the N19 interface.

[0046] When the ground UPF-A addresses the ground UPF-B, the UPF-A on satellite A and the ground SMF, and the UPF-B on satellite B and the ground SMF need to interact with each other to exchange address-related information. At this time, the address-related information needs to be frequently transmitted between satellite and ground, resulting in large time delay, low address efficiency, and low efficiency of establishing inter-satellite link.

[0047] In addition, after the inter-satellite link between satellite A and satellite B is established, when terminal device A and terminal device B communicate, the data sent by terminal device A is sent to ground UPF-A via base station A, and then sent to ground UPF-B via N9, N19 or N6 interface by ground UPF-A, and finally sent to terminal device B by ground UPF-B through base station B. Therefore, in the process of transmitting data from terminal device A to terminal device B, the UPF-A on satellite A needs to encapsulate and package the data when sending it to the UPF-B on satellite B via the N19 interface, which increases the additional overhead.

[0048] In the above description of the satellite communication system, the N3 interface is the interface between the base station and the UPF, used for transmission of user plane data.

[0049] N4 interface: an interface between the SMF and the UPF, used to transfer information between the control plane and the user plane, including the delivery of control plane forwarding rules, QoS control rules, traffic statistics rules, and the information reporting of the user plane. N6 interface: an interface between the UPF and the data network (Data Network, DN), used to transfer uplink and downlink user data flow between the UPF and the DN, and communicate with the DN network based on IP and routing protocol. N9 interface: an interface between two UPFs. N19 interface: a user plane interface between two UPFs when using 5G LAN service, directly routing traffic between different PDU sessions without using the N6 interface.

[0050] In summary, whether the UPF-A and the UPF-B are deployed on the ground or on the satellite, the transmission of addressing related information between the satellite and the ground is required, the time delay is large, the addressing efficiency between the two satellites is low, and the efficiency of establishing a communication link between the two satellites is low.

[0051] Based on the problems in the prior art, the satellite communication method provided by the present application is to maintain the association information of the terminal device by one or more satellites, when a communication link between two satellites needs to be established, the satellite receiving the request quickly obtains the address of the satellite that needs to be connected from the satellite maintaining the association information of the terminal device, and then the communication link can be established according to the address of the satellite that needs to be connected, so as to solve the problem that when the number and type of network elements deployed on the satellite change, the addressing mode between the two satellites changes, and the existing method for establishing a communication link between the two satellites is no longer applicable.

[0052] The satellite communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail in combination with the specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a satellite communication method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 3, in the embodiment of the present application, the first satellite performs S301 and S302, which will be described in detail below.

[0054] S301, the first satellite receives a first message sent by a first terminal device.

[0055] Among them, the first terminal device is currently successfully accessed to the first satellite, and the second terminal device is currently successfully accessed to the second satellite.

[0056] It should be noted that the successful access of a terminal device to a satellite means that the terminal device has been successfully registered to the communication system on the satellite. By registering the terminal device to the communication system on the satellite, remote communication services can be realized, including voice calls, data transmission, Internet access, etc. By registering the terminal device to the communication system on the satellite, various conditions on the earth's surface can also be monitored, including weather, environment, resource utilization, etc., for scientific research, resource management, environmental protection, etc. By registering the terminal device to the communication system on the satellite, precise positioning and navigation functions can also be realized, and are widely used in aviation, navigation, vehicle navigation, map services, etc. In addition, in the event of a disaster or emergency, satellite communication can provide communication support independent of ground infrastructure, helping rescue personnel to communicate and coordinate.

[0057] It should be noted that the terminal device can dynamically switch to connect to the communication system on different satellites according to factors such as coverage range and signal quality. In the case where the terminal device moves from the coverage range of one satellite to the coverage range of another satellite, the terminal device can need to switch to the communication system on another satellite to continue communication or positioning services. In the case where the signal quality of the communication system on the satellite to which the terminal device is currently connected is poor, the terminal device can attempt to switch to the communication system on another satellite to obtain better signal quality.

[0058] In this embodiment, the first terminal device is currently successfully accessed to the first satellite, indicating that the first terminal device has been authenticated and a stable communication link has been established with the communication system on the first satellite, and can begin to perform data transmission or reception services. The second terminal device is currently successfully accessed to the second satellite, indicating that the second terminal device has been authenticated and a stable communication link has been established with the communication system on the second satellite, and can begin to perform data transmission or reception services.

[0059] The first message is used to request communication with the second terminal device, and the first message carries identification information of the second terminal device, and the second terminal device is currently successfully accessed to the second satellite.

[0060] It should be noted that the identification information of the terminal device is used to uniquely identify the terminal device during satellite communication.

[0061] The identification information of the terminal device at least includes a unique identification code of the terminal device. The unique identification code can be an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI), or a subscription concealed identifier (SUCI). The unique identification code is a globally unique number for identifying a terminal device and can be used to identify the terminal device. The uniqueness of the unique identification code helps to identify and locate the terminal device in the network, and can be used to track and lock the device when the device is lost or stolen.

[0062] In addition, the identification information of the terminal device can also include an Internet Protocol (IP) address allocated by a communication system on a satellite accessed by the terminal device, device model information, manufacturer information, network operator information, software version information, and configuration information. The present embodiment does not make specific limitations on this.

[0063] The network operator information can include Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card information and operator information. The configuration information can include configuration parameters of the terminal device, such as network settings, communication protocols, and the like.

[0064] It should be noted that in the satellite communication system, the terminal device can access the communication system on the satellite through a base station. The base station receives information sent by the terminal device and forwards the information sent by the terminal device to the communication system on the satellite. At the same time, when the communication system on the satellite sends information to the terminal device, the communication system on the satellite sends the information to the base station, and the base station forwards the information to the terminal device.

[0065] In the present embodiment, the identification information of the second terminal device is carried in the first message, so that the first satellite can subsequently query the address information of the second satellite currently accessed by the second terminal device according to the identification information of the second terminal device.

[0066] S302, the first satellite sends a second message to the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device. Correspondingly, the second satellite receives the second message.

[0067] The second message is used to request to establish a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the first satellite address information and the second satellite address information are carried in the second message.

[0068] It should be noted that the address information of the first satellite and the address information of the second satellite carried in the second message can help the second satellite to determine the source address and the target address of the second message, so as to realize correct routing and data transmission of the second message, and prevent incorrect transmission of the second message.

[0069] The communication system deployed on the first satellite or the second satellite can include only a base station, or can include a base station and a core network at the same time, or can include a base station and an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) at the same time, or can include a base station, a core network and an IMS at the same time, and the embodiment is not limited in this regard.

[0070] It should be noted that, regardless of the number and / or type of network elements deployed on the communication system deployed on the first satellite or the second satellite, the first satellite can determine the address information of the second satellite through the first satellite or the third satellite to realize addressing of the second satellite.

[0071] The address information of the second satellite is determined by the first satellite or the third satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and the association information set; the association information set includes association information of at least one terminal device, and the association information of the terminal device includes identification information of the terminal device and address information of the satellite accessed by the terminal device.

[0072] It should be noted that after each terminal device successfully accesses a satellite, each terminal device will have an association information, and the association information of the terminal device is used to indicate the satellite currently successfully accessed by the terminal device, and the association information of each terminal device includes identification information of the terminal device and address information of the satellite accessed by the terminal device.

[0073] It should be noted that the association information set can be stored in the storage module of each satellite of the satellite communication system and maintained by each satellite, or can be stored only in the storage module of the target storage satellite of the satellite communication system and maintained by the target storage satellite, and the embodiment is not limited in this regard.

[0074] In the embodiment, in the case that the storage module on each satellite stores the association information set, the first satellite can directly determine the address information of the second satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and the association information set stored in the first storage module on the first satellite. In the case that the storage module on the target storage satellite stores the association information set, the first satellite can indirectly determine the address information of the second satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and the association information set stored in the storage module on the target storage satellite.

[0075] The target storage satellite can be artificially selected or selected by other means, and the embodiment is not limited in this regard. It should be noted that when the target storage satellite is artificially selected, at least one satellite on each satellite orbit can be selected as the target storage satellite, or at least one satellite on part of the satellite orbits can be selected as the target storage satellite, and the embodiment is not limited in this regard.

[0076] In the embodiment, at least two satellites on each satellite orbit can be selected as target storage satellites, at least one target storage satellite in the at least two target storage satellites is located in the low orbit segment of the satellite orbit, and at least one target storage satellite is located in the high orbit segment of the satellite orbit. By selecting target storage satellites on different orbits and altitudes, when a non-target storage satellite needs to access the associated information set stored in the storage module on the target storage satellite, the nearest target storage satellite can be selected for communication, thereby reducing the delay of data transmission and improving user experience. In addition, by selecting target storage satellites on different orbits and altitudes, the coverage range of the target storage satellites in the communication system can be increased, and the communication stability of the communication system can also be increased. When the signal of a certain target storage satellite is affected or blocked, other target storage satellites can still provide stable storage and communication services, thereby reducing the risk of communication interruption and data loss.

[0077] The address information of the satellite accessed by the terminal device includes at least one of the following: satellite identity (Identity, ID) information, IP address information of the core network of the satellite, IP address information of the IMS on the satellite, and IP address information of the satellite routing module of the satellite.

[0078] Satellite ID information: In the satellite communication system, each satellite has a unique identifier to facilitate the identification and differentiation of different satellites. Core network IP address information: the IP address of the core network connected by the satellite, used for positioning and routing the communication data of the satellite in the network. IMS IP address information: IMS is a key component for supporting voice calls and multimedia services, and the IMS IP address information is used to directly establish a call channel between the communication systems on the satellite. IP address information of the satellite routing module: the routing module of the satellite is responsible for routing and forwarding satellite communication data, and the IP address information of the satellite routing module is used for positioning and routing data transmission within the satellite.

[0079] It should be noted that the association information corresponding to any terminal device can only include the unique identification code of the terminal device and the ID information of the satellite accessed by the terminal device, for indicating the association relationship between the terminal device and the satellite accessed by the terminal device; or can include the unique identification code of the terminal device, the identification information of the device model information and various identification information of the terminal device, and the ID information of the satellite accessed by the terminal device, the IP address information of the core network of the satellite accessed by the terminal device, the IP address information of the IMS on the satellite accessed by the terminal device, the IP address information of the satellite routing module of the satellite accessed by the terminal device and various address information of the satellite accessed by the terminal device, for indicating the association relationship between the terminal device and the satellite accessed by the terminal device, which is not limited in the embodiment.

[0080] For example, the association information of the first terminal device includes the unique identification code of the first terminal device and the ID information of the first satellite. For another example, the association information of the first terminal device includes the unique identification code of the first terminal device, and the ID information of the first satellite, the IP address information of the core network of the first satellite, the IP address information of the IMS on the first satellite, and the IP address information of the satellite routing module of the first satellite.

[0081] In the embodiment, the first satellite sends a second message to the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device, and after the second satellite receives the second message, the first satellite performs the step of establishing a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite.

[0082] It should be noted that the method for the first satellite to establish a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite based on the address information of the second satellite is a prior art, which will not be repeated in the embodiment.

[0083] In the embodiment, the first terminal device can perform data communication with the second terminal device through the communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite, and can also perform voice communication.

[0084] It should be noted that in the case that the first terminal device only needs to perform voice communication with the second terminal device through the first satellite and the second satellite, a communication channel can be established between the IMS deployed on the first satellite and the IMS deployed on the second satellite, so that the first terminal device performs voice communication with the second terminal device through the communication channel between the IMS on the first satellite and the IMS on the second satellite.

[0085] It should be noted that, in the case that the first terminal device also needs to communicate data with the second terminal device through the first satellite and the second satellite, the communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite can be established according to the method shown in S301 and S302, so that the first terminal device communicates data with the second terminal device through the communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite.

[0086] In this embodiment, the specific process of establishing the call channel between the IMS on the first satellite and the IMS on the second satellite includes: based on the method shown in S301 and S302, the first satellite determines the address information of the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device, at least including the IP address information of the IMS on the second satellite, so that after the second satellite receives the second message, the first satellite establishes the call channel between the IMS on the first satellite and the IMS on the second satellite according to the operation specified in the existing satellite communication protocol.

[0087] In the embodiment of the application, in the case that the first satellite receives the first message sent by the first terminal device and carrying the identification information of the second terminal device, the address information of the second satellite is obtained by querying the association information set maintained by the first satellite or the third satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device; and the second message is generated based on the address information of the second satellite and the address information of the first satellite, and is sent to the second satellite to establish the communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite. Compared with the traditional addressing method between two satellites, the application maintains the association information set by the first satellite or the third satellite, and does not need to frequently transmit the addressing related information between the satellite and the ground, so that the fast addressing between two satellites can be realized, and the communication link between two independent communication systems deployed on two satellites can be quickly established, thereby reducing the communication delay of the first terminal device and the second terminal device, and improving the user experience.

[0088] In the case that the first satellite determines that the second satellite successfully accessed by the second terminal device at present is the first satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device, that is, the first terminal device and the second terminal device are both successfully accessed to the first satellite at present, the first terminal device can directly communicate with the second terminal device through the first satellite.

[0089] It should be noted that the communication method between two terminal devices accessing the same satellite is the existing communication method, and this embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the association information set includes association information of at least one terminal device, and the association information set is stored in a storage module of each satellite of the satellite communication system or a target storage satellite. Next, a specific implementation manner of the target satellite generating and broadcasting the association information of the target terminal device is shown by FIG. 4.

[0091] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an association information generating and broadcasting method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 4, in the embodiment of the present application, the association information storage method can include the following S401 to S403, which are described in detail as follows.

[0092] S401, the target satellite receives a fifth message sent by a target terminal device.

[0093] The fifth message is used to request access to the target satellite, and the fifth message carries identification information of the target terminal device.

[0094] It should be noted that the target terminal device sends the fifth message to a base station deployed on the target satellite through a wireless signal, and then the base station deployed on the target satellite transmits the fifth message to the target satellite. In addition to carrying the identification information of the target terminal device, the fifth message can also carry a connection request of the target terminal device and possibly other necessary information, so that the target satellite can accurately identify and process the registration request of the fifth message sent by the target terminal device.

[0095] The target terminal device is a first terminal device or a second terminal device, and the target satellite is a first satellite or a second satellite.

[0096] It should be noted that the target terminal device can be any terminal device, and the target satellite can be any satellite, which is not limited in the embodiment.

[0097] In the embodiment, when the target terminal device is the first terminal device, the target satellite is the first satellite; when the target terminal device is the second terminal device, the target satellite is the second satellite.

[0098] S402, the target satellite generates and stores the association information of the target terminal device when the identification information of the target terminal device is verified.

[0099] It should be noted that after receiving the fifth message sent by the target terminal device, the target satellite verifies the fifth message by checking the identity information of the target terminal device to verify the legality of the target terminal device and whether the target terminal device has the right to access the satellite communication network.

[0100] In a case where the identification information of the target terminal device is verified, the target satellite accesses the target terminal device to a data network and a core network system, and allocates an IP address for the target terminal device, thereby completing registration of the target terminal device on the target satellite. After the target terminal device accesses the data network and the core network, the target terminal device can exchange data and communicate with other terminal devices or systems.

[0101] In a case where the identification information of the target terminal device is not verified, the target satellite returns a seventh message to the target terminal device, and the seventh message is used to indicate that the target terminal device fails to access. By sending the seventh message to the target terminal device, the system administrator or the terminal user can identify and solve the problem.

[0102] The association information of the target terminal device includes identification information of the target terminal device and address information of the target satellite accessed by the target terminal device.

[0103] It should be noted that the target satellite combines the identification information of the target terminal device and the address information of the target satellite, and thus the association information of the target terminal device is obtained. The association information of the target terminal device is used to indicate that the target terminal device currently successfully accesses the target satellite, that is, the associated satellite of the target terminal device is the target satellite.

[0104] In this embodiment, by verifying the identification information of the target terminal device, unauthorized terminal devices can be prevented from accessing network resources, network attacks can be prevented, and the allocation and use efficiency of resources can be optimized.

[0105] It should be noted that after the target satellite generates the association information of the target terminal device, the target satellite stores the association information of the target terminal device.

[0106] S403, the target satellite sends the sixth message through broadcasting or multicasting, so that the satellite receiving the sixth message stores the content of the sixth message.

[0107] The sixth message includes the association information of the target terminal device.

[0108] In an embodiment, all address information of each satellite is pre-stored in the storage module on the other satellite. In this case, the association information of the target terminal device included in the sixth message only includes the unique identification code of the target terminal device and the ID information of the target satellite. After the other satellite receives the sixth message, the other satellite can determine the association relationship between the target terminal device and the target satellite according to the unique identification code of the target terminal device and the ID information of the target satellite included in the sixth message, and establish and store the association relationship between all identification information of the target terminal device and all address information of the target satellite on the other satellite based on the association relationship between the target terminal device and the target satellite, so that the association information of the target terminal device stored on the other satellite includes the identification information of the target terminal device and the address information of the target satellite.

[0109] In another embodiment, the address information of each satellite is not stored on the other satellite. In this case, the association information of the target terminal device included in the sixth message includes the unique identification code of the target terminal device, and the ID information of the target satellite, the IP address information of the core network of the target satellite, the IP address information of the IMS on the target satellite, and the IP address information of the satellite routing module of the target satellite. After the other satellite receives the sixth message, the storage module on the other satellite directly stores all information included in the association information of the target terminal device.

[0110] The target satellite can broadcast the association information of the target terminal device through the routing module of the target satellite, so that the other satellite receiving the broadcast information of the target satellite stores the content of the sixth message.

[0111] It should be noted that the other satellite can be all satellites in the satellite communication system except the target satellite, or can be the target storage satellite in the satellite communication system, and the present embodiment does not make specific limitation thereto.

[0112] In the case that the other satellite is all satellites in the satellite communication system except the target satellite, the target satellite broadcasts the sixth message through the routing module of the target satellite, so that each satellite in the satellite communication system stores the association information of the target terminal device.

[0113] In the case that the other satellite is the target storage satellite in the satellite communication system, the target satellite multicasts the association information of the target terminal device through the routing module of the target satellite, so that the target storage satellite in the satellite communication system stores the association information of the target terminal device.

[0114] In the embodiment, the target satellite broadcasts or multicasts the association information of the target terminal device, so that the satellite receiving the sixth message stores the association information of the target terminal device, facilitating the satellite storing the association information of the target terminal device to query the address information of the satellite to be queried later, improving the addressing efficiency between two satellites, and realizing fast addressing.

[0115] In the above embodiment, the target satellite and the satellite receiving the association information of the target terminal device both need to store the association information of the target terminal device. Next, the specific implementation manner in which the target satellite stores the association information of the target terminal device when the identification information of each terminal device and the address information of each satellite are not stored on other satellites is shown in FIG. 5.

[0116] It should be noted that, in the case where the identification information of each terminal device and the address information of each satellite are not stored on other satellites, the method in which the target satellite stores the association information of the target terminal device is the same as the method in which the satellite receiving the association information of the target terminal device stores the association information of the target terminal device, and the embodiment of the present application only describes the method in which the target satellite stores the association information of the target terminal device.

[0117] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for storing association information according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 5, in the embodiment, the method for storing association information can include the following S501 to S503, which are described in detail as follows.

[0118] S501, the target satellite determines whether the initial association information of the target terminal device is stored in the storage module on the target satellite.

[0119] The initial association information of the target terminal device is the association information of the target terminal device that has been stored in the storage module on the target satellite before the target satellite generates the association information of the target terminal device.

[0120] It should be noted that the initial association information of the target terminal device can be the association information of the target terminal device and the target satellite, or the association information of the target terminal device and other satellites, which is not limited in the embodiment.

[0121] S502, in the case where the initial association information of the target terminal device is not stored in the storage module on the target satellite, the target satellite directly stores the association information of the target terminal device into the storage module on the target satellite.

[0122] S503, in the case that the initial association information of the target terminal device is stored in the storage module on the target satellite, the target satellite updates the initial association information of the target terminal device stored in the storage module on the target satellite as the association information of the target terminal device.

[0123] It should be noted that, in the case that the satellite accessed by the target terminal device in the initial association information of the target terminal device is the target satellite, it is judged whether the association information of the target terminal device is consistent with the initial association information of the target terminal device; in the case that the association information of the target terminal device is consistent with the initial association information of the target terminal device, the initial association information of the target terminal device is regarded as the association information of the target terminal device; otherwise, the initial association information of the target terminal device stored in the storage module on the target satellite is updated as the association information of the target terminal device.

[0124] For example, before the first terminal device accesses the first satellite, the first terminal device has never accessed other satellites, at this time, the initial association information of the first terminal device does not exist in the storage module on the first satellite, therefore, the first satellite directly stores the association information of the first terminal device into the storage module on the first satellite. For another example, before the first terminal device accesses the first satellite, the first terminal device has accessed the fourth satellite, at this time, the initial association information of the first terminal device stored in the storage module on the first satellite is the identification information of the first satellite and the address information of the fourth satellite. After the first terminal device accesses the first satellite, the association information of the first terminal device is the identification information of the first satellite and the address information of the first satellite, when the first satellite stores the association information of the first terminal device, since the initial association information of the first terminal device is stored in the storage module on the first satellite, but the satellite accessed by the first terminal device indicated by the initial association information of the first terminal device is different from the satellite accessed by the first terminal device indicated by the association information of the first terminal device, therefore, the first satellite updates the initial association information of the first terminal device stored in its storage module as the association information of the first terminal device.

[0125] In the embodiment, the target satellite can track and manage the access state of the target terminal device by storing the association information of the target terminal device, so that the target satellite can know the terminal device associated therewith at any time, and provide information basis for subsequent data communication based on the target satellite.

[0126] In the above embodiment, the address information of the second satellite can be determined by the first satellite or the third satellite according to the identification information and the association information set of the second terminal device. Next, the specific implementation manner that the first satellite determines the address information of the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device and sends the second message to the second satellite when the association information set is stored in the storage module on the first satellite is shown in FIG. 6.

[0127] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of another satellite communication method provided by the embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 6, in an embodiment of the present application, the step S302 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first satellite sends the second message to the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device, which can be implemented by steps a1 to a3 in the embodiment, and the steps a1 to a3 will be described in detail below.

[0128] a1, the first satellite determines the target association information based on the identification information of the second terminal device and the association information set stored in the first satellite.

[0129] The target association information is the association information of the second terminal device in the association information set. The target association information includes the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the second satellite.

[0130] It should be noted that in the case that the association information set is stored in the storage module on each satellite, the association information set is stored in the storage module on the first satellite, and the first satellite can directly find the association information of the second terminal device, i.e. the target association information, in the association information set stored in the storage module on the first satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device.

[0131] a2, the first satellite determines the address information of the second satellite according to the target association information.

[0132] It should be noted that in the case that the target association information includes the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the second satellite, the first satellite extracts the address information of the second satellite in the target association information to obtain the address information of the second satellite.

[0133] For example, in a satellite communication system, including satellite C, satellite D, satellite E and satellite F, terminal device C accesses satellite C, terminal device D accesses satellite D, terminal device E accesses satellite E, and terminal device F accesses satellite F. In this case, the association information set of terminal device C, the association information set of terminal device D, the association information set of terminal device E and the association information set of terminal device F are stored in the storage module on each satellite, the association information set of terminal device C includes the identification information of terminal device C and the address information of satellite C, the association information set of terminal device D includes the identification information of terminal device D and the address information of satellite D, the association information set of terminal device E includes the identification information of terminal device E and the address information of satellite E, and the association information set of terminal device F includes the identification information of terminal device F and the address information of satellite F. When terminal device C wants to communicate with terminal device F, satellite C can query the association information of terminal device F in the association information set stored in the storage module on satellite C according to the identification information of terminal device F, to obtain the association information of terminal device F. After satellite C obtains the association information of terminal device F, satellite C extracts the address information of satellite F in the association information of terminal device F, to obtain the address information of satellite F.

[0134] a3、the first satellite sends a second message to the second satellite based on the address information of the second satellite. Correspondingly, the second satellite receives the second message sent by the first satellite.

[0135] Wherein, the first satellite generates a second message for requesting to establish a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite based on the address information of the second satellite and the address information of the first satellite, and the second message carries the address information of the first satellite and the address information of the second satellite.

[0136] Wherein, in step a3, the first satellite sends a second message to the second satellite based on the address information of the second satellite, so that the first satellite performs the step of establishing a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite.

[0137] It should be noted that after the first satellite sends the second message to the second satellite in step a3, the operation steps performed by the first satellite and the second satellite are the same as those performed by the first satellite and the second satellite after the first satellite sends the second message to the second satellite in the above embodiment S302, and this embodiment will not be described again.

[0138] In the embodiment, in the case that the association information set is stored in the storage module of each satellite, the first satellite can directly query the address information of the second satellite accessed by the second terminal device within the first satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and the association information set stored in the storage module on the first satellite, without querying the address information of the second satellite through other satellites, thereby effectively improving the query efficiency of the address information of the second satellite and reducing the communication load. Meanwhile, the complexity and maintenance cost of the communication system can be effectively reduced, thereby better supporting the operation of the satellite communication system.

[0139] In the above embodiment, the address information of the second satellite can be determined by the first satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and the association information set stored in the storage module on the first satellite. Next, the specific implementation manner in which the first satellite determines the address information of the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device through the third satellite and sends the second message to the second satellite when the association information set is not stored in the storage module on the first satellite is shown in FIG. 7.

[0140] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of another satellite communication method provided by the embodiment of the application. As shown in FIG. 7, in another embodiment of the application, S302 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first satellite sends the second message to the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device, which can be implemented by steps b1 to b3 in the embodiment, which are described in detail as follows.

[0141] b1. The first satellite sends a third message to the third satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device. Correspondingly, the third satellite receives the third message sent by the first satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device.

[0142] The third message is used to request the third satellite to determine the address information of the second satellite based on the association information set stored in the third satellite, and the third message carries the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the first satellite.

[0143] It should be noted that the third satellite is a target storage satellite in the satellite communication system. The third satellite can be located in the same satellite orbit as the first satellite or in different satellite orbits, which is not limited in the embodiment.

[0144] After receiving the third message sent by the first satellite, the third satellite searches the association information of the second terminal device in the association information set stored in the storage module on the third satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device carried in the third message, and sends the searched association information of the second terminal device as the content of the response message to the first satellite.

[0145] It should be noted that the third satellite queries the association information of the second terminal device in the association information set stored in the storage module on the third satellite based on the third message sent by the first satellite, and sends the association information of the second terminal device as the content of the response message to the first satellite, so that the first satellite obtains the address information of the second satellite according to the content of the response message, and realizes addressing of the first satellite to the second satellite.

[0146] For example, in a satellite communication system, including satellite C, satellite D, satellite E and satellite F, terminal device C accesses satellite C, terminal device D accesses satellite D, terminal device E accesses satellite E, and terminal device F accesses satellite F. Satellite C and satellite F are non-target storage satellites, satellite D and satellite E are target storage satellites, satellite C and satellite D are located in the same satellite orbit, satellite E and satellite F are located in the same satellite orbit, and satellite C and satellite E are located in different satellite orbits.

[0147] In this case, the storage modules corresponding to satellite D and satellite E both store an association information set, and the storage modules corresponding to satellite C and satellite F do not store an association information set. The association information set includes the association information of terminal device C, the association information of terminal device D, the association information of terminal device E and the association information of terminal device F, the association information of terminal device C includes the identification information of terminal device C and the address information of satellite C, the association information of terminal device D includes the identification information of terminal device D and the address information of satellite D, the association information of terminal device E includes the identification information of terminal device E and the address information of satellite E, and the association information of terminal device F includes the identification information of terminal device F and the address information of satellite F.

[0148] When terminal device C wants to communicate with terminal device F, terminal device C sends a first request message to satellite D through satellite C, the first request message carrying the address information of satellite C and the identification information of terminal device F. After receiving the first request message sent by satellite C, satellite D queries the association information of terminal device F in the association information set stored in the storage module corresponding to satellite D according to the identification information of terminal device F, to obtain the association information of terminal device F, and sends the association information of terminal device F as a response message to satellite C based on the address information of satellite C. After satellite C obtains the response message sent by satellite D, satellite C extracts the address information of satellite F in the response message, and obtains the address information of satellite F.

[0149] In the example, in a case that the satellite C accessed by the terminal device C determines the address information of the satellite F accessed by the terminal device F, the satellite C sends a first request message to the satellite D in the same satellite orbit as the satellite C, to request the satellite D to query the association information of the terminal device F in the association information set stored in the storage module of the satellite D according to the identification information of the terminal device F, and determine the address information of the satellite F according to the association information of the terminal device F queried by the satellite D.

[0150] For another example, in a satellite communication system, including the satellite C, the satellite D, the satellite E and the satellite F, the terminal device C accesses the satellite C, the terminal device D accesses the satellite D, the terminal device E accesses the satellite E, and the terminal device F accesses the satellite F. The satellite D is a target storage satellite, and the satellite C is in one satellite orbit, and the satellite D, the satellite E and the satellite F are in another satellite orbit.

[0151] In this case, the storage module corresponding to the satellite D stores the association information set, and the storage modules corresponding to the satellite C, the satellite E and the satellite F do not store the association information set. The association information set includes the association information of the terminal device C, the association information of the terminal device D, the association information of the terminal device E and the association information of the terminal device F, the association information of the terminal device C includes the identification information of the terminal device C and the address information of the satellite C, the association information of the terminal device D includes the identification information of the terminal device D and the address information of the satellite D, the association information of the terminal device E includes the identification information of the terminal device E and the address information of the satellite E, and the association information of the terminal device F includes the identification information of the terminal device F and the address information of the satellite F.

[0152] When the terminal device C wants to communicate with the terminal device F, the terminal device C sends a second request message to the satellite D through the satellite C, and the second request message carries the address information of the satellite C and the identification information of the terminal device F. After receiving the second request message sent by the satellite C, the satellite D queries the association information of the terminal device F in the association information set stored in the storage module corresponding to the satellite D according to the identification information of the terminal device F, to obtain the association information of the terminal device F, and sends the association information of the terminal device F as a response message to the satellite C based on the address information of the satellite C. After obtaining the response message sent by the satellite D, the satellite C extracts the address information of the satellite F in the response message, to obtain the address information of the satellite F.

[0153] Through the example, in a case that the satellite C accessed by the terminal device C determines the address information of the satellite F accessed by the terminal device F, the satellite C determines the address information of the satellite F by sending a first request message to the satellite D, the satellite D is located in a different satellite orbit from the satellite C, to request the satellite D to query the associated information of the terminal device F in the associated information set stored in the storage module of the satellite D according to the identification information of the terminal device F, and determine the address information of the satellite F according to the associated information of the terminal device F queried by the satellite D.

[0154] Compared with the above two modes, in the first example, the satellite C and the satellite D are located in the same satellite orbit, and when the satellite C sends the first request message to the satellite D, the communication path is relatively direct, and the delay is low. In the second example, the satellite C and the satellite D are located on different satellite orbits, and when communicating, different orbits need to be crossed, the communication path is longer, and the delay is higher.

[0155] b2, the first satellite receives a response message sent by the third satellite based on the third message, and obtains the address information of the second satellite based on the content of the response message.

[0156] The response message includes the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the second satellite.

[0157] It should be noted that, in a case that the content of the response message includes the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the second satellite, the first satellite extracts the address information of the second satellite in the second response to obtain the address information of the second satellite.

[0158] b3, the first satellite sends a second message to the second satellite based on the address information of the second satellite. Correspondingly, the second satellite receives the second message sent by the first satellite based on the address information of the second satellite.

[0159] The first satellite generates the second message for requesting to establish a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite based on the address information of the second satellite and the address information of the first satellite, and the second message carries the address information of the first satellite and the address information of the second satellite.

[0160] In step b3, the first satellite sends the second message to the second satellite based on the address information of the second satellite, so that the first satellite performs the step of establishing a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite.

[0161] It should be noted that, after the first satellite sends the second message to the second satellite in step b3, the operation steps performed by the first satellite and the second satellite are the same as the operation steps performed by the first satellite and the second satellite after the first satellite sends the second message to the second satellite in the above embodiment S302, and this embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0162] In the embodiment, the association information set is only stored in the storage module on the target storage satellite in the satellite communication system, and the storage module on the satellite other than the target storage satellite in the satellite communication system does not store the association information set, so that the storage resource can be effectively saved, and the storage cost of the satellite communication system is reduced. In addition, by storing the association information set in the storage module on the target storage satellite, the burden and complexity of data synchronization can be reduced. When the satellite communication system needs to be expanded or upgraded, the association information set can be flexibly selected to be stored only in the storage module on the target storage satellite, so that the scalability and flexibility of the satellite communication system are improved.

[0163] In the above embodiment, the address information of the second satellite can be determined by the third satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and the association information set stored in the storage module on the first satellite. Next, the specific implementation manner that when the association information set not stored in the storage module on the first satellite, the first satellite determines the address information of the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device through the third satellite, and sends the second message to the second satellite through the third satellite is shown in FIG. 8.

[0164] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of another satellite communication method provided by the embodiment of the application. As shown in FIG. 8, in another embodiment of the application, S302 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first satellite sends the second message to the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device, which can be implemented by the steps in the embodiment, and the steps in the embodiment are described in detail below.

[0165] In the embodiment, the first satellite sends a fourth message to the third satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device, so that the third satellite sends the second message to the second satellite according to the fourth message. Correspondingly, the third satellite receives the fourth message sent by the first satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device, and sends the second message to the second satellite according to the fourth message.

[0166] The fourth message is used to request to establish a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the address information of the first satellite and the identification information of the second terminal device are carried in the fourth message.

[0167] It should be noted that after the third satellite receives the fourth message sent by the first satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device, the third satellite queries the association information of the second terminal device in the association information set stored in the storage module of the third satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device, and obtains the address information of the second satellite. After the third satellite obtains the address information of the second satellite, the address information of the second satellite and the address information of the first satellite are combined to obtain the second message, and the second message is sent to the second satellite.

[0168] Wherein, after the third satellite sends the second message to the second satellite according to the fourth message, the first satellite performs the step of establishing a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite.

[0169] It should be noted that after the first satellite sends the second message to the second satellite through the third satellite, the operation steps performed by the first satellite and the second satellite are the same as the operation steps performed by the first satellite and the second satellite after the first satellite sends the second message to the second satellite in the above-mentioned embodiment S302. This embodiment will not be repeated here.

[0170] In this embodiment, the third satellite acts as a relay node between the first satellite and the second satellite. The first satellite sends a fourth message to the third satellite for requesting to establish a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device. The third satellite determines the address information of the second satellite based on the fourth message, and generates a second message for requesting to establish a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite, to send the second message to the second satellite. The communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite is established. By introducing the third satellite as an intermediary, it helps to bridge the first satellite and the second satellite, ensuring that information can be effectively transmitted between the first satellite and the second satellite. In addition, when direct communication between the first satellite and the second satellite encounters technical or environmental problems, a backup communication path can be provided through the third satellite, enhancing the robustness and fault tolerance of the satellite communication system.

[0171] The application also provides a satellite communication system, which includes a first satellite and a second satellite. The first satellite is configured to perform the processes performed by the first satellite in the above-mentioned embodiments. The second satellite is configured to perform the processes performed by the second satellite in the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0172] The application also provides another satellite communication system, which comprises a first satellite, a second satellite and a third satellite. The first satellite is configured to perform the process performed by the first satellite in the foregoing embodiments. The second satellite is configured to perform the process performed by the second satellite in the foregoing embodiments. The third satellite is configured to perform the process performed by the third satellite in the foregoing embodiments.

[0173] FIG. 9 is a structural diagram of another communication apparatus provided by the embodiments of the application. The communication apparatus 900 provided by the embodiments of the application can exist independently or can be integrated into other devices, and can communicate with the first satellite mentioned above to implement the operation corresponding to the first satellite in any of the method embodiments.

[0174] The communication apparatus 900 can comprise a transceiver module 901 and a processing module 902. The processing module 902 is configured to perform data processing, and the transceiver module 901 can implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver module 901 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0175] Optionally, the communication apparatus 900 can further comprise a storage unit, which can be configured to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 902 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit, so that the communication apparatus 900 implements the operation of the first satellite in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0176] The transceiver module 901 is configured to perform the receiving-related operations of the first satellite in the foregoing method embodiments, and the processing module 902 is configured to perform the processing-related operations of the first satellite in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0177] Optionally, the transceiver module 901 can comprise a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module is configured to perform the sending operations in the foregoing method embodiments. The receiving module is configured to perform the receiving operations in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0178] It should be noted that the communication apparatus 900 can comprise the sending module and not comprise the receiving module. Alternatively, the communication apparatus 900 can comprise the receiving module and not comprise the sending module. Whether the sending module and the receiving module are comprised by the communication apparatus 900 can depend on whether the sending action and the receiving action are comprised by the scheme implemented by the communication apparatus 900.

[0179] As an example, the communication apparatus 900 is configured to perform the actions performed by the first satellite in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3, 6, 7 and 8.

[0180] The communication apparatus 900 can comprise a transceiver module 901 and a processing module 902.

[0181] The transceiver module 901 is configured to receive a first message sent by the first terminal device; the first message is used to request communication with the second terminal device, and the first message carries identification information of the second terminal device; and the second terminal device currently successfully accesses the second satellite.

[0182] The transceiver module 901 is further configured to send, based on the identification information of the second terminal device, a second message to the second satellite; the second message is used to request establishment of a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the second message carries address information of the first satellite and address information of the second satellite; the address information of the second satellite is determined by the first satellite or the third satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device and a set of association information; the set of association information includes association information of at least one terminal device, and the association information of the terminal device includes identification information of the terminal device and address information of a satellite accessed by the terminal device; the communication system includes a base station, or the communication system includes a base station and a core network, or the communication system includes a base station and an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), or the communication system includes a base station, a core network and an IMS.

[0183] It should be understood that the respective modules perform the above-mentioned corresponding processes, which have been described in detail in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and thus will not be described here again for the sake of brevity.

[0184] The processing module 902 in the foregoing embodiments can be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuit. The transceiver module 901 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit. The transceiver module 901 can also be referred to as a communication unit or a communication interface. The storage unit can be implemented by at least one memory.

[0185] FIG. 10 is a structural diagram of another communication apparatus provided by an embodiment of the present application. The communication apparatus 1000 provided by the embodiment of the present application can exist independently or can be integrated in other devices, and can communicate with the second satellite mentioned above to implement the operations corresponding to the second satellite in any of the above-mentioned method embodiments.

[0186] The communication apparatus 1000 can include a transceiver module 1001 and a processing module 1002. The processing module 1002 is configured to perform data processing, and the transceiver module 1001 can implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver module 1001 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0187] Optionally, the communication apparatus 1000 can further include a storage unit, which can be used to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 1002 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit, so that the communication apparatus 1000 implements the operations of the second satellite in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0188] The transceiver module 1001 is configured to perform the receiving operations of the second satellite in the foregoing method embodiments, and the processing module 1002 is configured to perform the processing operations of the second satellite in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0189] Optionally, the transceiver module 1001 can include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module is configured to perform the sending operations in the foregoing method embodiments. The receiving module is configured to perform the receiving operations in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0190] It should be noted that the communication apparatus 1000 can include the sending module but not the receiving module. Alternatively, the communication apparatus 1000 can include the receiving module but not the sending module. Specifically, whether the sending module and the receiving module are included in the communication apparatus 1000 depends on whether the sending and receiving operations are included in the scheme performed by the communication apparatus 1000.

[0191] As an example, the communication apparatus 1000 is configured to perform the operations performed by the second satellite in the embodiments shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.

[0192] The communication apparatus 1000 can include a transceiver module 1001 and a processing module 1002.

[0193] The transceiver module 1001 is configured to receive a second message. The second message is a message sent by a first satellite or a third satellite based on identification information of a second terminal device. The second message is used to request to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite. The second message carries address information of the first satellite and address information of the second satellite. The address information of the second satellite is determined by the first satellite or the third satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device and a set of association information. The set of association information includes association information of at least one terminal device. The association information of the terminal device includes identification information of the terminal device and address information of a satellite accessed by the terminal device. The second terminal device currently successfully accesses the second satellite. The identification information of the second terminal device is carried in a first message. The first message is sent by a first terminal device that successfully accesses the first satellite. The first message is used to request to communicate with the second terminal device. The communication system includes a base station. Alternatively, the communication system includes a base station and a core network. Alternatively, the communication system includes a base station and an IMS. Alternatively, the communication system includes a base station, a core network and an IMS.

[0194] It should be understood that the operations of each module described above have been described in detail in the foregoing method embodiments, and thus are not described herein again for the sake of brevity.

[0195] The processing module 1002 in the foregoing embodiments can be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuit. The transceiver module 1001 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit. The transceiver module 1001 can also be referred to as a communication unit or a communication interface. The storage unit can be implemented by at least one memory.

[0196] FIG. 11 is a structural diagram of another communication apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application. The communication apparatus 1100 provided by the embodiments of the present application can exist independently, or can be integrated in other devices. The communication apparatus 1100 can communicate with the third satellite mentioned in the foregoing embodiments, and is configured to implement the operations of the third satellite in any of the method embodiments.

[0197] The communication apparatus 1100 can include a transceiver module 1101 and a processing module 1102. The processing module 1102 is configured to perform data processing, and the transceiver module 1101 can implement corresponding communication functions. The transceiver module 1101 can also be referred to as a communication interface or a communication unit.

[0198] Optionally, the communication apparatus 1100 can further include a storage unit, which can be configured to store instructions and / or data. The processing module 1102 can read the instructions and / or data in the storage unit, so that the communication apparatus 1100 implements the operations of the third satellite in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0199] The transceiver module 1101 is configured to perform the receiving-related operations of the third satellite in the foregoing method embodiments, and the processing module 1102 is configured to perform the processing-related operations of the third satellite in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0200] Optionally, the transceiver module 1101 can include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module is configured to perform the sending operations in the foregoing method embodiments. The receiving module is configured to perform the receiving operations in the foregoing method embodiments.

[0201] It should be noted that the communication apparatus 1100 can include the sending module, but not the receiving module. Alternatively, the communication apparatus 1100 can include the receiving module, but not the sending module. Whether the sending module and the receiving module are included in the communication apparatus 1100 can depend on whether the communication apparatus 1100 performs the sending action and the receiving action in the foregoing schemes.

[0202] As an example, the communication apparatus 1100 is configured to perform the actions performed by the third satellite in the embodiments shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 6, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.

[0203] The communication apparatus 1100 can include a transceiver module 1101 and a processing module 1102.

[0204] The transceiver module 1101 is configured to receive a fourth message sent by the first satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device; the second terminal device currently successfully accesses the second satellite; the fourth message is used to request to establish a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the fourth message carries the address information of the first satellite and the identification information of the second terminal device; the identification information of the second terminal device is information carried in the first message, the first message is sent by the first terminal device that successfully accesses the first satellite, and the first message is used to request to communicate with the second terminal device;

[0205] The processing module 1102 is configured to determine the address information of the second satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and the association information set stored by the third satellite; the association information set includes the association information of at least one terminal device, and the association information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the terminal device and the address information of the satellite accessed by the terminal device.

[0206] The transceiver module 1101 is further configured to send a second message to the second satellite according to the address information of the second satellite; the second message is used to request to establish a communication link between the communication system deployed on the first satellite and the communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the second message carries the address information of the first satellite and the address information of the second satellite; the communication system includes a base station, or the communication system includes a base station and a core network, or the communication system includes a base station and an IMS, or the communication system includes a base station, a core network and an IMS.

[0207] Alternatively, the transceiver module 1101 is configured to receive a third message sent by the first satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device; the second terminal device currently successfully accesses the second satellite; the identification information of the second terminal device is information carried in the first message, the first message is sent by the first terminal device that successfully accesses the first satellite, and the first message is used to request to communicate with the second terminal device; the third message is used to request the third satellite to determine the address information of the second satellite based on the association information set stored by the third satellite, and the third message carries the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the first satellite; the association information set includes the association information of at least one terminal device, and the association information of the terminal device includes the identification information of the terminal device and the address information of the satellite accessed by the terminal device.

[0208] The transceiver module 1101 is further configured to send a response message to the first satellite based on the address information of the first satellite, wherein the response message comprises the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the second satellite, and the address information of the second satellite is used to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the communication system comprises a base station, or the communication system comprises a base station and a core network, or the communication system comprises a base station and an IMS, or the communication system comprises a base station, a core network and an IMS.

[0209] It should be understood that the respective modules perform the above-mentioned corresponding processes which have been described in detail in the above-mentioned method embodiments, and for the sake of brevity, will not be described here.

[0210] The processing module 1102 in the foregoing embodiments can be implemented by at least one processor or processor-related circuit. The transceiver module 1101 can be implemented by a transceiver or transceiver-related circuit. The transceiver module 1101 can also be referred to as a communication unit or a communication interface. The storage unit can be implemented by at least one memory.

[0211] FIG. 12 is a structural diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG. 12, the electronic device 1200 according to the embodiment of the present application comprises a memory 1201 and a processor 1202.

[0212] The memory 1201 can be an independent physical unit and can be connected to the processor 1202 through a bus 1203. The memory 1201 and the processor 1202 can also be integrated together and implemented by hardware, etc. The memory 1201 is configured to store program instructions, and the processor 1202 invokes the program instructions to perform the operations performed by the first satellite, the second satellite or the third satellite in any of the above method embodiments.

[0213] Optionally, when part or all of the method in the above embodiments is implemented by software, the electronic device 1200 can only include the processor 1202. The memory 1201 for storing programs is located outside the electronic device 1200, and the processor 1202 is connected with the memory through circuit / wire for reading and executing the programs stored in the memory. The processor 1202 can be a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), or a combination of the CPU and the NP. The processor 1202 can further include a hardware chip. The hardware chip can be an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD) or a combination thereof. The PLD can be a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a generic array logic (GAL) or any combination thereof.

[0214] The memory 1201 can include a volatile memory, such as a random-access memory (RAM); the memory can also include a non-volatile memory, such as a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD); and the memory can further include a combination of the above-mentioned memories.

[0215] Exemplarily, the present application provides a chip, comprising: an interface circuit and a logic circuit, the interface circuit is used for receiving signals from other chips outside the chip and transmitting to the logic circuit, or sending signals from the logic circuit to other chips outside the chip, and the logic circuit is used for executing the operations performed by the first satellite, the second satellite or the third satellite in any one of the above method embodiments.

[0216] Exemplarily, the present application provides a readable storage medium, which stores computer program instructions, and the computer program instructions are run by a processor of an electronic device to make the electronic device execute the operations performed by the first satellite, the second satellite or the third satellite in any one of the above method embodiments.

[0217] Exemplarily, the present application provides a computer program product, when the computer program product is run on an electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform operations performed by the first satellite, the second satellite or the third satellite in any one of the above method embodiments.

[0218] Exemplarily, the present application provides a mobile communication system, comprising: a first satellite, a second satellite and a third satellite, the first satellite, the second satellite and the third satellite can be used to perform the technical solutions of any one of the preceding method embodiments, to realize satellite communication between the first satellite, the second satellite and the third satellite.

[0219] The above only is the specific implementation of the present application, makes the person skilled in the art to understand or implement the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application will not be limited to these embodiments described herein, but will conform to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

A satellite communication method characterized by comprising: The method applied to a first satellite comprises: receiving a first message sent by a first terminal device; wherein the first message is used for requesting communication with a second terminal device, and the first message carries identification information of the second terminal device; the second terminal device currently successfully accesses a second satellite; sending a second message to the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device; wherein the second message is used for requesting establishment of a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the second message carries address information of the first satellite and address information of the second satellite; the address information of the second satellite is determined by the first satellite or a third satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device and a set of associated information; the set of associated information comprises associated information of at least one terminal device, and the associated information of the terminal device comprises identification information of the terminal device and address information of a satellite accessed by the terminal device; the communication system comprises a base station, or the communication system comprises a base station and a core network, or the communication system comprises a base station and an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), or the communication system comprises a base station, a core network and an IMS. The method of claim 1, wherein The sending of the second message to the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device comprises: determining target associated information based on the identification information of the second terminal device and a set of associated information stored by the first satellite; wherein the target associated information comprises the identification information of the second terminal device and address information of the second satellite; determining the address information of the second satellite according to the target associated information; sending the second message to the second satellite based on the address information of the second satellite. The method of claim 1, wherein The sending of the second message to the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device comprises: sending a third message to the third satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device; wherein the third message is used for requesting the third satellite to determine the address information of the second satellite based on a set of associated information stored by the third satellite; the third message carries the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the first satellite; receiving a response message sent by the third satellite based on the third message, and obtaining the address information of the second satellite based on content of the response message; wherein the response message comprises the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the second satellite; sending the second message to the second satellite based on the address information of the second satellite. The method of claim 1, wherein The sending of the second message to the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device comprises: sending, to the third satellite, a fourth message based on the identification information of the second terminal device, so that the third satellite sends a second message to the second satellite according to the fourth message; wherein the fourth message is used to request to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the fourth message carries address information of the first satellite and identification information of the second terminal device. A satellite communication method characterized by comprising: The method applied to the third satellite comprises: receiving a third message sent by the first satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device; wherein the second terminal device currently successfully accesses the second satellite; the identification information of the second terminal device is information carried in a first message, the first message is sent by a first terminal device that successfully accesses the first satellite, and the first message is used to request to communicate with the second terminal device; the third message is used to request the third satellite to determine address information of the second satellite based on an association information set stored by the third satellite, the third message carries the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the first satellite; the association information set comprises association information of at least one terminal device, and the association information of the terminal device comprises identification information of the terminal device and address information of a satellite accessed by the terminal device; sending a response message to the first satellite based on the address information of the first satellite; wherein the response message comprises the identification information of the second terminal device and address information of the second satellite; the address information of the second satellite is used to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite; the communication system comprises a base station, or the communication system comprises a base station and a core network, or the communication system comprises a base station and an IMS, or the communication system comprises a base station, a core network and an IMS. A satellite communication method characterized by comprising: The method applied to the third satellite comprises: receiving a fourth message sent by the first satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device; wherein the second terminal device currently successfully accesses the second satellite; the fourth message is used to request to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the fourth message carries address information of the first satellite and identification information of the second terminal device; the identification information of the second terminal device is information carried in a first message, the first message is sent by a first terminal device that successfully accesses the first satellite, and the first message is used to request to communicate with the second terminal device; determining address information of the second satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and an association information set stored by the third satellite; wherein the association information set comprises association information of at least one terminal device, and the association information of the terminal device comprises identification information of the terminal device and address information of a satellite accessed by the terminal device; According to the address information of the second satellite, a second message is sent to the second satellite; wherein the second message is used to request to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the second message carries the address information of the first satellite and the address information of the second satellite; the communication system includes a base station, or the communication system includes a base station and a core network, or the communication system includes a base station and an IMS, or the communication system includes a base station, a core network and an IMS. A satellite communication method characterized by comprising: The method is applied to a second satellite, and the method comprises: Receiving a second message; wherein the second message is a message sent by a first satellite or a third satellite based on identification information of a second terminal device, the second message is used to request to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the second message carries the address information of the first satellite and the address information of the second satellite; the address information of the second satellite is determined by the first satellite or the third satellite according to the identification information of the second terminal device and a set of associated information, the set of associated information includes associated information of at least one terminal device, the associated information of the terminal device includes identification information of the terminal device and address information of a satellite accessed by the terminal device; the second terminal device currently successfully accesses the second satellite, the identification information of the second terminal device is information carried in a first message, the first message is sent by a first terminal device that successfully accesses the first satellite, and the first message is used to request to communicate with the second terminal device; the communication system includes a base station, or the communication system includes a base station and a core network, or the communication system includes a base station and an IMS, or the communication system includes a base station, a core network and an IMS. The method of claim 7, wherein The receiving of the second message comprises: Receiving a second message sent by the first satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device; wherein the first satellite determines the address information of the second satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device and a set of associated information stored by the first satellite; or the first satellite determines the address information of the second satellite by sending a third message to the third satellite and according to a response message sent by the third satellite to the first satellite based on the third message; the third message is used to request the third satellite to determine the address information of the second satellite based on a set of associated information stored by the third satellite; the third message carries the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the first satellite; and the response message includes the identification information of the second terminal device and the address information of the second satellite. The method of claim 7, wherein The receiving of the second message comprises: receive a second message sent by the third satellite based on a fourth message; wherein the fourth message is a message sent by the first satellite to the third satellite based on the identification information of the second terminal device, the fourth message is used to request to establish a communication link between a communication system deployed on the first satellite and a communication system deployed on the second satellite, and the fourth message carries address information of the first satellite and identification information of the second terminal device. The method according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that The method is applied to a target satellite, and the method comprises: receiving a fifth message sent by a target terminal device; wherein the fifth message is used to request to access the target satellite, and the fifth message carries identification information of the target terminal device; the target terminal device is the first terminal device or the second terminal device, and the target satellite is the first satellite or the second satellite; generating and storing association information of the target terminal device in a case where the identification information of the target terminal device is verified; wherein the association information of the target terminal device comprises the identification information of the target terminal device and address information of a target satellite accessed by the target terminal device; sending a sixth message through broadcasting or multicasting, so that a satellite receiving the sixth message stores content of the sixth message; wherein the sixth message comprises the association information of the target terminal device.

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