Information transmission method, and communication apparatus, communication system and storage medium

Abstract

Disclosed in the embodiments of the present application are an information transmission method, and a communication apparatus, a communication system and a storage medium, which are used for reducing communication time delay or saving on communication resources. The method in the embodiments of the present application comprises: receiving first assistance information, wherein the first assistance information is information determined by means of a first non-terrestrial network (NTN) node; and determining configuration information of a first beam on the basis of the first assistance information and a beam activation capability of a second NTN node, wherein the first beam involves one or more beams activated by means of the second NTN node. The embodiments of the present application can avoid an unnecessary beam scanning process, which enables an NTN node to configure beams more quickly, thereby reducing the power consumption of satellite scanning, and reducing the time delay of system services.

Description

Information transmission method, communication device, communication system and storage medium

[0001] The present application claims priority from the Chinese patent application No. 202410669018.4 filed on May 24, 2024, and entitled "Information transmission method, communication device, communication system and storage medium", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of communication technology, in particular to an information transmission method, a communication device, a communication system and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0003] Under non-terrestrial networks (NTN), satellite communication has a wider coverage range than ground cellular networks, and has characteristics such as long communication distance, high deployment flexibility, and being unaffected by geographical environment, natural disasters and climate conditions. Among them, low-orbit satellites generally provide communication services for a region in the form of beams, and if multiple beams are to be activated simultaneously, each beam needs to share the total transmit power. Therefore, to ensure that each activated beam can meet the minimum signal strength of the ground receiving end, the number of simultaneously activated beams is limited.

[0004] Since the coverage area of the satellite includes multiple beam sites, and the number of beams activated by the satellite is limited, it is necessary to prioritize beam sites with a large number of users or high user density, wherein a beam site is a pre-set geographical area on Earth, and the size or area of the area can be pre-specified or adjusted. The satellite can obtain the number of users or user density of each beam site through global beam scanning. The satellite broadcasts system information at each beam site, and the system information carries reference signal configuration information associated with the beam site. A terminal device that receives the configuration information can use the sequence identification (ID) in the configuration information to generate its own reference signal sequence for transmission, and a network device can determine which beam site corresponds to a large number of users according to the received sequence.

[0005] However, since there are usually thousands of beam sites in the coverage area of the satellite, and the service time of the satellite during flying over the target coverage area is short, if each satellite scans all beam sites and then activates beams, it will increase the user service delay and waste satellite power resources. SUMMARY

[0006] The present application provides an information transmission method, a communication device, a communication system and a storage medium, which are used to reduce communication delay or save communication resources.

[0007] The first aspect of the present application provides an information transmission method. Optionally, the execution subject of the method can be a first device, which can be a network device (for example, an NTN node), a component or device applied to the network device (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.), or a logic module or software (for example, a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU), etc.) capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the network device. Taking a second NTN node as an example, the second NTN node enters a target service area and transmits a service to a terminal device in the target service area. In the method, the second NTN node receives first auxiliary information, which is information determined by a first NTN node. The second NTN node determines configuration information of a first beam according to the first auxiliary information and a beam activation capability of the second NTN node. The first beam is one or more beams transmitted by the second NTN node.

[0008] In the embodiment, the second NTN node obtains the first auxiliary information, thereby avoiding unnecessary beam scanning processes, enabling the second NTN node to configure the first beam more quickly, saving satellite scanning power consumption, and reducing system service latency.

[0009] Optionally, the second NTN node receives the first auxiliary information from a gateway station.

[0010] In the embodiment, since the ground gateway station can collect scanning results of multiple satellites on the target coverage area and obtain multiple user distribution information, the auxiliary information transmitted by the gateway station can be better fused and processed.

[0011] Optionally, the second NTN node transmits a first request message to the gateway station, where the first request message is used to request the first auxiliary information from the gateway station.

[0012] In the embodiment, the second NTN node can actively request the first auxiliary information from the gateway station, thereby avoiding occupying service time in the target coverage area.

[0013] Optionally, the second NTN node can obtain second auxiliary information according to the configuration information of the first beam. The second NTN node reports the second auxiliary information to the gateway station, so that a next NTN node serving the target coverage area can adjust a beam according to the second auxiliary information.

[0014] In this embodiment, the second NTN node reports the second assistance information to the gateway station, which can enable the adjacent NTN node to find the beam position that needs to be preferentially covered or the user area that needs to be preferentially served more quickly, save satellite scanning power consumption, and reduce system service latency.

[0015] Optionally, the second NTN node sends the second assistance information to the gateway station in response to a second request message from the gateway station.

[0016] Optionally, the second NTN node can obtain the second assistance information according to the configuration information of the first beam. The second NTN node can send the second assistance information to the third NTN node.

[0017] In this embodiment, the second NTN node directly sends the second assistance information to the adjacent third NTN node, which can save the latency of interaction with the ground gateway station.

[0018] Optionally, the second NTN node receives a sixth request message from the third NTN node and sends the second assistance information to the third NTN node in response to the sixth request message.

[0019] In this embodiment, the second NTN node transmits the second assistance information to the third NTN node based on the sixth request message from the third NTN node, which can save the latency of interaction with the ground gateway station.

[0020] The second aspect of the present application provides an information transmission method. Optionally, the execution subject of the method can be a second device, which can be a network device (such as an NTN node), a component (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system) applied to the network device, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the network device. Taking a first NTN node as an example, in the method, the first NTN node determines first assistance information, which is used for the adjacent second NTN node to configure a first beam. The first beam is one or more beams transmitted by the second NTN node. The first NTN node can send the first assistance information when the first NTN node completes global beam scanning, before or after moving out of a target area, or when a request message is received.

[0021] Optionally, the first assistance information can be user distribution information. Specifically, the first NTN node obtains the user distribution information in response to a fourth request message from the gateway station.

[0022] Optionally, the first NTN node can determine the first assistance information according to the user distribution information.

[0023] In the embodiment, after the first NTN node determines the first assistance information according to the user distribution information, the adjacent NTN node can adjust the beam according to the first assistance information, thereby avoiding unnecessary beam scanning process, enabling the adjacent NTN node to configure the beam faster, saving satellite scanning power consumption, and reducing system service delay.

[0024] Optionally, the first NTN node reports the first assistance information to the gateway station.

[0025] Optionally, the first NTN node sends the first assistance information to the gateway station in response to a fifth request message of the gateway station.

[0026] In the embodiment, since the ground gateway station can collect the scanning results of multiple satellites on the target coverage area to obtain multiple user distribution information, the assistance information transmitted by the gateway station can be better fused.

[0027] Based on the first aspect or the second aspect of the application, optionally, the first assistance information includes user distribution information, the user distribution information being used to indicate the user density of at least one target region in the target coverage area, and the target coverage area being the coverage area of the first NTN node.

[0028] In the embodiment, by transmitting the user distribution information, the adjacent node does not need to perform global scanning again, thereby saving satellite scanning power consumption and reducing system service delay.

[0029] Based on the first aspect or the second aspect of the application, optionally, the first assistance information includes information used to indicate at least one target region covered by the second beam, wherein the target region can be a wave site or a beam coverage range of the second beam, and the second beam is one or more beams reflected by the first NTN node.

[0030] In the embodiment, by transmitting the wave site information of the second beam coverage, the adjacent NTN node can directly emit a beam to the corresponding wave site according to the wave site information of the second beam coverage.

[0031] Based on the first aspect or the second aspect of the application, optionally, the first assistance information includes configuration information of the second beam, and the second beam is one or more beams reflected by the first NTN node.

[0032] In the embodiment, by transmitting the configuration information of the second beam, the adjacent NTN node can configure the beam faster.

[0033] Based on the first aspect or the second aspect of the application, optionally, the second NTN node can receive the first assistance information from the first NTN node.

[0034] Optionally, the second NTN node sends a third request message to the first NTN node, where the third request message is used to request the first assistance information from the first NTN node.

[0035] In this embodiment, the second NTN node directly obtains the first assistance information from the first NTN node, which can save the latency of interaction with the ground gateway station.

[0036] The third aspect of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which can be the first apparatus described above. The communication apparatus includes modules or units for performing the method described in the first aspect and any possible implementation manner thereof.

[0037] The fourth aspect of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which can be the second apparatus described above. The communication apparatus includes modules or units for performing the method described in the second aspect and any possible implementation manner thereof.

[0038] The fifth aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a communication apparatus, which can be a network device (for example, an NTN node), can be a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) applied to the network device, can also be a logic module or software (such as a CU, a DU, or a RU, etc.) capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the network device. The communication apparatus includes:

[0039] The processor is configured to execute a program, so that the communication apparatus performs the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect and any possible implementation manner thereof.

[0040] Optionally, the communication apparatus further includes a memory, and the processor is coupled to the memory; and the memory is configured to store the program.

[0041] The sixth aspect of the present application provides a chip or a chip system, which includes at least one processor and a communication interface. The communication interface and the at least one processor are connected through a circuit. The at least one processor is configured to run a computer program or an instruction to perform the information transmission method described in any one of the first aspect or the third aspect and any possible implementation manner thereof.

[0042] The communication interface in the chip can be an input / output interface, a pin, or a circuit, etc.

[0043] In a possible implementation, the chip or the chip system described above in the present application further includes at least one memory, and the at least one memory stores instructions. The memory can be a storage unit inside the chip, such as a register, a cache, etc., or can be a storage unit of the chip, such as a read-only memory, a random access memory, etc.

[0044] The seventh aspect of the present application provides a communication system, comprising the communication device of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the communication device of the third aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0045] Or,

[0046] The gateway station, the communication device of the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof, and the communication device of the third aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0047] The eighth aspect of the present application provides a computer readable storage medium, comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of the first aspect, or cause the computer to perform the method of the third aspect.

[0048] The ninth aspect of the present application provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of the first aspect, or cause the computer to perform the method of the third aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0049] Fig. 1 is a ground network architecture diagram in the embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Fig. 2 is a non-ground network architecture diagram in the embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Fig. 3 is one possible application scenario of the information transmission method in the embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the beam activation coverage in the embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the information transmission method in the embodiment of the present application;

[0054] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the beam activation coverage in the embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the beam activation coverage in the embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the communication device in the embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication device in the embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the communication device in the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] The embodiment of the present application provides an information transmission method, a communication device, a communication system and a storage medium, which are applied to the technical field of communication, and can save satellite scanning power consumption and reduce system service time delay.

[0060] The embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the drawings. Those skilled in the art can know that, with the development of technology and the emergence of new scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0061] The terms "first", "second", and the like in the specification, claims, and drawings of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and do not necessarily have to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, and this is only a distinguishing way adopted in the description of the embodiments of the present application for the objects with the same attribute in the description. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the processes, methods, systems, products or equipment containing a series of units do not have to be limited to those units, but can include other units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or equipment.

[0062] Please refer to Fig. 1, the ground network architecture on which the communication method in the embodiments of the present application is based is described briefly as follows:

[0063] Fig. 1 is a possible, non-limiting system schematic diagram. As shown in Fig. 1, the communication system 10 includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network (CN) 200. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (such as 110a and 110b in Fig. 1, collectively referred to as 110) and at least one terminal (such as 120a-120j in Fig. 1, collectively referred to as 120). Other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Fig. 1), etc. can also be included in the RAN 100. The terminal 120 is connected to the RAN node 110 in a wireless manner. The RAN node 110 is connected to the core network 200 in a wireless or wired manner. The core network device in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be different physical devices respectively, or can be the same physical device integrated with the logical functions of the core network and the logical functions of the radio access network.

[0064] The RAN 100 can be a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) -related cellular system, e.g., a 4G, 5G mobile communication system, or a future-oriented evolved system. The RAN 100 can also be an ORAN, a CRAN, or a wireless fidelity (WiFi) system. The RAN 100 can also be a communication system in which two or more of the above systems are fused.

[0065] The RAN nodes 110, which can also be referred to as network devices or access network devices, RAN entities or access nodes, etc., form part of the communication system 100 and are configured to help terminals to access the wireless access. The RAN nodes 110 in the communication system 100 can be of the same type or of different types. In some scenarios, the roles of the RAN nodes 110 and the terminals 120 are opposite, e.g., the network element 120i in Figure 1 can be a helicopter or a drone, which can be configured as a mobile base station. For those terminals 120j that access the RAN 100 through the network element 120i, the network element 120i is a base station; but for the base station 110a, the network element 120i is a terminal. The RAN nodes 110 and the terminals 120 are sometimes referred to as communication apparatuses, e.g., the network elements 110a and 110b in Figure 1 can be understood as communication apparatuses with base station functions, and the network elements 120a-120j can be understood as communication apparatuses with terminal functions.

[0066] In a possible scenario, the RAN node can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), an access point (AP), a transmission reception point (TRP), a next generation NodeB (gNB), a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system, etc. The RAN node can be a macro base station (such as 110a in FIG. 1), a micro base station or an indoor station (such as 110b in FIG. 1), a relay node or a donor node, or a wireless controller in a CRAN scenario. Optionally, the RAN node can also be a server, a wearable device, a vehicle or a vehicle-mounted device, etc. For example, the access network device in vehicle to everything (V2X) technology can be a road side unit (RSU). All or part of the functions of the RAN node in this application can also be implemented by software functions running on hardware, or by virtualized functions instantiated on a platform such as a cloud platform. The RAN node can also be provided with a communication module, circuit or chip for performing corresponding communication functions, and program instructions for performing corresponding communication functions. The RAN node in this application can also be a logical node, a logical module or software that can implement all or part of the functions of the RAN node.

[0067] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes cooperate to assist a terminal to implement wireless access, and different RAN nodes respectively implement part of the functions of a base station. For example, the RAN node can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), a CU-CP, a CU-UP, or a radio unit (RU), etc. The CU and the DU can be separately arranged, or can be included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, such as a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU) or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0068] In different systems, the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU or RU can also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in the ORAN system, the CU can also be referred to as O-CU (open CU), the DU can also be referred to as O-DU, the CU-CP can also be referred to as O-CU-CP, the CU-UP can also be referred to as O-CU-UP, and the RU can also be referred to as O-RU. For the convenience of description, the CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU and RU are taken as examples for description in this application. Any one of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU and RU in this application can be implemented by a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module.

[0069] A terminal can be a device or module with corresponding communication functions and can access the above-mentioned communication system. The terminal can also be referred to as a terminal device, a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a mobile terminal, etc. The terminal can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D) communication, vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), internet of things (IOT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, remote medical treatment, smart power grid, smart furniture, smart office, smart wear, smart transportation, smart city, etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a computer with wireless transceiver function, a wearable device, a vehicle, a drone, a helicopter, an airplane, a ship, a robot, a mechanical arm, a smart home device, a transport vehicle with wireless communication function, a communication module, etc. Embodiments of the present application do not limit the device form of the terminal. The terminal usually has a communication module, circuit or chip for executing corresponding communication functions. The terminal can also be configured with program instructions for executing corresponding communication functions.

[0070] Please refer to FIG. 2, the non-terrestrial network architecture based on which the communication method in the embodiments of the present application is described as follows:

[0071] The ground mobile terminal accesses the network through the new radio access network, and the network device is deployed on the satellite and connected to the ground core network through a wireless link. At the same time, there is a wireless link between the satellites to complete the signaling interaction and user data transmission between the network devices. The various network elements in FIG. 2 and their interface descriptions are as follows:

[0072] Terminal: a mobile device supporting new radio access, typically a mobile device such as a mobile phone, a pad, etc. It can access the satellite network through the air interface and initiate calls, access the Internet, etc.

[0073] Network device: mainly provides wireless access services, schedules wireless resources to access terminals, provides reliable wireless transmission protocols and data encryption protocols, etc. Among them, the network device deployed on the satellite is called NTN node.

[0074] Core network: user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, charging and other services. It is composed of multiple functional units and can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. The access and mobility management unit (AMF) is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The user plane unit (UPF) is responsible for managing user plane data transmission, traffic statistics and other functions.

[0075] Ground station: responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between satellite base stations and core networks. The ground station is a network device deployed on the ground. Among them, the ground station used for distribution and collection of satellite communication service data, or used to realize data exchange within the satellite communication network and data routing of external networks is called a gateway station. Among them, the gateway station can be a network device, or a component (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) applied to a network device, or a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the functions of a network device.

[0076] New radio: a wireless link between a terminal and a base station.

[0077] Xn interface: an interface between base stations, mainly used for signaling interaction such as handover.

[0078] NG interface: an interface between a base station and a CN, mainly for interaction of non-access layer (NAS) signaling of the core network and service data of the user.

[0079] The terminal device in FIG. 2 can be located in the beam or cell coverage range of the network device. Among them, the terminal device can perform air interface communication with the network device through uplink (UL) or downlink (DL). For example: the terminal device can send uplink data to the network device through the uplink physical layer shared channel (PUSCH) in the UL direction; the network device can send downlink data to the terminal device through the downlink physical layer shared channel (PDSCH) in the DL direction. The terminal device can be a terminal device supporting new radio, which can access the network device through the air interface and initiate calls, Internet access and other services. Illustratively, the network device can be a RAN device carried on a flight platform. When the RAN device is carried on the flight platform, the RAN device moves synchronously with the flight platform, and the RAN device and the flight platform can be regarded as a whole. At this time, the flight platform can be regarded as the RAN device, or the flight platform can be described as working in a regenerative mode, that is, the flight platform has the function of the RAN device. In addition, the communication link between the flight platform and the terminal device can be referred to as a service link. When multiple flight platforms are included in the communication system, the flight platforms can communicate with each other through an Xn interface. In actual applications, the network device can also be a RAN device distributed based on a DU and carried on a flight platform, or directly as a flight platform, which is not limited here.

[0080] The flight platform described above can be a satellite, a drone, or the like. Illustratively, the flight platform can include a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, a non-geostationary orbit satellite, a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geosynchronous orbit satellite, an unmanned flight system platform, or a high-orbit satellite, and the like, which is not limited here.

[0081] Among them, the low-orbit and medium-orbit satellites can have their own motion trajectories, and generally provide communication for a fixed area by cooperation of multiple satellites. The high-orbit satellite is generally in a stationary state, and one or a few high-orbit satellites provide communication for a fixed area.

[0082] In addition, the embodiments of the present application can also be applicable to other future-oriented communication technologies. The network architecture and service scenarios described in the present application are for more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the present application. Those skilled in the art can know that, with the evolution of network architecture and the appearance of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0083] FIG. 3 shows an application scenario applicable to the embodiments of the present application. In a possible implementation, the first NTN node and the second NTN node are deployed in the non-terrestrial network architecture shown in FIG. 2, wherein the first NTN node and the second NTN node are used to implement the functions of the network device shown in FIG. 1. That is, the first NTN node and the second NTN node are RAN nodes deployed on a satellite. The first NTN node and the second NTN node serve the same target coverage area. The first NTN node performs global scanning on the target coverage area, and configures the beams of the first NTN node according to the result of the global scanning. When the first NTN node leaves the target coverage area, the second NTN node enters the target coverage area and performs global beam scanning on the target coverage area again. The manner in which the NTN node performs global beam scanning is shown in FIG. 4. The NTN node transmits multiple beams to cover multiple wave points in the target coverage area, and obtains the user density at the multiple wave points according to the sequence IDs reported by the terminal devices at the multiple wave points. For example, the first NTN node can transmit up to 4 beams, and each beam can cover one wave point. Then the first NTN node transmits beams to 4 wave points and obtains the user density at the 4 wave points. The above steps are repeated to obtain the user density at all wave points.

[0084] However, the target coverage area generally has thousands of wave points. If all the wave points are scanned, a lot of time will be spent. Taking synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB) scanning as an example, assuming that the period of SSB is 20 milliseconds (ms), the total number of wave points is 1000, and each beam can only cover one wave point at a time, assuming that the satellite can activate 10 beams at the same time, the time required to scan all the wave points is 2000 ms, i.e. 2 seconds. In fact, due to the high speed of the satellite, the satellite may fly over the target coverage area for only about 100 seconds. If each satellite performs global beam scanning in the above manner to obtain the user density distribution information of the target coverage area and then activates the beams, not only the user service delay is increased, but also the satellite power resources are wasted.

[0085] Based on this, the embodiment of the present application provides a method, which can avoid unnecessary beam scanning process, so that the NTN node can configure the beam faster, save the satellite scanning power consumption, and reduce the system service delay.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 5, an information transmission method in the embodiment of the present application includes:

[0087] 501. The first NTN node determines the first auxiliary information, and the first auxiliary information is used for the second NTN node to configure the first beam, and the first beam is one or more beams activated by the second NTN node.

[0088] The first NTN node determines the first auxiliary information according to the user distribution information, wherein the user distribution information is obtained by the first NTN node performing beam scanning on the target coverage area, and the user distribution information is used to indicate the user density of at least one target area in the target coverage area.

[0089] In a possible implementation, the first NTN node is configured with the wave position information, or the first NTN node has the ability to obtain the wave position information. The wave position information is the information of the wave position points in the target coverage area, or in other words, the wave position information is the information of the wave positions in the target coverage area, which is not limited here. At this time, the target area is the wave position, that is, the user distribution information is used to indicate the user density of at least one wave position in the target coverage area.

[0090] It should be understood that the user density is the ratio of the number of users to the area of the target area. When the target area is the wave position, since the areas of different wave positions are the same, the user distribution information can also be used to indicate the number of users of at least one wave position in the target coverage area.

[0091] It should be noted that since the first NTN node and the adjacent NTN node are located on the same orbit, the target coverage areas of the first NTN node and the adjacent NTN node are the same.

[0092] In a possible implementation, the first NTN node cannot obtain the wave position information, and the target area is the coverage area of the beam. For example, the coverage area of the beam can be represented by the coordinates of the beam center point and the coverage radius of the beam. The user distribution information is used to indicate the user density of at least one beam coverage area in the target area.

[0093] The first NTN node provides services for different target areas according to the user distribution information and the beam activation capability of the first NTN node. In a possible implementation, the first NTN node preferentially aims the beams at the target areas with a large user density. For example, the first NTN node can activate a maximum of 10 beams, and the target area includes 100 wave points with a user density greater than a preset value. The first NTN node sorts the 100 wave points according to the user density and divides them into 10 groups, each group including 10 wave points. The first NTN node sets the activation time of a group of wave points to 10 seconds, and needs 100 seconds to provide services for all the wave points. The first NTN node can also set the activation time of a group of wave points to 1 second and repeat the operation every 10 seconds, which is not limited here.

[0094] In a possible implementation, the first auxiliary information is the user distribution information.

[0095] In a possible implementation, the first NTN node determines the information of the target area covered by the second beam according to the user distribution information, and takes the information of the target area covered by the second beam as the first auxiliary information. If the target area is a wave point, as shown in FIG. 6, the information of the target area is wave point coverage information. The wave point coverage information includes the number of wave points covered in a time period or the serial number of the wave point, as shown in Table 1 below:

[0096] Table 1

[0097] For example, in combination with FIG. 6 and Table 1, it is assumed that the first NTN node completes beam scanning and starts to provide services at time T0. In the time period from T0 to T1, the first NTN node activates 4 beams, which are beam 1 to beam 4. Each beam covers a wave point, beam 1 covers wave point 1, beam 2 covers wave point 3, beam 3 covers wave point 4, and beam 4 covers wave point 6. The activation time of each beam is t0, where t0=T1-T0. After the time t0, the first NTN node adjusts the wave points covered by beam 1 to beam 4, and sets the activation time of the beam to t1, where t1=T2-T1. Similarly, after the time t1, the first NTN node adjusts the wave points covered by beam 1 to beam 4, and sets the activation time of the beam to t2, where t2=T3-T2, and T3 is the time when the first NTN node stops providing services for the target coverage area.

[0098] It should be understood that t0, t1 and t2 can be the same length or different lengths, which is not limited here.

[0099] It should be noted that the beam position coverage information shown in Table 1 includes a beam identifier, that is, the beam position coverage information indicates the specific beam covering the beam position. In a possible implementation, the beam position coverage information can not include the beam identifier, as shown in Table 2 below:

[0100] Table 2

[0101] As shown in Table 2, the beam position coverage information includes the number of beam positions covered by the first NTN node in different time periods and the serial numbers of the beam positions. The adjacent NTN node can determine the beams covering different beam positions according to the beam activation capability of the adjacent NTN node, which is not limited here.

[0102] In the embodiment of the application, since the beam position information is generally fixed, the NTN node can obtain the distribution information of the user density as long as the beam position information of the adjacent NTN node during the service is obtained, thereby avoiding unnecessary beam scanning process, so that the NTN node serving the target coverage area next time can configure the beam faster, save the satellite scanning power consumption, and reduce the system service delay.

[0103] In a possible implementation, if the satellite on the same orbit is not configured with the beam position information of the target coverage area, the target area can also be a beam coverage area, as shown in FIG. 7, that is, the first auxiliary information is the information of the beam coverage area of the second beam. The information of the beam coverage area is specifically shown in Table 3 as follows:

[0104] Table 3

[0105] For example, in combination with FIG. 7 and Table 3, the coverage range or coverage area size of a beam can be represented by the coordinates of the beam center point and the beam coverage radius. Specifically, in the T0 to T1 period, one of the beam coverage areas is a region with a center point of coordinates (120°E, 30°N) and a radius of 20 km, and the activation time length of the beam in the region is t0, where t0=T1-T1. Similarly, after a period of time, the first NTN node adjusts the area covered by the beam and sets the activation time length of the beam, which is not described here.

[0106] In the embodiment of the application, since the satellites on the same orbit generally have the same antenna configuration, the beam information of the satellites on the same orbit is associated, so that in the case where there is no beam position information, the beam coverage area can be used as the target area to indicate the user density of the target area.

[0107] In a possible implementation, the first NTN node reports the configuration information of the second beam as the first assistance information. Specifically, the configuration information of the second beam includes at least one of a precoding matrix, an SSB index or a beam index of the second beam, and a number of beams activated in different time periods, and is specifically shown in Table 4 as follows:

[0108] Table 4:

[0109] For example, as shown in Table 4, the first NTN node activates 4 beams in the T0-T1 period, and one beam corresponds to one precoding matrix. The precoding matrix is indicated by a precoding matrix indicator (PMI). It can be understood that the PMI shown in Table 4 can be represented by the SSB index of the second beam or the beam index of the second beam, which is not limited here.

[0110] In a possible implementation, the first NTN node can report the user distribution information directly to the gateway station as the first assistance information. The user distribution information is used by the adjacent NTN node to obtain the target area coverage information or the beam configuration information according to the activation capability of the NTN node.

[0111] It should be noted that the first assistance information can include one or more of the user distribution information, the target area coverage information or the beam configuration information, which is not limited here.

[0112] 502. The first NTN node sends the first assistance information, and correspondingly, the second NTN node receives the first assistance information;

[0113] In one way, step 502 can be that the first NTN node sends the first assistance information to the second NTN node, and the second NTN node receives the first assistance information from the first NTN node. In this way, the NTN node can obtain the assistance information from the previous NTN node.

[0114] Specifically, the first NTN node can send the first assistance information to the second NTN node in response to the third request message sent by the second NTN node, or can actively broadcast the first assistance information to the adjacent NTN node before or after the first NTN node removes the target coverage area. The first assistance information is as described in step 501, which is not repeated here.

[0115] In another way, step 504 can be that the first NTN node sends the first assistance information to the gateway station, and the second NTN node receives the first assistance information from the gateway station. Therefore, the NTN node can obtain the assistance information from the gateway station.

[0116] Specifically, the gateway station can send a fifth request message to the first NTN node, the fifth request message being used to instruct the first NTN node to report the first assistance information to the gateway station. The second NTN node sends the first request message to the gateway station before entering the target coverage area. In this way, the second NTN node can request the gateway station to send the assistance information reported by the previous NTN node, i.e., the first assistance information, to the second NTN node. The gateway station sends the first assistance information to the second NTN node in response to the first request message of the second NTN node. In a possible implementation, the gateway station can perform filtering, fusion, etc. on the assistance information reported by multiple NTN nodes, and send the processed assistance information to the second NTN node. The first assistance information is as described in step 501, and details are not repeated here.

[0117] In the embodiments of the present application, since the ground gateway station can collect multiple scanning results of the target coverage area by multiple satellites to obtain multiple assistance information, the assistance information transmitted through the gateway station can be better fused.

[0118] 503、The second NTN node determines configuration information of the first beam according to the first assistance information and beam activation capability of the second NTN node, the first beam being one or more beams activated by the second NTN node;

[0119] In a possible implementation, the first assistance information is user distribution information, and the second NTN node determines the configuration information of the first beam according to the user distribution information.

[0120] In a possible implementation, the first assistance information includes information of a target area covered by the second beam. If the first NTN node and the second NTN node are both configured with ground wave site information, the target area is a wave site, i.e., the first assistance information includes information of a wave site covered by the second beam, which is specifically shown in Table 1 or Table 2 in the foregoing embodiments.

[0121] If the first NTN node and the second NTN node are both not configured with ground wave site information, the target area is a beam coverage area, i.e., the first assistance information includes information of a beam coverage area of the second beam, which is specifically shown in Table 3 in the foregoing embodiments.

[0122] In a possible implementation, the first assistance information includes configuration information of the second beam. Specifically, the configuration information of the second beam includes at least one of a precoding matrix, an SSB index or a beam index of the second beam and a number of beams activated in different time periods, which is specifically shown in Table 4 in the foregoing embodiments.

[0123] In a possible implementation, the first assistance information comprises user distribution information, which is information used by the second NTN node to determine a target area covered by the second beam and / or configuration information of the second beam.

[0124] The second NTN node decides the beam site or the beam to be activated preferentially according to the assistance information. In a possible implementation, the second NTN node can select whether to activate the beam completely according to the assistance information based on the beam activation capability of the second NTN node, and the second NTN node can adjust the beam according to the beam activation capability of the second NTN node. For example, the second NTN node can change the service time of each group of beam sites, or change the beam activation sequence, which is not limited herein.

[0125] Optionally, the embodiment of the present application further comprises step 501a, the first NTN node performs beam scanning in response to the fourth request message;

[0126] In a possible implementation, the fourth request message is from a gateway station. Specifically, the gateway station sends the fourth request message to the first NTN node to request the first NTN node to perform global beam scanning on the target coverage area. In this way, the gateway station can fixedly select an NTN node (for example, the first NTN node) as a scanning satellite on the orbit to perform global beam scanning. In another possible implementation, the gateway station can send a request to multiple satellites on the orbit and determine a scanning satellite capable of performing global beam scanning from the multiple satellites. The NTN node receiving the request message determines whether the NTN node has the capability of performing beam scanning. For example, the first NTN node receives the fourth request message and determines whether the current power reserve of the first NTN node is higher than a preset value, or whether the service saturation degree of the first NTN node is lower than a preset threshold, which is not limited herein. If the first NTN node meets the preset condition, the first NTN node replies to the gateway station that the request is received and performs beam scanning to obtain user distribution information in response to the fourth request message. The first NTN node performs step 501 according to the user distribution information.

[0127] In the embodiment of the present application, the first NTN node is taken as an example to be described as a scanning satellite. In actual application, the second NTN node or other NTN node can also be taken as a scanning satellite, which is not limited herein.

[0128] Optionally, the embodiment of the present application further comprises step 503a, the second NTN node reports (sends) the assistance information;

[0129] In a possible implementation, the second NTN node reports the assistance information to the gateway station in response to a second request message from the gateway station. Specifically, the gateway station can send the second request message to the second NTN node, so that the gateway station can instruct the second NTN node to report the assistance information of the second NTN node to the gateway station. The assistance information can be the first assistance information, or the second assistance information obtained by adjusting the beams according to the beam capability of the second NTN node, and the specific implementation is not limited here.

[0130] It should be noted that the second NTN node can send the assistance information to the gateway station in response to the second request message sent by the gateway station, or actively report the assistance information to the gateway station before or after the second NTN node is about to remove the target coverage area.

[0131] In a possible implementation, if the second NTN node adjusts the beams according to the first assistance information, the second NTN node does not need to report the assistance information to the gateway station.

[0132] In a possible implementation, the second NTN node sends the assistance information to the third NTN node in response to a fifth request message from the third NTN node. The assistance information can be the first assistance information, or the second assistance information obtained by adjusting the beams according to the beam capability of the second NTN node, and the specific implementation is not limited here.

[0133] It should be noted that the second NTN node can send the assistance information to the third NTN node in response to the fifth request message sent by the third NTN node, or actively broadcast the assistance information to the adjacent NTN node before or after the second NTN node is about to remove the target coverage area.

[0134] The communication method in the embodiments of the application is described above, and the communication device in the embodiments of the application is described below. Referring to FIG. 8, the communication device in the embodiments of the application can be an NTN node, or a component (such as a processor, a chip, or a chip system) applied to the NTN node, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the NTN node, which can realize the functions of the NTN node in the above method. One embodiment of the communication device includes:

[0135] The interface unit 801 is configured to receive first assistance information, the first assistance information being information determined by a first NTN node;

[0136] The processing unit 802 is configured to determine configuration information of a first beam according to the first assistance information and a beam activation capability of a second NTN node, the first beam being one or more beams transmitted by the second NTN node.

[0137] Another embodiment of the communication device includes:

[0138] The processing unit 802 is configured to determine first assistance information, the first assistance information being used by the second NTN node to configure a first beam, the first beam being one or more beams transmitted by the second NTN node;

[0139] The interface unit 801 is configured to transmit the first assistance information.

[0140] Next, a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application is introduced. Referring to FIG. 9, FIG. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device provided by an embodiment of the present application. The communication device can be the first NTN node or the second NTN node in the above method embodiments, and can also be a chip, a chip system, or a processor, etc. that supports the first NTN node or the second NTN node to implement the above method. The communication device can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiments. For details, refer to the description in the above method embodiments.

[0141] The communication device can include one or more processors 901, which are connected to a memory 902, an input and output unit 903, and a bus 904. The processor 901 can be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, etc. For example, it can be a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit can be used to control the communication device (such as a base station, a baseband chip, a terminal, a terminal chip, a DU or a CU, etc.), execute a software program, and process data of the software program.

[0142] Optionally, the communication device can include one or more memories 902, which can have instructions stored thereon. The instructions can be run on the processor 901, so that the communication device executes the method described in the above method embodiments. Optionally, the memory 902 can also store data. The processor 901 and the memory 902 can be separately arranged or integrated together.

[0143] Optionally, the communication device can also include a transceiver, an antenna. The transceiver can be referred to as a transceiving unit, a transceiver, or a transceiving circuit, etc., and is used to realize the transceiving function. The transceiver can include a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver can be referred to as a receiver or a receiving circuit, etc., and is used to realize the receiving function. The transmitter can be referred to as a transmitter or a transmitting circuit, etc., and is used to realize the transmitting function.

[0144] In another possible design, the processor 901 can include a transceiver for implementing the receiving and sending functions. For example, the transceiver can be a transceiver circuit, or an interface, or an interface circuit. The transceiver circuit, the interface, or the interface circuit for implementing the receiving and sending functions can be separate or integrated together. The transceiver circuit, the interface, or the interface circuit described above can be used for reading and writing of codes / data, or the transceiver circuit, the interface, or the interface circuit described above can be used for transmission or transfer of signals.

[0145] In yet another possible design, the processor 901 can store instructions, which, when executed on the processor 901, can cause the communication apparatus to perform the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments. The instructions can be fixed in the processor 901, in which case the processor 901 can be implemented by hardware.

[0146] In yet another possible design, the communication apparatus can include a circuit, which can implement the functions of sending or receiving or communicating of the first NTN node or the second NTN node in the foregoing method embodiments. The processor and the transceiver described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented on an integrated circuit (IC), an analog IC, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), a mixed-signal IC, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic device, etc. The processor and the transceiver can also be manufactured by various IC technologies, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), n metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS), positive channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS), Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT), BiCMOS, silicon germanium (SiGe), gallium arsenide (GaAs), etc.

[0147] The communication apparatus described in the foregoing embodiments can be the first NTN node or the second NTN node, but the scope of the communication apparatus described in the embodiments of the present application is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication apparatus can not be limited by FIG. 9. The communication apparatus can be a standalone device or can be part of a larger device. For example, the communication apparatus can be:

[0148] (1) a standalone integrated circuit (IC), or a chip, or a chip system or subsystem;

[0149] (2) having one or more ICs, optionally, the ICs can also include storage components for storing data, instructions, etc.

[0150] (3) ASIC, such as a modem;

[0151] (4) a module that can be embedded within other devices;

[0152] (5) a receiver, a terminal, a smart terminal, a cellular phone, a wireless device, a handset, a mobile unit, a vehicle-mounted device, a network device, a cloud device, an artificial intelligence device, etc.

[0153] (6) and the like.

[0154] For the case that the communication apparatus can be a chip or a chip system, refer to the structural schematic diagram of the chip shown in FIG. 10. The chip 1000 shown in FIG. 10 includes a processor 1001, an interface 1002. Optionally, it can also include a memory 1003. Among them, the number of processors 1001 can be one or more, and the number of interfaces 1002 can be multiple.

[0155] For the case that the chip is used to implement the functions of the network device or the terminal device in the embodiments of the present application:

[0156] The interface 1002 is configured to receive or output signals.

[0157] The processor 1001 is configured to perform data processing operations of the network device or the terminal device.

[0158] It can be understood that some optional features in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented independently in some scenarios, without relying on other features, such as the scheme currently based on, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Also, in some scenarios, it can be combined with other features according to the demand. Correspondingly, the communication apparatus given in the embodiments of the present application can also realize these features or functions, which will not be described here.

[0159] It should be understood that the processor in the embodiments of the present application can be an integrated circuit chip with a processing capability of signals. In the implementation process, each step of the method embodiments described above can be completed by the integrated logic circuit of hardware in the processor or the instructions in the form of software. The processor described above can be a general processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components.

[0160] It can be understood that the memory in the embodiments of the present application can be a volatile memory or a non-volatile memory, or can include both volatile and non-volatile memories. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically EPROM (EEPROM) or a flash memory. The volatile memory can be a random access memory (RAM) used as an external cache. By way of example and not limitation, many forms of RAK are available, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchlink DRAM (SLDRAM) and direct rambus RAM (DR RAM). It should be noted that the memory of the system and method described herein is intended to include but not limited to these and any other suitable types of memory.

[0161] The embodiments of the present application also provide a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method in the foregoing embodiments.

[0162] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method in the foregoing embodiment.

[0163] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the system, device and unit described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0164] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device and method can be implemented in other manners. For example, the described device embodiments are merely schematic, and the division of the units is merely a logical function division, and there can be another division manner in actual implementation, for example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections between the units can be indirect couplings or communication connections through some interfaces, devices or units, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0165] The units described as separate components can or can not be physically separate, and the components displayed as units can or can not be physical units, that is, can be located in one place, or can be distributed on a plurality of network units. Some or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment scheme.

[0166] In addition, each functional unit in the embodiments of the present application can be integrated in one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit. The integrated unit can be realized in the form of hardware, or in the form of software functional units.

[0167] The integrated unit, if realized in the form of software functional units and sold or used as an independent product, can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of the present application essentially or the part that makes a contribution to the prior art or the whole or part of the technical solutions can be embodied in the form of a software product. The computer software product is stored in a storage medium, and includes a plurality of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the embodiments of the present application. The foregoing storage medium includes: a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and various program codes that can be stored in the medium.

[0168] In the foregoing embodiments, all or some of the embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, all or some of the embodiments can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or some of the processes or functions according to the embodiments of the present application are generated. The computer can be a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable apparatus. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer readable storage medium to another computer readable storage medium, for example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website site, computer, server or data center to another website site, computer, server or data center through wired (for example, coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (for example, infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.). The computer readable storage medium can be any available medium accessible by a computer or a data storage device such as a server, data center, etc. integrated with one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (for example, floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (for example, high-density digital video disc (digital video disc, DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (for example, solid state disk (solid state disk, SSD)), etc.

Claims

1. A method of information transmission, characterized in that, The method comprises: receiving first assistance information, the first assistance information being information determined by a first non-terrestrial network, NTN, node; determining configuration information of a first beam according to the first assistance information and a beam activation capability of a second NTN node, the first beam being one or more beams activated by the second NTN node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first assistance information comprises user distribution information, the user distribution information being used to indicate a user density of at least one target area in a target coverage area, the target coverage area being a coverage area of the first NTN node.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first assistance information comprises information used to indicate at least one target area covered by a second beam, the second beam being one or more beams activated by the first NTN node.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first assistance information comprises configuration information of the second beam, the second beam being one or more beams activated by the first NTN node.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The receiving the first assistance information comprises: receiving the first assistance information from a gateway station.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, Before the receiving the first assistance information, the method further comprises: sending a first request message to the gateway station, the first request message being used to request the first assistance information from the gateway station.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The method further comprises: obtaining second assistance information according to the configuration information of the first beam; sending the second assistance information to the gateway station.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The sending the second assistance information to the gateway station comprises: sending the second assistance information to the gateway station in response to a second request message from the gateway station.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The receiving the first assistance information comprises: receiving the first assistance information from the first NTN node.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, Before the receiving the first assistance information, the method further comprises: sending a third request message to the first NTN node, the third request message being used to request the first assistance information from the first NTN node.

11. An information transmission method, characterized by, The method comprises: determining first assistance information, the first assistance information being used for a second NTN node to configure a first beam, the first beam being one or more beams activated by the second NTN node; sending the first assistance information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The first assistance information comprises user distribution information, the user distribution information being used to indicate a user density of at least one target area in a target coverage area, the target coverage area being a coverage area of the first NTN node.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The first assistance information comprises information of at least one target area covered by a second beam, the second beam being one or more beams activated by the first NTN node.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that, The first assistance information comprises configuration information of the second beam, the second beam being one or more beams activated by the first NTN node.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein, The determining the first assistance information comprises: obtaining the user distribution information in response to a fourth request message from the gateway station.

16. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The determining the first assistance information comprises: determining the first assistance information according to the user distribution information.

17. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that, The sending the first assistance information comprises: sending the first assistance information to a gateway station.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The sending the first assistance information to the gateway station comprises: sending the first assistance information to the second NTN node comprises:

19. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that, the sending the first assistance information comprises: sending the first assistance information to a second NTN node.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein, the sending the first assistance information to the second NTN node comprises: sending the first assistance information to the second NTN node in response to a third request message from the second NTN node.

21. A communications device, characterized by comprising means or units for performing the method of any of claims 1 to 10.

22. A communications device, characterized by comprising means or units for performing the method of any of claims 11 to 20.

23. A communications device, characterized by comprising: a processor configured to execute a program to cause the communication device to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 10.

24. A communications device, characterized by comprising: a processor configured to execute a program to cause the communication device to perform the method of any of claims 11 to 20.

25. A communication system, characterized by comprising: a gateway station, a communication device configured to perform the method of any of steps 1 to 10, and a communication device configured to perform the method of any of claims 11 to 20; or, a communication device configured to perform the method of any of steps 1 to 10, and a communication device configured to perform the method of any of claims 11 to 20.

26. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 10, or cause the computer to perform the method of any of claims 11 to 20.

27. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 10, or cause the computer to perform the method of any of claims 11 to 20.

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