Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication method and apparatus, which belong to the technical field of communications. In the method, n first beams among m*n generated first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range among m first coverage ranges, wherein n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m; the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field-of-view range of a non-terrestrial communication apparatus, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus; and coverage ranges of the n first beams among the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, wherein the second direction is the flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus. In the solution, taking into consideration the characteristic of satellite coverage for ground users, extensive beam coverage can be performed along the flight direction of a satellite, thereby effectively improving the beam coverage effect.

Description

Communication method and apparatus

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411098508.X, filed on August 12, 2024, and entitled "Communication method and apparatus", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and more particularly, to a communication method and apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0003] In a non-terrestrial network (NTN), aircrafts (e.g., airplanes or drones) or satellites are introduced into a communication system. Network devices deployed on satellites can send signals to terminal devices. Since the distance from a satellite to a terminal device is very far, the coverage range of signals sent by network devices in an NTN communication system is much larger than that of a current terrestrial network (TN).

[0004] However, how to effectively improve the beam coverage effect is a problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a communication method and apparatus, which can effectively improve the beam coverage effect in an NTN scenario.

[0006] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided. The method provided in the first aspect can be applied to a non-terrestrial communication apparatus.

[0007] Unless otherwise specified, the non-terrestrial communication apparatus in the present application can be a satellite, a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the satellite, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the satellite. Alternatively, the non-terrestrial communication apparatus in the present application can be a network device deployed on a satellite, a component (e.g., a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the network device, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the network device.

[0008] For ease of description, the non-terrestrial communication apparatus is described below as an example.

[0009] The method comprises: generating m*n first beams based on a first antenna array, the first antenna array being located in a non-ground communication device, wherein n first beams in the m*n first beams are located in an i th first coverage range in m first coverage ranges, n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction in a field of view range of the non-ground communication device, the first direction being perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-ground communication device; coverage ranges of the n first beams in the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction in the i th first coverage range, the second direction being the flight direction of the non-ground communication device; and outputting the m*n first beams.

[0010] Satellite coverage of ground users (for example, terminal devices) has certain characteristics. For example, there are a large number of users along the flight direction of the satellite, and the number of users perpendicular to the flight direction of the satellite is small. The above scheme can be used to improve the beam coverage effect by arranging a large number of beams along the flight direction of the satellite according to the characteristics of the satellite coverage of ground users.

[0011] In some implementations, the non-ground communication device further comprises a second antenna array, and the method further comprises: generating m*n second beams based on the second antenna array, n second beams in the m*n second beams being located in an i th second coverage range in m second coverage ranges; the m second coverage ranges are arranged along the first direction in a field of view range of the non-ground communication device, the m second coverage ranges being different from the m first coverage ranges; coverage ranges of the n second beams in the m*n second beams are arranged along the second direction in the i th second coverage range; and outputting the m*n second beams.

[0012] Based on the above scheme, the beams generated by the multiple antenna arrays can cover different ranges respectively, thereby increasing the coverage of the ground and further improving the coverage effect.

[0013] In some implementations, the first antenna array comprises K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, each one-dimensional array in the K one-dimensional arrays comprising L antenna units arranged along the first direction, K and L being positive integers; the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges according to K*L antenna units along the first direction; and the first antenna array is configured to generate n first beams in each first coverage range in the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna units along the second direction.

[0014] Based on the above scheme, by beamforming in two directions on K*L antenna elements, m*n first beams can be formed that freely scan within m first coverage areas, thereby improving the beam coverage effect. Furthermore, the above scheme, combined with the antenna array morphology and based on satellite flight characteristics, supports ultra-dense multi-beam coverage, meeting the simultaneous communication needs of multiple users located along the satellite's flight direction.

[0015] In some implementations, the first antenna array is used to determine the m first coverage areas in the first direction based on analog beamforming.

[0016] Compared to all-digital beamforming, the above scheme can include analog beamforming, thereby reducing the power consumption of beamforming and lowering the heat dissipation cost of the satellite.

[0017] In some implementations, the first antenna array comprises K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction, where K is a positive integer greater than 1; the spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays in the K arrays is less than [missing information]. Where, θ max λ represents the maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents the maximum operating frequency of the antenna element.

[0018] Those skilled in the art will understand that the aforementioned spacing requirements ensure grating lobe suppression between the individual one-dimensional arrays. Therefore, the above scheme can reduce interference between m*n first beams. For example, it can reduce interference between first beams within adjacent first coverage areas.

[0019] In some implementations, the non-terrestrial communication device includes a control unit and P beam transceiver units, wherein the first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units includes the first antenna array, and P is an integer greater than 1; the control unit is used to communicate with the first of the P beam transceiver units, and the i-th beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units is used to communicate with the (i-1)-th beam transceiver unit, where i is an integer from 2 to P.

[0020] Based on the above scheme, the control unit is connected in series with P beam transceiver units, which reduces the processing complexity and data processing volume of the control unit. Furthermore, different beam transceiver units can cover different areas, so even if one beam transceiver unit fails, it will not affect the coverage of other areas. Therefore, the above scheme can guarantee multi-beam coverage.

[0021] Secondly, a communication method is provided. The method provided in the second aspect can be applied to the first device.

[0022] In the case where no special description is made, the first device in the present application can be a terminal device (for example, a first terminal device), can be a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the terminal device, or can also be a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the terminal device functions. For the convenience of description, the first device is taken as an example for description hereinafter.

[0023] The method comprises: receiving a third beam, the third beam being one of m*n first beams, the m*n first beams being generated based on a first antenna array face, the first antenna array face being located in a non-ground communication device, wherein n first beams in the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range in m first coverage ranges, n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view range of the non-ground communication device, the first direction being perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-ground communication device; coverage ranges of the n first beams in the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, the second direction being the flight direction of the non-ground communication device.

[0024] In some implementations, the first antenna array face comprises K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction, each one-dimensional array in the K one-dimensional arrays comprising L antenna elements arranged in the first direction, K and L being positive integers; the first antenna array face is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges according to K*L antenna elements in the first direction; and the first antenna array face is configured to generate n first beams in each first coverage range in the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements in the second direction.

[0025] In some implementations, the first antenna array face is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges based on analog beamforming in the first direction.

[0026] In some implementations, the first antenna array face comprises K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction, K being a positive integer greater than 1; a spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays in the K one-dimensional arrays is less than wherein θ max represents a maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents a maximum frequency point at which the antenna element operates.

[0027] In some implementations, the non-ground communication device comprises a control unit and P beam transceiver units, a first beam transceiver unit in the P beam transceiver units comprising the first antenna array face, P being an integer greater than 1; the control unit is configured to communicate with a first beam transceiver unit in the P beam transceiver units, an i-th beam transceiver unit in the P beam transceiver units being configured to communicate with an (i-1)-th beam transceiver unit, i being an integer taken from 2 to P.

[0028] In a third aspect, a communication method is provided. The method provided in the third aspect can be applied to a non-terrestrial communication device.

[0029] Unless otherwise specified, the non-terrestrial communication device in the present application can be a satellite, a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the satellite, or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the satellite, etc. Alternatively, the non-terrestrial communication device in the present application can be a network device deployed in a satellite, a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the network device, or a logic module or software capable of implementing all or part of the functions of the network device, etc.

[0030] For ease of description, the non-terrestrial communication device is taken as an example for description below.

[0031] The method comprises: controlling, by a control unit, a first beam transceiver unit of P beam transceiver units to transmit at least one beam; wherein the control unit and the P beam transceiver units are located in a non-terrestrial communication device, the control unit is configured to communicate with the first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units, and the i-th beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units is configured to communicate with the (i-1)-th beam transceiver unit, i is an integer taken from 2 to P.

[0032] Optionally, the coverage ranges of the P beam transceiver units respectively comprise P regions. Optionally, two regions of the P regions are different.

[0033] Based on the above scheme, the control unit and the P beam transceiver units are connected in series, which can reduce the processing complexity and data processing amount of the control unit. In addition, different beam transceiver units can cover different regions, so that even if a certain beam transceiver unit fails, it will not affect the coverage of other regions. Therefore, the above scheme can guarantee the coverage of multiple beams.

[0034] In some implementations, the first beam transceiver unit includes a first antenna array, and the method further includes: generating, by the control unit, m*n first beams by the first antenna array, n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m; the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication device, the first direction is perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication device; coverage ranges of the n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, the second direction is the flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication device; and outputting the m*n first beams.

[0035] In some implementations, a second beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units includes a second antenna array, and the method further includes: generating, based on the second antenna array, m*n second beams, n second beams of the m*n second beams are located in an i-th second coverage range of m second coverage ranges; the m second coverage ranges are arranged along the first direction within the field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication device, the m second coverage ranges are different from the m first coverage ranges; coverage ranges of the n second beams of the m*n second beams are arranged along the second direction within the i-th second coverage range; and outputting the m*n second beams.

[0036] In some implementations, the first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, each one-dimensional array of the K one-dimensional arrays includes L antenna elements arranged along the first direction, K and L are positive integers; the first antenna array is configured to determine, in the first direction, the m first coverage ranges according to K*L antenna elements; and the first antenna array is configured to generate, in the second direction, n first beams in each of the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements.

[0037] In some implementations, the first antenna array is configured to determine, in the first direction, the m first coverage ranges based on analog beamforming.

[0038] In some implementations, the first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, K is a positive integer greater than 1; a spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays of the K one-dimensional arrays is less than where θ max represents a maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents a maximum frequency point at which the antenna element operates.

[0039] In a fourth aspect, a communication method is provided. The method provided in the fourth aspect can be applied to the first device.

[0040] In the absence of special description, the first device in the present application can be a terminal device (for example, a first terminal device), a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the terminal device, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the functions of the terminal device. For ease of description, the first device is described below as an example.

[0041] The method comprises: receiving a third beam, wherein the third beam is one of the at least one beam transmitted by the first beam transceiver unit under the control of the control unit, wherein the first beam transceiver unit is one of the P beam transceiver units, the control unit is located in the non-terrestrial communication device together with the P beam transceiver units, the control unit is used to communicate with the first one of the P beam transceiver units, the i-th beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units is used to communicate with the i-1-th beam transceiver unit, i is an integer taken from 2 to P.

[0042] In some implementations, the first beam transceiver unit comprises a first antenna array, and the control of the first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units by the control unit to transmit the at least one beam comprises: generating m*n first beams based on the first antenna array, wherein n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication device, the first direction being perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication device; the coverage ranges of the n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, the second direction being the flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication device; and outputting the m*n first beams.

[0043] In some implementations, the second beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units comprises a second antenna array, and the method further comprises: generating m*n second beams based on the second antenna array, wherein n second beams of the m*n second beams are located in an i-th second coverage range of m second coverage ranges; the m second coverage ranges are arranged along the first direction within the field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication device, the m second coverage ranges being different from the m first coverage ranges; the coverage ranges of the n second beams of the m*n second beams are arranged along the second direction within the i-th second coverage range; and outputting the m*n second beams.

[0044] In some embodiments, the first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction, each of the K one-dimensional arrays includes L antenna elements arranged in the first direction, K and L are positive integers; the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges in the first direction according to K*L antenna elements; and the first antenna array is configured to generate n first beams in each of the m first coverage ranges in the second direction according to the K*L antenna elements.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges in the first direction based on analog beamforming.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction, K is a positive integer greater than 1; a spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays in the K one-dimensional arrays is less than wherein, θ max represents a maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents a maximum frequency point at which the antenna element operates.

[0047] In a fifth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, which includes processing circuitry (or processor) and an input / output interface (also referred to as interface circuitry) for inputting and / or outputting signals. The processing circuitry is configured to perform the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the processing circuitry is configured to perform the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect, or the processing circuitry is configured to perform the third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect, or the processing circuitry is configured to perform the fourth aspect and any possible implementation of the fourth aspect.

[0048] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry is configured to communicate with other apparatuses via the interface circuitry, and perform the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect, or the third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect, or the fourth aspect and any possible implementation of the fourth aspect.

[0049] In a sixth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus can include units or modules for performing functions of the communication apparatus.

[0050] In some embodiments, the communication apparatus can include modules or units or means corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect. The modules or units or means can be hardware circuits, software, or a combination of hardware circuits and software.

[0051] The apparatus can also be referred to as a non-terrestrial communication apparatus. Exemplarily, the apparatus can comprise a first beam transceiver unit. The first beam transceiver unit can be configured to generate m*n first beams based on a first antenna array, the first antenna array being located in the non-terrestrial communication apparatus, wherein n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m being positive integers, i being a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus, the first direction being perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus; coverage ranges of the n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, the second direction being the flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus; and the first beam transceiver unit can be further configured to output the m*n first beams.

[0052] In some implementations, the apparatus comprises P beam transceiver units, P being an integer greater than 1. The first beam transceiver unit is one of the P beam transceiver units, and the P beam transceiver units further comprise a second beam transceiver unit. The second beam transceiver unit can be configured to generate m*n second beams based on a second antenna array, n second beams of the m*n second beams being located in an i-th second coverage range of m second coverage ranges; the m second coverage ranges are arranged along the first direction within a field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus, the m second coverage ranges being different from the m first coverage ranges; coverage ranges of the n second beams of the m*n second beams are arranged along the second direction within the i-th second coverage range; and the second beam transceiver unit can be further configured to output the m*n second beams.

[0053] In some implementations, the first antenna array comprises K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, each of the K one-dimensional arrays comprising L antenna elements arranged along the first direction, K and L being positive integers; the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements along the first direction; and the first antenna array is configured to generate the n first beams in each of the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements along the second direction.

[0054] In some implementations, the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges based on analog beamforming along the first direction.

[0055] In some implementations, the first antenna array comprises K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, K being a positive integer greater than 1; a spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays of the K one-dimensional arrays is less than wherein θmax represents the maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents the maximum frequency point at which the antenna unit operates.

[0056] In some implementations, the apparatus further includes a control unit. The control unit can be configured to communicate with a first one of the P beam transceiver units, and an i-th one of the P beam transceiver units is configured to communicate with an i-1-th one of the P beam transceiver units, where i is an integer taken from 2 to P.

[0057] In some implementations, the communication apparatus can include a module or unit or means corresponding to each of the methods / operations / steps / actions described in the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect, which can be hardware circuit, software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0058] The apparatus can also be referred to as a first apparatus. Illustratively, the apparatus can include a transceiver unit. The transceiver unit can be configured to receive a third beam, the third beam being one of m*n first beams, the m*n first beams being generated based on a first antenna array, the first antenna array being located in a non-terrestrial communication apparatus, wherein n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m being positive integers, and i being a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus, the first direction being perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus; coverage ranges of the n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, the second direction being the flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus.

[0059] In some implementations, the first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, each one-dimensional array of the K one-dimensional arrays including L antenna elements arranged along the first direction, K and L being positive integers; the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges according to K*L antenna elements along the first direction; and the first antenna array is configured to generate the n first beams in each of the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements along the second direction.

[0060] In some implementations, the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges based on analog beamforming along the first direction.

[0061] In some implementations, the first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, K being a positive integer greater than 1; a spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays of the K one-dimensional arrays is less than where θ = 2π / 2π / max represents the maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents the maximum frequency point at which the antenna unit operates.

[0062] In some embodiments, the non-terrestrial communication device comprises a control unit and P beam transceiver units, a first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units comprises the first antenna array panel, and P is an integer greater than 1; the control unit is configured to communicate with the first beam transceiver unit, and an i-th beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units is configured to communicate with an (i-1)-th beam transceiver unit, i is an integer taken from 2 to P.

[0063] In some embodiments, the communication device can comprise a module or unit or means for performing the method / operation / step / action described in the fourth aspect and any possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, which can be a hardware circuit, or software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0064] The device can also be referred to as a non-terrestrial communication device. Exemplarily, the device can comprise a control unit and P beam transceiver units, P is a positive integer greater than 1. The P beam transceiver units comprise a first beam transceiver unit. The control unit is configured to control the first beam transceiver unit to transmit at least one beam; the control unit is configured to communicate with the first beam transceiver unit, and an i-th beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units is configured to communicate with an (i-1)-th beam transceiver unit, i is an integer taken from 2 to P.

[0065] In some embodiments, the first beam transceiver unit comprises a first antenna array panel, and the control unit is specifically configured to: control the first antenna array panel to generate m*n first beams, wherein n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction in a field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication device, the first direction being perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication device; coverage ranges of the n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction in the i-th first coverage range, the second direction being the flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication device; and control the first antenna array panel to output the m*n first beams.

[0066] In some embodiments, the second beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units comprises a second antenna array, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the second antenna array to generate m*n second beams, n second beams of the m*n second beams are located in an i-th second coverage range of m second coverage ranges, the m second coverage ranges are arranged along the first direction within a field of view range of the non-ground communication device, the m second coverage ranges are different from the m first coverage ranges, coverage ranges of n second beams of the m*n second beams are arranged along the second direction within the i-th second coverage range, and the control unit is further configured to control the second antenna array to output the m*n second beams.

[0067] In some embodiments, the first antenna array comprises K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, each one-dimensional array of the K one-dimensional arrays comprises L antenna elements arranged along the first direction, K and L are positive integers, the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements along the first direction, and the first antenna array is configured to generate n first beams in each first coverage range of the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements along the second direction.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges based on analog beamforming along the first direction.

[0069] In some embodiments, the first antenna array comprises K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, K is a positive integer greater than 1, a spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays of the K one-dimensional arrays is less than wherein θ max represents a maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents a maximum frequency point at which the antenna element operates.

[0070] In some embodiments, the control unit can be configured to communicate with a 1st beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units, a i-th beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units is configured to communicate with an (i-1)th beam transceiver unit, i is an integer taken from 2 to P.

[0071] In some embodiments, the communication device can comprise a module or unit or means for performing the method / operation / step / action described in the fourth aspect and any possible implementation manner of the fourth aspect, which can be a hardware circuit, or software, or a combination of hardware circuit and software.

[0072] Exemplarily, the apparatus can be referred to as a first apparatus. The apparatus can comprise a transceiving unit. The transceiving unit can be configured to receive a fourth beam, wherein the fourth beam is one of the at least one beam transmitted by a first beam transceiving unit under control of a control unit, wherein the first beam transceiving unit is one of P beam transceiving units, the control unit is located in the non-terrestrial communication apparatus together with the P beam transceiving units, the control unit is configured to communicate with a first one of the P beam transceiving units, an i-th one of the P beam transceiving units is configured to communicate with an (i-1)-th one of the P beam transceiving units, i is an integer taken from 2 to P.

[0073] In some implementations, the first beam transceiving unit comprises a first antenna array, and the controlling, by the control unit, the first beam transceiving unit of the P beam transceiving units to transmit the at least one beam comprises: generating m*n first beams based on the first antenna array, wherein n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus, the first direction being perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus; coverage ranges of the n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, the second direction being the flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus; and outputting the m*n first beams.

[0074] In some implementations, a second beam transceiving unit of the P beam transceiving units comprises a second antenna array, and the method further comprises: generating m*n second beams based on the second antenna array, wherein n second beams of the m*n second beams are located in an i-th second coverage range of m second coverage ranges; the m second coverage ranges are arranged along the first direction within the field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus, the m second coverage ranges being different from the m first coverage ranges; coverage ranges of the n second beams of the m*n second beams are arranged along the second direction within the i-th second coverage range; and outputting the m*n second beams.

[0075] In some implementations, the first antenna array comprises K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, each one-dimensional array of the K one-dimensional arrays comprising L antenna elements arranged along the first direction, K and L being positive integers; the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges according to K*L antenna elements along the first direction; and the first antenna array is configured to generate n first beams in each of the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements along the second direction.

[0076] In some implementations, the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges based on analog beamforming in the first direction.

[0077] In some implementations, the first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction, K being a positive integer greater than 1; a spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays in the K one-dimensional arrays is less than wherein, θ max represents a maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents a maximum frequency point at which the antenna element operates.

[0078] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, and the computer-readable storage medium has stored thereon a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the first aspect and any possible method of the first aspect to be performed (or implemented), or cause the second aspect and any possible method of the second aspect to be performed (or implemented), or cause the third aspect and any possible method of the third aspect to be performed (or implemented), or cause the fourth aspect and any possible method of the fourth aspect to be performed (or implemented).

[0079] In an eighth aspect, a computer program product is provided, and the computer program product contains a computer program or instructions, which, when executed by a processor, cause the first aspect and any possible method of the first aspect to be performed (or implemented), or cause the second aspect and any possible method of the second aspect to be performed (or implemented), or cause the third aspect and any possible method of the third aspect to be performed (or implemented), or cause the fourth aspect and any possible method of the fourth aspect to be performed (or implemented).

[0080] In a ninth aspect, a communication apparatus is provided, and the communication apparatus includes a processor configured to cause the first aspect and any possible method of the first aspect to be performed (or implemented), or cause the second aspect and any possible method of the second aspect to be performed (or implemented), or cause the third aspect and any possible method of the third aspect to be performed (or implemented), or cause the fourth aspect and any possible method of the fourth aspect to be performed (or implemented) by executing computer programs (or computer executable instructions) stored in a memory and / or by a logic circuit.

[0081] In a possible implementation, the apparatus further includes a memory. In a possible implementation, the processor and the memory are integrated together. In another possible implementation, the memory is located outside the communication apparatus. The processor can be one or more.

[0082] In a possible implementation, the communication apparatus further includes a communication interface configured to communicate data and / or signals between the communication apparatus and other devices. For example, the communication interface can be a transceiver, a circuit, a bus, a module, or other types of communication interfaces.

[0083] In an implementation, the communication apparatus of the fifth aspect, the sixth aspect, or the ninth aspect can be a chip or a chip system.

[0084] The tenth aspect provides a chip including a processor configured to invoke a computer program or computer instructions in a memory, so that any implementation of the first aspect described above is executed (or implemented), or so that any implementation of the second aspect described above is executed (or implemented), or so that any implementation of the third aspect described above is executed (or implemented), or so that any implementation of the fourth aspect described above is executed (or implemented).

[0085] In some implementations, the processor is coupled to the memory through an interface.

[0086] The eleventh aspect provides a communication system including a non-terrestrial communication apparatus and a first apparatus. The non-terrestrial communication apparatus is configured to execute the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, and the first apparatus is configured to execute the second aspect and any possible implementation of the second aspect. Alternatively, the non-terrestrial communication apparatus is configured to execute the third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect, and the first apparatus is configured to execute the fourth aspect and any possible implementation of the fourth aspect.

[0087] The twelfth aspect provides a satellite. The satellite can be configured to implement the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0088] The thirteenth aspect provides an antenna. The antenna can be configured to implement the first aspect and any possible implementation of the first aspect, or the third aspect and any possible implementation of the third aspect.

[0089] For example, the antenna can include a first antenna array, and the antenna can generate m*n first beams based on the first antenna array. The antenna can be located in a non-ground communication device. n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m. The m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view range of the non-ground communication device, and the first direction is perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-ground communication device. The coverage ranges of the n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, and the second direction is the flight direction of the non-ground communication device. The m*n first beams are output.

[0090] For another example, the antenna can include a control unit and P beam transceiver units. The control unit is configured to communicate with a first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units, and an i-th beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units is configured to communicate with an (i-1)-th beam transceiver unit, where i is an integer from 2 to P. The control unit can be configured to control the first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units to transmit at least one beam.

[0091] The beneficial effects of the second aspect to the thirteenth aspect can be referred to the beneficial effects of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0092] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system.

[0093] FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0094] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of beam coverage according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0095] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0096] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of components or functional modules in a non-ground communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0097] FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a control unit according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0098] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a beam transceiver unit according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0099] FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of another beam transceiver unit according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0100] FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a reconfigurable array according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0101] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of an arrangement of multiple reconfigurable arrays according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0102] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0103] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of another communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0104] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a chip system according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0105] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of another chip system according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0106] In the present application, the terms and / or descriptions in different embodiments are consistent and can be referred to each other if there is no special description and logical conflict. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0107] I. In the present application, "at least one" means one or more, and "multiple" means two or more. "And / or" describes the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which means that A exists alone, A and B exist together, and B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. In the literal description of the present application, the character " / " generally represents an "or" relationship between the front and rear associated objects. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions means any combination of these items, including any combination of single item or multiple items. For example, at least one of a, b and c can mean: a, or b, or c, or a and b, or a and c, or b and c, or a, b and c. Where a, b and c can be single or multiple.

[0108] II. In the present application, "first", "second", and various numerical numbers (for example, #1, #2, etc.) indicate the distinction for the convenience of description, and are not used to limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application. For example, to distinguish different messages, etc., rather than to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the objects thus described can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances, so as to be able to describe schemes other than the embodiments of the present application.

[0109] III. In the present application, "when", "in the case of", "if" and other descriptions all mean that the device will make corresponding processing under certain objective circumstances, not limited to time, and also does not require the device to have a judgment action when implemented, nor does it mean that there are other limitations.

[0110] Four, in the present application, "indicate" or "for indicating" can include for direct indication (or explicit indication) and for indirect indication (or implicit indication). When describing a certain indication information for indicating A, it can include that the indication information directly indicates A or indirectly indicates A, and does not mean that A must be carried in the indication information. For example, in the case of indirect indication (or implicit indication), the receiving end of the indication information can obtain A according to the parameters indicated by the indication information, in combination with other rules or in combination with other parameters or by deduction.

[0111] Five, the indication mode related by the embodiments of the present application should be understood as covering various methods that can make the to-be-indicated party know the to-be-indicated information. The to-be-indicated information can be sent as a whole, or can be sent separately into multiple sub-information, and the sending period and / or sending occasion of these sub-information can be the same or different, and the present application does not limit the sending method.

[0112] Six, in the present application, "protocol" can refer to a standard protocol in the communication field, which can include 5G protocol, new radio (NR) protocol and related protocols applied in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this. "Predefined" can include predefinition. For example, protocol definition. "Preconfigured" can be realized by pre-storing corresponding code, table or other methods that can be used to indicate related information in the device, and the present application does not limit the implementation method.

[0113] Seven, in the present application, "communication" can also be described as "data transmission", "information transmission", "data processing" and the like. "Transmission" includes "sending" and "receiving". Exemplarily, the transmission can be uplink transmission, for example, the terminal device can send a signal to the network device; the transmission can also be downlink transmission, for example, the network device can send a signal to the terminal device; the transmission can also be sidelink transmission, for example, the terminal device can send a signal to another terminal device. Exemplarily, "transmission" can be air interface level transmission, or can be signal sending at chip input (I) / output (O) port, rather than air interface level transmission.

[0114] Eight, in the present application, "message", "information", "signal" or "information element (IE)" and the like can be used interchangeably, and the name of the message or information is not limited in any way, as long as the corresponding function can be realized.

[0115] Nine, "sending information to XX (device)" can be understood as the destination of the information is the device. It can include sending information to the device directly or indirectly. "Receiving information from XX (device), or receiving information from XX (device)" can be understood as the source of the information is the device, which can include receiving information from the device directly or indirectly. The information between the source and the destination of the information transmission may be processed as necessary, such as format change, etc., but the destination can understand the effective information from the source. Similar expressions in this application can be similarly understood, and will not be repeated here. In addition, "sending" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receiving" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface. In other words, "sending" or "receiving" can be between devices, for example, between network devices and terminal devices through the air interface, respectively sending or receiving, "sending" or "receiving" can also be within the device, for example, between components, modules, chips, software modules or hardware modules within the device through bus, wiring or interface.

[0116] Ten, in this application, the words "exemplarily", "such as" and the like are used to represent examples, illustrations or descriptions, and to present concepts in a specific way. Any embodiment or design scheme described as "example" in this application should not be interpreted as more preferred or more advantageous than other embodiments or design schemes. In the embodiments of this application, "of", "corresponding", "corresponding" and "associated" can be used interchangeably at times. It should be pointed out that when the distinction is not emphasized, the meanings expressed are consistent.

[0117] Eleven, in this application, configuration can be signaling configuration, which can also be described as configuration signaling. For example, signaling configuration includes configuration by signaling sent by a network device, which can be radio resource control (RRC) message, downlink control information (DCI), or system information block (SIB). For another example, signaling configuration includes configuration between network devices. Among them, network devices can include access network devices, core network devices, or management plane devices, etc. Optionally, signaling configuration can also be configured to a terminal device or a network device by preconfigured signaling, or configured to a terminal device or a network device by preconfiguration. Here, preconfiguration is to define or configure the value of the corresponding parameter in advance in the protocol, and store it in the terminal device or the network device when communicating with the terminal device or the network device. The preconfigured message can be modified or updated under the condition that the terminal device or the network device is connected to the network.

[0118] Twelfth, the present application will be presented around the system that can include a plurality of devices, components, modules, etc. Each system can include devices, components, modules, etc. in addition to the illustrated devices, components, modules, etc. and / or can not include all and every device, component, module, etc. discussed in conjunction with the figures.

[0119] Thirteenth, the business scenarios described in the embodiments of the present application are used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application. Those skilled in the art can know that, with the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0120] Fourteenth, in various embodiments of the present application, the size of the serial number of each process does not mean the order of execution, and the execution order of each process should be determined according to its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present application. The terms "include", "contain", "have" and their variants mean "include but not limited to", unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0121] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application can be applied to various communication systems, including but not limited to: long term evolution (long term evolution, LTE) system, NR system and other fifth generation (5 th generation, 5G) mobile communication system, narrow band internet of things (narrow band internet of things, NB-IoT) system, enhanced machine type communication (enhanced machine type communication, eMTC) system, enhanced mobile broadband (enhanced mobile broadband, eMBB) system, ultra reliable low latency communication (ultra reliable low latency communication, URLLC) system, satellite communication system, LTE-machine-to-machine (LTE-machine-to-machine, LTE-M) system, or 5G after evolution system such as future mobile communication system, etc.

[0122] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 100 includes a radio access network 110 and a core network 120, and optionally, the communication system 100 can further include an Internet 130. The radio access network 110 can include at least one network device (e.g., 111a and 111b in FIG. 1) and at least one terminal device (e.g., 112a-112j in FIG. 1). The terminal device is connected to the network device in a wireless manner. The network device is connected to the core network 120 in a wireless or wired manner. The core network 120 can include one or more core network devices. The core network device and the network device can be independent and different physical devices, or the functions of the core network device and the logical functions of the network device can be integrated on the same physical device, or a physical device can integrate part of the functions of the core network device and part of the functions of the network device. The terminal device and the terminal device, and the network device and the network device can be connected to each other in a wired or wireless manner. The terminal device and the terminal device, the network device and the network device, and the terminal device and the network device can communicate with each other in a wireless manner through air interface resources. Exemplarily, the air interface resources can include at least one of time domain resources, frequency domain resources, code resources and space resources. It should be noted that FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram, and the communication system 100 can further include other network devices, such as wireless relay devices and wireless backhaul devices, which are not shown in FIG. 1.

[0123] The network device can be any device with wireless transceiver function, for example, the network device can be a base station for accessing terminal devices to a radio access network (RAN). The network device can also be referred to as an access network device or an access network node. It can be understood that in systems using different wireless access technologies, the names of devices with network device functions can be different. For convenience of description, the apparatuses providing wireless communication access functions for terminal devices in the embodiments of the present application are collectively referred to as base stations. In the embodiments of the present application, the network device includes but is not limited to various forms of macro base stations (such as 111a in FIG. 1), micro base stations or indoor stations (such as 111b in FIG. 1), pico base stations, small stations, balloon stations, relay stations, access points, etc. The network device can include evolved node B (eNB or eNodeB) in LTE, access point (AP) in wireless fidelity (WiFi) system, wireless relay node, wireless backhaul node, transmission point (TP) or transmission reception point (TRP), etc., and can also include next generation NodeB (gNB) or transmission point (TRP or TP) in 5G system, one or a group of (including multiple antenna panels) antenna panels of a base station in 5G system, network nodes constituting a gNB or a transmission point, such as a baseband unit (BBU) or a distributed unit (DU), and can also include network devices, servers or vehicle-mounted devices, etc. in networks evolved after 5G. The network device can also be a module or unit that completes part of the function of the base station, for example, it can be a central unit (CU) or a DU.

[0124] In the embodiments of the present application, the apparatus for implementing the function of the network device can be a network device, or an apparatus capable of supporting the network device to implement the function, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the network device. The chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices.

[0125] In another possible scenario, a plurality of network devices cooperates to assist a terminal to implement wireless access, and different network devices respectively implement part of functions of a base station. For example, a network device can be a CU, a DU, a CU-control plane (CP), a CU-user plane (UP), or a radio unit (RU), etc. The CU and the DU can be separately arranged, or can be included in the same network element, for example, in a BBU. The RU can be included in a radio frequency device or a radio frequency unit, for example, in a remote radio unit (RRU), an active antenna unit (AAU), or a remote radio head (RRH).

[0126] In different systems, the CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), the DU, or the RU can also have different names, but those skilled in the art can understand their meanings. For example, in an open radio access network (O-RAN) system, the CU can also be referred to as an O-CU (open CU), the DU can also be referred to as an O-DU, the CU-CP can also be referred to as an O-CU-CP, the CU-UP can also be referred to as an O-CU-UP, and the RU can also be referred to as an O-RU. For the convenience of description, the CU, the CU-CP, the CU-UP, the DU, and the RU are taken as examples for description in this application. Any one of the CU (or the CU-CP, the CU-UP), the DU, and the RU in this application can be implemented by means of a software module, a hardware module, or a combination of a software module and a hardware module. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology and the specific device form adopted by the network device.

[0127] The terminal device can be a device providing voice and / or data connectivity to users; the terminal device can also be a device having wireless connection function. The terminal device can be deployed on land, including indoor or outdoor, handheld or vehicle-mounted; can also be deployed on water surface (such as ships, etc.); can also be deployed in the air (such as airplanes, balloons and satellites, etc.). The terminal device can also be referred to as user equipment (UE), access terminal, terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), mobile terminal (MT), remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, user terminal, wireless network device, user agent or user apparatus. In the embodiments of the present application, the terminal device includes but is not limited to: cellular phone, mobile phone, wireless data card, wireless modem, pad, laptop computer, notebook computer, palm computer, mobile internet device (MID), computer with wireless transceiver function, cordless phone, session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, smart phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, personal digital assistant (PDA), handset with wireless communication function, computing device or other device connected to wireless modem, vehicle-mounted device (such as automobile, bicycle, electric vehicle, airplane, ship, train, high-speed rail, etc.), wearable device (such as smart watch, smart bracelet, pedometer, smart glasses, etc.), satellite terminal, terminal device in Internet of Things or Internet of Vehicles, and any form of terminal in future network, relay user equipment or terminal in future evolved public land mobile network (PLMN), etc.The terminal device can also be a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, a smart point of sale (POS) machine, a customer-premises equipment (CPE), a light UE, a reduced capability UE (REDCAP UE), a machine type communication (MTC) terminal, a terminal device in industrial control, a terminal device in self driving, a terminal device in telemedicine, a terminal device in a smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a terminal device in a smart city, a terminal device in a smart home, a haptic terminal device, a smart home device (e.g., a refrigerator, a television, an air conditioner, an electricity meter, etc.), a smart robot, a mechanical arm, a plant device, a wireless terminal in self driving, or a flight device (e.g., a smart robot, a hot air balloon, a drone, an airplane), and the like. The terminal device can also be a vehicle device, such as a whole vehicle device, a vehicle-mounted module, a vehicle-mounted chip, an on board unit (OBU), a telematics box (T-BOX), and the like. The terminal device can also be other devices with terminal functions, for example, the terminal device can also be a device in device to device (D2D) communication. The embodiments of the present application are not limited in this regard.

[0128] In the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal device can be a terminal device, or a device capable of supporting the terminal device to implement the function, such as a chip or a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal device. The chip system can be composed of a chip, or can include a chip and other discrete devices. In the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the device for implementing the function of the terminal device is a terminal device, which can also be referred to as a terminal. In the following, the terminal device can be taken as an example of a UE to describe the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0129] The roles of the base station and the terminal can be relative, for example, the helicopter or the drone 112i in FIG. 1 can be configured as a mobile base station, and for those terminals 112j accessing the wireless access network 110 through 112i, the terminal 112i is a base station; but for the base station 111a, 112i is a terminal, that is, 111a and 112i communicate through a wireless air interface protocol. Of course, 111a and 112i can also communicate through a base station-to-base station interface protocol, in which case 112i is also a base station relative to 111a. Therefore, the base station and the terminal can be collectively referred to as a communication device, and 111a and 111b in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with base station function, and 112a-112j in FIG. 1 can be referred to as a communication device with terminal function.

[0130] The network device and the terminal device can communicate through a wireless link. The transmission link from the network device to the terminal device can be referred to as a downlink (DL) or a downlink channel, for transmitting a downlink signal. The transmission link from the terminal device to the network device can be referred to as an uplink (UL) or an uplink channel, for transmitting an uplink signal. The transmission link from one terminal device to another terminal device can be referred to as a sidelink (SL) or a sidelink channel, for transmitting a sidelink signal.

[0131] As described above, how to effectively improve the beam coverage effect is a problem to be solved.

[0132] FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart of a communication method 200 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method 200 can form multiple beams in the flight direction of the non-ground communication device, thereby effectively improving the beam coverage effect. The optional operations in the method 200 are shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2. The method 200 will be described below in conjunction with FIG. 2.

[0133] The method 200 can be applied to a non-ground communication device. The non-ground communication device in the present application can be a satellite, or a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the satellite, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the satellite function. Alternatively, the non-ground communication device in the present application can be a network device deployed in a satellite, or a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the network device, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the network device function.

[0134] For ease of description, the non-ground communication device is taken as a satellite for description below.

[0135] S210, the satellite generates m*n first beams based on the first antenna array. Wherein, n and m are positive integers. "*" can represent multiplication, and "*" can also be replaced by "×". For example, m*n can be replaced by m*n. In addition, m*n can also be replaced by mn.

[0136] The first antenna array can include a plurality of antenna units. The antenna unit can also be referred to as an antenna element or other names. The first antenna array can be located in the satellite. In other words, the satellite can include the first antenna array.

[0137] Exemplarily, the first antenna array can be a phased array antenna array, or an antenna array of other working principles. The first antenna array can also be referred to as a first antenna array, a first antenna, a first base array, a first base array, or other names, which are not limited in the present application.

[0138] The first beam can be a point beam or other forms of beams, which are not limited in the present application.

[0139] In some examples, each of the m*n first beams can cover different ranges; or it is understood that each of the m*n first beams can point to different ground positions; or it is understood that the coverage of each of the m*n first beams can be different.

[0140] In other examples, there are two first beams in the m*n first beams covering the same range; or it is understood that there are two first beams in the m*n first beams pointing to the same ground position; or it is understood that there are two first beams in the m*n first beams with the same coverage.

[0141] S220, the satellite transmits the m*n first beams.

[0142] For example, the satellite can transmit the m*n first beams based on the first antenna array. In the case that the method 200 is applied to a functional module or component in the satellite, S220 can be replaced by: the functional module or component in the satellite outputs the m*n first beams.

[0143] The first device in the present application can be a terminal device (for example, a first terminal device), or a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the terminal device, or a logic module or software that can realize all or part of the terminal device functions.

[0144] For ease of description, the first device is taken as a first terminal device in the following description.

[0145] S230, the first terminal device receives a third beam.

[0146] The third beam can be one of the m*n first beams, or alternatively, the third beam can be one of the at least one beam transmitted by the satellite. In other words, the m*n beams can include the third beam, or alternatively, the at least one beam transmitted by the satellite can include the third beam.

[0147] The first terminal device can be one of a plurality of terminal devices. The m*n first beams transmitted by the satellite in S230 can cover the plurality of terminal devices. For example, the second terminal device can receive one of the m*n first beams, which can be the third beam or another beam other than the third beam.

[0148] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of beam coverage according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 3 shows the coverage of the m*n first beams formed by the method 200 on the ground. The following will be described in conjunction with FIG. 3.

[0149] The first direction can be perpendicular to the flight direction of the satellite. The flight direction of the satellite can be the second direction. Referring to FIG. 3, assuming that the flight direction of the satellite is from left to right, the first direction can be from top to bottom (or from bottom to top), and the second direction can be from left to right. In addition, the second direction can also be the opposite direction of the flight direction of the satellite (for example, from right to left in FIG. 3).

[0150] The n first beams of the m*n first beams can be located in the i-th first coverage range of the m first coverage ranges, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m. Alternatively, i is an integer taken from 1 to m. Alternatively, i = 1, 2, …, m.

[0151] For example, each of the m first coverage ranges can include n first beams of the m*n first beams. The n first beams in different first coverage ranges can be different.

[0152] For another example, the [(i-1)*n+1]-th to i*n-th first beams of the m*n first beams can be located in the i-th first coverage range of the m first coverage ranges.

[0153] The i-th first coverage range can be represented as coverage i in FIG. 3. For example, the first first coverage range of the m first coverage ranges can be represented as coverage 1 in FIG. 3. For another example, the m-th first coverage range can be represented as coverage m in FIG. 3.

[0154] Referring to FIG. 3, the m first coverage ranges can be arranged along the first direction within the field of view of the satellite. For example, coverage 1, coverage 2, …, coverage m can be arranged along the first direction.

[0155] The field of view range of the satellite can be described by the half angle of the satellite. For example, referring to FIG. 3, the included angle between the satellite transmitting beam 11 and the transmitting beam 1n can be twice the half angle of the satellite.

[0156] The jth beam in the ith first coverage range can be denoted as beam ij in FIG. 3. Wherein, j is a positive integer less than or equal to n, or j is an integer taken from 1 to n. Or, j = 1, 2, …, n. For example, the 2nd beam in the 1st first coverage range (for example, coverage range 1) in the m first coverage ranges can be denoted as beam 12. For another example, the 1st beam in the mth first coverage range (for example, coverage range m) in the m first coverage ranges can be denoted as beam m1.

[0157] The coverage range of the n first beams in the m*n first beams can be arranged along the second direction within the ith first coverage range (for example, coverage range i in FIG. 3). For example, the beams 11 to 1n can be arranged along the second direction within the coverage range 1. For another example, the beams m1 to mn can be arranged along the second direction within the coverage range m.

[0158] The satellite covers the ground users (for example, terminal devices) with certain characteristics. For example, there are a large number of users along the flight direction of the satellite, and the number of users perpendicular to the flight direction of the satellite is small. The above scheme can be targeted at the characteristics of the satellite covering the ground users, and a large number of beam coverages are performed along the flight direction of the satellite, thereby effectively improving the beam coverage effect.

[0159] FIG. 3 is only an example and does not limit the present application.

[0160] For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the m first coverage ranges can be rectangular, but the present application is not limited thereto, and the m first coverage ranges can also be elliptical, circular or other shapes.

[0161] For another example, as shown in FIG. 3, the m first coverage ranges can not overlap with each other, but the present application is not limited thereto, and there can be two first coverage ranges that completely overlap or partially overlap in the m first coverage ranges.

[0162] For another example, as shown in FIG. 3, the beams in one first coverage range do not overlap with each other, but the present application is not limited thereto, and there can be two beams that completely overlap or partially overlap in the [(i-1)*n+1]th to ith*nth first beams in the m*n first beams.

[0163] For another example, as shown in FIG. 3, the first beams are all elliptical, but the present application is not limited thereto, and the first beams can also be square or other shapes, and the shapes of the first beams can be the same or different.

[0164] The non-terrestrial communication apparatus (e.g., a satellite) can include P antenna arrays, where P is a positive integer. Exemplarily, the P antenna arrays can be designed in a similar manner as the first antenna array, such that the P antenna arrays can generate P*m*n beams.

[0165] In some examples, in the case of P = 1, the non-terrestrial communication apparatus can include one antenna array, e.g., the first antenna array.

[0166] In other examples, in the case of P > 1, the non-terrestrial communication apparatus can include multiple antenna arrays. Examples in which the non-terrestrial communication apparatus includes more antenna arrays are not described again below, taking the case of P = 2 as an example.

[0167] Optionally, the non-terrestrial communication apparatus further includes a second antenna array. The non-terrestrial communication apparatus can include P antenna arrays. Wherein the P antenna arrays include the first antenna array and the second antenna array.

[0168] The second antenna array can be similar to the first antenna array. For example, the second antenna array can also be used to generate m*n beams. For ease of distinction, the m*n beams generated based on the second antenna array will be referred to as m*n second beams below. The following describes an example in which the non-terrestrial communication apparatus is a satellite.

[0169] In some possible implementations, the method 200 further includes: S240, generating, by the satellite, m*n second beams based on the second antenna array; and S250, transmitting (or outputting) the m*n second beams by the satellite.

[0170] Wherein n second beams of the m*n second beams can be located in an i-th second coverage range of m second coverage ranges; the m second coverage ranges are arranged along the first direction within a field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus; coverage ranges of the n second beams of the m*n second beams are arranged along the second direction within the i-th second coverage range; and the m*n second beams are outputted.

[0171] Other descriptions about the second coverage range and the second beam can be referred to the descriptions about the first coverage range and the first beam above.

[0172] In some possible implementations, the method 200 further includes: S260, receiving, by the third terminal device, a fourth beam. Wherein the fourth beam can be one of the m*n second beams.

[0173] The third terminal device can be one of the plurality of terminal devices. The m*n second beams transmitted by the satellite in S250 can cover the plurality of terminal devices. For example, the fourth terminal device can receive one of the m*n second beams, which can be the fourth beam described above or another beam other than the fourth beam described above.

[0174] The m second coverage ranges are different from the m first coverage ranges. The "different" can be understood as all different. For example, any one of the m second coverage ranges is partially or completely non-overlapping with any one of the m first coverage ranges. The "different" can also be understood as partially different. For example, one of the m second coverage ranges partially or completely overlaps with one or more of the m first coverage ranges.

[0175] For example, according to the flight characteristics of the satellite, the area covered by the field of view of the satellite can be divided into P areas. The satellite can include P antenna arrays, each of which can cover one of the P areas. For example, the P antenna arrays and the P areas can correspond one by one.

[0176] For example, one of the P areas can be continuous, for example, the area can include the m first coverage ranges as shown in FIG. 3. One of the P areas can also be discontinuous. That is, in two of the P areas, the coverage ranges can be staggered.

[0177] For example, the P areas can include a first area and a second area. Assuming that the first area includes m first coverage ranges and the second area includes m second coverage ranges. The continuous area can be understood as: any one of the m first coverage ranges is not adjacent to two second coverage ranges. The discontinuous area can be understood as: in the m first coverage ranges, there is at least one first coverage range adjacent to two second coverage ranges.

[0178] In some examples, the P areas can be adjusted in the field of view of the satellite according to requirements. For example, the coverage range of one of the P areas can move.

[0179] Based on the above scheme, the beams generated by the plurality of antenna arrays can cover different ranges respectively, thereby increasing the coverage rate on the ground and further improving the coverage effect.

[0180] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an antenna array (or an antenna array) provided by an embodiment of the present application. The arrangement of the antenna array shown in FIG. 4 can be the arrangement of part or all of the P antenna arrays described above. The following will be described taking the first antenna array as an example.

[0181] Optionally, the first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction, each of the K one-dimensional arrays includes L antenna elements arranged in the first direction, K and L are positive integers.

[0182] Referring to FIG. 4, one square can represent one antenna element. L antenna elements arranged in the first direction can form a one-dimensional array. For example, in FIG. 4, the oblique hatching can represent L antenna elements in a one-dimensional array. K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction can form the first antenna array.

[0183] In other words, the first antenna array can include K linear array groups pointing in the same direction. The first direction can also be referred to as a linear array direction or a narrow beam direction. The second direction can also be referred to as a wide beam direction.

[0184] The one-dimensional array can also be referred to as a one-dimensional linear array or other names, which are not limited in the present application. One-dimensional can also be represented as 1-dimensional (D), which is not limited in the present application.

[0185] The following takes the first antenna array generating m*n first beams as an example, and other examples of other antenna arrays generating other beams can be referred to the following examples, which will not be repeated.

[0186] The first antenna array can generate m*n first beams through primary shaping and secondary shaping.

[0187] The following first introduces an example of primary shaping.

[0188] In some examples, the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges in the first direction according to the K*L antenna elements.

[0189] The above example of primary shaping can also be understood as that the first antenna array is configured to generate m pre-beams in the first direction according to the K*L antenna elements, and the coverage ranges of the m pre-beams are the m first coverage ranges respectively. For example, the coverage ranges of the m pre-beams are coverage range 1 to coverage range m as shown in FIG. 3. The pre-beam can be a narrow beam in the first direction and a wide beam in the second direction.

[0190] Those skilled in the art can understand that the above m pre-beams are intermediate quantities for understanding, which can not be reflected in the final m*n first beams. In other words, the role of the above m pre-beams is to form m*n first beams and limit the coverage ranges of the m*n first beams in the m first coverage ranges respectively.

[0191] The one-time analog beamforming can be implemented by a one-time analog beamforming network. The one-time analog beamforming network can also be referred to as a one-time analog beamforming module, a one-time beamforming module, or other names, which are not limited in the present application.

[0192] The following describes an example of the two-time analog beamforming.

[0193] In some examples, the first antenna array surface can be configured to generate, in the second direction, n first beams in each of the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements.

[0194] The above example of the two-time analog beamforming can also be understood as that the first antenna array surface is configured to generate, in the second direction, m*n first beams based on the m pre-beams according to the K*L antenna elements. Through the two-time analog beamforming, m*n first beams (or one or more point beams) along the flight direction (i.e., the second direction) can be achieved, which can be freely scanned within the one-time analog beamforming area (e.g., coverage range 1 to coverage range m). For example, the two-time analog beamforming can be implemented by a two-time analog beamforming network. The two-time analog beamforming network can also be referred to as a two-time beamforming network, a two-time analog beamforming module, a two-time beamforming module, or other names, which are not limited in the present application.

[0195] For example, the antenna elements in the second direction can be arranged according to the antenna element spacing, so that the free scanning in the second direction (i.e., the flight direction of the satellite) is achieved in the two-time analog beamforming. The L one-dimensional arrays in the first direction can be arranged according to the subarray spacing, so that the m*n first beams are limited in the m first coverage ranges in the one-time analog beamforming.

[0196] Based on the above scheme, through the beamforming in two directions on the K*L antenna elements, m*n first beams that can be freely scanned in the m first coverage ranges can be formed, thereby improving the effect of beam coverage. In addition, the above scheme combines the form of the antenna array surface and supports the implementation of the super-dense coverage of multiple beams based on the flight characteristics of the satellite, which can meet the demand of simultaneous communication of multiple users located in the flight direction of the satellite.

[0197] In some examples, the first antenna array surface can be configured to generate, in the second direction, n first beams in each of the m first coverage ranges according to each of the K one-dimensional arrays.

[0198] The two-time analog beamforming in the unit of the one-dimensional array can reduce the number of digital channels. For example, compared with the scheme of the full-digital beamforming, the above scheme can reduce the number of digital channels by K times. Therefore, the above scheme can reduce the energy consumption caused by digital processing.

[0199] In addition, the secondary beamforming in units of one-dimensional arrays can break through the engineering limit of the number of beams of the analog full connection phased array. At present, the number of beams of the analog beamforming is 16 at most. Compared with the analog full connection beamforming scheme, the above scheme can increase the number of beams by L times, thereby increasing the density of beam coverage and improving the capacity of the satellite communication system.

[0200] In some examples, the P antenna arrays can be used to generate P*m*n beams to support simultaneous continuous coverage in the entire field of view of the satellite. In other examples, the satellite can adjust the pointing direction of the K one-dimensional arrays in the first antenna array (e.g., form a certain angle with the first direction) to meet the continuous coverage in the field of view of the satellite.

[0201] The above scheme uses multiple antenna arrays to solve the problem of small simultaneous coverage range of a single antenna array, so that the antenna system including multiple antenna arrays can meet the simultaneous coverage in the field of view of the satellite.

[0202] In some possible implementations, the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges in the first direction based on analog beamforming.

[0203] That is, the primary beamforming can be analog beamforming. The application does not limit the mode of the secondary beamforming. The secondary beamforming can be analog beamforming or digital beamforming.

[0204] Those skilled in the art can understand that full-digital beamforming requires a large number of digital processing channels, resulting in large calculation processing amount and high complexity, thereby increasing the system power consumption and cost. In the NTN scenario, radiation heat dissipation is the main heat dissipation environment. Therefore, it is difficult for the satellite to handle a large amount of heat consumption, thereby further increasing the cost of the satellite.

[0205] Compared with full-digital beamforming, the above scheme can include analog beamforming, thereby reducing the power consumption of beamforming and reducing the heat dissipation overhead of the satellite.

[0206] In some possible implementations, the spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays in the K one-dimensional arrays is less than where θ represents the maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents the maximum frequency point at which the antenna element works. max

[0207] Those skilled in the art can understand that the above spacing requirement can make each one-dimensional array satisfy the grating lobe suppression. Therefore, the above scheme can reduce the interference between the m*n first beams. For example, reduce the interference between the first beams in the adjacent first coverage ranges.

[0208] ​Optionally, a distance between the first antenna array and the second antenna array is less than For example, for P antenna arrays, a distance between any two adjacent antenna arrays can be less than The pointing direction of the one-dimensional array of each of the P antenna arrays can be consistent.

[0209] Based on the above scheme, the grating lobe suppression can be met between the multiple antenna arrays, thereby reducing the interference between the beams generated by the multiple antenna arrays. The above scheme can improve the system gain, for example, the above scheme can improve P times gain and P times power, and thus the system performance can be improved by 20*log(P) decibels (dB). Wherein, log represents the logarithmic function with base 10.

[0210] The above introduces the related examples of generating the first beam, and the following introduces the example of the distributed antenna system.

[0211] The traditional antenna system belongs to the lumped antenna system. In the lumped antenna system, the control unit is connected with each module respectively, and each module is controlled by the control unit. The above scheme (for example, the method 200) can be implemented by the lumped antenna system. For example, the lumped antenna system can include the above first antenna array.

[0212] However, with the increase of the beams, the processing complexity of the control unit in the lumped antenna system is too high, and the data processing is too large. The following introduces the example of the distributed antenna system proposed by the embodiments of the present application.

[0213] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of components or functional modules in a non-terrestrial communication apparatus 500 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The control unit in the apparatus 500 is distributedly connected with each beam transceiver unit, and can realize multi-beam coverage with lower processing complexity and data processing amount.

[0214] The apparatus 500 referred to below can be a satellite, or a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the satellite, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the satellite functions. The apparatus 500 can be a network device, or a component (for example, a processor, a chip, or a chip system, etc.) in the network device, or a logic module or software capable of realizing all or part of the network device functions. For ease of description, the following describes the apparatus 500 as an example.

[0215] Referring to FIG. 5, the apparatus 500 can include a control unit and P beam transceiver units. P is an integer greater than 1.

[0216] The control unit and the P beam transceiver units can be in the form of hardware (e.g., a processor, or a processing circuit) or in the form of software (e.g., functional modules), and the present disclosure does not limit the same.

[0217] The connection between the control unit and the P beam transceiver units in the apparatus 500 can be referred to as a distributed connection mode. The apparatus 500 can also be referred to as a distributed antenna system or a distributed apparatus 500.

[0218] In the distributed apparatus 500, the control unit is configured to communicate with a first one of the P beam transceiver units (referred to as the beam transceiver unit 1 in FIG. 5), and an i-th one of the P beam transceiver units (referred to as the beam transceiver unit i in FIG. 5) is configured to communicate with an (i-1)-th one of the P beam transceiver units, where i is an integer taken from 2 to P. That is, the control unit and the P beam transceiver units are connected in series.

[0219] Optionally, the communication between the control unit and the beam transceiver unit 1 can be through at least one of a service data interface, a control interface, a clock interface, or a synchronization interface. The communication between the beam transceiver unit i and the beam transceiver unit i-1 can be through at least one of a service data interface, a control interface, a clock interface, or a synchronization interface.

[0220] Optionally, the control unit can include a power supply interface and / or a thermal control interface. The power supply interface and / or the thermal control interface can be connected to other components in the satellite or the network device. For example, the power supply interface can be used for power supply. The thermal control interface can be used to control heat dissipation or heating, so that the temperature of each unit is within the working range.

[0221] Optionally, one of the P beam transceiver units can include a power supply interface and / or a thermal control interface. For example, each beam transceiver unit can include a power supply interface and / or a thermal control interface.

[0222] In some examples, the control unit can be configured to control the P beam transceiver units to generate and / or output beams. For example, in the method 200, the S210 can include that the satellite controls the first beam transceiver unit to generate the m*n first beams through the control unit. The first beam transceiver unit can be any one of the P beam transceiver units. For another example, the S220 can include that the satellite controls the first beam transceiver unit to output the m*n first beams through the control unit.

[0223] For example, the first beam transceiver unit can be the first one of the P beam transceiver units, i.e., the beam transceiver unit 1. In the above case, the control unit can directly control the first beam transceiver unit to generate and / or output beams.

[0224] Exemplarily, the first beam transceiving unit can be the 2nd one of the P beam transceiving units, i.e., the beam transceiving unit 2. In the above case, the control unit can deliver the control signal through the beam transceiving unit before the first beam transceiving unit (e.g., the beam transceiving unit 1), so as to control the first beam transceiving unit to generate and / or output the beam. That is, the control signal of the control unit can be delivered among the P beam transceiving units in sequence, so as to realize the control of the control unit on any beam transceiving unit.

[0225] The first beam transceiving unit can include a first antenna array surface. The first antenna array surface can be controlled by the first beam transceiving unit or the control unit, which is not limited in the present application.

[0226] In some other examples, the control unit can be configured to control the P beam transceiving units to receive the beam. For example, the terminal device can send the beam to the apparatus 500, and the control unit can be configured to control the P beam transceiving units to receive the beam.

[0227] FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a control unit 600 according to an embodiment of the present application. The control unit 600 shown in FIG. 6 can be the control unit shown in FIG. 5.

[0228] Exemplarily, the control unit 600 can include at least one of a baseband processing unit 610, a power supply module 620, a computing unit 630, or a management unit 640. Optionally, the control unit 600 can further include at least one of a service data interface, a control interface, a clock interface, or a synchronization interface.

[0229] The baseband processing unit 610 can be configured to perform baseband processing, e.g., baseband processing in beamforming.

[0230] The power supply module 620 can be configured to perform power supply, e.g., power supply for the baseband processing unit 610, the computing unit 630, or the management unit 640.

[0231] The computing unit 630 can be configured to perform computation, e.g., computation of weights of channels in digital beamforming according to beam pointing information. For example, in continuous communication, the beam pointing can change constantly, and the computing unit 630 can compute the weights of the channels in real time. Exemplarily, the weights can exist in the form of phase or amplitude.

[0232] The management unit 640 can be configured to perform management, e.g., management of power supply switches of units, calibration of antennas in units, reading of temperatures of units, or upgrading of software versions in units.

[0233] The service data interface can be used to transmit service data. The control interface can be used to control the generation and output of beams, and can also be used to transmit control information related to the service data. The clock interface can be used to transmit a clock signal. The synchronization interface can be used for synchronization, for example, synchronization of clocks.

[0234] The application does not limit the specific name of the control unit, which can also be referred to as a control module, a control component, an integrated service processing component, or other names.

[0235] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a beam transceiver unit 700 according to an embodiment of the application. The beam transceiver unit 700 shown in FIG. 7 can be one of the beam transceiver unit 1 to the beam transceiver unit P shown in FIG. 5. In some examples, the modules in each of the beam transceiver unit 1 to the beam transceiver unit P can be as shown in the beam transceiver unit 700.

[0236] For example, the beam transceiver unit 700 can include at least one of an antenna array 710, a radio frequency front end 720, a control module 730, a power supply module 740, a primary beamforming module 750, or a secondary beamforming module 760.

[0237] The antenna array 710 can be used to generate or output beams. For example, the antenna array can be the aforementioned first antenna array.

[0238] The radio frequency front end 720 can be used for radio frequency signal processing, for example, reception, amplification, filtering, or modulation of radio frequency signals, etc.

[0239] The control module 730 can be used to control various modules. For example, the control module 730 can be used to control the antenna array 710, the radio frequency front end 720, the power supply module 740, the primary beamforming module 750, or the secondary beamforming module 760. For another example, the control module 730 can be used to control a beam transceiver unit adjacent to the beam transceiver unit 700.

[0240] The power supply module 740 can be used for power supply. For example, the antenna array 710, the radio frequency front end 720, the control module 730, the primary beamforming module 750, or the secondary beamforming module 760.

[0241] The primary beamforming module 750 can be used for primary beamforming, for example, determining m first coverage ranges.

[0242] The secondary beamforming module 760 can be used for secondary beamforming, for example, generating m*n first beams based on the primary beamforming.

[0243] Optionally, the beam transceiving unit 700 further comprises at least one of a power supply interface, a thermal control interface, a service data interface, a control interface, a clock interface or a synchronization interface. Details can be found in the foregoing, and will not be described again.

[0244] As an example, the control unit 600 can modulate and digital-to-analog convert the service data, and transmit the service data to the corresponding beam transceiving unit 700 through the service data interface, so as to send to the terminal device on the ground. As another example, the signal sent by the terminal device on the ground is received by the beam transceiving unit 700, and then transmitted to the control unit 600 through the service data interface. The control unit 600 can perform analog-to-digital conversion on the signal, and demodulate and decode the signal according to the baseband processing module 610.

[0245] Based on the above scheme, the control unit and the P beam transceiving units are connected in sequence, which can reduce the processing complexity and data processing amount of the control unit. In addition, different beam transceiving units can cover different areas, so that even if a beam transceiving unit fails, it will not affect the coverage of other areas. Therefore, the above scheme can guarantee the coverage of multiple beams.

[0246] The beam transceiving unit shown in FIG. 5 can be active, such as the beam transceiving unit 700 shown in FIG. 7. The beam transceiving unit shown in FIG. 5 can be passive, which will be described below in conjunction with FIG. 8.

[0247] FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of another beam transceiving unit 800 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The beam transceiving unit 800 shown in FIG. 8 can be one of the beam transceiving unit 1 to the beam transceiving unit P shown in FIG. 5. In some examples, the modules in each of the beam transceiving unit 1 to the beam transceiving unit P can be as shown in the beam transceiving unit 800.

[0248] By way of example, the beam transceiving unit can include a reconfigurable array 810 and a feed array 820. The feed array 820 can be connected with a feed shaping network. For example, the feed shaping network can include at least one of an amplifier, a multiplier, a local oscillator or other devices. The reconfigurable array 810 can be passive and can utilize the received beam energy to emit beams.

[0249] The feed shaping network can generate multiple beams based on the feed array 820 and emit the beams to the reconfigurable array 810. In this way, the reconfigurable array 810 can cover the terminal device on the ground based on the beams emitted by the feed array 820. For example, by adjusting the beam width and phase center of the beams emitted by the feed array 820, the adjustment of the beams emitted by the beam transceiving unit 800 can be realized.

[0250] Exemplarily, the reconfigurable array 810 can form at least one spot beam, which can cover a partial area in the field of view range of the satellite. For example, by connecting multiple reconfigurable arrays 810, the entire area in the field of view range of the satellite can be covered.

[0251] For example, according to the area covered by the field of view of the satellite, the number and pointing direction of beams of different reconfigurable arrays 810 among the multiple reconfigurable arrays 810 can be involved.

[0252] Exemplarily, it is assumed that the coverage angle of one reconfigurable array 810 is u to v. In this way, the pointing angle of the reconfigurable array 810 can be to θ. Wherein, and θ satisfy:

[0253] Wherein, tan can represent the tangent function, and sin can represent the sine function.

[0254] Exemplarily, it is assumed that the number of beams is X*Y. In this way, the beam width can be 2θ / P / X and 2θ / P / Y in two mutually perpendicular directions, respectively. Wherein, P can represent the number of reconfigurable arrays 810.

[0255] FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a reconfigurable array 810 provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0256] Referring to FIG. 9, the reconfigurable array 810 can include at least one passive adjustable unit 821. Wherein, by the condition of the passive adjustable unit 821, the electromagnetic properties of the surface of the reconfigurable array 810 can be adjusted. For example, by adjusting the passive adjustable unit 821, the pointing direction of the reconfigurable array 810 can be controlled, thereby increasing the array aperture.

[0257] Exemplarily, multiple reconfigurable arrays 810 can be arranged in one dimension laterally or longitudinally, or can be arranged in two dimensions. FIG. 10 shows one example of two-dimensional arrangement of reconfigurable arrays 810.

[0258] In some examples, the terminal device can obtain beam pointing information according to its own geographical position and satellite ephemeris information, so as to select a corresponding satellite beam for connection communication.

[0259] The above scheme enables the multiple reconfigurable arrays 810 to cover different areas in the field of view of the satellite respectively, so that the distributed antenna system including the multiple reconfigurable arrays 810 can cover all areas in the field of view of the satellite. Compared with a full-digital phased array, the passive antenna system can reduce the number of full-digital channels, thereby reducing energy consumption. Compared with an analog full-connection system, the passive antenna system does not need a multifunctional amplitude and phase adjustment chip, and can achieve full-aperture gain only through passive devices, thereby reducing system cost. Through the distributed connection mode, the coverage range and the number of beams of the antenna system are increased. In addition, the above scheme can improve P times gain, so that the system performance can be improved by 10*log(P) dB.

[0260] The following describes the communication apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application in detail in combination with FIG. 11 to FIG. 14. The description of the apparatus embodiments corresponds to the description of the method embodiments, and therefore, the content not described in detail can be referred to the foregoing method embodiments, and part of the content will not be described again for the sake of brevity.

[0261] The embodiments of the present application can divide the function modules of the communication apparatus according to the foregoing method examples, for example, each function module can be divided according to each function, or two or more functions can be integrated in one processing module. The integrated module can be realized in the form of hardware, or in the form of software function module, or in combination of software and hardware. The division of the modules in the embodiments of the present application is illustrative, and is only a logical function division, and another division mode can be used in actual implementation. The following takes the example of dividing each function module according to each function.

[0262] FIG. 11 is an exemplary block diagram of the communication apparatus 10 provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0263] As shown in FIG. 11, the communication apparatus 10 can include a chip system 110, a memory 120, a bus 130, a power management module 140, or a transceiver 150, and the like.

[0264] The chip system 110 can be an integrated circuit chip, and has a signal processing capability. In the implementation process, each step of the foregoing method can be completed by the integrated logic circuit of hardware or the instruction in the form of software in the chip system 110.

[0265] As an example but not limitation, the chip system 110 can include a circuit or chip responsible for signal processing (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or a system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core).

[0266] Optionally, a memory (e.g., a cache) can also be provided in the chip system 110 for storing instructions and data. In some embodiments, the memory in the chip system 110 is a cache memory. The memory can hold instructions or data that the chip system 110 has just used or recycled. If the chip system 110 needs to use the instructions or data again, it can be called directly from the memory. This avoids repeated access and reduces the waiting time of the chip system 110, thus improving the efficiency of the system.

[0267] In some embodiments, the chip system 110 can include one or more interfaces. The interfaces can include an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) interface, an inter-integrated circuit sound (I2S) interface, a pulse code modulation (PCM) interface, a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter (UART) interface, a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), a general-purpose input / output (GPIO) interface, a subscriber identity module (SIM) interface, and / or a universal serial bus (USB) interface, etc.

[0268] The memory 120 can include random access memory (RAM) and read-only memory (ROM). The memory 120 can store computer-readable computer-executable code including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform a variety of functions described herein.

[0269] Optionally, the code can include instructions for implementing aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, e.g., instructions for transmitting first information. The code can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as system memory or other type of memory. In some cases, the code can not be directly executable by the chip system 110 but can cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform functions described herein. In some cases, the memory 120 can include a basic I / O system, which can control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0270] Exemplarily, the chip system 110 performs various functional applications and data processing of the communication device 10 by running instructions stored in the memory 120. For example, when the communication device 10 performs file transmission with other devices (which can also be terminals or access network devices), the chip system 110 of the communication device 10 can invoke computer executable program codes stored in the memory 120 to implement the communication method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0271] In addition, the memory 120 can be integrated in the chip system 110 or independent of the chip system 110.

[0272] Exemplarily, the bus 130 can be a USB, used to support mutual communication between various parts in the communication device 10.

[0273] The power management module 140 is used to receive charging input from a charger. Optionally, the power management module 140 can supply power to the communication device 10 (e.g., a battery module of the communication device 10) while charging the communication device 10. As an example but not limitation, the power management module 140 can also supply power to devices other than the communication device 10.

[0274] The transceiver 150 can communicate bi-directionally with one or more antennas, wired or wireless links, for example, the transceiver 150 can represent a wireless transceiver and can communicate bi-directionally with another wireless transceiver. The transceiver 150 can also include a modem to modulate the packets and provide the modulated packets to the antennas for transmission, and to demodulate packets received from the antennas. Where the transceiver 150 includes a modem, the modem can be implemented as a baseband processor. The transceiver 150 can include a transmitter and a receiver, the transmitter implements the function of transmitting information, and the receiver implements the function of receiving information. Exemplarily, the antenna can be the aforementioned device 500.

[0275] In some cases, a wireless device can include a single antenna. However, in some cases the device can have more than one antenna, like the antenna 1 and the antenna 2 shown in FIG. 11, which can be capable of simultaneously transmitting or receiving multiple wireless transmissions. Exemplarily, the antenna 1 and the antenna 2 are used to emit and receive electromagnetic wave signals. Each antenna in the communication device 10 can be used to cover a single or multiple communication frequency bands. Different antennas can also be multiplexed to improve the utilization of the antennas. For example: the antenna 1 can be multiplexed as a diversity antenna of a wireless local area network. In some other embodiments, the antennas can be used in combination with a tuning switch. The communication device 10 can transmit files to other devices through a wireless communication function.

[0276] In one design, the communication device 20 can correspond to the non-ground communication device in the above method embodiments.

[0277] The apparatus 10 can implement steps or procedures corresponding to those performed by the non-terrestrial communication apparatus in the above method embodiments, wherein the transceiver 150 can be configured to perform transceiving-related operations of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus in the above method embodiments, e.g., S220; the chip system 110 can be configured to perform processing-related operations of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus in the above method embodiments, e.g., S210.

[0278] In another design, the communication apparatus 10 can correspond to the first apparatus in the above method embodiments.

[0279] The apparatus 10 can implement steps or procedures corresponding to those performed by the first apparatus in the above method embodiments, wherein the transceiver 150 can be configured to perform transceiving-related operations of the first apparatus in the above method embodiments, e.g., performing S220 in the above method embodiments; the chip system 110 can be configured to perform processing-related operations of the first apparatus in the above method embodiments.

[0280] In the design where the communication apparatus 20 corresponds to the first apparatus, the communication apparatus 10 can include modules such as a short-range communication module 164, a sensor 161, a display 162, or a camera 163, as shown in FIG. 11.

[0281] The short-range communication module 164 can include modules that support short-range communication, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.

[0282] By way of example, the sensor 161 can include a pressure sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a distance sensor, a proximity light sensor, a fingerprint sensor, a temperature sensor, a touch sensor, an ambient light sensor, a bone conduction sensor, etc.

[0283] Exemplarily, the display 162 is configured to display images, videos, etc. The display includes a display panel. The display panel can adopt a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED), a flex light-emitting diode (FLED), a mini light-emitting diode (LED), a Micro LED, a Micro OLED, a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED), etc. For example, in the embodiments of the present application, the display can be configured to display interfaces required to be displayed by the communication apparatus 10. Exemplarily, the communication apparatus 10 can realize the display function through a graphics processing unit (GPU), a display, an application processor, etc. The GPU is a microprocessor for image processing, connected to the display and the application processor. The GPU is configured to perform mathematical and geometric calculations for graphics rendering. The chip system 110 can include one or more GPUs, which execute program instructions to generate or change display information.

[0284] Exemplarily, the camera 163 is configured to acquire images, videos, etc.

[0285] It can be understood that the structure shown in FIG. 11 does not constitute a specific limitation on the communication apparatus 10, and the specific structure of the terminal device and / or the access network device can refer to that shown in FIG. 11. In some embodiments, the communication apparatus 10 can also include more or fewer components than those shown in FIG. 11, or combine certain components, or split certain components, or different component arrangements, etc. Alternatively, some components shown in FIG. 11 can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of software and hardware, and the terminal device and / or the access network device can increase or reduce components on the basis of the structure given in FIG. 11.

[0286] FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram of the communication apparatus 20 according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0287] As shown in FIG. 12, the communications device 20 can include a baseband unit 210 that can communicate with external devices through a cellular radio frequency (RF) transceiver 220 (e.g., if the communications device 20 is a terminal device, the baseband unit 210 can communicate with access network devices through the cellular RF transceiver 220; also e.g., if the communications device 20 is an access network device, the baseband unit 210 can communicate with terminal devices and / or core network devices through the cellular RF transceiver 220).

[0288] By way of example, the baseband unit 210 can include a computer- readable medium / memory. The baseband unit 210 can be responsible for the general processing of, e.g., executing software stored on the computer-readable medium / memory. This software, when executed by the baseband unit 210, can cause the baseband unit 210 to perform the various functions as described above. The computer-readable medium / memory can also be used for storing data that is manipulated by the baseband unit 210 when executing software.

[0289] Optionally, the baseband unit 210 further includes a receiving unit 201, a managing unit 202, and a transmitting unit 203. The managing unit 202, also referred to as a processing unit, includes one or more of the sub-units shown in FIG. 12. For example, a primary beamforming sub-unit and / or a secondary beamforming sub-unit. The primary beamforming sub-unit can be used for the primary beamforming in the above-described method embodiments. The secondary beamforming sub-unit can be used for the secondary beamforming in the above-described method embodiments. The units within the managing unit 201 can be stored in the computer-readable medium / memory and / or configured as hardware within the baseband unit 210. The receiving unit 201 and the transmitting unit 203 can be combined into a transceiving unit.

[0290] When the communications device 20 is configured to implement the functions of a non-terrestrial communications device in the above-described method embodiments, the receiving unit 201 is configured to perform the receiving steps of the non-terrestrial communications device, the transmitting unit 203 is configured to perform the transmitting steps of the non-terrestrial communications device, and the managing unit 202 is configured to perform the processing steps of the non-terrestrial communications device other than the receiving and transmitting.

[0291] Exemplarily, when the communication apparatus 20 is configured to implement the function of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus in the above method embodiments, the management unit 202 is configured to generate m*n first beams based on a first antenna array, the first antenna array is located in the non-terrestrial communication apparatus, wherein n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus, the first direction is perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus; the coverage ranges of the n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, the second direction is the flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus; and the sending unit 203 is configured to output the m*n first beams.

[0292] For example, when the apparatus 20 is configured to execute the method in FIG. 2, the receiving unit 201 can be configured to execute the step of receiving information in the method; the management unit 202 can be configured to execute the processing step in the method; and the sending unit 203 can be configured to execute the step of sending information in the method.

[0293] When the communication apparatus 20 is configured to implement the function of the first apparatus in the above method embodiments, the receiving unit 201 is configured to execute the receiving step of the first apparatus, the sending unit 203 is configured to execute the sending step of the first apparatus, and the management unit 202 is configured to execute the processing step of the first apparatus.

[0294] Exemplarily, when the communication apparatus 20 is configured to implement the function of the first apparatus in the above method embodiments, the receiving unit 201 is configured to receive a third beam, the third beam is one of m*n first beams, the m*n first beams are generated based on a first antenna array, the first antenna array is located in the non-terrestrial communication apparatus, wherein n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view range of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus, the first direction is perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus; and the coverage ranges of the n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, the second direction is the flight direction of the non-terrestrial communication apparatus.

[0295] For example, when the apparatus 20 is configured to execute the method in FIG. 2, the receiving unit 201 can be configured to execute the step of receiving information in the method; the management unit 202 can be configured to execute the processing step in the method; and the sending unit 203 can be configured to execute the step of sending information in the method.

[0296] For the receiving unit 201, the management unit 202 and the sending unit 203 described above, more detailed description can be referred to the relevant description in the above method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0297] By way of example and not limitation, the chip system in the present application is shown in FIG. 13, which is a schematic block diagram of a chip system 30 provided by an embodiment of the present application. The chip system includes but is not limited to a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system on chip (SoC) chip or a system in package (SIP) chip containing a modem core.

[0298] As can be seen from FIG. 13, the chip system (or also referred to as a processing system) includes a processor 310 and an input / output interface 330, and can further include a memory 320, which can be located inside the chip system, built-in in the processor, or an independent memory outside the chip system.

[0299] The processor 310 can be a processing circuit (including at least one processor, such as the processor 1 and the processor 2 shown in FIG. 13) in the chip system. The processor 310 can be coupled to the memory 320 to invoke instructions in the memory 320, so that the chip system can implement the methods and functions of the embodiments of the present application. The input / output interface 330 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system, which outputs the processed information of the chip system or inputs the data or signaling information to be processed into the chip system for processing.

[0300] As a solution, the chip system is used to implement the operations performed by the non-terrestrial communication device or the first device in the above various method embodiments.

[0301] For example, the processor 310 is used to implement the processing-related operations performed by the non-terrestrial communication device or the first device in the above method embodiments, which can be referred to the description in the foregoing embodiments; the input / output interface 330 is used to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the non-terrestrial communication device or the first device in the above method embodiments, which can be referred to the description in the foregoing embodiments.

[0302] By way of example and not limitation, the chip system in the present application is shown in FIG. 14, which is a schematic block diagram of a chip system 40 provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0303] As can be seen from FIG. 14, the chip system (or can also be referred to as a processing system) includes an input / output interface 410 and a logic circuit 420. The input / output interface 410 can be an input / output circuit in the chip system, and outputs information processed by the chip system or inputs data or signaling information to be processed by the chip system for processing. The implementation can refer to the description in the foregoing embodiments, for example, the implementation in FIG. 2. The logic circuit 420 is configured to implement the communication method described above. The implementation can refer to the description in the foregoing embodiments.

[0304] As an option, the chip system is configured to implement the operations performed by the non-ground communication apparatus or the first apparatus in the method embodiments described above.

[0305] For example, the logic circuit 420 is configured to implement the processing-related operations performed by the non-ground communication apparatus or the first apparatus in the method embodiments described above; and the input / output interface 410 is configured to implement the sending and / or receiving-related operations performed by the non-ground communication apparatus or the first apparatus in the method embodiments described above.

[0306] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer readable storage medium, which stores computer instructions for implementing the method performed by the device in the method embodiments described above.

[0307] For example, the computer program is executed by a computer, so that the computer can implement the method performed by the non-ground communication apparatus or the first apparatus in the method embodiments described above.

[0308] The embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product, which includes instructions, and the instructions are executed by a computer to implement the method performed by the non-ground communication apparatus or the first apparatus in the method embodiments described above.

[0309] The embodiments of the present application further provide a communication system, which includes the non-ground communication apparatus and the first apparatus described above.

[0310] The explanations and advantages of the related contents in any of the apparatuses described above can refer to the corresponding method embodiments described above, and will not be described herein.

[0311] Those skilled in the art can understand that the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein can be realized in electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether the functions are realized in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solutions. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of the present application.

[0312] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working process of the system, device and unit described above can refer to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0313] In several embodiments provided in the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic, for example, the division of the units is only a logical function division, and actual implementation can have another division manner, for example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between the units shown or discussed can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interface, device or unit, and can be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0314] The units described as separate components can or can not be physically separated, and the components shown as units can or can not be physical units, that is, they can be located in one place, or can be distributed on a plurality of network units. Part or all of the units can be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment scheme.

[0315] In addition, the functional units in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated in one processing unit, or each unit can be physically present separately, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit.

[0316] If the functions are realized in the form of software function units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solutions of the present application essentially or the part of the prior art or the part of the technical solutions can be embodied in the form of a software product, and the computer software product is stored in a storage medium, including a plurality of instructions for making a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) execute all or part of the steps of the method described in each embodiment of the present application. The foregoing storage medium includes: U disk, mobile hard disk, read-only memory ROM, random access memory RAM, magnetic disk or optical disk, and various program code storage media.

Claims

A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: generating m*n first beams based on a first antenna array, the first antenna array being located in a non-ground communication device, wherein n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view range of the non-ground communication device, and the first direction is perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-ground communication device; coverage ranges of the n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, and the second direction is the flight direction of the non-ground communication device; outputting the m*n first beams. The method of claim 1, wherein The non-ground communication device further comprises a second antenna array, and the method further comprises: generating m*n second beams based on the second antenna array, n second beams of the m*n second beams being located in an i-th second coverage range of m second coverage ranges; the m second coverage ranges are arranged along the first direction within the field of view range of the non-ground communication device, and the m second coverage ranges are different from the m first coverage ranges; coverage ranges of the n second beams of the m*n second beams are arranged along the second direction within the i-th second coverage range; outputting the m*n second beams. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first antenna array comprises K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, and each one-dimensional array of the K one-dimensional arrays comprises L antenna elements arranged along the first direction, K and L being positive integers; the first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges according to K*L antenna elements along the first direction; the first antenna array is configured to generate n first beams in each of the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements along the second direction. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges based on analog beamforming along the first direction. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction, K being a positive integer greater than 1; the spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays in the K one-dimensional arrays is less than where θ max represents the maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents the maximum frequency point at which the antenna unit operates. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The non-ground communication device comprises a control unit and P beam transceiver units, a first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units comprising the first antenna array, P being an integer greater than 1; the control unit is configured to communicate with a first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units, and an i-th beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units is configured to communicate with an i-1-th beam transceiver unit, i being an integer taken from 2 to P. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: receiving a third beam, the third beam being one of m*n first beams, the m*n first beams being generated based on a first antenna array, the first antenna array being located in a non-ground communication device, wherein n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m being positive integers, and i being a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein The m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view of the non-ground communication device, the first direction being perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-ground communication device. Coverage ranges of n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, the second direction being the flight direction of the non-ground communication device. The method of claim 7, wherein The first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, each of the K one-dimensional arrays including L antenna elements arranged along the first direction, K and L being positive integers. The first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements along the first direction. The first antenna array is configured to generate n first beams in each of the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna elements along the second direction. The method of claim 8, wherein The first antenna array is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges based on analog beamforming along the first direction. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction, K being a positive integer greater than 1; the spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays in the K one-dimensional arrays is less than where θ max represents the maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents the maximum frequency point at which the antenna unit operates. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, characterized in that The non-ground communication device includes a control unit and P beam transceiver units, a first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units including the first antenna array, P being an integer greater than 1. The control unit is configured to communicate with a first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units, and an i-th beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units is configured to communicate with an (i-1)-th beam transceiver unit, i being an integer taken from 2 to P. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method includes: controlling, by a control unit, a first beam transceiver unit of P beam transceiver units to transmit at least one beam, wherein the control unit and the P beam transceiver units are located in a non-ground communication device, the control unit is configured to communicate with a first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units, and an i-th beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units is configured to communicate with an (i-1)-th beam transceiver unit, i being an integer taken from 2 to P. The method of claim 12, wherein The first beam transceiver unit includes a first antenna array, and the controlling, by a control unit, a first beam transceiver unit of P beam transceiver units to transmit at least one beam includes: controlling, by the control unit, the first antenna array to generate m*n first beams, wherein n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of the m first coverage ranges, n and m being positive integers, i being a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along a first direction within a field of view of the non-ground communication device, the first direction being perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-ground communication device; coverage ranges of n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along a second direction within the i-th first coverage range, the second direction being the flight direction of the non-ground communication device; and outputting the m*n first beams. The method of claim 13, wherein A second beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units includes a second antenna array, and the method further includes: generate m*n second beams based on the second antenna array face, n second beams of the m*n second beams are located in an i-th second coverage range of m second coverage ranges; the m second coverage ranges are arranged along the first direction within a field of view range of the non-ground communication device, and the m second coverage ranges are different from the m first coverage ranges; coverage ranges of n second beams of the m*n second beams are arranged along the second direction within the i-th second coverage range; output the m*n second beams. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The first antenna array face includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, each one-dimensional array of the K one-dimensional arrays includes L antenna units arranged along the first direction, K and L are positive integers; the first antenna array face is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges according to K*L antenna units in the first direction; and the first antenna array face is configured to generate n first beams in each first coverage range of the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna units in the second direction. The method of claim 15, wherein The first antenna array face is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges based on analog beamforming in the first direction. The method according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction, K being a positive integer greater than 1; the spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays in the K one-dimensional arrays is less than where θ max represents the maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents the maximum frequency point at which the antenna unit operates. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method comprises: receive a third beam, wherein the third beam is one of at least one beam transmitted by a first beam transceiver unit under the control of a control unit, wherein the first beam transceiver unit is one of P beam transceiver units, the control unit and the P beam transceiver units are located in a non-ground communication device, the control unit is configured to communicate with the first one of the P beam transceiver units, the i-th beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units is configured to communicate with the i-1-th beam transceiver unit, i is an integer taken from 2 to P. The method of claim 18, wherein The first beam transceiver unit includes a first antenna array face, wherein the control of the control unit controls the first beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units to transmit at least one beam, comprising: generate m*n first beams based on the first antenna array face, n first beams of the m*n first beams are located in an i-th first coverage range of m first coverage ranges, n and m are positive integers, and i is a positive integer less than or equal to m; wherein the m first coverage ranges are arranged along the first direction within a field of view range of the non-ground communication device, the first direction is perpendicular to a flight direction of the non-ground communication device; coverage ranges of n first beams of the m*n first beams are arranged along the second direction within the i-th first coverage range, the second direction is the flight direction of the non-ground communication device; output the m*n first beams. The method of claim 19, wherein The second beam transceiver unit of the P beam transceiver units includes a second antenna array face, wherein the method further comprises: generate m*n second beams based on the second antenna array face, n second beams of the m*n second beams are located in an i-th second coverage range of m second coverage ranges; the m second coverage ranges are arranged along the first direction within a field of view range of the non-ground communication device, and the m second coverage ranges are different from the m first coverage ranges; coverage ranges of n second beams of the m*n second beams are arranged along the second direction within the i-th second coverage range; output the m*n second beams. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that The first antenna array face includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged along the second direction, each one-dimensional array of the K one-dimensional arrays includes L antenna units arranged along the first direction, K and L are positive integers; the first antenna array face is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges according to K*L antenna units along the first direction; and the first antenna array face is configured to generate n first beams in each first coverage range of the m first coverage ranges according to the K*L antenna units along the second direction. The method of claim 21, wherein The first antenna array face is configured to determine the m first coverage ranges based on analog beamforming along the first direction. The method according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that The first antenna array includes K one-dimensional arrays arranged in the second direction, K being a positive integer greater than 1; the spacing between two adjacent one-dimensional arrays in the K one-dimensional arrays is less than where θ max represents the maximum scanning angle of the satellite, and λ represents the maximum frequency point at which the antenna unit operates. A communication device characterized by comprising: comprise: at least one processor configured to cause a method recited in any one of claims 1 to 23 to be performed by executing computer programs or instructions. The communication apparatus according to claim 24, characterized in that, The communication device further comprises a memory configured to store the computer programs or the instructions. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized by The computer readable storage medium has stored thereon computer programs or instructions which, when executed, cause a method recited in any one of claims 1 to 23 to be performed. A computer program product, characterized in that The computer programs or instructions, when executed, implement a method recited in any one of claims 1 to 23. An antenna characterized by The antenna is configured to implement a method recited in any one of claims 1 to 6, or the antenna is configured to implement a method recited in any one of claims 12 to 17. A satellite, characterized in that The satellite is configured to implement a method recited in any one of claims 1 to 6, or the satellite is configured to implement a method recited in any one of claims 12 to 17.

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