Store-and-forward-based satellite communication method, and device

Abstract

Provided in the embodiments of the present application are a store-and-forward-based satellite communication method, and a device, which are applied to the technical field of communications. The method is applied to a first satellite base station, wherein a satellite base station network comprises at least one satellite base station, the satellite base station network comprises the first satellite base station and a second satellite base station, the first satellite base station respectively establishes communication connections with the second satellite base station and a user equipment, the second satellite base station respectively establishes communication connections with the first satellite base station and a ground station, and the user equipment is in a non-store-and-forward mode. The method comprises: when the communication between a second satellite base station and a ground station is disconnected or the communication between a first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is disconnected, the first satellite base station generating a first mode switching instruction; and the first satellite base station sending the first mode switching instruction to a user equipment, wherein the first mode switching instruction is used for instructing the user equipment to switch the communication mode thereof from the current non-store-and-forward mode to a store-and-forward mode.

Description

A satellite communication method and device based on store-and-forward

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410961782.9, filed on July 18, 2024, entitled "A Satellite Communication Method and Device Based on Store-and-Forward", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a satellite communication method and device based on store-and-forward. Background Technology

[0003] Satellite operators connect satellites to form a satellite network via inter-satellite links to provide services to ground equipment. Because this satellite network is in motion relative to the ground, communication between the satellite network and ground equipment may be interrupted during this motion.

[0004] Currently, after communication between the satellite network and ground equipment is interrupted, the satellite network can only notify the user equipment that the communication link between the user equipment and the ground station has been broken, and the satellite network can no longer provide services to the user equipment.

[0005] Therefore, how to continue providing communication services to user equipment after the communication between the satellite network and ground equipment is interrupted is a problem that needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a satellite communication method and apparatus based on store-and-forward. A first satellite base station generates a first mode switching indication and sends the first mode switching indication to a user equipment (UE), enabling the UE to switch from a non-store-and-forward mode to a store-and-forward mode. The first satellite base station sends the first mode switching indication to the UE to notify the UE of a communication interruption, allowing the UE to better select services.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a store-and-forward satellite communication method applied to a first satellite base station. The satellite base station network includes at least one satellite base station, and the satellite base station network includes a first satellite base station and a second satellite base station. The first satellite base station establishes communication connections with the second satellite base station and a user equipment (UE), and the second satellite base station establishes communication connections with the first satellite base station and a ground station. The UE is in a non-store-and-forward mode. The method includes: when communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is disconnected or communication between the first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is disconnected, the first satellite base station generates a first mode switching indication; the first satellite base station sends the first mode switching indication to the UE, the first mode switching indication being used to indicate that the UE's communication mode is switched from the current non-store-and-forward mode to the store-and-forward mode.

[0008] Based on the above technical solution, the first satellite base station sends a first mode switching instruction to the user equipment, notifying the user equipment of the communication link interruption, so that the user equipment can switch from the current non-store-forward mode to store-forward mode. After the user equipment switches to store-forward mode, the satellite network can continue to provide communication services for the user equipment. On the other hand, after receiving the switching instruction, the user equipment can know that it needs to switch to store-forward mode. The user can stop executing services suitable for non-store-forward mode and select services more suitable for store-forward mode, so that the user equipment can make better service selection.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the first mode switching indication further includes store-and-forward mode service time information. The generation of the first mode switching indication by the first satellite base station includes: the first satellite base station determining a set of service link time information, wherein the target service link time information includes the identifier of the corresponding target satellite base station, the service link recovery time of the target satellite base station, and the service link maintenance duration of the target satellite base station, and the target service link time information is any one of the service link time information set; the first satellite base station determining store-and-forward mode service information based on the set of service link time information, wherein the store-and-forward mode service information includes the satellite identifier corresponding to the satellite base station providing store-and-forward mode service to the user equipment, the service time point, and the service maintenance duration.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect and the above implementation method, the first mode switching instruction also includes store-and-forward mode service time information. After receiving the first mode switching instruction, the user equipment can switch the communication mode according to the store-and-forward mode service time information to obtain more time information about the store-and-forward service that the first satellite base station can provide, so that the user equipment can better switch modes.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the first satellite base station determines the service link time information set by: the first satellite base station determining the service link time information of each satellite base station based on the ephemeris of each satellite base station in the satellite base station network and the location of the user equipment, wherein the service link time information includes the corresponding satellite identifier, service link recovery time and service link maintenance duration; and the first satellite base station determining the service link time information set based on the service link time information of each satellite base station.

[0012] One possible implementation provides a method for determining service link time information, which improves the implementability of the embodiments of this application.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the first satellite base station determines the store-and-forward mode service information based on the service link time information set, including: the first satellite base station determines the satellite base station with the earliest service link recovery time in the service link time information set as the target satellite base station; the first satellite base station determines the satellite identifier, service link recovery time, and service link maintenance duration corresponding to the target satellite base station as the store-and-forward mode service information.

[0014] One possible implementation provides a method for determining store-and-forward mode service information, selecting the satellite base station with the earliest service link recovery time as the target satellite base station, and providing store-and-forward mode service to the user equipment as soon as possible, thereby accelerating the communication recovery speed between the satellite base station and the user equipment.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the first mode switching indication further includes non-store-and-forward mode service time information. The generation of the first mode switching indication by the first satellite base station further includes: the first satellite base station determining a set of feeder link time information, wherein the target feeder link time information includes the identifier of the corresponding target satellite base station, the feeder link recovery time of the target satellite base station, and the feeder link maintenance duration of the target satellite base station, and the target feeder link time information is any one of the feeder link time information sets; and the first satellite base station determining non-store-and-forward mode service information based on the service link time information set and the feeder link time information set, wherein the non-store-and-forward mode service information includes the satellite identifier providing non-store-and-forward mode service to the user equipment, the service time point, and the service maintenance duration.

[0016] In this possible implementation, the first mode switching instruction also includes non-store-forward mode service time information. After receiving the first mode switching instruction, the user equipment can switch the communication mode according to the non-store-forward mode service time information to obtain more time information about the non-store-forward service that the first satellite base station can provide, so that the user equipment can better switch modes.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the first satellite base station determines the power supply link time information set by: the first satellite base station determining the power supply link time information of each satellite base station based on the ephemeris of each satellite base station in the satellite base station network and the location information of the ground station, wherein the power supply link time information includes the corresponding satellite identifier, power supply link recovery time and power supply link maintenance duration; and the first satellite base station determining the power supply link time information set based on the power supply link time information of each satellite base station.

[0018] In one possible implementation, before the first satellite base station generates the first mode switching indication, the method further includes: the first satellite base station receiving the location information of the ground station.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the first satellite base station sending a first mode switching indication to the user equipment includes: the first satellite base station sending Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the user equipment, wherein the RRC signaling is used to carry the first mode switching indication; or the first satellite base station sending a Media Access Control (MAC) CE to the user equipment, wherein the MAC CE is used to carry the first mode switching indication.

[0020] One possible implementation provides a method for transmitting a first mode switching indication without adding any additional signaling, which reduces the difficulty of implementing the solution and improves the feasibility of the embodiments of this application.

[0021] In one possible implementation, when communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is disconnected, but communication between the first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is normal, before the first satellite base station sends a first mode switching instruction to the user equipment, the method further includes: the first satellite base station receiving disconnection information sent by the second satellite base station, the disconnection information indicating that the power supply link between the second satellite base station and the ground station has been disconnected.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned disconnection information also includes the satellite identifier corresponding to the second satellite base station, the power supply link recovery time, and the power supply link maintenance duration.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the first satellite base station receiving the disconnection information sent by the second satellite base station includes: the first satellite base station receiving the disconnection information sent by the second satellite base station through the X2 interface; or the first satellite base station receiving the disconnection information sent by the second satellite base station through the inter-satellite link interface.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: when the third satellite base station in the satellite base station network can communicate with the ground station, the first satellite base station generates a second mode switching indication; the first satellite base station sends the second mode switching indication to the user equipment, the second mode switching indication being used to instruct the user equipment to switch from store-and-forward mode to non-store-and-forward mode.

[0025] In this possible implementation, the first satellite base station sends a second mode switching instruction to the user equipment, notifying the user equipment of the communication link interruption, so that the user equipment can switch communication modes and make better service selections based on the communication modes.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned second mode switching indication also includes the satellite identifier, service time point, and service duration for the third satellite base station to provide non-store-and-forward mode services to user equipment.

[0027] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a satellite communication method based on store-and-forward, applied to a user equipment. The user equipment establishes a communication connection with a first satellite base station, and the user equipment is in a non-store-and-forward mode. The method includes: the user equipment receiving a first mode switching indication sent by the first satellite base station, the first mode switching indication being used to indicate that the communication mode of the user equipment is switched from the current non-store-and-forward mode to the store-and-forward mode; and the user equipment switching from the non-store-and-forward mode to the store-and-forward mode according to the first mode switching indication.

[0028] In this possible implementation, the user equipment receives a first mode switching instruction, and the user equipment can switch the communication mode to store-and-forward mode, so that the satellite network can continue to provide communication services to the user equipment; on the other hand, the user equipment can also make better service selections based on the communication mode.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the method further includes: a first user equipment receiving a second mode switching instruction sent by a first satellite base station, the second mode switching instruction being used to instruct the user equipment to switch from store-and-forward mode to non-store-and-forward mode; and the user equipment switching from store-and-forward mode to non-store-and-forward mode according to the second mode switching instruction.

[0030] Thirdly, this application provides a store-and-forward-based satellite communication method applied to a second satellite base station. The second satellite base station establishes communication connections with a first satellite base station and a ground station device, respectively. The method includes: when communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is disconnected, and communication between the first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is normal, the second satellite base station sends a disconnection message to the first satellite base station. The disconnection message indicates that the power supply link between the second satellite base station and the ground station has been disconnected.

[0031] In this possible implementation, if communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is lost, the second satellite base station can notify the first satellite base station of the situation, so that the first satellite base station can take appropriate action, such as sending a first handover instruction to the user equipment.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the aforementioned disconnection information also includes the satellite identifier corresponding to the second satellite base station, the power supply link recovery time, and the power supply link maintenance duration.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the second satellite base station sends disconnection information to the first satellite base station, including: the second satellite base station sending disconnection information to the first satellite base station through the X2 interface; or the second satellite base station sending disconnection information to the first satellite base station through the inter-satellite link interface.

[0034] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a first satellite base station, including a processor and a memory. The processor is coupled to the memory; the memory stores computer instructions, which are loaded and executed by the processor to enable the satellite base station to implement any of the methods provided in the first aspect.

[0035] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a user equipment, including a processor and a memory. The processor is coupled to the memory; the memory stores computer instructions, which are loaded and executed by the processor to enable the user equipment to implement any of the methods provided in the second aspect. Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a second satellite base station, including a processor and a memory. The processor is coupled to the memory; the memory stores computer instructions, which are loaded and executed by the processor to enable the user equipment to implement any of the methods provided in the third aspect.

[0036] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a chip, the chip comprising: a processor and an interface circuit; the interface circuit being configured to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor; and the processor being configured to execute the code instructions to perform any of the methods provided in the first aspect.

[0037] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip, the chip including: a processor and an interface circuit; the interface circuit is used to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor; the processor is used to execute the code instructions to perform any of the methods provided in the second aspect.

[0038] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a chip, the chip comprising: a processor and an interface circuit; the interface circuit being configured to receive code instructions and transmit them to the processor; and the processor being configured to execute the code instructions to perform any of the methods provided in the third aspect.

[0039] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one computer program instruction that is loaded and executed by a processor to implement any of the methods provided in the first aspect above.

[0040] Eleventhly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one computer program instruction that is loaded and executed by a processor to implement any of the methods provided in the second aspect above.

[0041] In a twelfth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one computer program instruction that is loaded and executed by a processor to implement any of the methods provided in the third aspect above.

[0042] In a thirteenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product including computer execution instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the methods provided in the first aspect.

[0043] In a fourteenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product including computer execution instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the methods provided in the second aspect.

[0044] In a fifteenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product including computer execution instructions, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform any of the methods provided in the third aspect.

[0045] In a sixteenth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a satellite communication system, characterized in that the satellite communication system includes a satellite base station network, user equipment, and a ground station. The satellite base station network includes a first satellite base station and a second satellite base station. The first satellite base station is used to execute any method provided in the first aspect, the user equipment is used to execute any method provided in the second aspect, and the second satellite base station is used to execute any method provided in the third aspect.

[0046] The possible implementations of aspects three through sixteen have effects similar to those of aspects one, possible designs of aspect one, aspect two, possible designs of aspect two, aspect three, and possible designs of aspect three, and will not be elaborated upon here. Attached Figure Description

[0047] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication scenario;

[0048] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a scenario for a satellite communication method based on store-and-forward provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a satellite communication method based on store-and-forward provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a satellite communication method based on store-and-forward provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first satellite base station provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a user equipment provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second satellite base station provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another first satellite base station provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another user equipment provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another second satellite base station provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0058] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0059] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between the related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. A and B can be singular or plural.

[0060] In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of a single item or a plurality of items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can mean: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0061] Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish identical or similar items with substantially the same function and effect. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0062] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of terms such as "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner to facilitate understanding.

[0063] It is understood that the term "embodiment" used throughout the specification means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic related to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this application. Therefore, various embodiments throughout the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, these specific features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. It is understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the sequence number of each process 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.

[0064] It is understood that some optional features in the embodiments of this application can be implemented independently in certain scenarios without relying on other features, such as the current solution on which they are based, to solve the corresponding technical problems and achieve the corresponding effects. Alternatively, they can be combined with other features as needed in certain scenarios. Correspondingly, the apparatus given in the embodiments of this application can also implement these features or functions, which will not be elaborated here.

[0065] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships. The following embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0066] As shown in Figure 1, satellite operators connect satellites to form a satellite network via inter-satellite links to provide services to ground equipment. Since this satellite network is in motion relative to the ground, communication between the satellite network and ground equipment may be interrupted during this motion. Therefore, satellite networks need to prepare corresponding implementation plans to deal with this situation.

[0067] Currently, satellite networking can resolve communication interruptions between satellite networks and ground equipment through store-and-forward mechanisms. For example, when communication between the satellite network and the ground station is lost, the satellite network temporarily stores the communication data sent by the user equipment. Once communication is restored, the communication data is then sent back to the ground station, providing store-and-forward services for the user equipment.

[0068] Therefore, how to switch to store-and-forward service mode on both the satellite side and the ground side after communication between the satellite network and ground equipment is interrupted is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0069] Based on this, this application provides a store-and-forward satellite communication method applied to a first satellite base station. The satellite base station network includes at least one satellite base station, and the satellite base station network includes a first satellite base station and a second satellite base station. The first satellite base station establishes communication connections with the second satellite base station and a user equipment (UE), and the second satellite base station establishes communication connections with the first satellite base station and a ground station. The UE is in a non-store-and-forward mode. The method includes: when communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is disconnected or communication between the first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is disconnected, the first satellite base station generates a first mode switching indication; the first satellite base station sends the first mode switching indication to the UE, the first mode switching indication being used to indicate that the UE's communication mode is switched from the current non-store-and-forward mode to the store-and-forward mode.

[0070] In this embodiment, the first satellite base station sends a first mode switching instruction to the user equipment, notifying the user equipment of a communication link interruption. This allows the user equipment to switch its communication mode to store-and-forward mode, enabling better service selection based on the communication mode. For example, in non-store-and-forward mode, the user equipment can perform instant messaging, while in store-and-forward mode, it cannot. Therefore, the user equipment can choose services that do not require instant messaging.

[0071] As shown in Figure 2, the store-and-forward-based satellite communication method in this embodiment can be applied to the satellite communication system shown in Figure 2. This satellite communication system may include a satellite base station network, user equipment, and ground station equipment (ground station). The satellite base station network may include a first satellite device and a second satellite device. Wherein:

[0072] This satellite base station network comprises multiple satellite base stations. In this embodiment, the satellite base stations can be devices with signal transceiver capabilities located on various satellites in extraterrestrial environments. Examples include Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, BeiDou satellites, and various operator communication satellites. These multiple satellite base stations can communicate with each other via inter-satellite links, and any one of them can communicate with user equipment and / or ground station equipment. As shown in Figure 2, the first satellite base station establishes communication connections with the second satellite base station and the user equipment, and the second satellite base station establishes communication connections with the first satellite base station and the ground station, thus forming a communication link between the user equipment, the first satellite base station, the second satellite base station, and the ground station equipment.

[0073] In this embodiment, after the communication link is disconnected, the communication mode between the first satellite base station and the user equipment will switch from non-store-and-forward mode to store-and-forward mode. In store-and-forward mode, communication data sent by the input end is stored in the satellite base station network until a communication connection is established between the satellite base station network and the output end, at which point the communication data is sent to the output end. The input end is either the user equipment or the ground station equipment, and the output end is the other of the user equipment and the ground station equipment. Non-store-and-forward mode refers to communication modes other than store-and-forward mode, such as instant messaging, simplex communication, half-duplex communication, and full-duplex communication, etc., and is not specifically limited here.

[0074] It is understood that, in this embodiment of the application, the satellite communication method provided by the embodiment of the application is described using a communication link of user equipment-first satellite base station-second satellite base station-ground station equipment as an example. The satellite communication method provided by the embodiment of the application can also be applied to other communication links. The number of satellite base stations in the other communication links can be one, such as user equipment-first satellite base station-ground station equipment, or multiple, such as user equipment-first satellite base station-second satellite base station-third satellite base station-ground station equipment. The specific number is not limited here.

[0075] In this embodiment of the application, the at least one satellite base station may be one satellite base station corresponding to one satellite, that is, there is only one satellite base station on one satellite; or multiple satellite base stations may be one satellite, that is, there may be multiple satellite base stations on one satellite, and the specifics are not limited here.

[0076] In this embodiment, the ground station equipment is a ground-based communication device. This ground station equipment can be used to network and communicate with the satellite base station. The ground station equipment can be a base station, server, or other network communication device capable of communicating with satellite relay equipment. The ground station equipment in this embodiment can include various forms of macro base stations, micro base stations (also called small stations), relay stations, access points, etc.

[0077] The user equipment (UE) in this embodiment can be used to communicate with the satellite base station in a network. The user equipment (UE) in this embodiment can also be referred to as terminal equipment, terminal, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), etc. The terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, PDA, mobile internet device (MID), wearable device, virtual reality (VR) device, augmented reality (AR) device, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, or wireless terminal in smart home, etc. This embodiment does not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal.

[0078] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as: Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems, 5th Generation (5G) mobile communication systems, and New Radio (NR). The 5G mobile communication systems in this application include non-standalone (NSA) 5G mobile communication systems and standalone (SA) 5G mobile communication systems.

[0079] The technical solutions provided in this application can also be applied to future communication systems, such as the sixth-generation mobile communication system, and this application does not limit them.

[0080] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the executing entity may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and the embodiments of this application may also perform other operations or variations thereof. Furthermore, the various steps may be executed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessarily necessary to execute all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

[0081] It should be noted that the message names between devices or the names of parameters in the messages in the embodiments of this application are just examples. In specific implementations, other names may also be used. This application does not specifically limit this.

[0082] The technical solution of this application will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 3 and 4, using specific method embodiments. These specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be described again in some embodiments.

[0083] For example, Figure 3 is a schematic flowchart of a satellite communication method based on store-and-forward provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0084] Referring to Figure 3, the store-and-forward-based satellite communication method may specifically include the following steps:

[0085] 301. The first satellite base station receives disconnection information from the second satellite base station.

[0086] When communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is lost, but communication between the first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is normal, the second satellite base station sends a disconnection message to the first satellite base station.

[0087] Accordingly, the first satellite base station receives a disconnection message sent by the second satellite base station, which indicates that the power supply link between the second satellite base station and the ground station has been disconnected.

[0088] In one possible implementation, the disconnection information also includes the satellite identifier corresponding to the second satellite base station, the power supply link recovery time, and the power supply link maintenance duration.

[0089] Specifically, in one possible implementation, the second satellite base station can send disconnection information to the first satellite base station via the inter-satellite link interface. The inter-satellite link between the first and second satellite base stations can be implemented using transparent forwarding, i.e., the first satellite base station and the ground station establish an S1 connection, and the second satellite base station only forwards signaling and data transmission. In this scenario, the first and second satellite base stations do not need to establish a 3GPP-defined X2 interface and can directly transmit information through the inter-satellite link interface.

[0090] In this case, when communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is lost, disconnection information can be added to the inter-satellite link interface sent from the second satellite base station to the ground station. This disconnection information may include a disconnection notification, which may indicate that the power supply link between the second satellite base station and the ground station has been disconnected.

[0091] For example, the disconnection notification can be an ERROR_INDICATION event report transmitted via the inter-satellite link interface, and the disconnection notification can carry the fault type ErrorType: Feeder link disconnected.

[0092] The disconnection notification can also carry a disconnection reason value, i.e., an error code (ErrorValue). Different error codes represent different faults. For example, error code 1 represents a fault in the second satellite base station, error code 2 represents that the ground station is not in the coverage area of ​​the second satellite base station, and error code 3 represents other reasons.

[0093] In addition to the above, the disconnection information can also carry other information, such as the feeder link recovery time (FeederLinkNextRecoverTimeStart), which indicates the time when the feeder link will be restored next. It can also carry the feeder link maintenance duration (FeederLinkNextMaitainTime), which indicates the duration of the next feeder link maintenance. It can also carry satellite ephemeris information, which allows calculation of the satellite's position at any given time. It can also carry the satellite radius, which is the coverage radius centered on the satellite beam center, allowing calculation of the ground area covered by the satellite at a given location. Besides these, the disconnection information can also carry other information, which is not limited here.

[0094] In this embodiment of the application, the satellite ephemeris information can be of various types. For example, the satellite ephemeris can be a six-root ephemeris. The Ephemeris Orbital Parameters of the satellite ephemeris information are as follows:

[0095] Ephemeris Orbital Parameters-r17::=SEQUENCE{

[0096] Semi-majorAxis-r17 INTEGER (0..8589934591),

[0097] eccentricity-r17 INTEGER(0..1048575),

[0098] Near the arch point, periapsis-r17 INTEGER (0..268435455)

[0099] Longitude - r17 INTEGER(0..268435455),

[0100] Tilt angle inclination-r17 INTEGER(-67108864..67108863),

[0101] Anomaly -r17 INTEGER(0..268435455)}.

[0102] In addition, the satellite ephemeris in the embodiments of this application may also be of other types, such as broadcast ephemeris, precise ephemeris, etc., which are not limited here.

[0103] Specifically, in another possible implementation, the second satellite base station can send disconnection information to the first satellite base station based on the X2 interface between satellite base stations. This X2 interface is based on 3GPP TS36.423 and supports the X2AP (X2 application protocol) protocol.

[0104] The disconnection information can be the ERROR INDICATION message in the above protocol. Fields can be added to this ERROR INDICATION message, as shown in Table 1:

[0105] Table 1

[0106] The FeederLinkNextRecoverTimeStart indicates the time when the FeederLink will recover next. The FeederLinkNextMaitainTime indicates the duration of the next FeederLink maintenance. Satellite ephemeris information can be used to calculate the satellite's position at any given time. This ephemeris information can be a six-root ephemeris or other types, such as broadcast ephemeris or precise ephemeris; specific details are not limited here. The satellite radius is the coverage radius centered on the satellite beam center, which can be used to calculate the ground area covered by the satellite at a given location. In addition, this disconnection information can carry other information, which is not limited here.

[0107] In one possible implementation, when communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is interrupted, the second satellite base station will not only send a disconnection message to the first satellite base station, but also broadcast the disconnection message to all satellite base stations in the satellite network. The specific details are not limited here.

[0108] In this embodiment, the second satellite base station can send disconnection information to the first satellite base station through the inter-satellite link interface, or through the 3GPP defined X2 interface. In addition, the disconnection information can also be sent in other ways, which are not limited here.

[0109] 302. First satellite base station: Locate available satellite base stations.

[0110] Optionally, after receiving the disconnection information, the first satellite base station determines that the feeder link between the second satellite base station and the ground station has been broken. Therefore, the first satellite base station can search for other satellite base stations in the satellite network to replace the second satellite base station in communicating with the ground station, thereby restoring the feeder link between the second satellite base station and the ground station.

[0111] In one possible implementation, the first satellite base station finds an available satellite base station and uses this available satellite base station to communicate with the ground station in place of the second satellite base station, thus restoring the feeder link between the second satellite base station and the ground station. The first satellite base station does not need to perform steps 303 and 304.

[0112] In another possible implementation, if the first satellite base station fails to find an available satellite base station to replace the second satellite base station in communicating with the ground station, the first satellite base station performs subsequent steps 303 and 304.

[0113] 303. The first satellite base station generates a first mode switching instruction.

[0114] If the first satellite base station cannot find an available satellite base station to replace the second satellite base station for communication with the ground station, the first satellite base station generates a first mode switching indication, which instructs the user equipment to switch from non-store-and-forward mode to store-and-forward mode.

[0115] In one possible implementation, after receiving the disconnection information, the first satellite base station can also directly generate a first mode switching indication without searching for an available satellite base station; the specific implementation is not limited here.

[0116] In this embodiment of the application, the first mode switching indication may include store-and-forward mode service time information, which includes at least one of the following: satellite identifier, satellite base station identifier, beam identifier, cell identifier, service time point, and service duration, corresponding to the satellite base station providing store-and-forward mode service to the user equipment.

[0117] Specifically, the first satellite base station generates the store-and-forward mode service time information in the first mode switching indication. It can first determine the service link that each satellite base station can restore and maintain with the user equipment based on the ephemeris of each satellite base station in the satellite network and the current location of the user equipment. This includes time information such as satellite identifier, satellite base station identifier, beam identifier, cell identifier, service link service time point, and service link service duration. The set of time information corresponding to each satellite base station is the service link time information set.

[0118] Then, based on the above set of service link time information, the first satellite base station determines the service link time information corresponding to the target satellite base station that is most suitable for providing store-and-forward mode service to the user equipment as the store-and-forward mode service information.

[0119] In one possible implementation, the first satellite base station can determine that the earliest set of data in the above-mentioned service link time information set is the store-and-forward mode service information, that is, determine the target satellite base station that can provide store-and-forward mode service to the user equipment earliest as the most suitable satellite base station, and then determine the service link time information corresponding to the target satellite base station as the store-and-forward mode service information.

[0120] In this embodiment of the application, the first mode switching indication may further include non-store-and-forward mode service time information. The non-store-and-forward mode service time information indicates the time information at which the satellite network can provide non-store-and-forward mode services to user equipment next. The non-store-and-forward mode service time information may include at least one of the following: satellite identifier, satellite base station identifier, beam identifier, cell identifier, service time point, and service duration, corresponding to the satellite base station providing non-store-and-forward mode services to user equipment.

[0121] Specifically, when the first mode switching instruction also includes non-store-and-forward mode service time information, the generation of the first mode switching instruction by the first satellite base station further includes: the first satellite base station first determines the feeder link time information that each satellite base station can restore and maintain with the ground station equipment based on the ephemeris of each satellite base station in the satellite network and the location of the ground station equipment. This time information may include time information such as satellite identifier, satellite base station identifier, beam identifier, cell identifier, feeder link service time point, and feeder link service maintenance duration. The set of time information corresponding to each satellite base station is the set of feeder link time information.

[0122] Then, based on the aforementioned set of feeder link time information, the first satellite base station determines the feeder link time information corresponding to the target satellite base station that is most suitable for providing non-store-and-forward mode service to user equipment as non-store-and-forward mode service information.

[0123] In one possible implementation, the first satellite base station can determine that the earliest set of data in the feeder link time information set is the non-store-and-forward mode service information, that is, determine the target satellite base station that can provide non-store-and-forward mode service to user equipment earliest as the most suitable satellite base station, and then determine that the feeder link time information corresponding to the target satellite base station is the non-store-and-forward mode service information.

[0124] In this possible implementation, the satellite base station needs the location information of the ground station equipment to determine the non-store-and-forward mode service information. Therefore, before the first satellite base station generates the first mode switching indication, the method may further include: the first satellite base station receiving the location information of the ground station. It is understood that the location information of the ground station can be sent by the ground station equipment or by other equipment; this is not specifically limited here.

[0125] Specifically, for example, ground station equipment can report ground station location information (ground station location) to the first satellite base station through the S1 interface specified in the 3GPP TS36.413 S1AP (S1 Application protocol) protocol, so that the first satellite base station can calculate information such as feeder link recovery time based on this.

[0126] In this embodiment, the ground station equipment can report its location information to the first base station using existing signaling in the protocol. For example, the ground station location information can be added to the MME CONFIGURATION UPDATE signaling, and the MME, acting as the ground station equipment, can send the ground station location information to the first satellite base station. Alternatively, the ground station location information can be transmitted by adding a new signaling message. For example, the ground station location information can be carried by a SATELLITE INFORMATION BROADCAST signaling message, which the ground station equipment sends to the first satellite base station. This SATELLITE INFORMATION BROADCAST signaling message includes the ground station location information. Other methods can also be used to send the ground station location information; specific methods are not limited here.

[0127] In this embodiment of the application, the ground station location information can be latitude and longitude information, which can be as follows:

[0128] 304. The first satellite base station sends a first mode switching instruction to the user equipment.

[0129] The first satellite base station sends a first mode switching instruction to the user equipment via the UU interface, which instructs the user equipment to switch from non-store-and-forward mode to store-and-forward mode.

[0130] Accordingly, after receiving the first mode switching instruction, the user equipment can switch from non-store-forward mode to store-forward mode.

[0131] In this embodiment of the application, the first satellite base station sends a first mode switching indication to the user equipment. The first mode switching indication can be carried by radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or by medium access control control element (MAC CE) signaling, or by other signaling. The specific method is not limited here.

[0132] Specifically, the first satellite base station can carry the first mode switching indication through RRC signaling. For example, the following IE can be added to the system information block (SIB) (for idle UE) or the RRCReconfiguration message (for connected UE):

[0133] In one possible implementation, the first satellite base station can carry the first mode switching indication through MAC CE signaling (corresponding to the connected UE), which requires the addition of a logical channel (Logical Channel ID, LCID).

[0134] For example, under the 3GPP 36.321-i10 protocol, a new Signaling Store And Forward MAC Control Element can be added. The sub-header corresponding to this MAC CE can use the R / F2 / E / LCID format, where the LCID value is 01100. The format design of this MAC CE is shown in Table 2.

[0135] Table 2

[0136] The corresponding information related to the newly added logical channels is shown in Table 3:

[0137] Table 3

[0138] In one possible implementation, the above method further includes:

[0139] 305. The first satellite base station generates a second mode switching instruction.

[0140] The communication mode between the first satellite base station and the user equipment has been switched to store-and-forward mode in step 304. When the third satellite base station in the satellite base station network establishes communication with the ground station, and the first satellite base station establishes communication with the third satellite base station, it means that the user equipment can communicate with the ground station in non-store-and-forward mode through the third satellite base station. That is, when the satellite network can provide non-store-and-forward mode service for the user equipment, the first satellite base station generates a second mode switching instruction, which instructs the user equipment to switch from store-and-forward mode to non-store-and-forward mode.

[0141] In one possible implementation, the second mode switching indication may further include non-store-and-forward mode service time information. This non-store-and-forward mode service time information indicates the time information at which the satellite network can provide non-store-and-forward mode services to user equipment next. This non-store-and-forward mode service time information may include at least one of the following: satellite identifier, satellite base station identifier, beam identifier, cell identifier, service time point, and service duration, corresponding to the satellite base station (i.e., the third satellite base station) that provides non-store-and-forward mode services to user equipment.

[0142] In this embodiment, the method by which the first satellite base station generates the second mode switching indication is similar to the method by which the first satellite base station generates the first mode switching indication in step 303 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0143] 306. The first satellite base station sends a second mode switching instruction to the user equipment.

[0144] The first satellite base station sends a second mode switching instruction to the user equipment.

[0145] Accordingly, the user equipment receives a second mode switching instruction and switches from store-and-forward mode to non-store-and-forward mode according to the second mode switching instruction.

[0146] In this embodiment, the method by which the first satellite base station sends the second mode switching instruction to the user equipment is similar to the method by which the first satellite base station sends the first mode switching instruction to the user equipment in step 304 above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0147] The above description, in conjunction with Figures 3 and 4, illustrates the satellite communication method based on store-and-forward provided in the embodiments of this application. The following description describes the first satellite base station and user equipment that execute the above-described satellite communication method based on store-and-forward provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0148] As shown in Figure 5, Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a first satellite base station provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, the first satellite base station 500 may include a processing module 501 and a transceiver module 502, wherein:

[0149] The processing module 501 is used to generate a first mode switching indication when communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is disconnected or communication between the first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is disconnected.

[0150] The transceiver module 502 is used to send a first mode switching instruction to the user equipment, the first mode switching instruction being used to instruct the user equipment to switch its communication mode from the current non-store-forward mode to the store-forward mode.

[0151] In one possible implementation, the first mode switching indication further includes store-and-forward mode service time information. The processing module 501 is further configured to: determine a set of service link time information, wherein the target service link time information includes the identifier of the corresponding target satellite base station, the service link recovery time of the target satellite base station, and the service link maintenance duration of the target satellite base station, and the target service link time information is any one of the service link time information set; and determine store-and-forward mode service information based on the set of service link time information, wherein the store-and-forward mode service information includes the satellite identifier, service time point, and service maintenance duration of the satellite base station providing store-and-forward mode service to the user equipment.

[0152] In one possible implementation, the processing module 501 is further configured to: determine the service link time information of each satellite base station based on the ephemeris of each satellite base station and the location of the user equipment in the satellite base station network, wherein the service link time information includes the corresponding satellite identifier, service link recovery time, and service link maintenance duration; and determine a set of service link time information based on the service link time information of each satellite base station.

[0153] In one possible implementation, the processing module 501 is further configured to: determine the satellite base station with the earliest service link recovery time in the service link time information set as the target satellite base station; and determine the satellite identifier, service link recovery time, and service link maintenance duration corresponding to the target satellite base station as store-and-forward mode service information.

[0154] In one possible implementation, the first mode switching indication further includes non-store-and-forward mode service time information. The processing module 501 is further configured to: determine a set of feeder link time information, wherein the target feeder link time information includes the identifier of the corresponding target satellite base station, the feeder link recovery time of the target satellite base station, and the feeder link maintenance duration of the target satellite base station, and the target feeder link time information is any one of the feeder link time information sets; and determine non-store-and-forward mode service information based on the service link time information set and the feeder link time information set, wherein the non-store-and-forward mode service information includes the satellite identifier that provides non-store-and-forward mode service to the user equipment, the service time point, and the service maintenance duration.

[0155] In one possible implementation, the processing module 501 is further configured to: determine the feeder link time information of each satellite base station based on the ephemeris of each satellite base station and the location information of the ground station in the satellite base station network, wherein the feeder link time information includes the corresponding satellite identifier, feeder link recovery time and feeder link maintenance duration; and determine the feeder link time information set based on the feeder link time information of each satellite base station.

[0156] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 502 is also used to: receive location information from the ground station.

[0157] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 502 is further configured to: send Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the user equipment, wherein the RRC signaling is used to carry a first mode switching indication; or send a Media Access Control (MAC) CE to the user equipment, wherein the MAC CE is used to carry a first mode switching indication.

[0158] In one possible implementation, when communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is interrupted, but communication between the first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is normal, the transceiver module 502 is further configured to: receive disconnection information sent by the second satellite base station, the disconnection information indicating that the power supply link between the second satellite base station and the ground station has been disconnected.

[0159] In one possible implementation, the disconnection information also includes the satellite identifier corresponding to the second satellite base station, the power supply link recovery time, and the power supply link maintenance duration.

[0160] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 502 is further configured to: receive disconnection information sent by the second satellite base station via the X2 interface; or the first satellite base station receives disconnection information sent by the second satellite base station via the inter-satellite link interface.

[0161] In one possible implementation, the processing module 501 is further configured to: generate a second mode switching indication when the third satellite base station in the satellite base station network can communicate with the ground station;

[0162] The transceiver module 502 is also used to: send a second mode switching instruction to the user equipment, the second mode switching instruction being used to instruct the user equipment to switch from store-and-forward mode to non-store-and-forward mode.

[0163] In one possible implementation, the second mode switching indication also includes the satellite identifier, service time point, and service duration of the third satellite base station providing non-store-and-forward mode service to the user equipment.

[0164] As shown in Figure 6, Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of a user equipment provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the user equipment 600 may include a transceiver module 601 and a processing module 602, wherein:

[0165] Transceiver module 601 is used to receive a first mode switching indication sent by the first satellite base station. The first mode switching indication is used to indicate that the communication mode of the user equipment is switched from the current non-store-and-forward mode to store-and-forward mode.

[0166] The processing module 602 is used to switch from non-store-forward mode to store-forward mode according to the first mode switching instruction.

[0167] In one possible implementation, the transceiver module 601 is further configured to receive a second mode switching indication sent by the first satellite base station, the second mode switching indication being used to instruct the user equipment to switch from store-and-forward mode to non-store-and-forward mode;

[0168] The processing module 602 is also configured to switch from store-and-forward mode to non-store-and-forward mode according to the second mode switching instruction.

[0169] As shown in Figure 7, Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a user equipment provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, the user equipment 700 may include a transceiver module 701 and a processing module 702, wherein:

[0170] The transceiver module 701 is used to send a disconnection message to the first satellite base station when communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is disconnected, but communication between the first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is normal. The disconnection message indicates that the power supply link between the second satellite base station and the ground station has been disconnected.

[0171] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first satellite base station provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the first satellite base station 800 includes one or more processors 801, communication lines 802 and communication interfaces 803. Optionally, the first satellite base station 800 also includes a memory 804.

[0172] In some implementations, memory 804 stores elements such as executable modules or data structures, or subsets thereof, or extended sets thereof.

[0173] The methods described in the embodiments of this application can be applied to or implemented by processor 801. Processor 801 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step of the above methods can be completed by the integrated logic circuit in the hardware of processor 801 or by instructions in software form. The processor 801 may be a general-purpose processor (e.g., a microprocessor or conventional processor), a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates, transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. Processor 801 can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0174] The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware decoding processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in mature storage media in the art, such as random access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). This storage medium is located in memory 804, and processor 801 reads the information in memory 804 and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0175] The processor 801, memory 804 and communication interface 803 can communicate with each other through communication line 802.

[0176] In the above embodiments, the instructions stored in the memory for execution by the processor can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product can be pre-written into the memory, or it can be downloaded and installed into the memory as software.

[0177] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a user equipment provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 9, the user equipment 900 includes one or more processors 901, communication lines 902 and communication interfaces 903. Optionally, the user equipment 900 also includes a memory 904.

[0178] In some implementations, memory 904 stores elements such as executable modules or data structures, or subsets thereof, or extended sets thereof.

[0179] The methods described in the embodiments of this application can be applied to, or implemented by, processor 901. Processor 901 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above methods can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the hardware of processor 901 or by instructions in software form. Processor 901 may be a general-purpose processor (e.g., a microprocessor or conventional processor), a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates, transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. Processor 901 can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0180] The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware decoding processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in mature storage media in the art, such as random access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). This storage medium is located in memory 904, and processor 901 reads the information in memory 904 and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0181] The processor 901, memory 904 and communication interface 903 can communicate with each other via communication line 902.

[0182] In the above embodiments, the instructions stored in the memory for execution by the processor can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product can be pre-written into the memory, or it can be downloaded and installed into the memory as software.

[0183] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second satellite base station provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 10, the second satellite base station 1000 includes one or more (including two) processors 1001, communication lines 1002 and communication interfaces 1003. Optionally, the second satellite base station 1000 also includes a memory 1004.

[0184] In some implementations, memory 1004 stores elements such as executable modules or data structures, or subsets thereof, or extended sets thereof.

[0185] The methods described in the embodiments of this application can be applied to or implemented by the processor 1001. The processor 1001 may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by the integrated logic circuit in the hardware of the processor 1001 or by instructions in the form of software. The processor 1001 may be a general-purpose processor (e.g., a microprocessor or conventional processor), a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates, transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. The processor 1001 can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0186] The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly implemented by a hardware decoding processor, or implemented by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules can be located in mature storage media in the art, such as random access memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). This storage medium is located in memory 1004, and processor 1001 reads information from memory 1004 and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0187] The processor 1001, memory 1004 and communication interface 1003 can communicate with each other via communication line 1002.

[0188] In the above embodiments, the instructions stored in the memory for execution by the processor can be implemented in the form of a computer program product. This computer program product can be pre-written into the memory, or it can be downloaded and installed into the memory as software.

[0189] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 11, the satellite communication system includes a satellite base station network 1101, user equipment 1102, and a ground station 1103. The satellite base station network 1101 includes a first satellite base station 1104 and a second satellite base station 1105. The first satellite base station is used to execute the method executed by the first satellite base station in Figure 3 or Figure 4. The second satellite base station is used to execute the method executed by the second satellite base station in Figure 3 or Figure 4. The user equipment is used to execute the method executed by the user equipment in Figure 3 or Figure 4.

[0190] This application also provides a computer program product comprising one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the process or function performed by the satellite base station or user equipment according to the embodiments of this application is generated. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, computer instructions may be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can store or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. For example, available media may include magnetic media (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, or magnetic tape), optical media (e.g., digital versatile disc (DVD)), or semiconductor media (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0191] This application provides a satellite base station, which includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to perform the above-described mode control method.

[0192] This application provides a user equipment including a processor and a memory. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to perform the mode control method described above.

[0193] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions. When executed by a processor, the computer program or instructions implement the methods performed by the satellite base station or user equipment described above. The methods described in the above embodiments can be implemented wholly or partially by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality can be stored as one or more instructions or code on or transmitted on the computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium can include computer storage media and communication media, and can also include any medium that can transfer a computer program from one place to another. The storage medium can be any target medium accessible by a computer.

[0194] As one possible design, computer-readable media may include compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), RAM, ROM, EEPROM, or other optical disc storage; computer-readable media may include disk storage or other disk storage devices. Furthermore, any connecting cable may also be appropriately referred to as computer-readable media. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of media. As used herein, disks and optical discs include optical discs (CD), laser discs, optical discs, DVDs, floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs optically reproduce data using lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0195] This application describes embodiments with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of 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 processing unit 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 processing unit 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.

[0196] The above specific embodiments further illustrate the purpose, technical solution and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the above are only specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made on the basis of the technical solution of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A store-and-forward based satellite communication method, characterized by, The application is applied to a first satellite base station, a satellite base station network includes at least one satellite base station, the satellite base station network includes the first satellite base station and a second satellite base station, the first satellite base station respectively establishes a communication connection with the second satellite base station and a user equipment, the second satellite base station respectively establishes a communication connection with the first satellite base station and a ground station, the user equipment is in a non-storage forwarding mode, and the method comprises: In the case that the communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is disconnected or the communication between the first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is disconnected, the first satellite base station generates a first mode switching instruction; The first satellite base station sends the first mode switching instruction to the user equipment, and the first mode switching instruction is used to indicate that the communication mode of the user equipment is switched from the current non-storage forwarding mode to a storage forwarding mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first mode switching instruction further comprises storage forwarding mode service time information, and the first satellite base station generating the first mode switching instruction comprises: The first satellite base station determines a service link time information set, target service link time information comprises the identification of a corresponding target satellite base station, the service link recovery time of the target satellite base station and the service link maintenance duration of the target satellite base station, and the target service link time information is any one in the service link time information set; The first satellite base station determines the storage forwarding mode service information according to the service link time information set, and the storage forwarding mode service information comprises the satellite identification corresponding to the satellite base station providing the storage forwarding mode service for the user equipment, the service time point and the service maintenance duration.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The first satellite base station determines a service link time information set, comprising: The first satellite base station determines the service link time information of each satellite base station according to the ephemeris of each satellite base station in the satellite base station network and the position of the user equipment, and the service link time information comprises the satellite identification corresponding to the satellite base station, the service link recovery time and the service link maintenance duration; The first satellite base station determines the service link time information set according to the service link time information of each satellite base station.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The first satellite base station determines the storage forwarding mode service information according to the service link time information set, comprising: The first satellite base station determines the satellite base station with the earliest service link recovery time in the service link time information set as a target satellite base station; The first satellite base station determines the satellite identification corresponding to the target satellite base station, the service link recovery time and the service link maintenance duration as the storage forwarding mode service information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The first mode switching instruction further comprises non-storage forwarding mode service time information, and the first satellite base station generating the first mode switching instruction further comprises: The first satellite base station determines a feeder link time information set, target feeder link time information comprises the identification of a corresponding target satellite base station, the feeder link recovery time of the target satellite base station and the feeder link maintenance duration of the target satellite base station, and the target feeder link time information is any one in the feeder link time information set; The first satellite base station determines non- store-and-forward mode service information according to the service link time information set and the feeder link time information set, and the non- store-and-forward mode service information includes satellite identification, service time point and service maintenance time length for providing non- store-and-forward mode service for the user equipment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The first satellite base station determines a feeder link time information set, including: The first satellite base station determines the feeder link time information of each satellite base station according to the ephemeris of each satellite base station in the satellite base station networking and the position information of the ground station, and the feeder link time information includes corresponding satellite identification, feeder link recovery time and feeder link maintenance time length; The first satellite base station determines the feeder link time information set according to the feeder link time information of each satellite base station.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, Before the first satellite base station generates the first mode switching indication, the method further includes: The first satellite base station receives the position information of the ground station.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The first satellite base station sends the first mode switching indication to the user equipment, including: The first satellite base station sends radio resource control (RRC) signaling to the user equipment, and the RRC signaling is used to carry the first mode switching indication; or The first satellite base station sends a medium access control (MAC) control element to the user equipment, and the MAC control element is used to carry the first mode switching indication.

9. The method according to any one of claims 2-8, characterized in that, In the case that the communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is disconnected, and the communication between the first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is normal, before the first satellite base station sends the first mode switching indication to the user equipment, the method further includes: The first satellite base station receives the disconnection information sent by the second satellite base station, and the disconnection information indicates that the feeder link between the second satellite base station and the ground station has been disconnected.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The disconnection information further includes satellite identification, feeder link recovery time and feeder link maintenance time length corresponding to the second satellite base station.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The first satellite base station receives the disconnection information sent by the second satellite base station, including: The first satellite base station receives the disconnection information sent by the second satellite base station through an X2 interface; or The first satellite base station receives the disconnection information sent by the second satellite base station through an inter-satellite link interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The method further includes: In the case that a third satellite base station in the satellite base station networking can communicate with the ground station, the first satellite base station generates a second mode switching indication; The first satellite base station sends the second mode switching indication to the user equipment, and the second mode switching indication is used to indicate that the user equipment is switched from the store-and-forward mode to the non- store-and-forward mode.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The second mode switching indication further includes satellite identification, service time point and service maintenance time length for the third satellite base station to provide non- store-and-forward mode service for the user equipment.

14. A store-and-forward based satellite communication method, characterized by, Applied to a user equipment, the user equipment establishes a communication connection with a first satellite base station, and the user equipment is in a non- store-and-forward mode, and the method includes: The user equipment receives a first mode switching indication sent by the first satellite base station, and the first mode switching indication is used to indicate that the communication mode of the user equipment is switched from a current non-store-and-forward mode to a store-and-forward mode. The user equipment is switched from the non-store-and-forward mode to the store-and-forward mode according to the first mode switching indication.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The method further comprises: The first user equipment receives a second mode switching indication sent by the first satellite base station, and the second mode switching indication is used to indicate that the user equipment is switched from the store-and-forward mode to the non-store-and-forward mode. The user equipment is switched from the store-and-forward mode to the non-store-and-forward mode according to the second mode switching indication.

16. A store-and-forward based satellite communication method, characterized by, The method is applied to a second satellite base station, and the second satellite base station establishes a communication connection with a first satellite base station and a ground station device respectively, and the method comprises: In a case where the communication between the second satellite base station and the ground station is disconnected, and the communication between the first satellite base station and the second satellite base station is normal, the second satellite base station sends disconnection information to the first satellite base station, and the disconnection information indicates that the feeder link between the second satellite base station and the ground station has been disconnected.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The disconnection information further comprises a satellite identifier corresponding to the second satellite base station, a feeder link recovery time and a feeder link maintenance duration.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein, The second satellite base station sends the disconnection information to the first satellite base station, comprising: The second satellite base station sends the disconnection information to the first satellite base station through an X2 interface; or The second satellite base station sends the disconnection information to the first satellite base station through an inter-satellite link interface.

19. A first satellite base station, the first satellite base station comprising: The satellite communication system comprises a satellite base station network, a user equipment and a ground station, the satellite base station network comprises a first satellite base station and a second satellite base station, the first satellite base station is used to execute the method of any one of claims 1-13, the user equipment is used to execute the method of any one of claims 14-15, and the second satellite base station is used to execute the method of any one of claims 16-18.

20. A user equipment, comprising: The satellite communication system comprises a satellite base station network, a user equipment and a ground station, the satellite base station network comprises a first satellite base station and a second satellite base station, the first satellite base station is used to execute the method of any one of claims 1-13, the user equipment is used to execute the method of any one of claims 14-15, and the second satellite base station is used to execute the method of any one of claims 16-18.

21. A second satellite base station, characterized in that, ​ 22. A satellite communication system, characterized by ​

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