Electronic device for supporting non-terrestrial network communication and operating method therefor

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device (101) comprises: communication circuits (190; 215); one or more processors (120; 211) including processing circuitry; and a memory (130) for storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, may cause the electronic device to: receive, from a first non-terrestrial network of a first communication network (111a) corresponding to a first subscriber identity module (SIM) (111), information related to a coverage area of a first terrestrial network of the first communication network via the communication circuits; identify whether the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of the first terrestrial network on the basis of the information related to the coverage area of the first terrestrial network; on the basis of identifying that the location of the electronic device is not included in the coverage area of the first terrestrial network, perform a scan operation for a second terrestrial network by using a second protocol stack (612) corresponding to a second communication network (112a) corresponding to a second SIM (112) on the basis of a second period longer than a first period set by default for a scan operation performed according to a failure of second communication corresponding to the second terrestrial network of the second communication network (112a); and prevent a scan operation for the first terrestrial network from being performed by using a first protocol stack (611) corresponding to the first communication network. Other embodiments are possible.

Description

Electronic device supporting non-terrestrial network communication and method of operation thereof

[0001] One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an electronic device that supports non-terrestrial network communication and a method of operating the same.

[0002] Recently, electronic devices supporting non-terrestrial network communication (e.g., satellite communication) are being actively introduced. For example, electronic devices can communicate with a satellite carrier's satellites by using the carrier's frequencies and communication methods. For example, electronic devices support the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) standard (or, 5th generation (5 th Based on the generation: 5G) standard, communication with satellites can be performed using cellular frequencies according to the LTE standard. As an example, electronic devices may also perform communication with satellites based on 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) technology.

[0003] For example, if an electronic device communicates with a non-terrestrial network based on LTE standards, some of the frequencies defined in LTE standards may be used for non-terrestrial network communication. The electronic device may perform satellite communication using the protocol stack used for terrestrial network communication, and an additional protocol stack for non-terrestrial network communication may not be required. The electronic device may perform communication without distinguishing between non-terrestrial network communication and terrestrial network communication. For example, the electronic device may perform a cell scan operation and perform an operation to access a cell that satisfies cell selection criteria. For example, the operation to access a cell may include a camp-on operation, a random access (RA) operation, a connection establishment operation, and / or an attach operation (or registration operation). The electronic device may perform an access operation to a cell that satisfies cell selection criteria without distinguishing between non-terrestrial network communication and terrestrial network communication. Accordingly, the electronic device can prepare to perform non-terrestrial network communication in substantially the same manner as communication with the terrestrial network.

[0004] In a wireless communication system, an electronic device (e.g., user equipment (UE)) can connect to a wireless communication network and use communication services, such as voice communication services or data communication services, at a fixed location or while moving.

[0005] In order to provide communication services to an electronic device, a suitable authentication process may be performed. For example, a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) may be inserted into an electronic device, and an authentication process may be performed between the electronic device and the server of a mobile network operator (MNO) through a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) installed inside the UICC. The UICC may be referred to as a subscriber identity module (SIM) card in the global system for mobile communications (GSM) method, and as a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card in the wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) method, long term evolution (LTE) method, and / or new radio (NR) method. A USIM card or SIM card may exist as an independent UICC, may exist as an embedded form in an electronic device (e.g., embedded SIM: eSIM), or may exist as an integrated form in at least one of the chips included in an electronic device (e.g., integrated SIM: iSIM).

[0006] When a user of an electronic device subscribes to a communication service provided by a telecommunications carrier, the carrier provides the user with a UICC (e.g., a SIM card or USIM card), and the user can insert the UICC provided by the carrier into their electronic device. When the UICC is inserted into the electronic device, the USIM application installed within the UICC is executed. Based on the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) value and the cryptographic key value for authentication stored within the UICC, an appropriate authentication process can be performed with the carrier's server, which stores the same IMSI value and cryptographic key value. If the electronic device is successfully authenticated through the authentication process, the electronic device can use the communication service.

[0007] When SIM-related information is provided from a telecommunications carrier's server to a UICC (e.g., an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM) or an integrated subscriber identity module (iSIM)) installed in an electronic device, an appropriate authentication process can be performed with a telecommunications carrier's server storing the same IMSI value and cryptographic key value, based on the IMSI value and cryptographic key value for authentication that are included in or can be generated through the SIM-related information. If the electronic device is successfully authenticated through the authentication process, the electronic device can use the telecommunications service.

[0008] An electronic device may support two or more SIMs, and an electronic device supporting two or more SIMs may be referred to as a "dual SIM electronic device" or a "multi SIM electronic device."

[0009] The case where two or more SIM cards are installed in an electronic device may mean that two or more independent UICCs are configured in the electronic device. Alternatively, the case where two or more SIM cards are installed in an electronic device may mean that at least one independent UICC and at least one eSIM card are configured in the electronic device. Alternatively, the case where two or more SIM cards are installed in an electronic device may mean that at least one independent UICC and at least one iSIM card are configured in the electronic device. Alternatively, the case where two or more SIM cards are installed in an electronic device may mean that an eSIM card or an iSIM card supporting at least two networks is configured in the electronic device.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device (101) may include a communication circuit (190; 215), one or more processors (120; 211) including a processing circuitry, and a memory (130) for storing instructions.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by one or more processors, the electronic device may be caused to receive information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network of the first communication network from the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network corresponding to the first subscriber identity module (SIM) (111) through the communication circuit.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the one or more processors, may cause the electronic device to determine, based on information relating to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network, whether a location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the one or more processors, may cause the electronic device to perform a scan operation for the second terrestrial network using a second protocol stack (612) corresponding to the second communication network based on a second period that is longer than a first period that is set as a default for a scan operation performed in response to a failure of a second communication corresponding to the second terrestrial network of the second communication network (112a) corresponding to the second SIM (112), and to refrain from performing a scan operation for the first terrestrial network using a first protocol stack (611) corresponding to the first communication network, based on determining that a location of the electronic device is not included in a coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of an electronic device (101) may include an operation of receiving information related to a coverage area of ​​a first terrestrial network of a first communication network (111a) from a first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network corresponding to a first subscriber identity module (SIM) (111).

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation of determining whether the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first ground network.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include, based on confirming that the location of the electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network: performing a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack (612) corresponding to the second communication network, based on a second period longer than a first period that is set by default for a scan operation performed according to a failure of a second communication corresponding to the second ground network of the second communication network (112a) corresponding to the second SIM (112), and refraining from performing a scan operation for the first ground network using a first protocol stack (611) corresponding to the first communication network.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions may be provided, and when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by one or more processors (120) including processing circuitry of an electronic device (101), the electronic device may cause at least one operation to be performed.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include receiving information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network of the first communication network from a first non-terrestrial network of a first communication network (111a) corresponding to a first subscriber identity module (SIM) (111).

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include an operation of determining whether a location of the electronic device is included in a coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include, based on confirming that the location of the electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network: performing a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack (612) corresponding to the second communication network, based on a second period longer than a first period that is set by default for a scan operation performed according to a failure of a second communication corresponding to the second ground network of the second communication network (112a) corresponding to the second SIM (112), and refraining from performing a scan operation for the first ground network using a first protocol stack (611) corresponding to the first communication network.

[0021] FIG. 1a is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electronic device in a network environment according to one embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 1b is a diagram showing a network environment including an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating an electronic device and a remote communication network environment according to one embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the connection of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining a non-ground network system according to one embodiment.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation process of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0027] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a scanning operation of an electronic device for a terrestrial network and a non-terrestrial network according to one embodiment.

[0029] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0030] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0031] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0032] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In describing an embodiment of the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known functions or configurations could unnecessarily obscure the essence of the embodiment, such detailed description will be omitted. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined considering the functions in an embodiment of the present disclosure, and these may vary depending on the intentions or conventions of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the content throughout this specification.

[0033] It should be noted that technical terms used in this specification are used merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. Alternatively, unless specifically defined otherwise in this specification, technical terms used in this specification shall be interpreted in the sense generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains, and shall not be interpreted in an overly broad or overly narrow sense. Furthermore, if a technical term used in this specification is an incorrect technical term that fails to accurately express the spirit of this disclosure, it shall be understood as being replaced by a technical term that can be correctly understood by those skilled in the art. Alternatively, general terms used in an embodiment of this disclosure shall be interpreted according to their prior definitions or according to the context, and shall not be interpreted in an overly narrow sense.

[0034] Alternatively, singular expressions used in this specification include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, terms such as "composed of" or "comprising" should not be interpreted as necessarily including all of the various components or operations described in the specification, and should be interpreted as meaning that some of the components or operations may not be included, or that additional components or operations may be included.

[0035] Alternatively, terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., as used herein may be used to describe various components, but said components shall not be limited by said terms. Such terms are used solely for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first component may be named the second component, and similarly, the second component may be named the first component.

[0036] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but there may also be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0037] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Identical or similar components regardless of drawing symbols are given the same reference number, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted. Alternatively, in describing an embodiment of the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of related prior art may obscure the essence of the present disclosure, such detailed description will be omitted. Furthermore, it should be noted that the attached drawings are intended only to facilitate an easy understanding of the concept of the present disclosure and should not be interpreted as limiting the concept of the present disclosure. The concept of the present disclosure should be interpreted as extending to all modifications, equivalents, and substitutions in addition to the attached drawings.

[0038] Hereinafter, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device will be described as an example, but the electronic device may also be called a terminal, a mobile station, mobile equipment (ME), user equipment (UE), user terminal (UT), subscriber station (SS), wireless device, handheld device, or access terminal (AT). Alternatively, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device may be a device having a communication function, such as a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a wireless MODEM, or a laptop.

[0039] Hereinafter, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, a base station will be described as an example, but the base station may be referred to as at least one of a gNode B, gNB, eNode B, eNB, Node B, BS, radio access unit, base station controller, or a node on a network. In addition, the base station may be a network entity comprising at least one of an IAB-donor (integrated access and backhaul-donor) which is a gNB providing network access to electronic device(s) through a network of backhaul and access links in a new radio (NR) system, and an IAB-node which is a radio access network (RAN) node that supports NR access link(s) to electronic device(s) and supports NR backhaul links to the IAB-donor or other IAB-nodes. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device is wirelessly connected via an IAB-node and can transmit and receive data with an IAB-donor connected via a backhaul link with at least one IAB-node.

[0040] FIG. 1a is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electronic device (101) in a network environment (100) according to one embodiment.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 1a, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) through a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network) or with an electronic device (104) or a server (108) through a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) through a server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

[0042] The processor (120) may control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) by executing, for example, software (e.g., a program (140)), and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculation, the processor (120) may store a command or data received from another component (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the command or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store the resulting data in a non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or an auxiliary processor (+123) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor)) that may operate independently or together therewith. For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and a secondary processor (123), the secondary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a specified function. The secondary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

[0043] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least some of the functions or states associated with at least one component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., display module (160), sensor module (176), or communication module (190)) on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., image signal processor or communication processor) may be implemented as part of another functionally related component (e.g., camera module (180) or communication module (190)). According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing an artificial intelligence model. The artificial intelligence model may be generated through machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence is performed, or through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm may include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model may include a plurality of artificial neural network layers.The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may include a software structure.

[0044] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0045] The program (140) may be stored as software in memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0046] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0047] The audio output module (155) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0048] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. In one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

[0049] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150), output sound through the sound output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

[0050] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) or the external environmental status (e.g., user status) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected status. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0051] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0052] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0053] A haptic module (179) can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration or movement) or electrical stimuli that a user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. According to one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0054] The camera module (180) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0055] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0056] A battery (189) may power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0057] The communication module (190) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). The corresponding communication module among these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, or IrDA) or a second network (199) (e.g., a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can identify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) using subscriber information (e.g., International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0058] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in the high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large-scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (104)), or network system (e.g., second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) may support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

[0059] The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a PCB). According to one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas, for example, by the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).

[0060] In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. In one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high-frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band.

[0061] At least some of the above components can be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)).

[0062] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102 or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may, instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, request one or more external electronic devices to perform the function or at least a part of the service. One or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may process the result as is or additionally and provide it as at least a portion of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server utilizing machine learning and / or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0063] FIG. 1b is a drawing showing a network environment (100) including an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 1b, a network (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include an electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1a), a first communication network (111a), a second communication network (112a), and / or a third communication network (not shown).

[0065] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may operate in a dual SIM dual standby (DSDS) mode that supports multiple SIMs. The DSDS mode may indicate a state in which a single transceiver can transmit and receive signals associated with two SIMs. In the DSDS mode, when one of the two SIMs transmits and / or receives a signal (e.g., when one of the two SIMs is in an active state), the other SIM may be in a standby state.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may operate in a "dual SIM dual active (DSDA)" mode that supports multiple SIMs. The DSDA mode may represent a state in which two SIMs can operate in an active state simultaneously through multiple transceivers.

[0067] In one embodiment, at least two SIMs may be installed in the electronic device (101), and the at least two SIMs may include a first SIM (111) and a second SIM (112). The first SIM (111) and the second SIM (112) may be removable SIMs (rSIMs). The rSIM may be a SIM that can be inserted into and removed from a slot provided in the electronic device (101), and there may be no restrictions on the shape / specifications of the rSIM. For example, two SIM cards may be installed in the electronic device (101) to support two SIMs. According to one embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the first SIM (111) and the second SIM (112) are depicted as SIM cards in FIG. 1b, but the first SIM (111) and the second SIM (112) may not be limited to being SIM cards only. For example, one of the first SIM (111) or the second SIM (112) may be an eSIM or an iSIM.

[0068] In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include an eSIM (196) (e.g., the subscriber identification module (196) of FIG. 1a). For example, the electronic device (101) may be implemented to include only the eSIM (196), and the eSIM (196) may include a plurality of profiles and may activate any one of the plurality of profiles.

[0069] The electronic device (101) may be implemented to include an eSIM (196) and a slot capable of mounting one or more SIMs. In this case, the electronic device (101) may perform a dual SIM-based operation based on information stored in an rSIM inserted (or connected) into the slot and profiles activated by the eSIM (196). The electronic device (101) may also perform a dual SIM-based operation based on two rSIMs, and there may be no limitation on the combination thereof. For example, at least one of the first SIM (111) or the second SIM (112) may be replaced with an eSIM or an iSIM (integrated SIM). In this case, at least some of the information stored in the rSIM may be replaced with information of profiles activated by the eSIM (196). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the SIM card will be used interchangeably with the SIM.

[0070] In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a multiple enabled profile (MEP) eSIM. For example, the electronic device (101) may be implemented to include only a MEP eSIM, or the MEP eSIM may include multiple profiles and be capable of activating at least two of the multiple profiles.

[0071] An electronic device may support two or more SIMs, and an electronic device that supports two or more SIMs may be referred to as a "dual SIM electronic device" or a "multi SIM electronic device." A dual SIM electronic device may be implemented to support two removable SIMs, one removable SIM and an eSIM, or an MEP eSIM. An rSIM may be referred to as a "physical SIM (pSIM)." An electronic device that supports two rSIMs may be implemented to include two slots capable of accommodating two rSIMs. An electronic device that supports one rSIM and an eSIM may include a slot capable of accommodating one SIM and an eSIM.

[0072] As illustrated in FIG. 1b, the electronic device (101) may be equipped with two SIM cards, including a first SIM (111) and a second SIM (112). The electronic device (101) may include a first slot (not illustrated in FIG. 1b) and a second slot (not illustrated in FIG. 1b) inside the electronic device (101) to accommodate the first SIM (111) and the second SIM (112), respectively.

[0073] For example, the first SIM (111) is a SIM subscribed to a telecommunications carrier of the first communication network (111a), and the electronic device (101) can receive wireless communication services through the first communication network (111a) by connecting to the first communication network (111a) using the first SIM (111). The second SIM (112) is a SIM subscribed to a telecommunications carrier of the second communication network (112a), and the electronic device (101) can receive wireless communication services through the second communication network (112a) by connecting to the second communication network (112a) using the second SIM (112). The first communication network (111a) and the second communication network (112a) may be provided by the same telecommunications carrier. The first communication network (111a) and the second communication network (112a) may be provided by different telecommunications carriers. When the first communication network (111a) and the second communication network (112a) are provided by the same communication service provider, the first communication network (111a) and the second communication network (112a) may refer to the same network. Alternatively, different communication service providers may share a communication network. For example, the first communication service provider may use the first communication network (111a), and the second communication service provider may also be configured to use the first communication network (111a). According to one embodiment, although not separately illustrated in FIG. 1B, the electronic device (101) may further include at least one SIM, and there may be no limitation on the number or type of SIMs that the electronic device (101) further includes.

[0074] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an electronic device and a remote communication network environment according to one embodiment.

[0075] The electronic device (101) can transmit and / or receive data through a terrestrial network and / or a non-terrestrial network. The electronic device (101) may be identical to the configuration of the electronic device (101) shown in FIG. 1 or may include the configuration of the electronic device (101) shown in FIG. 1.

[0076] A terrestrial network may refer to a network capable of providing data communication via a terrestrial wireless communication device (210). For example, the terrestrial wireless communication device (210) may include a base station located on the ground (e.g., fixed to the ground). The terrestrial wireless communication device (210) may support at least one communication method among various communication methods that the electronic device (101) can support. For example, the terrestrial wireless communication device (210) may include an eNodeB (e.g., a base station of the LTE series) or a gNodeB (e.g., a base station of the 5G (or NR (new radio) series), but there is no limitation on the type thereof.

[0077] A non-terrestrial network may refer to a network capable of providing data communication via at least one non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220). For example, the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220) may include at least one of various communication devices such as a base station or repeater that are not located on the ground. For example, the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220) may include, but is not limited to, a satellite and / or an unmanned aerial vehicle. For example, the satellite may include a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite, a medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellite, a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellite, and / or a high elliptical orbit (HEO) satellite. For example, the satellite may include a mobile satellite and / or a geostationary satellite.

[0078] The non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220) may support at least one of various wireless communication methods. For example, the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220) may support NR NTN (non-terrestrial network) defined by 3GPP (3rd generation partnership project). Alternatively, the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220) may support at least one of various communication methods based on communication standards such as LTE, GSM (global system for mobile communications), or CDMA (code-division multiple access), but there is no limitation on the type.

[0079] The terrestrial network and the non-terrestrial network may be independent networks. Alternatively, the terrestrial network and the non-terrestrial network may be included in at least one related network (e.g., a network provided by the same operator).

[0080] The electronic device (101) can perform wireless communication through a non-ground network when communication with a ground network is impossible or not smooth. Alternatively, the electronic device (101) may perform wireless communication through a non-ground network regardless of the communication status with the ground network, depending on the case.

[0081] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (211) (e.g., processor (120) of FIG. 1), a display (213) (e.g., display module (160) of FIG. 1), a communication circuit (215) (e.g., communication module (190) of FIG. 1), and / or an antenna (217) (e.g., antenna module (197) of FIG. 1). For example, the processor (211) may be operatively, functionally, and / or electrically connected to the display (213), the communication circuit (215), and / or the antenna (217).

[0082] The processor (211) can control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (211) by executing instructions (e.g., a program (140) of FIG. 1) that are at least temporarily stored in memory (e.g., memory (130) of FIG. 1), and can perform various data processing or operations. According to one embodiment, the processor (211) can control overall operations related to ground network communication and / or non-ground network communication. For example, the processor (211) may include a communication processor (e.g., an auxiliary processor (123) of FIG. 1) related to ground network communication and / or non-ground network communication.

[0083] The display (213) can visually provide information to the outside of the electronic device (101) (e.g., user).

[0084] According to one embodiment, the display (213) may display a user interface (UI) representing information related to a terrestrial network and / or a non-terrestrial network. For example, the UI representing information related to a terrestrial network and / or a non-terrestrial network may include at least one of a UI representing information related to a type of network (e.g., cellular communication (3G, 4G, or 5G), short-range communication (e.g., BT, or WIFI), or satellite communication), a type of network service provider (e.g., a satellite service provider (e.g., Iridium), an emergency service provider (ESP)), a network signal strength (e.g., signal strength bars, RSSI, or RSRP), an orientation of a communication device (satellite) included in the network (e.g., orientation, elevation angle, azimuth angle), presence information, and / or a network communication status (e.g., idle, transmit, or receive).

[0085] According to one embodiment, the display (213) may display a UI representing a service related to a ground network and / or a non-ground network.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the services related to the terrestrial network and / or the non-terrestrial network may include, for example, at least one of an emergency message transmission service, a messaging service, a voice call, a video call, a data communication service, a location-related service and / or an indicator-related service.

[0087] According to one embodiment, the emergency message transmission service may include, but is not limited to, at least one of an SOS service status information provision service (e.g., indication of SOS service availability), a government office information provision service, an emergency contact information provision service, a commercial phrase provision service that minimizes user text input, or a survey-based service for quickly conveying emergency situations (e.g., type of accident, injury site, or a service providing options for medical information (e.g., age, gender, disease information, or medication information)).

[0088] According to one embodiment, the messaging service may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a small message service (SMS), a multimedia messaging service (MMS), or a rich communication suite (RCS) message.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the data communication service may include services through various applications (e.g., web browsers) that provide data communication.

[0090] According to one embodiment, the location-related service may include, but is not limited to, at least one of longitude / latitude coordinates, location-related map information of a non-terrestrial communication device (220), navigation, or street view.

[0091] According to one embodiment, UI examples are not limited to the examples mentioned and may be provided through other output devices (e.g., the acoustic output module (155) of FIG. 1).

[0092] According to one embodiment, the communication circuit (215) may support various types of wireless communication bands supported by the electronic device (101). For example, the wireless communication bands supported by the electronic device (101) may include, but are not limited to, a short-range wireless communication band (e.g., BT or WiFi), a terrestrial network (e.g., cellular network) communication band, and / or a non-terrestrial network band.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can support a frequency band (e.g., n255 or n256) associated with non-terrestrial network wireless communication. The electronic device (101) can perform non-terrestrial network wireless communication using the frequency band associated with non-terrestrial network wireless communication, but is not limited thereto. For example, the electronic device (101) can perform non-terrestrial network wireless communication using at least a portion of the frequency band associated with terrestrial network wireless communication.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the antenna (217) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external source (e.g., an external electronic device).

[0095] According to one embodiment, an electronic device (101) can wirelessly communicate with a non-terrestrial network using at least one of a plurality of antennas included in an antenna (217). The at least one antenna supporting non-terrestrial wireless communication may include a dedicated antenna and / or a combined antenna. The dedicated antenna may include an antenna supporting a non-terrestrial network. The combined antenna may include an antenna supporting both a different type of network and a non-terrestrial network. For example, the electronic device (101) can communicate with at least one satellite (e.g., a GNSS satellite, or a satellite for emergency message services) using at least one antenna dedicated to a non-terrestrial network. For example, the combined antenna may include an antenna supporting a short-range communication network (e.g., a Bluetooth network, a WiFi network) and / or a terrestrial network (e.g., a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network). The electronic device (101) can support a non-terrestrial network using a plurality of antennas among the antennas supporting a terrestrial network.

[0096] Hereinafter, a satellite is primarily referred to as a non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220) in the present disclosure, and even if the satellite is referred to as providing wireless communication based on a specific radio access technology (RAT) (e.g., LTE) or a specific function (e.g., a base station), this is merely an example and the type is not limited.

[0097] FIG. 3 is a drawing for explaining the connection of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0098] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may be located within the coverage (315) of a ground wireless communication device (210) (hereinafter referred to as ground wireless communication coverage (315)) and / or the coverage (325) of a non-ground wireless communication device (220) (hereinafter referred to as non-ground wireless communication coverage (325). The non-ground wireless communication coverage (325) may be relatively larger than the ground wireless communication coverage (315) (e.g., 50 times larger). For example, the non-ground wireless communication coverage (325) may cover an area that the coverage (315) of the ground wireless communication device (210) does not cover, and accordingly, the electronic device (101) may perform communication even in an area where ground wireless communication is not supported.

[0099] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) can perform a cell scan within the terrestrial wireless communication coverage (315) and / or the non-terrestrial wireless communication coverage (325). As a result of performing the cell scan, the electronic device (101) can check the cell provided by the terrestrial wireless communication device (210) and / or the cell provided by the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220). If there is a cell that satisfies the cell selection condition, the electronic device (101) can perform at least some of the operations for accessing a network (e.g., a non-terrestrial network and / or a terrestrial network). Here, the operation for accessing a network may include, but is not limited to, at least some of the preceding operations for registration with the network (e.g., camp on, or a connection procedure (e.g., a random access (RA) procedure)) and / or a registration operation with the network (e.g., attach, or registration). The electronic device (101) may perform at least some of the disconnection operations when disconnection from a network is required (e.g., moving to a different network). The disconnection from the network operation may include at least some of the following operations: a detach operation from the network, a disconnect operation, and / or a radio link failure (RLF) declaration operation, but is not limited to the listed operations.

[0100] According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may perform at least some of the following operations: cell scanning, disconnection from a network, and / or connection to a network, depending on movement (330, 335).

[0101] According to one embodiment, if an electronic device (101) is located within a ground communication coverage (315) that is included in a non-ground wireless communication coverage (325), or is located in a boundary area of ​​the ground communication coverage (315), the electronic device (101) can perform access to a ground network and / or a non-ground network based on a policy (e.g., priority policy) of the electronic device (101).

[0102] FIG. 4 is a drawing for explaining a non-ground network system (400) according to one embodiment.

[0103] Referring to FIG. 4, the non-terrestrial network system (400) may include a non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220), a radio unit (415), a packet core (430) and / or a PDN (440).

[0104] According to one embodiment, the non-ground network system (400) may be implemented, for example, in a regenerative manner. When implemented in a regenerative manner, at least one non-ground wireless communication device (220) may include a base station (e.g., eNode B). The non-ground network system (400) may be implemented, for example, in a bent-pipe manner. The bent-pipe manner may include a passive relay method that performs frequency conversion and power amplification on a received signal. When the non-ground network system (400) is implemented in a bent-pipe manner, at least one non-ground wireless communication device (220) may include a repeater that converts (e.g., amplifies) and transmits the signal. The implementation method of the non-ground network system (400) and the role of the non-ground wireless communication device (220) described in FIG. 4 are merely examples and are not limited thereto.

[0105] According to one embodiment, the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220) may include at least one satellite. The non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220) may communicate with, for example, the electronic device (101) using a terrestrial network (e.g., cellular network) band and / or a non-terrestrial network band. The terrestrial network band may be, for example, an operating band supported by LTE (long term evolution) and / or NR (new radio), but is not limited. The non-terrestrial network band may include bands defined by 3GPP (e.g., n255 and / or n256 bands), but is not limited.

[0106] According to one embodiment, at least one radio unit (415) can receive a signal from a non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220) and transmit it to a packet core (430). The radio unit (415) and the non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220) can communicate, for example, using a non-terrestrial network band. The non-terrestrial network band may be different from the terrestrial network band, but may be set to be the same in some cases.

[0107] According to one embodiment, at least one packet core (430) can transmit and receive data associated with an electronic device (101) using a radio unit (415). Accordingly, the packet core (430) can process data associated with the electronic device (101) and transmit it to a packet data network (PDN) (440) (e.g., the internet). The packet core (430) may include, for example, at least some of an evolved packet core (EPC) and / or a 5G core (5GC), but is not limited thereto. The packet core (430) may include a packet core associated with a non-terrestrial wireless communication device (220) operator and / or a packet core associated with a mobile network operator (MNO). The packet core (430) may additionally be connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) (not shown) to transmit and receive data associated with the electronic device (101).

[0108] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic device (101) may include a communication circuit (190; 215), one or more processors (120; 211) including a processing circuitry, and a memory (130) for storing instructions.

[0109] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by one or more processors, the electronic device may be caused to receive information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network of the first communication network from the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network corresponding to the first subscriber identity module (SIM) (111) through the communication circuit.

[0110] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the one or more processors, may cause the electronic device to determine whether a location of the electronic device is included in a coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network.

[0111] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the one or more processors, may cause the electronic device to perform a scan operation for the second terrestrial network using a second protocol stack (612) corresponding to the second communication network based on a second period that is longer than a first period that is set as a default for a scan operation performed in response to a failure of a second communication corresponding to the second terrestrial network of the second communication network (112a) corresponding to the second SIM (112) based on determining that the location of the electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network, and to refrain from performing a scan operation for the first terrestrial network using a first protocol stack (611) corresponding to the first communication network.

[0112] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first communication network supports non-terrestrial network communication, and the second communication network may not support non-terrestrial network communication.

[0113] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, information related to a coverage area of ​​the first ground network may include an identifier identifying the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, a reference location of the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, and a value indicating a radius from the reference location.

[0114] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, the electronic device may cause the second ground network to identify a cell of the second ground network while performing a scan operation for the second ground network based on the second cycle.

[0115] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, the electronic device may cause the electronic device to perform a connection operation to the identified cell of the second terrestrial network using the second protocol stack.

[0116] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, the electronic device may cause the first ground network and the second ground network to be scanned using the first protocol stack and the second ground network to be refrained from being scanned using the second protocol stack, based on a third cycle, upon confirming that the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network.

[0117] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the third period is uniquely set for the first communication network and may be the same as or different from the first period and the second period.

[0118] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the one or more processors, may cause the electronic device to perform, as at least part of an operation of performing a scan operation for the first terrestrial network and the second terrestrial network using the first protocol stack based on the set third period: performing a scan operation for the second terrestrial network based on a list of cells to which the electronic device has a history of accessing using the second protocol stack, a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) associated with the second SIM, an equivalent public land mobile network (EPLMN) associated with the second SIM, or an operator controlled public land mobile network (OPLMN) associated with the second SIM.

[0119] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the instructions, when individually or collectively executed by the one or more processors, may cause the electronic device to identify a cell of the first terrestrial network while performing a scan operation for the first terrestrial network and the second terrestrial network based on the third cycle.

[0120] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, the electronic device may cause, based on identifying a cell of the first ground network: to perform a connection operation for the identified cell of the first ground network using the first protocol stack, and, based on a fourth cycle, to perform a scan operation for the second ground network using the second protocol stack.

[0121] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the fourth period is uniquely set for the second communication network and may be the same as or different from the first period, the second period, and the third period.

[0122] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, the electronic device may cause to identify a cell of the second ground network while performing a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network based on the third cycle.

[0123] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the instructions are executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, the electronic device may cause the device to: perform a connection operation for the identified cell of the second ground network using the second protocol stack based on identifying the cell of the second ground network, and, based on the third cycle, perform a scan operation for the first ground network using the first protocol stack.

[0124] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second period may be set based on a distance between a location of the electronic device and a boundary of a coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network.

[0125] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network may overlap with the coverage area of ​​the second terrestrial network.

[0126] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network may be included in system information provided from the first non-terrestrial network.

[0127] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation process of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0128] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0129] The operation process of the electronic device of Fig. 5 will be described with reference to Fig. 6.

[0130] Referring together to FIGS. 5 and FIGS. 6, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIGS. 1a, FIGS. 1b, FIGS. 2, FIGS. 3, or FIGS. 4) (e.g., one or more processors including processing circuitry) (e.g., the processor (120) of FIGS. 1a or the processor (211) of FIGS. 2)) can, in operation 510, receive information related to the coverage area of ​​the first ground network of the first communication network (e.g., the first communication network (111a) of FIGS. 1b) from the first non-ground network of the first communication network through a communication circuit (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIGS. 1a or the communication circuit (215) of FIGS. 2). In operation 510, the electronic device may be in a state in which a radio resource control (RRC) connection has been established with a first non-terrestrial network of a first communication network (e.g., an RRC connected state).

[0131] An electronic device that has received information related to a coverage area of ​​a first terrestrial network may, in operation 513, determine whether a location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network received from a first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network. In one embodiment, the electronic device may receive system information from the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network, and the system information may include information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network. In one embodiment, the system information may include a system information block (SIB) 25 information element (IE). The SIB25 IE may be specified in a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) standard (e.g., 3GPP TS 38.331) as shown in Table 1 below.

[0132] Table 1

[0133]

[0134] In Table 1, CoverageAreaInfoList may represent information related to a coverage area (e.g., the coverage area of ​​a first terrestrial network). As shown in Table 1, CoverageAreaInfoList may include maxTN-AreaInfo CoverageAreaInfo. As shown in Table 1, CoverageAreaInfo may include tn-AreaId, tn-ReferenceLocation, and / or tn-DistanceRadius. tn-AreaId represents an identifier identifying the coverage area, tn-ReferenceLocation represents the reference location of the coverage area (e.g., the center of the coverage area), and / or tn-DistanceRadius may represent the radius of the coverage area (e.g., the distance from the reference location of the coverage area). In one embodiment, the center of the coverage area may be expressed in the form of global positioning system (GPS) coordinate values. In TS 38.331, CoverageAreaInfoList and tn-DistanceRadius may be specified as shown in Table 2 below.

[0135] Table 2

[0136]

[0137] In one embodiment, the electronic device can identify the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network received from the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network. Generally, since non-terrestrial network communication using a non-terrestrial network (e.g., a satellite network) has lower performance and higher costs compared to terrestrial network communication using a terrestrial network, it may be desirable for the electronic device to connect to the terrestrial network to provide communication services in areas where non-terrestrial networks and terrestrial networks coexist. To this end, the electronic device may need to perform a scan operation on the terrestrial network based on a set period even while connected to the non-terrestrial network. Accordingly, the present disclosure allows for the reduction of overhead caused by the scan operation on the terrestrial network by performing a scan operation on the terrestrial network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the terrestrial network provided via SIB25 IE, as specified in the 3GPP standard (e.g., 3GPP TS 38.331), while the electronic device is connected to the non-terrestrial network. In one embodiment, the electronic device may perform a scan operation on the ground network only when the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the ground network (e.g., only when the electronic device enters the coverage area of ​​the ground network) based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the ground network.

[0138] If the location of the electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network (Operation 513-No), the electronic device may, in Operation 515, perform a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack corresponding to the second communication network based on a second period longer than the first period, and may refrain from performing a scan operation for the first ground network using a first protocol stack corresponding to the first communication network. In one embodiment, the first period may be a scan period set as default for a scan operation (e.g., OOS scan operation) performed according to a failure of the second communication (e.g., OOS state).

[0139] In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-terrestrial network communication using a non-terrestrial network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network may not support non-terrestrial network communication. In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-terrestrial network communication using a non-terrestrial network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network may support non-terrestrial network communication but may not provide information related to the coverage area of ​​the terrestrial network of the second communication network. The electronic device may perform a first communication corresponding to the first protocol stack (611) using information related to the first SIM (111) (e.g., the first SIM (111) of FIG. 1B). For example, the electronic device may perform a second communication corresponding to the second protocol stack (612) using information related to the second SIM (112) (e.g., the second SIM (112) of FIG. 1B). For example, the electronic device may perform a second communication corresponding to the second protocol stack (612) using information related to the first SIM (111), and / or may perform a communication corresponding to the first protocol stack (611) using information related to the second SIM (112). Meanwhile, the information related to the first SIM (111) and / or the second SIM (112) may be replaced with information stored in the eSIM (191) (e.g., a profile activated based on the eSIM (191)), but there may be no limitation on the information related to the first SIM (111) and / or the second SIM (112). Thereafter, the electronic device may determine a failure of the first communication and a failure of the second communication. For example, the electronic device may detect when the electronic device has moved out of the coverage area, or when the electronic device has entered a shadow area, and / or detect communication failure based on the weak field, but there may be no limitations on the causes of communication failure.A communication failure may indicate, for example, an out of service (OOS) status. As described above, the electronic device may fail both the first communication corresponding to the first protocol stack (611) using information related to the first SIM (111) and the second communication corresponding to the second protocol stack (612) using information related to the second SIM (112). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the failure of the first communication corresponding to the first protocol stack (611) using information related to the first SIM (111) may be referred to as a communication failure related to the first SIM (111), and the failure of the second communication corresponding to the second protocol stack (612) may be referred to as a communication failure related to the second SIM (112). Meanwhile, FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which the processor (120) includes both a first protocol stack (611) and a second protocol stack (612), but this is merely exemplary and may mean that the processor (120) (e.g., a communication processor) can perform at least one instruction using the first protocol stack (611) and the second protocol stack (612).

[0140] In one embodiment, the OOS scan operation for the second terrestrial network may include a first scan operation based on a list of cells to which the electronic device has a history of connecting using the second protocol stack, a second scan operation based on a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) associated with the second SIM (612), an equivalent public land mobile network (EPLMN) associated with the second SIM (612), and an operator controlled public land mobile network (OPLMN) associated with the second SIM (612), and a third scan operation based on a full frequency band. In FIG. 5, the first scan operation is described as an example in which the first scan operation is based on a list of cells that have been accessed using the second protocol stack, and the second scan operation is based on the HPLMN, EPLMN, and OPLMN associated with the second SIM. However, the first scan operation and the second scan operation may be performed using any information related to the scan operation among the information stored in the second protocol stack and the information stored in the second SIM, and may be implemented in various ways depending on the implementation of the communication provider.

[0141] In one embodiment, the electronic device may perform an OOS scan operation for a second terrestrial network by sequentially performing a first scan operation, a second scan operation, and a third scan operation, such as first performing a first scan operation, then performing a second scan operation, and finally performing a third scan operation. Although FIG. 5 describes an example of an OOS scan operation for a second terrestrial network in which the electronic device sequentially performs a first scan operation, a second scan operation, and a third scan operation, the OOS scan operation may be implemented in various forms, such as including only one or two of the first scan operation, the second scan operation, and the third scan operation, or in a form where the period for performing the first scan operation is the shortest and the period for performing the third scan operation is the longest. In one embodiment, the fourth period may be a scan period set by default for a scan operation (e.g., OOS scan operation) performed according to a failure of the first communication (e.g., OOS state). For example, the first cycle may be the same as or different from the fourth cycle. The OOS scan operation for the first terrestrial network may include a fourth scan operation based on a list of cells that the electronic device has a history of connecting to using the first protocol stack, a fifth scan operation based on an HPLMN associated with the first SIM (611), an EPLMN associated with the first SIM (611), and an OPLMN associated with the first SIM (611), and a sixth scan operation based on the entire frequency band.If the location of the electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, even if a scan operation for the first ground network is performed using the first protocol stack, the cell of the first ground network may not be identified (or, the probability that the cell of the first ground network is not identified may be greater than a threshold probability, or the probability that the cell of the first ground network is not identified may be very high), and therefore, the electronic device may refrain from performing a scan operation for the first ground network using the first protocol stack.

[0142] Meanwhile, the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network of the first communication network may overlap (or be identical to) the coverage area of ​​the second terrestrial network of the second communication network. Typically, communication providers of communication networks may set the coverage areas of their communication networks to be identical to each other in order to provide communication services smoothly. If a specific communication provider can provide a relatively smaller coverage area than other communication providers, the specific communication provider may provide roaming services through an agreement with other communication providers, and consequently, the coverage area provided by the specific communication provider may be identical to the coverage areas of other communication providers. For this reason, if the location of an electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network of the first communication network, the location of the electronic device may not be included in the coverage area of ​​the second terrestrial network of the second communication network. Therefore, even if the electronic device performs a scan operation for the second terrestrial network of the second communication network using the second protocol stack based on the first cycle that is set as default for the scan operation (e.g., OOS scan operation) performed upon failure of the second communication (e.g., OOS condition), it may be difficult to identify the cell of the second terrestrial network because the second terrestrial network does not exist at the current location of the electronic device, and in this case, only the power consumption of the electronic device may increase.In particular, power consumption due to an OOS scan operation can be relatively large, and therefore, in order to reduce (e.g., minimize or prevent) unnecessary power consumption due to an OOS scan operation, the electronic device may perform a scan operation for a second terrestrial network of the second communication network based on a second period that is longer than a first period that is set as a default for a scan operation (e.g., an OOS scan operation) performed upon a failure (e.g., an OOS condition) of the second communication. In one embodiment, the second period may be set based on a distance between a location of the electronic device and a reference location of a coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network (e.g., a center of the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network). The longer the second period may be, the longer the distance between the boundary of the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network and the location of the electronic device. For example, the distance between the boundary of the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network of the first communication network and the location of the electronic device may be the same as the distance between the boundary of the coverage area of ​​the second terrestrial network of the second communication network and the location of the electronic device, and thus, the longer the distance between the boundary of the coverage area of ​​the second terrestrial network and the location of the electronic device, the lower the probability that the electronic device can identify a cell of the second terrestrial network. In this case, by setting the second period to be longer than the first period that is set as the default for a scan operation (e.g., an OOS scan operation) performed in response to a failure (e.g., an OOS condition) of the second communication, the power consumption due to the scan operation (e.g., an OOS scan operation) for the second terrestrial network can be reduced (e.g., minimized or prevented).For example, the coverage areas of communication networks of communication providers may overlap (e.g., be identical), and therefore, if the distance between the location of an electronic device and the boundary of the coverage area of ​​one communication network is large, the distances between the boundaries of the remaining communication networks and the location of the electronic device may also be large.

[0143] An electronic device that has performed a scan operation on a second ground network based on a second period may, in operation 517, perform at least one operation based on the result of the scan operation on the second ground network based on the second period. In one embodiment, the result of the scan operation on the second ground network based on the second period may include identifying a cell of the second ground network. In this case, the electronic device may, in operation 517, perform a connection operation for the identified cell of the second ground network using a second protocol stack. In one embodiment, the connection operation for the cell may include, but is not limited to, a camp-on operation for the cell, a random access (RA) operation, a connection establishment operation, and / or an attach operation (or a registration operation).

[0144] Meanwhile, if the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network (Operation 513-Example), the electronic device may, in Operation 519, perform a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network using a first protocol stack corresponding to the first communication network based on the third cycle, and may refrain from performing a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack corresponding to the second communication network. In one embodiment, the third cycle is uniquely set for the first communication network and may be the same as or different from the first cycle and the second cycle. In one embodiment, since the electronic device is currently connected to the first non-ground network and is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, it may perform a scan operation for the second ground network using the first protocol stack corresponding to the first communication network instead of performing a scan operation for the second ground network using the second protocol stack corresponding to the second communication network. In one embodiment, the electronic device may perform a scan operation for the second ground network based on information related to the second SIM (112). In one embodiment, information associated with the second SIM (112) may include a list of cells to which the electronic device has a history of accessing using the second protocol stack, information about an HPLMN associated with the second SIM (112), an EPLMN associated with the second SIM (112), or an OPLMN associated with the second SIM (112).

[0145] An electronic device that has performed a scan operation for a first ground network and a second ground network based on a third period may, in operation 521, perform at least one operation based on the result of the scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network based on the third period. In one embodiment, the result of the scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network based on the third period may include identifying a cell of the first ground network. In this case, the electronic device may, in operation 521, perform a connection operation for the identified cell of the first ground network using a first protocol stack, and, based on a fourth period, perform a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack. In one embodiment, the fourth period is uniquely set for the second communication network and may be the same as or different from the first period, the second period, and the third period. Alternatively, the result of the scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network based on the third period may include identifying a cell of the second ground network. In this case, the electronic device may perform an access operation for a cell of the second terrestrial network identified using the second protocol stack in operation 521, and perform a scan operation for the first terrestrial network using the first protocol stack based on the third cycle.

[0146] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a scanning operation of an electronic device for a terrestrial network and a non-terrestrial network according to one embodiment.

[0147] Referring to FIG. 7, an electronic device (101) (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, or FIG. 4) (e.g., one or more processors including processing circuitry) (e.g., the processor 120 of FIG. 1A or the processor 211 of FIG. 2) may receive information related to a coverage area of ​​a first terrestrial network of a first communication network (e.g., the first communication network (111a) of FIG. 1B) from a first non-terrestrial network of a first communication network. In one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may be in a state in which an RRC connection has been established with the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network (e.g., an RRC connected state).

[0148] After receiving information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network, the electronic device may be in a state of confirming a failure of a first communication corresponding to the first terrestrial network of the first communication network and a failure of a second communication corresponding to the second terrestrial network of the second communication network (e.g., the second communication network (112a) of FIG. 1B). In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-terrestrial network communication using a non-terrestrial network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network may not support non-terrestrial network communication. In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-terrestrial network communication using a non-terrestrial network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network supports non-terrestrial network communication, but may not provide information related to the coverage area of ​​the terrestrial network of the second communication network. In one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) is located in area ㉮ outside the coverage area of ​​the terrestrial network of the first communication network (e.g., when the location of the electronic device (101) is not included in the coverage area of ​​the terrestrial network of the first communication network), the electronic device (101) may refrain from performing a scan operation for the first terrestrial network using the first protocol stack corresponding to the first communication network, and may perform a scan operation for the second terrestrial network using the second protocol stack corresponding to the second communication network based on a second period that is longer than the first period. The first period may be a scan period that is set as a default for a scan operation (e.g., an OOS scan operation) performed in response to a failure (e.g., an OOS state) of the second communication. The second period may be set to be longer than the first period. In one embodiment, the second period may be set based on a distance between the location of the electronic device (101) and a reference location of the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network (e.g., the center of the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network).The longer the distance between the boundary of the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network and the location of the electronic device (101), the longer the second period may be. When the electronic device (101) is located in area ㉮ outside the coverage area of ​​the terrestrial network of the first communication network, the operation of the electronic device (101) may be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 515 of FIG. 5, and thus, a redundant description thereof may be omitted.

[0149] In one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) is located in area ㉯, which is within the coverage area of ​​the ground network of the first communication network (for example, when the location of the electronic device (101) is included in the coverage area of ​​the ground network of the first communication network), the electronic device (101) may refrain from performing a scan operation for the second ground network using the second protocol stack and may perform a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network using the first protocol stack based on the third cycle. In one embodiment, the third cycle is uniquely set for the first communication network and may be the same as or different from the first cycle and the second cycle. In one embodiment, since the electronic device is currently connected to the first non-ground network and is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, it may perform a scan operation for the second ground network using the first protocol stack corresponding to the first communication network instead of performing a scan operation for the second ground network using the second protocol stack corresponding to the second communication network. In one embodiment, the electronic device may perform a scan operation on the second terrestrial network based on information associated with the second SIM (112). In one embodiment, the information associated with the second SIM (112) may include a list of cells that the electronic device has a history of connecting to using the second protocol stack, information on the HPLMN associated with the second SIM (112), the EPLMN associated with the second SIM (112), or the OPLMN associated with the second SIM (112). When the electronic device (101) is located in area ㉯, which is within the coverage area of ​​the terrestrial network of the first communication network, the operation of the electronic device (101) may be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 519 of FIG. 5, and thus redundant description may be omitted.

[0150] In one embodiment, while performing a scan operation for a first ground network and a second ground network based on a third cycle, if the electronic device (101) moves from area (b), which is within the coverage area of ​​the ground network of the first communication network, to area (c), which is a ground network cell of the first communication network, the electronic device (101) can identify the ground network cell of the first communication network. In this case, the electronic device (101) can perform a connection operation for the identified cell of the first ground network using a first protocol stack, and, based on a fourth cycle, perform a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack. In one embodiment, the fourth cycle is uniquely set for the second communication network and may be the same as or different from the first cycle, the second cycle, and the third cycle. When the electronic device (101) moves from area ㉯, which is inside the coverage area of ​​the terrestrial network of the first communication network, to area ㉰, which is a terrestrial network cell of the first communication network, the operation can be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 521 of FIG. 5, and therefore, the overlapping description thereof can be omitted.

[0151] In one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) moves from area ㉯, which is within the coverage area of ​​the terrestrial network of the first communication network, to area ㉱, which is a terrestrial network cell of the second communication network, while performing a scan operation for the first terrestrial network and the second terrestrial network based on the third cycle, the electronic device (101) may identify the terrestrial network cell of the second communication network. In this case, the electronic device (101) may perform an access operation for the identified cell of the second terrestrial network using the second protocol stack, and may perform a scan operation for the first terrestrial network using the first protocol stack based on the third cycle. The operation when the electronic device (101) moves from area ㉯, which is within the coverage area of ​​the terrestrial network of the first communication network, to area ㉱, which is a terrestrial network cell of the second communication network, may be implemented similar to or substantially identical to operation 521 of FIG. 5, and thus, a redundant description thereof may be omitted.

[0152] In one embodiment, when the electronic device (101) moves from area ㉮ to area ㉲ while performing a scan operation for a second terrestrial network using a second protocol stack corresponding to a second communication network based on a second cycle, the electronic device (101) may identify a cell of the second terrestrial network. In this case, the electronic device (101) may perform an access operation for the identified cell of the second terrestrial network using the second protocol stack. The operation when the electronic device (101) moves from area ㉮ to area ㉲ may be implemented similar to or substantially identical to operation 517 of FIG. 5, and thus, a redundant description thereof may be omitted.

[0153] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0154] Referring to FIG. 8, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1a, FIG. 1b, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, or FIG. 4) (e.g., one or more processors including a processing circuit) (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1a or the processor (211) of FIG. 2) may, in operation 810, receive information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network of the first communication network (e.g., the first communication network (111a) of FIG. 1b) from a first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network through a communication circuit (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1a or the communication circuit (215) of FIG. 2). In operation 810, the electronic device may be in a state where it has established an RRC connection with the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network (e.g., an RRC connected state).

[0155] An electronic device that receives information related to the coverage area of ​​a first ground network can, in operation 811, confirm the failure of a first communication corresponding to the first ground network and the failure of a second communication corresponding to the second ground network of a second communication network (e.g., the second communication network (112a) of FIG. 1b). In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-ground network communication using a non-ground network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network may not support non-ground network communication. In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-ground network communication using a non-ground network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network may support non-ground network communication but may not provide information related to the coverage area of ​​the ground network of the second communication network.

[0156] An electronic device that receives information related to the coverage area of ​​a first ground network can, in operation 811, identify a failure of a first communication corresponding to the first ground network and a failure of a second communication corresponding to the second ground network of a second communication network (e.g., the second communication network (112a) of FIG. 1b). In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-ground network communication using a non-ground network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network may not support non-ground network communication. In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-ground network communication using a non-ground network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network may support non-ground network communication but may not provide information related to the coverage area of ​​the ground network of the second communication network. The electronic device may perform a first communication corresponding to a first protocol stack (611) using information related to a first SIM (111) (e.g., the first SIM (111) of FIG. 1b). For example, the electronic device may perform a second communication corresponding to a second protocol stack (612) using information related to the second SIM (112) (e.g., the second SIM (112) of FIG. 1b). For example, the electronic device may perform a second communication corresponding to a second protocol stack (612) using information related to the first SIM (111), and / or may perform a communication corresponding to a first protocol stack (611) using information related to the second SIM (112). Meanwhile, information related to the first SIM (111) and / or the second SIM (112) may be replaced with information stored in the eSIM (191) (e.g., a profile activated based on the eSIM (191)), but there may be no limitation on the information related to the first SIM (111) and / or the second SIM (112). Subsequently, the electronic device may check for failure of the first communication and failure of the second communication.For example, the electronic device may detect that the electronic device has moved out of a coverage area, or that the electronic device has entered a shadow area, and / or detect a failure of communication based on a weak field, but there may be no limitations on the cause of the failure of communication. A failure of communication may, for example, indicate an out of service (OOS) state. As described above, the electronic device may fail both a first communication corresponding to a first protocol stack (611) using information related to the first SIM (111) and a second communication corresponding to a second protocol stack (612) using information related to the second SIM (112). Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a first communication failure corresponding to a first protocol stack (611) using information related to a first SIM (111) may be referred to as a communication failure related to the first SIM (111), and a second communication failure corresponding to a second protocol stack (612) may be referred to as a communication failure related to the second SIM (112). Meanwhile, FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which the processor (120) includes both the first protocol stack (611) and the second protocol stack (612), but this is exemplary and may mean that the processor (120) (e.g., a communication processor) can execute at least one instruction using the first protocol stack (611) and the second protocol stack (612).

[0157] An electronic device that has confirmed the failure of the first communication and the failure of the second communication can, in operation 813, confirm that the location of the electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network received from the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network. Operation 813, which confirms that the location of the electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network, can be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 513 of FIG. 5, and thus redundant description may be omitted.

[0158] An electronic device that confirms that the location of the device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network may, in operation 815, perform a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack corresponding to the second communication network based on a second period longer than the first period, and may refrain from performing a scan operation for the first ground network using a first protocol stack corresponding to the first communication network. In one embodiment, the first period may be a scan period set by default for a scan operation (e.g., OOS scan operation) performed according to a failure of the second communication (e.g., OOS state). Operation 815, which refrains from performing a scan operation for the first ground network using the first protocol stack and performs a scan operation for the second ground network using the second protocol stack based on the second period, may be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 515 of FIG. 5, and thus redundant description thereof may be omitted.

[0159] An electronic device that has performed a scan operation on a second ground network based on a second cycle can identify a cell of the second ground network in operation 817. An electronic device that has identified a cell of the second ground network can perform a connection operation on the identified cell of the second ground network using a second protocol stack in operation 819. Operations 817 and 819 may be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 517 of FIG. 5, and thus redundant descriptions may be omitted.

[0160] FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0161] Referring to FIG. 9, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1a, FIG. 1b, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, or FIG. 4) (e.g., one or more processors including a processing circuit) (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1a or the processor (211) of FIG. 2) may, in operation 510, receive information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network of the first communication network (e.g., the first communication network (111a) of FIG. 1b) from a first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network through a communication circuit (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1a or the communication circuit (215) of FIG. 2). In operation 910, the electronic device may be in a state where it has established an RRC connection with the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network (e.g., an RRC connected state).

[0162] An electronic device that receives information regarding the coverage area of ​​a first ground network can, in operation 911, confirm the failure of a first communication corresponding to the first ground network and the failure of a second communication corresponding to the second ground network of a second communication network (e.g., the second communication network (112a) of FIG. 1b). In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-ground network communication using a non-ground network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network may not support non-ground network communication. In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-ground network communication using a non-ground network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network may support non-ground network communication but may not provide information regarding the coverage area of ​​the ground network of the second communication network. The operation 911 for confirming the failure of the first communication and the failure of the second communication may be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 811 of FIG. 8, and thus redundant description thereof may be omitted.

[0163] An electronic device that has confirmed the failure of the first communication and the failure of the second communication can, in operation 913, confirm that the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network received from the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network. Operation 913, which confirms that the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network, can be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 513 of FIG. 5, and thus redundant description thereof may be omitted.

[0164] An electronic device that has confirmed that the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network may, in operation 915, perform a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network using a first protocol stack corresponding to the first communication network based on the third cycle, and may refrain from performing a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack corresponding to the second communication network. In one embodiment, the third cycle is uniquely set for the first communication network and may be the same as or different from the first cycle and the second cycle. Operation 915, which refrains from performing a scan operation for the second ground network using the second protocol stack and performs a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network using the first protocol stack based on the third cycle, may be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 517 of FIG. 5, and thus redundant description thereof may be omitted.

[0165] An electronic device that has performed a scan operation for a first ground network and a second ground network based on the third cycle may identify a cell of the first ground network in operation 917. An electronic device that has identified a cell of the first ground network may, in operation 919, perform a connection operation for the identified cell of the first ground network using a first protocol stack, and, based on the fourth cycle, perform a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack. In one embodiment, the fourth cycle is uniquely set for the second communication network and may be the same as or different from the first cycle, the second cycle, and the third cycle. Operations 917 and 919 may be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 521 of FIG. 5, and thus redundant descriptions thereof may be omitted.

[0166] FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

[0167] Referring to FIG. 10, an electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, FIG. 2, FIG. 3, or FIG. 4) (e.g., one or more processors including a processing circuit) (e.g., the processor (120) of FIG. 1A or the processor (211) of FIG. 2) may, at operation 510, receive, from a first non-terrestrial network of a first communication network (e.g., the first communication network (111a) of FIG. 1B) information related to a coverage area of ​​a first terrestrial network of the first communication network, via a communication circuit (e.g., the communication module (190) of FIG. 1A or the communication circuit (215) of FIG. 2). At operation 1010, the electronic device may be in a state in which an RRC connection has been established with the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network (e.g., an RRC connected state).

[0168] An electronic device that receives information regarding the coverage area of ​​a first ground network can, in operation 1011, confirm the failure of a first communication corresponding to the first ground network and the failure of a second communication corresponding to the second ground network of a second communication network (e.g., the second communication network (112a) of FIG. 1b). In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-ground network communication using a non-ground network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network may not support non-ground network communication. In one embodiment, the first communication network may support non-ground network communication using a non-ground network (e.g., a satellite network), and the second communication network may support non-ground network communication but may not provide information regarding the coverage area of ​​the ground network of the second communication network. The operation 1011 for confirming the failure of the first communication and the failure of the second communication may be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 811 of FIG. 8, and thus redundant description thereof may be omitted.

[0169] An electronic device that has confirmed the failure of the first communication and the failure of the second communication can, in operation 1013, confirm that the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network received from the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network. Operation 1013, which confirms that the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network, can be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 513 of FIG. 5, and thus redundant description thereof may be omitted.

[0170] An electronic device that has confirmed that the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network may, in operation 1015, perform a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network using a first protocol stack corresponding to the first communication network based on the third cycle, and may refrain from performing a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack corresponding to the second communication network. In one embodiment, the third cycle is uniquely set for the first communication network and may be the same as or different from the first cycle and the second cycle. Operation 1015, which refrains from performing a scan operation for the second ground network using the second protocol stack and performs a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network using the first protocol stack based on the third cycle, may be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 517 of FIG. 5, and thus redundant description thereof may be omitted.

[0171] An electronic device that has performed a scan operation for a first ground network and a second ground network based on the third cycle may identify a cell of the second ground network in operation 1017. An electronic device that has identified a cell of the second ground network may, in operation 1019, perform a connection operation for the identified cell of the second ground network using a second protocol stack, and, based on the third cycle, perform a scan operation for the first ground network using a first protocol stack. Operations 1017 and 1019 may be implemented similarly or substantially identically to operation 521 of FIG. 5, and thus redundant descriptions may be omitted.

[0172] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of an electronic device (101) may include an operation of receiving information related to a coverage area of ​​a first terrestrial network of a first communication network (111a) from a first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network corresponding to a first subscriber identity module (SIM) (111).

[0173] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation of determining whether the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first ground network.

[0174] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include performing a scan operation for the second terrestrial network using a second protocol stack (612) corresponding to the second communication network based on a second period that is longer than a first period that is set as a default for a scan operation performed in response to a failure of a second communication corresponding to the second terrestrial network of a second communication network (112a) corresponding to the second SIM (112) based on determining that the location of the electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network, and refraining from performing a scan operation for the first terrestrial network using a first protocol stack (611) corresponding to the first communication network.

[0175] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, information related to a coverage area of ​​the first ground network may include an identifier identifying the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, a reference location of the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, and a value indicating a radius from the reference location.

[0176] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation to identify a cell of the second ground network while performing a scan operation for the second ground network based on the second cycle.

[0177] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation to perform a connection operation to the identified cell of the second terrestrial network using the second protocol stack.

[0178] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include, based on confirming that the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network: performing a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network using the first protocol stack based on a third period, and refraining from performing a scan operation for the second ground network using the second protocol stack.

[0179] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the third period is uniquely set for the first communication network and may be the same as or different from the first period and the second period.

[0180] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the operation of performing a scan operation for the first terrestrial network and the second terrestrial network using the first protocol stack based on the set third period may include performing a scan operation for the second terrestrial network based on a list of cells to which the electronic device has a history of accessing using the second protocol stack, a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) associated with the second SIM, an equivalent public land mobile network (EPLMN) associated with the second SIM, or an operator controlled public land mobile network (OPLMN) associated with the second SIM.

[0181] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation to identify a cell of the first ground network while performing a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network based on the third cycle.

[0182] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include: performing an access operation for a cell of the first terrestrial network identified using the first protocol stack based on identifying a cell of the first terrestrial network; and performing a scan operation for the second terrestrial network using the second protocol stack based on a fourth cycle.

[0183] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the fourth period is uniquely set for the second communication network and may be the same as or different from the first period, the second period, and the third period.

[0184] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include an operation to identify a cell of the second ground network while performing a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network based on the third cycle.

[0185] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include: performing an access operation for the identified cell of the second terrestrial network using the second protocol stack based on the identification of the cell of the second terrestrial network; and performing a scan operation for the first terrestrial network using the first protocol stack based on the third cycle.

[0186] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second period may be set based on a distance between a location of the electronic device and a boundary of a coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network.

[0187] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network may overlap with the coverage area of ​​the second terrestrial network.

[0188] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network may be included in system information provided from the first non-terrestrial network.

[0189] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a storage medium may be provided storing computer-readable instructions, which, when individually or collectively executed by one or more processors (120; 214) including processing circuitry of an electronic device (101), may cause the electronic device to perform at least one operation.

[0190] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include receiving information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network of the first communication network from a first non-terrestrial network of a first communication network (111a) corresponding to a first subscriber identity module (SIM) (111).

[0191] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include an operation of determining whether a location of the electronic device is included in a coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network.

[0192] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one operation may include, based on confirming that the location of the electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, performing a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack (612) corresponding to the second communication network, based on a second period longer than a first period that is set as default for a scan operation performed according to a failure of a second communication corresponding to the second ground network of the second communication network (112a) corresponding to the second SIM (112), and refraining from performing a scan operation for the first ground network using a first protocol stack (611) corresponding to the first communication network.

[0193] The electronic device according to one embodiment disclosed in this document may be of various forms. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smartphone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance. The electronic device according to the embodiment of this document is not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0194] One embodiment of this document and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features described in this document to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, or substitutions of said embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components. The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, each of phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B or C," "at least one of A, B and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include any one of the items listed together in the corresponding phrase, or all possible combinations thereof. Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used merely to distinguish one component from another, and do not limit the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order). When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0195] The term "module" as used in an embodiment of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit, for example. A module may be a component formed integrally, or a minimum unit of said component or a part thereof that performs one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0196] One embodiment of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., program (140)) comprising one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory (136) or external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., electronic device (101)) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The storage medium readable by the machine may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0197] According to one embodiment, the method according to one embodiment disclosed herein may be provided by being included in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM It can be distributed online (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) through ) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily stored or temporarily created on a device-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0198] According to one embodiment, each component (e.g., module or program) of the components described above may include a singular or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to one embodiment, one or more of the components or operations among the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Generally or additionally, multiple components (e.g., module or program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as those performed by the corresponding component among the multiple components prior to integration. According to one embodiment, operations performed by the module, program, or other components may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims

1. In an electronic device (101), Communication circuit (190; 215); One or more processors (120; 211) including processing circuitry; and The electronic device includes a memory (130) for storing instructions, wherein the instructions are executed individually or collectively by one or more processors: Through the above communication circuit, information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network of the first communication network (111a) corresponding to the first subscriber identity module (SIM) (111) is received from the first non-terrestrial network of the first communication network, and Based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, determining whether the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, and Based on confirming that the location of the above electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network: The electronic device that, based on a second period longer than a first period that is set as default for a scan operation performed according to a failure of a second communication corresponding to a second ground network of a second communication network (112a) corresponding to a second SIM (112), performs a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack (612) corresponding to the second communication network, and causes to refrain from performing a scan operation for the first ground network using a first protocol stack (611) corresponding to the first communication network.

2. In paragraph 1, The electronic device, wherein information related to the coverage area of ​​the first ground network includes an identifier identifying the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, a reference location of the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, and a value indicating the radius of the coverage area.

3. In Paragraph 1 or 2, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, the electronic device: While performing a scan operation on the second ground network based on the second cycle, the cells of the second ground network are identified, and The electronic device that causes to perform a connection operation to the cell of the identified second terrestrial network using the second protocol stack.

4. In Paragraph 1 or 2, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, the electronic device: Based on confirming that the location of the above electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network: Based on the third cycle, performing a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network using the first protocol stack, and causing the second protocol stack to refrain from performing a scan operation for the second ground network, The above third cycle is uniquely set for the above first communication network and is the same as or different from the above first cycle and the above second cycle, the electronic device.

5. In paragraph 4, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, the electronic device performs, at least as part of an operation, a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network using the first protocol stack based on the set third cycle: The electronic device causes the electronic device to perform a scan operation for the second terrestrial network based on a list of cells to which the electronic device has a history of accessing using the second protocol stack, a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) associated with the second SIM, an equivalent public land mobile network (EPLMN) associated with the second SIM, or an operator controlled public land mobile network (OPLMN) associated with the second SIM.

6. In Paragraph 4 or 5, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, the electronic device: While performing a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network based on the above third cycle, the cells of the first ground network are identified, and Based on verifying the cell of the above-mentioned first ground network: Using the first protocol stack, a connection operation is performed for the identified cell of the first ground network, and based on the fourth cycle, a scan operation is performed for the second ground network using the second protocol stack. The above fourth cycle is uniquely set for the above second communication network and is the same as or different from the above first cycle, second cycle, and third cycle of the electronic device.

7. In Paragraph 4 or 5, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by the one or more processors, the electronic device: Based on the above third cycle, while performing a scan operation for the first ground network and the second ground network, a cell of the second ground network is identified, and Based on verifying the cell of the above-mentioned second terrestrial network: An electronic device that performs a connection operation for a cell of the second terrestrial network identified using the second protocol stack, and causes a scan operation for the first terrestrial network to be performed using the first protocol stack based on the third cycle.

8. In Paragraph 2, The electronic device in which the second cycle is set based on the distance between the location of the electronic device and the boundary of the coverage area of ​​the first ground network.

9. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 8, The electronic device whose coverage area of ​​the first ground network overlaps with the coverage area of ​​the second ground network.

10. In any one of paragraphs 1 through 9, The electronic device, which includes information related to the coverage area of ​​the first ground network as provided by the first non-ground network.

11. In the method of the electronic device (101), An operation of receiving information related to a coverage area of ​​a first terrestrial network of a first communication network (111a) corresponding to a first subscriber identity module (SIM) (111); An operation of determining whether the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network based on information related to the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network; and Based on confirming that the location of the above electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network: The method comprises, based on a second period longer than a first period that is set as default for a scan operation performed in response to a failure of a second communication corresponding to a second ground network of a second communication network (112a) corresponding to a second SIM (112), performing a scan operation for the second ground network using a second protocol stack (612) corresponding to the second communication network, and refraining from performing a scan operation for the first ground network using a first protocol stack (611) corresponding to the first communication network.

12. In Paragraph 11, The method according to claim 1, wherein the information related to the coverage area of ​​the first ground network includes an identifier identifying the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, a reference location of the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, and a value indicating a radius of the coverage area.

13. In Paragraph 11 or 12, An operation to identify a cell of the second ground network while performing a scan operation for the second ground network based on the second cycle; and The method comprising the operation of performing a connection operation to the cell of the identified second terrestrial network using the second protocol stack.

14. In Paragraph 11 or 12, Based on confirming that the location of the above electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network: Based on the third cycle, an operation of performing a scan operation for the first terrestrial network and the second terrestrial network using the first protocol stack, and an operation of refraining from performing a scan operation for the second terrestrial network using the second protocol stack, The above third cycle is uniquely set for the above first communication network and is the same as or different from the above first cycle and the above second cycle.

15. In a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions, When the above instructions are executed individually or collectively by one or more processors (120; 214) including the processing circuitry of the electronic device (101), the electronic device causes at least one operation to be performed, and the at least one operation is: An operation of receiving information related to a coverage area of ​​a first terrestrial network of a first communication network (111a) corresponding to a first subscriber identity module (SIM) (111); After receiving information related to the coverage area of ​​the first ground network, an operation to determine whether the location of the electronic device is included in the coverage area of ​​the first ground network based on the information related to the coverage area of ​​the first ground network; and Based on confirming that the location of the above electronic device is not included in the coverage area of ​​the first terrestrial network: The storage medium including an operation of performing a scan operation for the second terrestrial network using a second protocol stack (612) corresponding to the second communication network based on a second period longer than a first period set as a default for a scan operation performed in response to a failure of a second communication corresponding to a second terrestrial network of a second communication network (112a) corresponding to a second SIM (112), and refraining from performing a scan operation for the first terrestrial network using a first protocol stack (611) corresponding to the first communication network.

Images