Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and apparatus, for use in enabling a terminal device to select an appropriate network. In the method, during network selection, the terminal device preferentially selects a terrestrial network, and selects a non-terrestrial network when the terrestrial network is unavailable or unable to support services. On the one hand, it can be ensured that the terminal device preferentially selects a terrestrial network with high communication quality as much as possible, and switching to a non-terrestrial network to continue supporting services is only considered when the terrestrial network is unavailable or has poor communication quality, thereby ensuring the communication quality and service continuity of the terminal device, and improving the user experience. On the other hand, the behavior of the terminal device searching for a non-terrestrial network in a common terrestrial coverage scenario can be reduced, thereby reducing unnecessary measurement power consumption and overheads of the terminal device.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410788663.8, filed on June 18, 2024, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] Satellite networks can supplement terrestrial network coverage, for example, by providing communication services to terminal devices in areas lacking terrestrial network coverage. Terminal devices that support both terrestrial and satellite network communication need to select an appropriate network to ensure communication quality and service continuity. Therefore, choosing the right network is a crucial issue. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a communication method and apparatus for enabling a terminal device to select a suitable network.

[0006] Firstly, a communication method is provided. The subject executing the method can be a terminal device or a chip, chip system, or circuit used in the terminal device. The method can be implemented through the following steps: first, search the terrestrial network; if no cell that meets the conditions is found in the terrestrial network, then search the non-terrestrial network.

[0007] In this application, the terminal device prioritizes terrestrial networks when selecting a network, and considers using non-terrestrial networks when terrestrial networks lack coverage or cannot support services. Currently, non-terrestrial networks are mainly used to supplement the coverage of terrestrial networks, meaning they primarily cover specific areas (e.g., mountainous areas, deserts, oceans). However, common communication scenarios for ordinary users involve areas with terrestrial coverage, where the service quality provided by terrestrial networks is typically higher than that of satellite networks. Prioritizing the search for terrestrial networks ensures that the terminal device selects a terrestrial network with high communication quality whenever possible. Only when terrestrial networks lack coverage or have poor communication quality should the device consider switching to a non-terrestrial network to continue supporting services, thus guaranteeing communication quality and service continuity for the terminal device and improving user experience. Furthermore, it reduces the need for the terminal device to search for non-terrestrial networks in common terrestrial coverage scenarios, thereby reducing unnecessary measurement power consumption and overhead.

[0008] It should be understood that the above-mentioned search for non-terrestrial networks may include searching only non-terrestrial networks, or it may include searching both non-terrestrial and terrestrial networks.

[0009] In one possible design, the method further includes entering an arbitrary cell search state before searching for non-terrestrial networks. This design ensures the communication quality and service continuity of the terminal devices.

[0010] In one possible design, the communication method is applied to the terminal device, which camps on or connects to a terrestrial / non-terrestrial network cell before searching for a terrestrial network.

[0011] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding a cell that meets the criteria in the non-terrestrial network, and camping on or connecting to that cell; or, if no cell that meets the criteria is found in the non-terrestrial network, determining that there is no coverage. This design considers switching to the non-terrestrial network to continue supporting services when there is no coverage or poor communication quality in the terrestrial network, thereby ensuring the communication quality and service continuity of the terminal device and improving the user experience.

[0012] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network, finding a cell that meets the criteria in the non-terrestrial network, and camping or connecting to the cell that meets the criteria in the non-terrestrial network; or, finding an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network, not finding a cell that meets the criteria in the non-terrestrial network, and camping or connecting to an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network.

[0013] The above design allows terminal devices to send emergency calls and receive timely notifications from earthquake and tsunami warning systems by accessing acceptable cells when communication quality between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks is poor, thus avoiding communication interruptions.

[0014] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding cells within the terrestrial network that meet the criteria, and camping on or connecting to those cells. This design prioritizes accessing cells within the terrestrial network that meet the criteria, which can improve communication quality.

[0015] In one possible design, searching for non-terrestrial networks includes: searching for frequency points, cells, or beams of non-terrestrial networks.

[0016] In one possible design, searching for terrestrial networks includes: searching for frequency points, cells, or beams of terrestrial networks.

[0017] In one possible design, a cell within the terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell within the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, or a suitable cell within the terrestrial network.

[0018] In one possible design, a cell in a non-terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition; a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition; a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition; a suitable cell in a non-terrestrial network; or an acceptable cell in a non-terrestrial network.

[0019] Secondly, a communication method is provided. The subject executing the method can be a terminal device or a chip, chip system, or circuit used in the terminal device. The method can be implemented through the following steps: first, search for non-terrestrial networks; if no cell that meets the conditions is found in the non-terrestrial network or it is determined that the user will leave the coverage of the non-terrestrial network, then search for terrestrial networks.

[0020] In this application, the terminal device prioritizes the use of non-terrestrial networks when selecting a network, and considers using terrestrial networks only when non-terrestrial networks lack coverage or cannot support services. Currently, some terminal devices may be located in non-terrestrial network communication scenarios for extended periods, such as in special areas (e.g., mountainous areas / deserts / oceans). These terminal devices typically use non-terrestrial networks, or networks with higher communication quality. Therefore, prioritizing the search for non-terrestrial networks ensures that the terminal device selects an available network as early as possible, only considering the possibility of using a terrestrial network to continue supporting services when non-terrestrial networks lack coverage or have poor communication quality. This guarantees the communication quality and service continuity of the terminal device, improving user experience. Furthermore, it reduces the need for the terminal device to search for terrestrial networks in special areas, thereby reducing unnecessary measurement power consumption and overhead.

[0021] In one possible design, the method further includes entering an arbitrary cell search state before searching for the terrestrial network. This design ensures the communication quality and service continuity of the terminal devices.

[0022] In one possible design, the communication method is applied to the terminal device, which camps on or connects to a terrestrial / non-terrestrial network cell before searching for a terrestrial network.

[0023] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding a cell that meets the criteria in the terrestrial network, and camping on or connecting to the cell that meets the criteria in the terrestrial network; or, if no cell that meets the criteria is found in the terrestrial network, determining that there is no coverage.

[0024] The above design considers switching to the terrestrial network to continue supporting services when there is no coverage or poor communication quality on the non-terrestrial network, thereby ensuring the communication quality and service continuity of terminal devices and improving user experience.

[0025] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding an acceptable cell in a non-terrestrial network, finding a cell that meets the criteria in a terrestrial network, and camping or connecting to the cell that meets the criteria in the terrestrial network; or, finding an acceptable cell in a non-terrestrial network, not finding a cell that meets the criteria in the terrestrial network, and camping or connecting to an acceptable cell in a non-terrestrial network.

[0026] The above design allows terminal devices to send emergency calls and receive timely notifications from earthquake and tsunami warning systems by accessing acceptable cells when communication quality between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks is poor, thus avoiding communication interruptions.

[0027] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding cells within the non-terrestrial network that meet the criteria, and camping on or connecting to those cells. This design prioritizes access to cells within the non-terrestrial network that meet the criteria, which can improve communication quality.

[0028] In one possible design, searching for terrestrial networks includes: searching for frequency points, cells, or beams of terrestrial networks.

[0029] In one possible design, searching for non-terrestrial networks includes: searching for frequency points, cells, or beams of non-terrestrial networks.

[0030] In one possible design, a cell in a non-terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition; a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition; a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition; or a suitable cell in a non-terrestrial network.

[0031] In one possible design, a cell within the terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell within the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, a suitable cell within the terrestrial network, or an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network.

[0032] Thirdly, a communication method is provided. The subject executing the method can be a terminal device or a chip, chip system, or circuit used in the terminal device. The method can be implemented through the following steps: determining the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks; and selecting a network based on the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks.

[0033] This solution considers scenarios where terminal devices support both terrestrial and non-terrestrial network communication, and provides a flexible mechanism for selecting the network to use. It can dynamically adapt and adjust network priorities, prioritizing networks with potentially higher communication quality based on usage scenarios or network deployment / coverage. When such a network lacks coverage or cannot support the terminal device's services, it can be switched to another type of network in a timely manner.

[0034] Considering that users / terminal devices may change their communication scenarios, for example, they may be in a terrestrial coverage area on a daily basis, but may move to special areas covered by satellite at certain times (e.g., mountains / deserts / oceans, etc.). Therefore, flexibly adjusting the network selection mechanism according to the changes in communication scenarios can, on the one hand, better adapt to and select networks with higher communication quality, ensure the communication quality and service continuity of terminal devices, and improve user experience. On the other hand, it can also reduce the behavior of terminal devices unnecessarily searching for another type of network in one communication scenario, thereby reducing unnecessary measurement power consumption and overhead of terminal devices.

[0035] It should be understood that the above-mentioned search for terrestrial networks may include searching only terrestrial networks, or it may include searching both non-terrestrial and terrestrial networks.

[0036] In one possible design, the method is applied to a terminal device to determine the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks, including: determining the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks based on at least one of the following: location information of the terminal device, the network where the terminal device resides, or the network to which the terminal device is connected.

[0037] The above design allows terminal devices to adjust themselves more quickly to adapt to changes in communication scenarios because they have a more detailed understanding of their location or application environment.

[0038] In one possible design, the network hosted or connected to is a terrestrial network, with terrestrial networks taking priority; alternatively, the network hosted or connected to is a non-terrestrial network, with non-terrestrial networks taking priority. This design can improve the rationality of network search / network selection.

[0039] In one possible design, determining the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks includes: receiving first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate at least one of the following: the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks, the existence of terrestrial networks, or the existence of non-terrestrial networks, wherein the existence of terrestrial networks refers to whether terrestrial networks exist, and the existence of non-terrestrial networks refers to whether non-terrestrial networks exist; and determining the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks based on the first indication information.

[0040] The above design allows for more accurate information for terminal devices to refer to, as the network side usually has a more detailed understanding of the network coverage / deployment.

[0041] In one possible design, the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks includes: terrestrial network priority, or non-terrestrial network priority.

[0042] In one possible design, the existence of a ground network includes: whether there is a ground network in adjacent areas.

[0043] In one possible design, the existence of non-terrestrial networks includes: whether non-terrestrial networks exist in adjacent areas, and / or, the type of non-terrestrial networks that exist in adjacent areas.

[0044] In one possible design, the first indication information corresponds to a first region; and / or, the first indication information corresponds to a first beam. This design, by providing more granular (region-level / beam-level) information, can provide differentiated indications according to the actual communication scenario in a larger non-terrestrial network coverage area, thereby improving the accuracy of the information.

[0045] In one possible design, network selection is performed based on the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks, including: determining that the priority of terrestrial networks is higher than that of non-terrestrial networks or that terrestrial networks take precedence; searching terrestrial networks; and if no cells meeting the criteria are found within the terrestrial networks, searching non-terrestrial networks.

[0046] Currently, non-terrestrial networks are mainly used to supplement the coverage of terrestrial networks. That is, non-terrestrial networks primarily cover specific areas (e.g., mountainous areas, deserts, oceans), while the common communication scenarios for ordinary users are in areas with terrestrial coverage. In these areas, the service quality provided by terrestrial networks is generally higher than that of satellite networks. Prioritizing the search for terrestrial networks ensures that terminal devices select high-quality terrestrial networks first. Only when terrestrial networks lack coverage or have poor quality should a non-terrestrial network be considered to continue supporting services, thus guaranteeing communication quality and service continuity for terminal devices and improving user experience. Furthermore, it reduces the need for terminal devices to search for non-terrestrial networks in common terrestrial coverage scenarios, thereby reducing unnecessary measurement power consumption and overhead for terminal devices.

[0047] It should be understood that when searching for non-terrestrial networks, you can search only non-terrestrial networks, or you can search for both non-terrestrial and terrestrial networks.

[0048] In one possible design, the method further includes entering an arbitrary cell search state before searching for non-terrestrial networks. This design ensures the communication quality and service continuity of the terminal devices.

[0049] In one possible design, the communication method is applied to the terminal device, which camps on or connects to a terrestrial / non-terrestrial network cell before searching for a terrestrial network.

[0050] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding a cell that meets the criteria in the non-terrestrial network, and camping on or connecting to that cell; or, if no cell that meets the criteria is found in the non-terrestrial network, determining that there is no coverage. This design considers switching to the non-terrestrial network to continue supporting services when there is no coverage or poor communication quality in the terrestrial network, thereby ensuring the communication quality and service continuity of the terminal device and improving the user experience.

[0051] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network, finding a cell that meets the criteria in the non-terrestrial network, and camping or connecting to the cell that meets the criteria in the non-terrestrial network; or, finding an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network, not finding a cell that meets the criteria in the non-terrestrial network, and camping or connecting to an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network.

[0052] The above design allows terminal devices to send emergency calls and receive timely notifications from earthquake and tsunami warning systems by accessing acceptable cells when communication quality between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks is poor, thus avoiding communication interruptions.

[0053] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding cells within the terrestrial network that meet the criteria, and camping on or connecting to those cells. This design prioritizes accessing cells within the terrestrial network that meet the criteria, which can improve communication quality.

[0054] In one possible design, searching for non-terrestrial networks includes: searching for frequency points, cells, or beams of non-terrestrial networks.

[0055] In one possible design, searching for terrestrial networks includes: searching for frequency points, cells, or beams of terrestrial networks.

[0056] In one possible design, a cell within the terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell within the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, or a suitable cell within the terrestrial network.

[0057] In one possible design, a cell in a non-terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition; a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition; a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition; a suitable cell in a non-terrestrial network; or an acceptable cell in a non-terrestrial network.

[0058] In one possible design, network selection is performed based on the priority of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, including: determining that the priority of non-terrestrial networks is higher than that of terrestrial networks or that non-terrestrial networks take precedence; searching for non-terrestrial networks; if no cells meeting the conditions are found in the non-terrestrial networks or it is determined that the non-terrestrial network will leave its coverage, searching for terrestrial networks.

[0059] Currently, some terminal devices may operate in non-terrestrial network communication scenarios for extended periods, such as in specific areas (e.g., mountainous regions, deserts, oceans). These devices typically utilize non-terrestrial networks, which offer higher communication quality. Therefore, prioritizing non-terrestrial network searches ensures that terminal devices can access available networks first. Only when non-terrestrial networks lack coverage or have poor quality should the search be conducted on terrestrial networks to continue supporting services, thus guaranteeing communication quality and service continuity and improving user experience. Furthermore, it reduces the need for terminal devices to search for terrestrial networks in specific areas, thereby minimizing unnecessary measurement power consumption and overhead.

[0060] It should be understood that when searching for terrestrial networks, you can search only terrestrial networks, or you can search both non-terrestrial networks and terrestrial networks.

[0061] In one possible design, the method further includes entering an arbitrary cell search state before searching for the terrestrial network. This design ensures the communication quality and service continuity of the terminal devices.

[0062] In one possible design, the communication method is applied to the terminal device, which camps on or connects to a terrestrial / non-terrestrial network cell before searching for a terrestrial network.

[0063] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding a cell that meets the criteria in the terrestrial network, and camping on or connecting to the cell that meets the criteria in the terrestrial network; or, if no cell that meets the criteria is found in the terrestrial network, determining that there is no coverage.

[0064] The above design considers switching to the terrestrial network to continue supporting services when there is no coverage or poor communication quality on the non-terrestrial network, thereby ensuring the communication quality and service continuity of terminal devices and improving user experience.

[0065] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding an acceptable cell in a non-terrestrial network, finding a cell that meets the criteria in a terrestrial network, and camping or connecting to the cell that meets the criteria in the terrestrial network; or, finding an acceptable cell in a non-terrestrial network, not finding a cell that meets the criteria in the terrestrial network, and camping or connecting to an acceptable cell in a non-terrestrial network.

[0066] The above design allows terminal devices to send emergency calls and receive timely notifications from earthquake and tsunami warning systems by accessing acceptable cells when communication quality between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks is poor, thus avoiding communication interruptions.

[0067] In one possible design, the method further includes: finding cells within the non-terrestrial network that meet the criteria, and camping on or connecting to those cells. This design prioritizes access to cells within the non-terrestrial network that meet the criteria, which can improve communication quality.

[0068] In one possible design, a cell in a non-terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition; a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition; a cell in a non-terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition; or a suitable cell in a non-terrestrial network.

[0069] In one possible design, a cell within the terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell within the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, a suitable cell within the terrestrial network, or an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network.

[0070] Fourthly, a communication method is provided. The execution subject of the method may be a network device or a chip, chip system or circuit for a network device. The method can be implemented through the following steps: determining and sending first indication information; wherein the first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: the priority of a terrestrial network and / or a non-terrestrial network, the existence of a terrestrial network, or the existence of a non-terrestrial network, wherein the existence of a terrestrial network refers to whether a terrestrial network exists, and the existence of a non-terrestrial network refers to whether a non-terrestrial network exists.

[0071] Since the network side usually has a more detailed understanding of the network coverage / deployment, having the network equipment give instructions can provide more accurate information for the terminal devices to refer to.

[0072] In one possible design, determining the first indication information includes: determining the first indication information based on at least one of the following: network coverage information, or network deployment information.

[0073] In one possible design, the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks includes: terrestrial network priority, or non-terrestrial network priority.

[0074] In one possible design, the existence of a ground network includes: whether there is a ground network in adjacent areas.

[0075] In one possible design, the existence of non-terrestrial networks includes: whether non-terrestrial networks exist in adjacent areas, and / or, the type of non-terrestrial networks that exist in adjacent areas.

[0076] In one possible design, the first indication information corresponds to a first region; and / or, the first indication information corresponds to a first beam. This design, by providing more granular (region-level / beam-level) information, can provide differentiated indications according to the actual communication scenario in a larger non-terrestrial network coverage area, thereby improving the accuracy of the information.

[0077] Fifthly, this application also provides a communication device, which is a terminal device or a chip within a terminal device. This communication device has the function of implementing any of the methods provided in the first, second, or third aspects described above. The communication device can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the aforementioned functions.

[0078] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor configured to support the communication device in performing corresponding functions of the terminal device described above. The communication device may also include a memory coupled to the processor, which stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further includes interface circuitry for supporting communication between the communication device and devices such as network devices, for example, the transmission and reception of data or signals. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0079] In one possible design, the communication device includes corresponding functional modules, each used to implement the steps in the above method. The functions can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the functions described above.

[0080] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit (or processing module) and a communication unit (or communication module). These units can perform the corresponding functions in the above method examples, as described in the methods provided in the first, second, or third aspects, and will not be repeated here.

[0081] Sixthly, this application also provides a communication device, which is a network device or a chip within a network device. This communication device has the function of implementing any of the methods provided in the fourth aspect above. The communication device can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more units or modules corresponding to the above-described functions.

[0082] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processor configured to support the communication device in performing the corresponding functions of the network device described above. The communication device may also include a memory coupled to the processor, which stores necessary program instructions and data for the communication device. Optionally, the communication device further includes interface circuitry for supporting communication between the communication device and devices such as terminal devices, for example, the transmission and reception of data or signals. Exemplarily, the communication interface may be a transceiver, circuit, bus, module, or other type of communication interface.

[0083] In one possible design, the communication device includes corresponding functional modules, each used to implement the steps in the above method. The functions can be implemented in hardware or by hardware executing corresponding software. The hardware or software includes one or more modules corresponding to the functions described above.

[0084] In one possible design, the communication device includes a processing unit (or processing module) and a communication unit (or communication module). These units can perform the corresponding functions in the above method examples, as described in the method provided in the fourth aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0085] In a seventh aspect, a communication device is provided, including a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is configured to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor is configured to implement the methods of the first, second, or third aspects and any possible design described above through logic circuits or execution code instructions.

[0086] Eighthly, a communication device is provided, including a processor and an interface circuit. The interface circuit is used to receive signals from other communication devices outside the communication device and transmit them to the processor, or to send signals from the processor to other communication devices outside the communication device. The processor is used to implement the methods of the aforementioned fourth aspect and any possible design through logic circuits or execution code instructions.

[0087] In a ninth aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program or instructions which, when executed by a processor, implement the methods of the first, second, third, or fourth aspects and any possible design described above.

[0088] In a tenth aspect, a computer program product storing instructions is provided, which, when executed by a processor, implement the methods of the first, second, third, or fourth aspects and any possible design described above.

[0089] Eleventhly, a chip system is provided, comprising a processor and potentially a memory, for implementing the methods described in the first, second, third, or fourth aspects and any possible designs. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices.

[0090] In a twelfth aspect, a communication system is provided, the system including means (such as a terminal device) for performing the method described in the first aspect, and optionally, may also include a network device.

[0091] In a thirteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, the system including means (such as a terminal device) for performing the method described in the second aspect, and optionally, network devices.

[0092] In a fourteenth aspect, a communication system is provided, the system including means (such as a terminal device) for performing the method of the third aspect, and optionally, means (such as a network device) for performing the method of the fourth aspect.

[0093] The technical effects that can be achieved by any of the technical solutions in aspects five to fourteen above can be described with reference to the technical effects that can be achieved by the technical solutions in aspects one to four above, and the repeated parts will not be repeated. Attached Figure Description

[0094] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a quasi-stationary ground cell provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0095] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a ground mobile cell provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0096] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a satellite transparent forwarding architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0097] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a satellite regeneration architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0098] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture based on a satellite transparent forwarding architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0099] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a network architecture based on satellite regeneration architecture provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0100] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0101] Figure 8A is a schematic diagram of a network selection process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0102] Figure 8B is a schematic diagram of network selection provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0103] Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0104] Figure 10A is a schematic diagram of a network selection process provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0105] Figure 10B is a schematic diagram of network selection provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0106] Figure 11A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0107] Figure 11B is a schematic diagram of a region granularity indication information provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0108] Figure 11C is a schematic diagram of beam granularity indication information provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0109] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0110] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0111] The following explanations of some terms used in this application are provided to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0112] I. Non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication

[0113] NTN communication involves networking using equipment such as drones, high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), and satellites to provide data transmission, voice communication, and other services to terminal devices. Furthermore, the NTN system may also include other aerial network equipment; the network equipment involved in the embodiments of this application is not limited to the examples mentioned above.

[0114] Based on satellite altitude, i.e., satellite orbital altitude, satellite systems can be classified into highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites, geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites, medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites, and low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, etc.

[0115] As an example, the mechanism by which GEO and LEO satellites provide coverage cells is briefly described below.

[0116] 1. GEO satellites: Also known as geostationary satellites, these satellites move at the same speed as the Earth's rotation system, thus remaining stationary relative to the ground. Correspondingly, the cell of a GEO satellite is also stationary. GEO satellite cells have a relatively large coverage area, for example, a cell diameter of 500 km.

[0117] 2. LEO Satellites: There are many types of non-geostationary satellites; let's take LEO satellites as an example. LEO satellites move relatively quickly relative to the ground, and the coverage area they provide may also move with the satellite.

[0118] Based on the movement of satellites within the ground coverage area, NTN cells can be divided into the following three categories:

[0119] 1) Earth-fixed: The coverage area of ​​this type of NTN cell is fixed to a specific area on the ground, i.e., continuous fixed-point coverage. The NTN cells provided by GEO satellites are of this type.

[0120] 2) Quasi-earth-fixed: The coverage area of ​​this type of NTN cell is fixed to a certain area on the ground for a period of time, and then it will be replaced by another area on the ground after a period of time, that is, fixed-point coverage for a certain period of time. LEO satellites and MEO satellites can provide this type of NTN cell.

[0121] Quasi-stationary cells projected onto the ground are stationary relative to the ground for a certain period of time. Satellites overhead can adjust their antenna angles to cover the same location on the ground. As shown in Figure 1, the mapping method of quasi-stationary cells means that the cell's position on the ground is fixed; moving satellites adjust their beams to form these cells. For example, at time T1: the area shown in Figure 1 is covered by cells 1 and 2 of gNB1, and cells 3 and 4 of gNB2; at time T2: although gNB1 and gNB2 have moved to the left, they can still adjust their beams, and the area shown in Figure 1 can still be covered by cells 1 and 2 of gNB1, and cells 3 and 4 of gNB2; at time T3: compared to time T1, gNB1 and gNB2 have moved a sufficient distance, and gNB1 can no longer provide service to the area through cell 1 by adjusting its beam, while gNB3 can provide service to the area through cell 5. Therefore, the area shown in Figure 1 can be covered by cells 2 of gNB1, cells 3 and 4 of gNB2, and cell 5 of gNB3. In this cell mode, satellites can form quasi-stationary cells by adjusting their beams; the satellite beam deployment method can be called staring beam.

[0122] 3) Earth-moving: The coverage area of ​​this type of NTN cell slides across the ground. LEO and MEO satellites can provide this type of NTN cell.

[0123] In ground-based mobile cell mapping, the projected cell moves along with the satellite. As shown in Figure 2, the mapping method for ground-based mobile cells can be such that the moving satellite does not dynamically adjust its beam direction; the beam generated by the moving satellite moves across the ground as the satellite moves. For example: At time T1, the area shown in Figure 2 is covered by cells 1 and 2 of gNB1, and cells 3 and 4 of gNB2; at time T2, the area shown in Figure 2 is covered by a portion of cell 1 and cell 2 of gNB1, cells 3 and 4 of gNB2, and a portion of cell 5 of gNB3; and at time T3, the area is covered by cell 2 of gNB1, cells 3 and 4 of gNB2, and cell 5 of gNB3. In this cell mode, the moving satellite does not dynamically adjust its beam direction; the satellite beam deployment method can be called non-staring beaming.

[0124] In an NTN system, NTN devices can have two architectures: transparent and transparent. In transparent architecture, the NTN device can act as a relay or amplifier, performing RF filtering, amplification, and signal regeneration. An example application scenario for transparent relay architecture is shown in Figure 3. In the application scenario shown in Figure 3, the NTN device can also function as a relay between a terminal device and the base station, or as a remote radio unit (RRU) of the base station. In this scenario, the NTN device can handle Layer 1 (L1) relay, performing physical layer forwarding, and is invisible to higher layers.

[0125] The second type is the regenerative architecture. In this architecture, the NTN device can act as a gNB, a distributed unit (DU), or a relay. This relay differs from the relay in the first type, as it also has signal processing capabilities, similar to an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node or other relay nodes. When the NTN device acts as a gNB, DU, IAB, or other relay node, its function is similar to that of a regular gNB, DU, IAB, or other relay node. An example application scenario for the regenerative architecture is shown in Figure 4. In this scenario, the NTN device can act as a base station to establish an N2 or Ng interface connection with the access and mobility management function (AMF) entity in the core network, providing wireless access services to terminal devices.

[0126] NTN communication systems provide seamless coverage for terminal devices by applying all or part of the functions of access network equipment to NTN equipment (such as high-altitude platforms or satellites). Since non-terrestrial equipment is less affected by natural disasters, this improves the reliability of the communication system.

[0127] II. Terrestrial Network (TN)

[0128] Terrestrial networks generally refer to communication networks built on the Earth's surface to enable wireless communication between terminal devices (such as mobile phones, in-vehicle devices, and tablets) and other communication devices. They are an important component of mobile communication systems, providing communication services such as voice calls and data transmission. Terrestrial networks can also be called cellular networks, etc.

[0129] Terrestrial networks typically consist of multiple network devices (such as base stations) distributed across different geographical locations, communicating with terminal devices via wireless signals. These network devices are responsible for receiving and forwarding signals from the terminal devices, connecting them to the core network to enable communication. Network devices can be interconnected via wired connections (such as fiber optics or microwaves) to form a widely covered communication network.

[0130] In addition to network equipment, terrestrial networks also include other equipment and facilities, such as core network equipment, which is used to process communication data, manage network resources, and provide value-added services. Terrestrial networks may also interconnect with other communication networks (such as satellite communications and fixed-line telephone networks) to achieve wider communication coverage and higher communication quality.

[0131] III. Suitable Cell

[0132] A suitable cell for a terrestrial network can be a cell that meets the following conditions: the cell is part of a public land mobile network (PLMN) / stand-alone non-public network (SNPN) selected by the terminal device, or part of a PLMN / SNPN registered by the terminal device, or part of a PLMN in the terminal device's equivalent PLMN list, and the cell meets the corresponding signal quality conditions.

[0133] A suitable cell for a non-terrestrial network can be a cell that meets the following conditions: the cell is part of the PLMN / SNPN selected by the terminal device, or part of the PLMN / SNPN registered by the terminal device, or part of the PLMN in the equivalent PLMN list of the terminal device, and the cell meets the corresponding signal quality conditions and / or distance conditions.

[0134] IV. Acceptable Cell

[0135] An acceptable cell refers to a cell on which a terminal device can reside to obtain limited services. These limited services may include making emergency calls and receiving notifications from the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System (ETWS) and the Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS). An acceptable cell in a terrestrial network can meet the following conditions: the cell is not barred (e.g., system information indicates the cell is not barred), and the cell meets the corresponding signal quality conditions.

[0136] An acceptable cell for a non-terrestrial network can meet the following conditions: the cell is not barred (e.g., the cell's system information indicates that the cell is not barred), and the cell meets the corresponding signal quality conditions and / or distance conditions.

[0137] V. Any cell selection status

[0138] The state of any cell search can refer to a situation where the cell where the terminal device is currently camped (also known as the service area of ​​the terminal device) does not meet the conditions, such as the signal of the cell where the terminal device is currently camped does not meet the quality conditions, the distance between the reference point of the cell and the terminal device does not meet the distance conditions, and the terminal device cannot find a cell that meets the conditions.

[0139] In the method described in Figure 7 of this application, an arbitrary cell search state can refer to a situation where the cell where the terminal device is currently stationed (also known as the service area of ​​the terminal device) does not meet the conditions (e.g., the cell signal does not meet the quality conditions), and the terminal device cannot find a cell that meets the conditions (e.g., the quality conditions) on the terrestrial network.

[0140] In the method described in Figure 9 of this application, any cell search state can refer to the cell where the terminal device is currently camped (also known as the service area of ​​the terminal device) does not meet the conditions, such as the signal of the cell where the terminal device is currently camped does not meet the quality conditions, the distance between the reference point of the cell and the terminal device does not meet the distance conditions, and the terminal device cannot find a cell that meets the conditions (e.g., quality conditions, distance conditions) in a non-terrestrial network.

[0141] VI. Sub-star

[0142] The sub-satellite point can refer to the point where the satellite's projection on the Earth's surface lies, that is, the intersection of the line connecting the satellite's instantaneous position and the center of the Earth with the Earth's surface.

[0143] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0144] It should be understood that in the description of this application, the words "first" and "second" are used only for the purpose of distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or order.

[0145] It should be noted that, in this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is being described as an example, illustration, or illustration. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplary" or "for example" in this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a concrete manner.

[0146] The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, used in the following description of embodiments of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but may optionally include other steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or units inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0147] All node and message names in this application are merely for descriptive convenience and may differ in actual networks. This application should not be interpreted as limiting the names of various nodes and messages. Conversely, any name that has the same or similar function as the nodes or messages used in this application is considered a method or equivalent substitution of this application and is within the scope of protection of this application; further details will not be provided below.

[0148] The technical background of this application is described below.

[0149] Currently, the main application scenarios for non-terrestrial networks such as satellite networks are to supplement the coverage of terrestrial networks. That is, in areas lacking terrestrial network coverage, communication services are provided to terminal devices through the coverage of non-terrestrial networks.

[0150] Terminal devices that support both terrestrial and non-terrestrial network communication will involve switching between the two types of networks. Depending on factors such as the usage scenario or environment of the terminal device, the terminal device will determine whether to use a terrestrial network or a non-terrestrial network. For example, a terminal device located in an area where land and sea meet may use a terrestrial network in the land area, but when the UE moves to the sea area, the terminal device may need to switch to a non-terrestrial network.

[0151] Terminal devices that support both terrestrial and non-terrestrial network communication need to rationally determine the network to use (i.e., terrestrial or non-terrestrial) to ensure communication quality and service continuity. For example, in areas with terrestrial network coverage, terminal devices typically choose terrestrial networks for communication to obtain better service quality, while in areas without terrestrial network coverage, they should switch to non-terrestrial networks to maintain basic connectivity.

[0152] Currently, terminal devices perform network searches uniformly for both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. However, the network selected in this way may be suboptimal. For example, in an area with terrestrial network coverage, a satellite network frequency might be found and the device might choose the satellite network. Furthermore, this method of network searching may incur unnecessary network search overhead. For instance, searching for terrestrial networks in areas without terrestrial network coverage could negatively impact user experience and power consumption.

[0153] Based on this, embodiments of this application provide a communication method and apparatus to improve the rationality of network searches by terminal devices and reduce the power consumption of network searches. The method and apparatus are based on the same inventive concept. Since the principles by which the method and apparatus solve problems are similar, the implementations of the apparatus and method can be mutually referred to, and repeated details will not be elaborated further.

[0154] For example, the communication method provided in this application can be applied to a communication system including NTN devices (e.g., satellites, HAPS, drones, etc.) and / or ground-based access network devices, wherein the NTN device may have all or part of the functions of the access network device. The network architecture of the NTN device can be a transparent transmission architecture or a regenerative architecture. Optionally, the network architecture may further include a gateway device, which is used to forward signals from the ground base station to the satellite.

[0155] For example, Figure 5 illustrates one possible network architecture in which the NTN device can be in transparent transmission mode. Figure 6 illustrates another possible network architecture in which the NTN device can be in regenerative mode.

[0156] In one example, NTN devices and terrestrial access network devices can interconnect through a shared core network. Alternatively, NTN devices and terrestrial access network devices can also achieve more timely assistance and interconnection through interfaces defined between the access network devices. In NR, the interface between access network devices can be called an Xn interface, and the interface between the access network device and the core network can be called an NG interface. NTN devices and terrestrial access network devices can communicate and coordinate through either the Xn interface or the NG interface.

[0157] The network elements involved in the embodiments of this application include network devices and terminal devices.

[0158] Network equipment can be an NTN device with all or part of the functions of an access network device, or it can be a terrestrial access network device. An access network device is an entity on the network side used to transmit or receive signals, such as a next-generation Node B (gNodeB). Access network equipment can be a device used to communicate with mobile devices. Access network equipment can be an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB) in long-term evolution (LTE), a relay station, access point, or integrated access and backhaul (IAB), or an access network device in a vehicle-mounted device, wearable device, or future 5G network, or in a future public land mobile network (PLMN) network, or a gNodeB (gNB) in an NR system, etc. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the access network device provides services to a cell, and the terminal device communicates with the access network device through the transmission resources (e.g., frequency domain resources, or spectrum resources) used by the cell. In this application embodiment, the access network device can refer to a central unit (CU) or a distributed unit (DU). Alternatively, the access network device can also be composed of CUs and DUs. The CU and DU can be physically separated or deployed together; this application embodiment does not specifically limit this. One CU can connect to one DU, or multiple DUs can share one CU, which can save costs and facilitate network expansion. The CU and DU can be partitioned according to the protocol stack. One possible approach is to deploy the radio resource control (RRC), service data adaptation protocol (SDAP), and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers in the CU, and the remaining radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical layers in the DU. This application embodiment does not completely limit the above protocol stack partitioning method; other partitioning methods are also possible. The CU and DU are connected via the F1 interface. The CU represents the gNB and connects to the core network via the Ng interface.The access network equipment in this embodiment can also refer to a Centralized Unit Control Plane (CU-CP) node or a Centralized Unit User Plane (CU-UP) node, or the access network equipment can be both CU-CP and CU-UP. CU-CP is responsible for control plane functions, mainly including RRC and PDCP-C. PDCP-C is mainly responsible for control plane data encryption / decryption, integrity protection, and data transmission. CU-UP is responsible for user plane functions, mainly including SDAP and PDCP-U. SDAP is mainly responsible for processing core network data and mapping flows to bearers. PDCP-U is mainly responsible for data plane encryption / decryption, integrity protection, header compression, sequence number maintenance, and data transmission. CU-CP and CU-UP are connected via an E1 interface. CU-CP represents the gNB and connects to the core network via an Ng interface. It connects to the DU via F1-C (control plane). CU-UP connects to the DU via F1-U (user plane). Alternatively, PDCP-C may also be located within CU-UP. The access network equipment mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a device including a CU, or a DU, or a device including both CU and DU, or a control plane CU node (CU-CP node), a user plane CU node (CU-UP node), and a DU node. Furthermore, in other possible cases, the access network equipment can be other devices that provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or device form used in the access network equipment. For ease of description, in the embodiments of this application, the device that provides wireless communication functions for terminal devices is referred to as an access network equipment.

[0159] Terminal devices can be devices capable of receiving scheduling and instruction information from access network (or NTN) devices. Terminal devices can be devices providing voice and / or data connectivity to users, or handheld devices with wireless connectivity, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. Terminal devices can communicate with one or more core networks or the Internet via a radio access network (e.g., radio access network, RAN). Terminal devices can be mobile terminal devices, such as mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers, and data cards. For example, they can be portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices that exchange voice and / or data with the radio access network. Examples include personal communications service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, and computers with wireless transceiver capabilities. Terminal equipment can also be referred to as a system, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, subscriber station (SS), customer premises equipment (CPE), terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile terminal (MT), etc. Terminal equipment can also be wearable devices and next-generation communication systems, such as terminal equipment in 5G networks or future PLMN networks, and terminal equipment in new radio (NR) communication systems. Terminal equipment can also be a terminal that communicates with NTN equipment.

[0160] Furthermore, the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other future communication technologies. The network architecture and service scenarios described in this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this application. As those skilled in the art will understand, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new service scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0161] The embodiments of this application can be applied to fourth-generation mobile communication systems (4G), 5G systems, NTN systems, vehicle to everything (V2X), LTE-vehicle (LTE-V), vehicle to vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), machine-type communications (MTC), internet of things (IoT), LTE-machine to machine (LTE-M), machine to machine (M2M), or future communication networks.

[0162] The communication method provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0163] It should be understood that in the embodiments of this application, the terminal device and / or network device may execute some or all of the steps in each embodiment. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also perform other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments, and it is not necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application. Moreover, the sequence number of each step does not imply the order of execution; the execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0164] In this application, the action of "searching" can also be replaced with the action of "measuring." For example, "searching for terrestrial networks" can be replaced with "measuring terrestrial networks." Similarly, "searching for non-terrestrial networks" can be replaced with "measuring non-terrestrial networks," "searching for the frequency points, cells, or beams of non-terrestrial networks" can be replaced with "measuring the frequency points, cells, or beams of non-terrestrial networks," and "searching for the frequency points, cells, or beams of terrestrial networks" can be replaced with "measuring the frequency points, cells, or beams of terrestrial networks." For ease of description, this application uses "searching" as an example.

[0165] It should be noted that although the solution in this application is described for terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, it can actually be applied to any choice of either type of network. That is, the terrestrial network can be generalized as the first network, and the non-terrestrial network can be generalized as the second network. The first and second networks can be other networks. For example, the first and second networks can be different types of terrestrial networks (e.g., LTE and NR, unlicensed spectrum networks and licensed spectrum networks, etc.), and the first and second networks can also be different types of non-terrestrial networks (e.g., 3GPP NTN networks and Tiantong satellite networks, low-Earth orbit satellite networks and high-Earth orbit satellite networks, etc.).

[0166] The following describes a communication method in which the terminal device prioritizes searching for terrestrial networks when selecting a network, and searches for non-terrestrial networks when the terrestrial network has no coverage or cannot support the service.

[0167] As shown in Figure 7, the method may specifically include:

[0168] S701, terminal equipment searches for terrestrial networks.

[0169] The result of searching the terrestrial network can be finding cells that meet certain conditions. These cells within the terrestrial network that meet the conditions include at least one of the following: cells within the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, or suitable cells within the terrestrial network, or acceptable cells within the terrestrial network.

[0170] For example, the first condition may include the reference signal received power (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), and signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) of the cell's reference signal being greater than or equal to the corresponding threshold.

[0171] When searching for terrestrial networks, terminal devices can search for terrestrial network frequencies, cells, or beams.

[0172] S702: If no cell meeting the conditions is found in the terrestrial network, the terminal device searches for non-terrestrial networks.

[0173] When searching for non-terrestrial networks, terminal devices can search for the frequency points, cells, or beams of non-terrestrial networks.

[0174] It should be understood that when searching for non-terrestrial networks in step S702, you can search only non-terrestrial networks, or you can search for both non-terrestrial and terrestrial networks.

[0175] In one possible implementation, the terminal device can also search for non-terrestrial networks when it enters the arbitrary cell search state. Specifically, the terminal device can enter the arbitrary cell search state if it fails to find a cell that meets the criteria within the terrestrial network.

[0176] The result of searching non-terrestrial networks can be finding cells that meet certain conditions. These cells within the non-terrestrial network that meet certain conditions include at least one of the following: cells within the non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition; cells within the non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition; cells within the non-terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition; suitable cells within the non-terrestrial network; or acceptable cells within the non-terrestrial network.

[0177] For example, the second condition may include the RSRP / RSRQ / SINR of the cell's reference signal being greater than or equal to the corresponding threshold. The third condition may include the distance to the terminal device being less than or equal to the corresponding threshold. The fourth condition may include the RSRP / RSRQ / SINR of the cell's reference signal being greater than or equal to the corresponding threshold. The fifth condition may include the distance to the terminal device being less than or equal to the corresponding threshold.

[0178] The distance between the non-terrestrial network and the terminal device can refer to the distance between the terminal device and the reference point of the non-terrestrial network cell. The reference point of the cell can be: a satellite, a satellite's nadir point, a network indicator / configuration point, or a predefined point, etc.

[0179] The threshold values ​​for the first, second, and fourth conditions mentioned above can be the same or different; no specific restrictions are imposed here. Similarly, the threshold values ​​for the third and fifth conditions mentioned above can be the same or different; no specific restrictions are imposed here.

[0180] Combining search results from both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, the following five scenarios can exist.

[0181] Scenario 1: No cells meeting the criteria are found within the terrestrial network, but cells meeting the criteria are found within the non-terrestrial network.

[0182] Based on this scenario, the terminal device can reside in or connect to a cell that meets the conditions within a non-terrestrial network.

[0183] Scenario 2: No cells meeting the criteria were found within the terrestrial network, and no cells meeting the criteria were found outside the terrestrial network.

[0184] Based on this second scenario, the terminal device can determine that there is no coverage.

[0185] Optionally, in Situations 1 and 2, a cell within the terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell within the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, or a suitable cell within the terrestrial network, or an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network. A cell outside the terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell outside the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition, a cell outside the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition, a cell outside the terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition, a suitable cell outside the terrestrial network, or an acceptable cell outside the terrestrial network.

[0186] Scenario 3: Find an acceptable cell in the terrestrial network and a cell that meets the criteria in the non-terrestrial network.

[0187] Based on this third scenario, the terminal device can reside in or connect to a qualified cell within a non-terrestrial network.

[0188] Scenario 4: An acceptable cell is found in the terrestrial network, but no cell meeting the criteria is found in the non-terrestrial network.

[0189] Based on scenario four, the terminal device can reside in or connect to an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network.

[0190] Optionally, in cases three and four, a cell within a non-terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell within a non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition; a cell within a non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition; a cell within a non-terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition; or a suitable cell within a non-terrestrial network.

[0191] Scenario 5: Find a cell that meets the criteria within the terrestrial network.

[0192] Based on scenario five, the terminal device can reside in or connect to a cell within the terrestrial network that meets the requirements.

[0193] Optionally, in Case 5, the cells within the terrestrial network that meet the conditions include at least one of the following: cells within the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, or suitable cells within the terrestrial network.

[0194] The "found a certain cell" and "not found a certain cell" in the above five scenarios can be determined based on a period of time. For example, in scenario one, if no cell meeting the criteria is found within the terrestrial network, it could mean that no cell meeting the criteria is found within a certain period of time. The duration of this period can be defined by the protocol, configured by the network device, or determined by the implementation behavior of the terminal device.

[0195] According to the above scheme, when performing a network search, the terminal device prioritizes searching terrestrial networks. If no cell meeting the conditions is found within the terrestrial network, it then searches non-terrestrial networks. Based on this, in one possible application scenario, the terminal device camps on or connects to a cell in either the terrestrial or non-terrestrial network. Under preset conditions, such as the signal quality of the camped (or connected) cell being less than or equal to a preset threshold, the terminal device performs a network search. The network search scheme can adopt the method described in Figure 7, i.e., first searching the terrestrial network, and if no cell meeting the conditions is found within the terrestrial network, then searching the NTN network.

[0196] To facilitate understanding of the solution, the following section, using the above application scenarios as an example, describes the network selection process for terminal devices, taking as an example cells that meet the conditions within the terrestrial network as suitable cells within the terrestrial network, and cells that meet the conditions outside the terrestrial network as suitable cells outside the terrestrial network.

[0197] As shown in Figure 8A, the network selection process includes:

[0198] S801, a cell where the terminal device resides or connects to a terrestrial network / non-terrestrial network.

[0199] S802, the terminal device meets the preset conditions.

[0200] This preset condition is used to trigger a network search. For example, the preset condition could be that the signal quality of the cell the user is staying in (or connecting to) is less than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0201] S803, The terminal device searches for a terrestrial network. If a suitable cell is found in the terrestrial network, proceed to S804; if no suitable cell is found in the terrestrial network or the device enters an arbitrary cell search state, proceed to S805.

[0202] S804, the appropriate cell where the terminal device resides or connects to the terrestrial network.

[0203] S805, The terminal device searches for non-terrestrial networks. If a suitable cell is found in the non-terrestrial network, proceed to S806; if no suitable cell is found in the non-terrestrial network, but an acceptable cell is found in the terrestrial network, proceed to S807; if no acceptable cell is found in the terrestrial network, but an acceptable cell is found in the non-terrestrial network, proceed to S808; if no acceptable cell is found in the terrestrial network, and no suitable or acceptable cell is found in the non-terrestrial network, proceed to S809.

[0204] It should be noted that the terminal device can search for terrestrial networks again if no suitable cell is found on the non-terrestrial network, or it can search for terrestrial networks while searching for non-terrestrial networks in S805.

[0205] S806, a suitable cell where the terminal device resides or connects to a non-terrestrial network.

[0206] S807, an acceptable cell where the terminal device resides or connects to a terrestrial network.

[0207] S808, an acceptable cell where the terminal device resides or connects to a non-terrestrial network.

[0208] S809, the terminal device has been determined to have no coverage.

[0209] It should be noted that steps S801 to S802 are optional.

[0210] Based on the above network selection scheme, the schematic diagram of network selection can be shown in Figure 8B.

[0211] In this application, the terminal device prioritizes terrestrial networks when selecting a network, and considers using non-terrestrial networks when terrestrial networks lack coverage or cannot support services. Currently, non-terrestrial networks are mainly used to supplement the coverage of terrestrial networks, meaning they primarily cover specific areas (e.g., mountainous areas, deserts, oceans). However, common communication scenarios for ordinary users involve areas with terrestrial coverage, where the service quality provided by terrestrial networks is typically higher than that of satellite networks. Prioritizing the search for terrestrial networks ensures that the terminal device selects a terrestrial network with high communication quality whenever possible. Only when terrestrial networks lack coverage or have poor communication quality should the device consider switching to a non-terrestrial network to continue supporting services, thus guaranteeing communication quality and service continuity for the terminal device and improving user experience. Furthermore, it reduces the need for the terminal device to search for non-terrestrial networks in common terrestrial coverage scenarios, thereby reducing unnecessary measurement power consumption and overhead.

[0212] The above describes a communication method that prioritizes searching for terrestrial networks and then searches for non-terrestrial networks when terrestrial networks lack coverage or cannot support services. The following describes another communication method that prioritizes searching for non-terrestrial networks and then searches for terrestrial networks when non-terrestrial networks lack coverage or cannot support services.

[0213] As shown in Figure 9, the method may specifically include:

[0214] S901, terminal devices search for non-terrestrial networks.

[0215] When searching for non-terrestrial networks, terminal devices can search for the frequency points, cells, or beams of non-terrestrial networks.

[0216] The result of searching non-terrestrial networks can be finding cells that meet certain conditions. These cells within the non-terrestrial network that meet certain conditions include at least one of the following: cells within the non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition; cells within the non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition; cells within the non-terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition; suitable cells within the non-terrestrial network; or acceptable cells within the non-terrestrial network.

[0217] For example, the second condition may include the RSRP / RSRQ / SINR of the cell's reference signal being greater than or equal to the corresponding threshold. The third condition may include the distance to the terminal device being less than or equal to the corresponding threshold. The fourth condition may include the RSRP / RSRQ / SINR of the cell's reference signal being greater than or equal to the corresponding threshold. The fifth condition may include the distance to the terminal device being less than or equal to the corresponding threshold.

[0218] The distance between the non-terrestrial network and the terminal device can refer to the distance between the terminal device and the reference point of the non-terrestrial network cell. The reference point of the cell can be: a satellite, a satellite's nadir point, a network indicator / configuration point, or a predefined point, etc.

[0219] S902: If no cell meeting the conditions is found in the non-terrestrial network or if it is determined that the terminal device will leave the coverage of the non-terrestrial network, the terminal device will search for the terrestrial network.

[0220] When searching for terrestrial networks, terminal devices can search for terrestrial network frequencies, cells, or beams.

[0221] It should be understood that when searching for the ground network in step S902, you can search only the ground network, or you can search both the non-ground network and the ground network.

[0222] As an example, a terminal device can determine whether it will leave the coverage of a non-terrestrial network based on ephemeris information from NTN devices, such as satellites. For instance, the orbits / movements of one or more satellites can be determined based on ephemeris information, thereby assessing the satellite coverage at the terminal device's location.

[0223] In one possible implementation, the terminal device can also search for terrestrial networks while in an arbitrary cell search state. Specifically, the terminal device can enter the arbitrary cell search state if it fails to find a cell that meets the criteria within a non-terrestrial network.

[0224] The result of searching the terrestrial network can be finding cells that meet certain conditions. These cells within the terrestrial network that meet the conditions include at least one of the following: cells within the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, or suitable cells within the terrestrial network, or acceptable cells within the terrestrial network.

[0225] For example, the first condition may include the reference signal's RSRP / RSRQ / SINR being greater than or equal to the corresponding threshold.

[0226] The threshold values ​​for the first, second, and fourth conditions mentioned above can be the same or different; no specific restrictions are imposed here. Similarly, the threshold values ​​for the third and fifth conditions mentioned above can be the same or different; no specific restrictions are imposed here.

[0227] Combining search results from both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, the following five scenarios can exist.

[0228] Scenario 1: No cell meeting the criteria is found within the non-terrestrial network or it is determined that the cell will leave the coverage of the non-terrestrial network, but a cell meeting the criteria is found within the terrestrial network.

[0229] Based on this scenario, the terminal device can reside in or connect to a qualified cell within the terrestrial network;

[0230] Scenario 2: No cells meeting the criteria are found within the non-terrestrial network, or it is determined that the user will leave the coverage of the non-terrestrial network, and no cells meeting the criteria are found within the terrestrial network.

[0231] Based on this second scenario, the terminal device can determine that there is no coverage.

[0232] Optionally, in Situations 1 and 2, a cell within the terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell within the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, or a suitable cell within the terrestrial network, or an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network. A cell outside the terrestrial network that meets the conditions includes at least one of the following: a cell outside the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition, a cell outside the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition, a cell outside the terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition, a suitable cell outside the terrestrial network, or an acceptable cell outside the terrestrial network.

[0233] Scenario 3: Find an acceptable cell in the non-terrestrial network and a cell that meets the conditions in the terrestrial network.

[0234] Based on scenario three, the terminal device resides in or connects to a cell within the terrestrial network that meets the specified conditions.

[0235] Scenario 4: An acceptable cell is found in the non-terrestrial network, but no cell meeting the criteria is found in the terrestrial network.

[0236] Based on this fourth scenario, the terminal device can reside in or connect to an acceptable cell within a non-terrestrial network.

[0237] Optionally, in cases three and four, the cells within the terrestrial network that meet the conditions include at least one of the following: cells within the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, or suitable cells within the terrestrial network.

[0238] Scenario 5: Find a cell that meets the criteria within a non-terrestrial network.

[0239] Based on scenario five, the terminal device can reside in or connect to a qualified cell within a non-terrestrial network.

[0240] Optionally, in Case 5, the cells within the non-terrestrial network that meet the conditions include at least one of the following: cells within the non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition; cells within the non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition; cells within the non-terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition; and suitable cells within the non-terrestrial network.

[0241] The "found a certain cell" and "not found a certain cell" in the above five scenarios can be determined based on a period of time. For example, in scenario one, if no cell meeting the criteria is found in the non-terrestrial network, it could mean that no cell meeting the criteria is found within a certain period of time. The duration of this period can be defined by the protocol, configured by the network device, or determined by the implementation behavior of the terminal device.

[0242] According to the above scheme, when performing a network search, the terminal device prioritizes searching non-terrestrial networks. If no cell meeting the conditions is found within the non-terrestrial network, or if it is determined that it will leave the coverage of the non-terrestrial network, then it searches for terrestrial networks. Based on this, in one possible application scenario, the terminal device camps on or connects to a cell in either the terrestrial or non-terrestrial network. Under preset conditions, such as the signal quality of the camped (or connected) cell being less than or equal to a preset threshold, the terminal device performs a network search. The network search scheme can adopt the method shown in Figure 9, that is, first searching non-terrestrial networks, and then searching terrestrial networks if no cell meeting the conditions is found within the terrestrial network, or if it is determined that it will leave the coverage of the non-terrestrial network.

[0243] To facilitate understanding of the solution, the following section, using the above application scenarios as an example, describes the network search process of the terminal device, taking as an example cells that meet the conditions within the terrestrial network as suitable cells within the terrestrial network, and cells that meet the conditions outside the terrestrial network as suitable cells outside the terrestrial network.

[0244] As shown in Figure 10A, the network selection process includes:

[0245] S1001, The cell where the terminal device is camped or connected to a terrestrial network / non-terrestrial network.

[0246] S1002, The terminal device meets the preset conditions.

[0247] This preset condition is used to trigger a network search. For example, the preset condition could be that the signal quality of the cell the user is staying in (or connecting to) is less than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0248] S1003, the terminal device searches for non-terrestrial networks. If a suitable cell is found in the non-terrestrial network, proceed to S1004; if no suitable cell is found in the non-terrestrial network, or if the device enters an arbitrary cell search state or is about to leave the coverage of the non-terrestrial network, proceed to S1005.

[0249] S1004, the appropriate cell where the terminal device resides or connects to a non-terrestrial network.

[0250] S1005, The terminal device searches for a terrestrial network. If a suitable cell is found on the terrestrial network, proceed to S1006; if no suitable cell is found on the terrestrial network, but an acceptable cell is found on a non-terrestrial network, proceed to S1007; if no acceptable cell is found on a non-terrestrial network, but an acceptable cell is found on the terrestrial network, proceed to S1008; if no acceptable cell is found on a non-terrestrial network, and no suitable or acceptable cell is found on the terrestrial network, proceed to S1009.

[0251] It should be noted that the terminal device can search for non-terrestrial networks if no suitable cell is found on the terrestrial network, or it can search for non-terrestrial networks while searching for terrestrial networks in S1005.

[0252] S1006, the appropriate cell where the terminal device resides or connects to the terrestrial network.

[0253] S1007, Acceptable cell where the terminal device resides or connects to a non-terrestrial network.

[0254] S1008, Acceptable cell where the terminal device resides or connects to the terrestrial network.

[0255] S1009, Terminal device has been determined to have no coverage.

[0256] It should be noted that steps S1001 to S1002 are optional steps.

[0257] Based on the above network selection scheme, the schematic diagram of network selection can be shown in Figure 10B.

[0258] In this application, the terminal device prioritizes the use of non-terrestrial networks when selecting a network, and considers using terrestrial networks only when non-terrestrial networks lack coverage or cannot support services. Currently, some terminal devices may be located in non-terrestrial network communication scenarios for extended periods, such as in special areas (e.g., mountainous areas / deserts / oceans). These terminal devices typically use non-terrestrial networks, or networks with higher communication quality. Therefore, prioritizing the search for non-terrestrial networks ensures that the terminal device selects an available network as early as possible, only considering the possibility of using a terrestrial network to continue supporting services when non-terrestrial networks lack coverage or have poor communication quality. This guarantees the communication quality and service continuity of the terminal device, improving user experience. Furthermore, it reduces the need for the terminal device to search for terrestrial networks in special areas, thereby reducing unnecessary measurement power consumption and overhead.

[0259] In the two methods described above, the priority of terrestrial networks and non-terrestrial networks is fixed. For example, in the method described in Figure 7, the terrestrial network takes priority, while in the method described in Figure 9, the non-terrestrial network takes priority. Another communication method is provided below, in which the priority of terrestrial networks and non-terrestrial networks is not fixed. The terminal device can flexibly determine the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks, thereby selecting a network based on the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks.

[0260] It should be noted that in this application, "terrestrial network priority" can be understood as meaning that the priority of the terrestrial network is higher than that of other networks. For example, in a scenario where both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks are deployed, "terrestrial network priority" and "the priority of the terrestrial network is higher than that of the non-terrestrial network" can be understood as having the same meaning, and the two descriptions can be used interchangeably. It should also be understood that if other networks are deployed, "terrestrial network priority" and "the priority of the terrestrial network is higher than that of the non-terrestrial network and other networks" can be understood as having the same meaning, and the two descriptions can be used interchangeably.

[0261] Similarly, "non-terrestrial network priority" can be understood as having a higher priority than other networks. For example, in a scenario where both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks are deployed, "non-terrestrial network priority" and "non-terrestrial network priority is higher than terrestrial network priority" can be understood as having the same meaning, and the two descriptions are interchangeable. It should be understood that if other networks are also deployed, "non-terrestrial network priority" and "non-terrestrial network priority is higher than terrestrial network and other networks" can be understood as having the same meaning, and the two descriptions are interchangeable.

[0262] For ease of description, the following example uses the deployment of both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks. The statement "terrestrial network has higher priority than non-terrestrial network" will be uniformly described as "terrestrial network priority", and the statement "non-terrestrial network has higher priority than terrestrial network" will be uniformly described as "non-terrestrial network priority".

[0263] As shown in Figure 11A, the method specifically includes:

[0264] S1101, the terminal device determines the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks.

[0265] The priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks can be determined by the terminal device based on known information, or by the instruction information from the network device. The two determination methods are described below.

[0266] In Method 1, the terminal device can determine (or set, adjust, or update) the priority of the terrestrial network and / or non-terrestrial network based on at least one of the following information: the location information of the terminal device, the network where the terminal device is hosted, or the network to which the terminal device is connected.

[0267] Taking the network where the terminal device is hosted or the network to which the terminal device is connected as an example, if the network where the terminal device is hosted or the network to which the terminal device is connected is a terrestrial network, the terminal device can determine that the terrestrial network takes priority; if the network where the terminal device is hosted or the network to which the terminal device is connected is a non-terrestrial network, the terminal device can determine that the non-terrestrial network takes priority.

[0268] Taking the location information of a terminal device as an example, if the location of the terminal device has ground coverage or is typically used for terrestrial network communication, the terminal device can prioritize terrestrial networks. If the location of the terminal device lacks ground coverage or is typically used for non-terrestrial network communication, the terminal device can prioritize non-terrestrial networks. For example, if the terminal device is located in a normal area (such as a city / urban area / suburb), terrestrial networks are prioritized. If the terminal device is located in a remote area (such as a mountain / land edge / ocean), non-terrestrial networks are prioritized.

[0269] In the second determination method, the terminal device can determine the priority of the terrestrial network and / or non-terrestrial network based on the first indication information from the network device. The first indication information can indicate at least one of the following: the priority of the terrestrial network and / or non-terrestrial network, the existence of the terrestrial network, or the existence of the non-terrestrial network, wherein the existence of the terrestrial network refers to whether the terrestrial network exists, and the existence of the non-terrestrial network refers to whether the non-terrestrial network exists. For example, the first indication information can be carried in broadcast signaling (e.g., system information) or dedicated signaling (e.g., RRC message).

[0270] Taking the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks as an example, it can specifically indicate: terrestrial network priority, or non-terrestrial network priority. Alternatively, it can also indicate the priority parameters of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks, for example, indicating that the priority of terrestrial networks is 1, the priority of non-terrestrial networks is 2, and so on.

[0271] Taking the existence of a terrestrial network as an example, it can specifically indicate whether a terrestrial network exists in adjacent areas.

[0272] Taking the existence of non-terrestrial networks as an example, it can specifically indicate whether a non-terrestrial network exists in the adjacent area, and / or the type of non-terrestrial network that exists in the adjacent area. For example, the types of non-terrestrial networks that exist in the adjacent area can include the following: 3GPP NTN network, Tiantong satellite network, Starlink satellite network, etc.

[0273] The granularity of the first indication information mentioned above can be at the regional level; for example, the first indication information corresponds to a first region. Similarly, the network device can also send second indication information to the terminal device, which corresponds to a second region and can specifically indicate at least one of the following: the priority of the terrestrial network and / or non-terrestrial network, the existence of the terrestrial network, or the existence of the non-terrestrial network.

[0274] Based on this, if the terminal device is located in the first area, the priority of the terrestrial network and / or non-terrestrial network can be determined according to the first indication information. If the terminal device is located in the second area, the priority of the terrestrial network and / or non-terrestrial network can be determined according to the second indication information.

[0275] Optionally, a third region can also exist, where a default network priority can be adopted. For example, the third region can default to terrestrial network priority, or it can default to non-terrestrial network priority. For the third region, the terminal device can determine the network priority corresponding to that region in two ways. One way is to assume that the default priority is adopted if no indication information corresponding to that region is received. The other way is to determine that the default priority is adopted based on configuration, pre-configuration, pre-definition, protocol definition, etc.

[0276] For example, suppose there are 6 regions, namely regions 1 to 6, where region 1 corresponds to indication information a, region 2 corresponds to indication information b, region 3 corresponds to indication information a, region 4 corresponds to the default network priority, region 5 corresponds to indication information c, and region 6 corresponds to indication information a, as shown in Figure 11B.

[0277] The granularity of the aforementioned first indication information can also be at the beam level (e.g., synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SSB / PBCH block)). For example, the aforementioned first indication information can correspond to a first beam. Similarly, the network device can also send third indication information to the terminal device. The third indication information corresponds to a second beam and can specifically indicate at least one of the following: the priority of the terrestrial network and / or non-terrestrial network, the presence of the terrestrial network, or the presence of the non-terrestrial network.

[0278] Based on this, if the terminal device corresponds to or receives the first beam, it can determine the priority of the terrestrial network and / or non-terrestrial network according to the first indication information. If the terminal device corresponds to or receives the second beam, it can determine the priority of the terrestrial network and / or non-terrestrial network according to the third indication information.

[0279] Optionally, a third beam may also exist. This third beam can adopt a default network priority; for example, it can prioritize terrestrial networks or non-terrestrial networks by default. For the third beam, the terminal device can determine the network priority in two ways: one is to assume the default priority is used if no indication information corresponding to that beam is received; the other is to determine the default priority based on configuration, pre-configuration, pre-definition, protocol definition, etc.

[0280] For example, as shown in Figure 11C, SSB1 can correspond to indication information 1, SSB2 to indication information 2, SSB3 to indication information 1, and area 4 to the default network priority.

[0281] The following describes two signaling implementation methods for beam granularity indication information.

[0282] Method 1: The network device transmits indication information corresponding to each beam on different beams. The indication information corresponding to different beams can be the same or different; no specific limitation is made here. The aforementioned beams can be all beams or some beams within the cell; no limitation is made.

[0283] For example, suppose a network device sends three beams, designated beams 1 through 3. Beam 1 corresponds to indication information 1, beam 2 corresponds to indication information 2, and beam 3 prioritizes non-terrestrial networks by default. The network device can send indication information 1 and indication information 2 on beams 1, 2, and 3.

[0284] Method 2 involves network devices transmitting corresponding indication information via different beams. The indication information for different beams can be the same or different; no specific limitation is made here.

[0285] For example, suppose a network device sends three beams, designated beams 1 through 3. Beam 1 corresponds to indication information 1, beam 2 corresponds to indication information 2, and beam 3 prioritizes non-terrestrial networks by default. The network device can send indication information 1 on beam 1, indication information 2 on beam 2, and no indication information on beam 3.

[0286] In this second determination method, the network device can determine the first indication information based on network coverage information and / or network deployment information.

[0287] For example, if the first indication information is sent through a terrestrial network cell located at the edge of terrestrial network coverage, the first indication information can indicate that non-terrestrial networks have priority.

[0288] If the first indication information is transmitted through a satellite network cell that overlaps with the coverage of a terrestrial network, the first indication information may indicate that the terrestrial network is prioritized in the overlapping area, or that the beams of non-terrestrial network cells in the overlapping area are prioritized for the terrestrial network.

[0289] S1102, the terminal device selects / searches for networks based on the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks.

[0290] In one implementation, the terminal device prioritizes terrestrial networks, and can perform network searches using the method described in Figure 7. Specific details can be found in the description of Figure 7, and will not be repeated here.

[0291] In another implementation, the terminal device prioritizes non-terrestrial networks, and can perform network searches using the method described in Figure 9. Specific details can be found in the description of Figure 9, and will not be repeated here.

[0292] This solution considers scenarios where terminal devices support both terrestrial and non-terrestrial network communication, and provides a flexible mechanism for selecting the network to use. It can dynamically adapt and adjust network priorities, prioritizing networks with potentially higher communication quality based on usage scenarios or network deployment / coverage. When such a network lacks coverage or cannot support the terminal device's services, it can be switched to another type of network in a timely manner.

[0293] Considering that users / terminal devices may change their communication scenarios, for example, they may be in a terrestrial coverage area on a daily basis, but may move to special areas covered by satellite at certain times (e.g., mountains / deserts / oceans, etc.). Therefore, flexibly adjusting the network selection mechanism according to the changes in communication scenarios can, on the one hand, better adapt to and select networks with higher communication quality, ensure the communication quality and service continuity of terminal devices, and improve user experience. On the other hand, it can also reduce the behavior of terminal devices unnecessarily searching for another type of network in one communication scenario, thereby reducing unnecessary measurement power consumption and overhead of terminal devices.

[0294] Furthermore, for the method of setting or adjusting network priority by the terminal device itself (i.e., the determination method one mentioned above), since the terminal device has a more detailed understanding of its own location or application environment, allowing the terminal device to adjust itself can more timely adapt to changes in the communication scenario.

[0295] Regarding this method of network priority indication (i.e., method two mentioned above), since the network side usually has a more detailed understanding of the network coverage / deployment, allowing network devices to make the indications provides more accurate information for terminal devices to refer to. Furthermore, by providing more granular (regional / beam-level) information, differentiated indications can be made according to the actual communication scenario in a larger non-terrestrial network coverage area, improving the accuracy of the information.

[0296] The above describes three communication methods, namely those shown in Figures 7, 9, and 11A. These three communication methods can be implemented individually, or any two methods can be combined as a solution, or all three methods can be combined as a solution.

[0297] Based on the same inventive concept as the method embodiment, this application provides a communication device, the structure of which can be as shown in FIG12, including a communication unit 1201 and a processing unit 1202.

[0298] In one embodiment, the communication device can specifically be used to implement the method executed by the terminal device in the embodiment of FIG7. The device can be the terminal device itself, or a chip or chipset in the terminal device, or a part of the chip for executing the relevant method function. Specifically, the processing unit 1202 is used to search for terrestrial networks via the communication unit 1201; and, if no cell meeting the conditions is found in the terrestrial network, to search for non-terrestrial networks via the communication unit 1201.

[0299] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is also configured to enter an arbitrary cell search state before searching for non-terrestrial networks via the communication unit 1201.

[0300] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is also configured to find cells that meet the conditions in the non-terrestrial network, and camp on or connect to the cells that meet the conditions in the non-terrestrial network.

[0301] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is further configured to determine that there is no coverage if no cell meeting the conditions is found in the non-terrestrial network.

[0302] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is further configured to find an acceptable cell in the terrestrial network, find a cell that meets the conditions in the non-terrestrial network, and camp on or connect to the cell that meets the conditions in the non-terrestrial network.

[0303] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is further configured to find an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network, and if no cell meeting the criteria is found in the non-terrestrial network, camp on or connect to an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network.

[0304] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is also configured to find cells that meet the conditions within the terrestrial network, and to camp on or connect to the cells that meet the conditions within the terrestrial network.

[0305] In one embodiment, the communication device can specifically be used to implement the method executed by the terminal device in the embodiment of FIG9. The device can be the terminal device itself, or a chip or chipset within the terminal device, or a part of the chip used to execute the relevant method function. Specifically, the processing unit 1202 is used to search for non-terrestrial networks via the communication unit 1201; and, if no cell meeting the conditions is found in the non-terrestrial network or it is determined that the user will leave the coverage of the non-terrestrial network, to search for terrestrial networks via the communication unit 1201.

[0306] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is also configured to enter an arbitrary cell search state before searching for the terrestrial network via the communication unit 1201.

[0307] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is also configured to find cells that meet the conditions in the terrestrial network, and to camp on or connect to the cells that meet the conditions in the terrestrial network.

[0308] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is also configured to determine that there is no coverage if no cell meeting the conditions is found in the terrestrial network.

[0309] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is further configured to find an acceptable cell in the non-terrestrial network, find a cell that meets the conditions in the terrestrial network, and camp on or connect to the cell that meets the conditions in the terrestrial network.

[0310] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is further configured to find an acceptable cell in the non-terrestrial network, and if no cell meeting the conditions is found in the terrestrial network, camp on or connect to an acceptable cell in the non-terrestrial network.

[0311] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is also configured to find cells that meet the conditions within the non-terrestrial network, and to camp on or connect to the cells that meet the conditions within the non-terrestrial network.

[0312] In one embodiment, the communication device can specifically be used to implement the method executed by the terminal device in the embodiment of FIG11A. This device can be the terminal device itself, or a chip or chipset within the terminal device, or a part of the chip used to execute the relevant method function. Specifically, the processing unit 1202 is used to determine the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks; and to perform network selection via the communication unit 1201 according to the priority of the terrestrial networks and / or the non-terrestrial networks.

[0313] Optionally, when determining the priority of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network, the processing unit 1202 is specifically configured to: determine the priority of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network based on at least one of the following information: the location information of the terminal device, the network where the terminal device is hosted, or the network to which the terminal device is connected.

[0314] Optionally, when determining the priority of the ground network and / or the non-ground network, the processing unit 1202 is specifically configured to: receive first indication information through the communication unit 1201, the first indication information indicating at least one of the following: the priority of the ground network and / or the non-ground network, the existence of the ground network, or the existence of the non-ground network, wherein the existence of the ground network refers to whether the ground network exists, and the existence of the non-ground network refers to whether the non-ground network exists; and determine the priority of the ground network and / or the non-ground network based on the first indication information.

[0315] Optionally, when performing network selection based on the priority of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network, the processing unit 1202 is specifically configured to: determine that the priority of the terrestrial network is higher than the priority of the non-terrestrial network or that the terrestrial network has priority; search the terrestrial network through the communication unit 1201; if no cell meeting the conditions is found in the terrestrial network, search the non-terrestrial network through the communication unit 1201.

[0316] Optionally, when performing network selection based on the priority of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network, the processing unit 1202 is specifically configured to: determine that the priority of the non-terrestrial network is higher than the priority of the terrestrial network or that the non-terrestrial network has priority; search the non-terrestrial network through the communication unit 1201; if no cell meeting the conditions is found in the non-terrestrial network or it is determined that the user will leave the coverage of the non-terrestrial network, search the terrestrial network through the communication unit 1201.

[0317] In one embodiment, the communication device can specifically be used to implement the method executed by the network device in the embodiment of FIG11A. The device can be the network device itself, or a chip or chipset within the network device, or a part of the chip used to execute the relevant method function. Specifically, the processing unit 1202 is used to determine first indication information; the communication unit 1201 is used to send the first indication information; wherein the first indication information indicates at least one of the following: the priority of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network, the existence of the terrestrial network, or the existence of the non-terrestrial network, wherein the existence of the terrestrial network refers to whether the terrestrial network exists, and the existence of the non-terrestrial network refers to whether the non-terrestrial network exists.

[0318] Optionally, the processing unit 1202 is specifically configured to: determine the first indication information based on at least one of the following: network coverage information or network deployment information.

[0319] The module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and represents only one logical functional division. In actual implementation, other division methods may be used. Furthermore, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into a single processor, exist as separate physical entities, or be integrated into a single module. The integrated modules described above can be implemented in hardware or as software functional modules. It is understood that the functions or implementations of the modules in the embodiments of this application can be further described in the relevant descriptions of the method embodiments.

[0320] In one possible embodiment, the communication device can be as shown in FIG13. This device can be a communication equipment or a chip within a communication equipment, wherein the communication equipment can be the terminal device or the network device described in the above embodiments. The device includes a processor 1301 and a communication interface 1302, and may also include a memory 1303. The processing unit 1202 can be the processor 1301. The communication unit 1201 can be the communication interface 1302. Optionally, the processor 1301 and the memory 1303 can also be integrated together.

[0321] The processor 1301 can be a CPU, a digital processing unit, or something similar. The communication interface 1302 can be a transceiver, an interface circuit such as a transceiver circuit, or a transceiver chip, etc. The device also includes a memory 1303 for storing the program executed by the processor 1301. The memory 1303 can be non-volatile memory, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), or it can be volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM). The memory 1303 can be any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures that can be accessed by a computer, but is not limited to this.

[0322] The processor 1301 is used to execute the program code stored in the memory 1303, specifically to perform the actions of the processing unit 1202, which will not be described in detail here. The communication interface 1302 is specifically used to perform the actions of the communication unit 1201, which will not be described in detail here.

[0323] This embodiment does not limit the specific connection medium between the communication interface 1302, processor 1301, and memory 1303. In Figure 13, the memory 1303, processor 1301, and communication interface 1302 are connected via a bus 1304, which is represented by a thick line. The connection methods between other components are merely illustrative and not intended to be limiting. Buses can be categorized as address buses, data buses, control buses, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used in Figure 13, but this does not imply that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0324] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing computer software instructions required to execute the processor, including a program required to execute the processor.

[0325] This application also provides a communication system, including a communication device for implementing the terminal device functions in the embodiment of FIG7, and optionally, a communication device for implementing network device functions.

[0326] This application also provides a communication system, including a communication device for implementing the terminal device functions in the embodiment of FIG9, and optionally, a communication device for implementing network device functions.

[0327] This application also provides a communication system, including a communication device for implementing the terminal device function in the embodiment of FIG11A and a communication device for implementing the network device function in the embodiment of FIG11A.

[0328] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0329] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to this application. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart illustrations and / or one or more blocks of the block diagrams.

[0330] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0331] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0332] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this application without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, if such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this application and their equivalents, this application also intends to include such modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Search for terrestrial networks; If no cell meeting the criteria is found within the terrestrial network, search non-terrestrial networks.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Prior to the search for non-terrestrial networks, the method further includes: Enter any cell search mode.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Find cells that meet the conditions in the non-terrestrial network, and camp or connect to cells that meet the conditions in the non-terrestrial network; Alternatively, if no cell meeting the criteria is found in the non-terrestrial network, it is determined that there is no coverage.

4. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Find an acceptable cell within the terrestrial network, find a cell that meets the criteria within the non-terrestrial network, and camp or connect to the cell that meets the criteria within the non-terrestrial network. Alternatively, if an acceptable cell is found within the terrestrial network, and no cell meeting the criteria is found in the non-terrestrial network, the user camps on or connects to the acceptable cell within the terrestrial network.

5. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: Find a cell that meets the criteria within the terrestrial network, and stay or connect to the cell that meets the criteria within the terrestrial network.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The cells in the terrestrial network that meet the conditions include at least one of the following: cells in the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, or suitable cells in the terrestrial network.

7. The method as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The cells in the non-terrestrial network that meet the conditions include at least one of the following: cells in the non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition; cells in the non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition; cells in the non-terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition; suitable cells in the non-terrestrial network; or acceptable cells in the non-terrestrial network.

8. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Search for non-terrestrial networks; If no cell meeting the criteria is found within the non-terrestrial network, or if it is determined that the user will leave the coverage of the non-terrestrial network, then search the terrestrial network.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, Prior to searching the terrestrial network, the method further includes: Enter any cell search mode.

10. The method as described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Find cells that meet the criteria in the terrestrial network, and camp or connect to cells that meet the criteria within the terrestrial network; Alternatively, if no cell meeting the criteria is found in the terrestrial network, it is determined that there is no coverage.

11. The method as described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Find an acceptable cell in the non-terrestrial network, find a cell that meets the conditions in the terrestrial network, and camp or connect to the cell that meets the conditions in the terrestrial network. Alternatively, if an acceptable cell is found in the non-terrestrial network, and no cell meeting the criteria is found in the terrestrial network, the user camps on or connects to the acceptable cell in the non-terrestrial network.

12. The method as described in claim 8 or 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: Find a cell that meets the conditions within the non-terrestrial network, and stay or connect to the cell that meets the conditions within the non-terrestrial network.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8-12, characterized in that, The cells in the non-terrestrial network that meet the conditions include at least one of the following: cells in the non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the second condition and whose distance from the terminal device meets the third condition; cells in the non-terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the fourth condition; cells in the non-terrestrial network whose distance from the terminal device meets the fifth condition; and suitable cells in the non-terrestrial network.

14. The method as described in claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The cells in the terrestrial network that meet the conditions include at least one of the following: cells in the terrestrial network whose reference signal quality meets the first condition, suitable cells in the terrestrial network, or acceptable cells in the terrestrial network.

15. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Determine the priorities for terrestrial and / or non-terrestrial networks; Network selection is performed based on the priority of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network.

16. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, The method is applied to a terminal device, and determining the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks includes: The priority of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network is determined based on at least one of the following: the location information of the terminal device, the network where the terminal device is hosted, or the network to which the terminal device is connected.

17. The method as described in claim 16, characterized in that, The network where the host or connected is the terrestrial network, and the terrestrial network has priority. Alternatively, the network where the host or connected network is a non-terrestrial network, with preference given to non-terrestrial networks.

18. The method as described in claim 15, characterized in that, The process of determining the priority of terrestrial networks and / or non-terrestrial networks includes: Receive first indication information, the first indication information being used to indicate at least one of the following: the priority of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network, the existence of the terrestrial network, or the existence of the non-terrestrial network, wherein the existence of the terrestrial network refers to whether the terrestrial network exists, and the existence of the non-terrestrial network refers to whether the non-terrestrial network exists; The priority of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network is determined based on the first indication information.

19. The method as described in claim 18, characterized in that, The priorities of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network include: The terrestrial network takes priority, or the non-terrestrial network takes priority; The existence of the terrestrial network includes: Does the aforementioned ground network exist in adjacent areas? The existence of the non-terrestrial network includes: Does the non-terrestrial network exist in the adjacent area, and / or, what type of non-terrestrial network exists in the adjacent area? 20. The method as described in claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, The first indication information corresponds to the first area; And / or, the first indication information corresponds to the first beam.

21. The method according to any one of claims 15-20, characterized in that, The network selection based on the priority of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network includes: The priority of the terrestrial network is determined to be higher than that of the non-terrestrial network, or the terrestrial network is given priority. Search the ground network; If no cell meeting the criteria is found within the terrestrial network, the non-terrestrial network is searched.

22. The method according to any one of claims 15-20, characterized in that, The network selection based on the priority of the terrestrial network and the non-terrestrial network includes: Determine whether the non-terrestrial network has a higher priority than the terrestrial network, or whether the non-terrestrial network has priority. Search the non-terrestrial network; If no cell meeting the criteria is found within the non-terrestrial network, or if it is determined that the cell will leave the coverage of the non-terrestrial network, then the terrestrial network is searched.

23. A communication method, characterized in that, include: Determine the first instruction information; Send the first instruction information; The first indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following: the priority of the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network, the existence of the terrestrial network, or the existence of the non-terrestrial network, wherein the existence of the terrestrial network refers to whether the terrestrial network exists, and the existence of the non-terrestrial network refers to whether the non-terrestrial network exists.

24. The method as described in claim 23, characterized in that, The determination of the first indication information includes: The first indication information is determined based on at least one of the following: network coverage information or network deployment information.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor, the processor being configured to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, or the method as described in any one of claims 8-14, or the method as described in any one of claims 15-22.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes a processor for performing the method as described in any one of claims 23-24.

27. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes units or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, or units or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 8-14, or units or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 15-22.

28. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units or modules for performing the method as described in any one of claims 23-24.

29. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer storage medium stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the method described in any one of claims 1-7 to be performed, or the method described in any one of claims 8-14 to be performed, or the method described in any one of claims 15-22 to be performed, or the method described in any one of claims 23-24 to be performed.

30. A computer program product, characterized in that, When the computer program product is run on the device, the device performs the method of any one of claims 1-7, or the method of any one of claims 8-14, or the method of any one of claims 15-22, or the method of any one of claims 23-24.

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