Non-terrestrial network communication method, user equipment and network device
By coordinating user equipment and network equipment to optimize beam scanning strategies in non-terrestrial networks and adjusting SSB measurement time based on location information, the problems of limited coverage and inaccurate measurement in non-terrestrial networks are solved, achieving more efficient coverage and power consumption optimization.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CHINA TELECOM CORP LTD TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTER
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
In non-terrestrial networks, the long propagation distance of satellite nodes limits coverage performance and makes it impossible to guarantee that all satellite beams will be activated simultaneously, affecting the accuracy of neighboring cell measurements and power consumption of user equipment.
User equipment receives coverage enhancement support instructions from network equipment, sends location information, receives SSB measurement time configuration, adjusts measurement time based on neighboring cell location information, optimizes non-terrestrial network beam scanning strategy, activates or deactivates beam type, and reduces measurement power consumption.
It improves the accuracy of neighbor cell measurements, reduces the measurement power consumption of user equipment, and optimizes the coverage performance of non-terrestrial networks.
Smart Images
Figure CN2025124966_15052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Non-terrestrial network communication methods, user equipment and network equipment
[0001] Cross-reference to related applications
[0002] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 2024115957936, filed on November 8, 2024, entitled “Non-terrestrial network communication method, user equipment and network equipment”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication, and in particular to a non-terrestrial network communication method, user equipment, and network equipment. Background Technology
[0004] Because NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) introduces satellite nodes to provide network coverage, the propagation distance between UE (User Equipment) and BS (Base Station) is much greater than that of TN (Terrestrial Network). Therefore, the coverage performance of NTN is more limited compared to terrestrial networks. Limited by the maximum power of satellite payloads, NTN cannot guarantee that all satellite beams will be activated simultaneously. In NR (New Radio) technology, the measurement of the SSB (Synchronization Signal and PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel) block) is mainly based on the SMTC (SSB Measurement Timing Configuration) to ensure that user equipment can perform neighbor cell measurements at accurate time slot locations, thereby completing cell reselection, handover, and other operations. Summary of the Invention
[0005] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the user equipment receives an instruction from the network device to support coverage enhancement, sends its own location information to the network device, and receives the SSB measurement time configuration from the network device. In this way, based on the location information of each user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam of the neighboring cell, the SSB measurement time configuration of the neighboring cell is configured or adjusted, thereby improving the accuracy of neighboring cell measurement and also helping to reduce the measurement power consumption of the user equipment.
[0006] This disclosure provides a non-terrestrial network communication method applied to a target user equipment, comprising: receiving an indication from a network device to support coverage enhancement; sending the location information of the target user equipment to the network device; and receiving, from the network device, the corresponding synchronization signal of the target user equipment's neighboring cells and the physical broadcast channel block (SSB) measurement time configuration.
[0007] In some embodiments, the coverage enhancement includes different types of non-terrestrial network beam scanning characteristics.
[0008] In some embodiments, the method further includes: performing SSB measurement based on the SSB measurement time configuration of the target user equipment's neighboring cells and the difference between the actual propagation delay of the serving cell and the neighboring cells.
[0009] In some embodiments, performing SSB measurement based on the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration of the target user equipment's neighboring cells and the difference between the actual propagation delay of the serving cell and the neighboring cells includes: determining the difference between the actual propagation delay of the serving cell and the neighboring cells based on the location information of the target user equipment and the ephemeris information of its serving cell and neighboring cells; and determining the start time of the SSB measurement window for the neighboring cells based on the difference between the actual propagation delay of the serving cell and the neighboring cells and the offset in the SSB measurement time configuration of the neighboring cells, so as to start performing SSB measurement on the neighboring cells.
[0010] In some embodiments, determining the difference in actual propagation delay between the serving cell and the neighboring cell includes: determining the propagation delay of the serving cell based on the location information of the target user equipment and the ephemeris information of its serving cell; determining the propagation delay of the neighboring cell based on the location information of the target user equipment and the ephemeris information of its neighboring cells; and determining the difference in actual propagation delay between the serving cell and the neighboring cell based on the propagation delay of the serving cell and the propagation delay of the neighboring cell.
[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes: activating the measurement of the SSB measurement window of the neighboring cell when the distance between the target user equipment and the non-terrestrial network beam of the neighboring cell is less than a threshold value.
[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes: when the target user equipment has limited measurement capabilities, prioritizing the measurement of non-terrestrial network beams of active type from the SSB measurement time configuration configured by the network equipment.
[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving an SSB measurement time configuration update for the neighboring cells of the target user equipment sent by the network device; and sending a shutdown indication for the deleted non-terrestrial network beam to the network device in response to the deletion of the non-terrestrial network beam in the SSB measurement time configuration update, so that after the network device receives shutdown indications returned by all target user equipment in response to the SSB measurement time configuration update, it configures the deleted non-terrestrial network beam as closed.
[0014] In some embodiments, the SSB measurement time configuration is determined based on the location information of each user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam in the neighboring cell of the target user equipment.
[0015] In some embodiments, the determination of the SSB measurement time configuration based on the location information of each user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam in the neighboring cell of the target user equipment includes: transmitting SSB to the non-terrestrial network beam with user equipment within the coverage area, and determining the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration of the neighboring cell of the target user equipment based on the corresponding SSB transmission time of the neighboring cell of the target user equipment.
[0016] This disclosure provides a non-terrestrial network communication method applied to a network device, comprising: broadcasting an indication supporting coverage enhancement; receiving location information of a target user equipment sent by a target user equipment; and sending a synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) measurement time configuration to the target user equipment corresponding to its neighboring cells.
[0017] In some embodiments, the coverage enhancement includes different types of non-terrestrial network beam scanning characteristics.
[0018] In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration of the neighboring cells of the target user equipment based on the location information of each user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam of the neighboring cells of the target user equipment.
[0019] In some embodiments, determining the SSB measurement time configuration corresponding to the neighboring cells of the target user equipment includes: transmitting SSBs to non-terrestrial network beams within the coverage area containing user equipment, and determining the SSB measurement time configuration corresponding to the neighboring cells of the target user equipment based on the SSB transmission time corresponding to the neighboring cells of the target user equipment.
[0020] In some embodiments, transmitting an SSB to a non-terrestrial network beam with user equipment within its coverage area includes: setting the non-terrestrial network beam to a closed type when there are no user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam; setting the non-terrestrial network beam to a public signal transmission-only type when there are user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam and all user equipment are idle; setting the non-terrestrial network beam to an active type when there are user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam and some user equipment are connected; and transmitting an SSB to the non-terrestrial network beam that is in the active type and / or the public signal transmission-only type.
[0021] In some embodiments, the method further includes: in the absence of a user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam, sending an SSB measurement time configuration update to a target user equipment at a distance less than a threshold from the non-terrestrial network beam, wherein the SSB measurement time configuration update removes the measurement of the non-terrestrial network beam.
[0022] In some embodiments, the method further includes configuring the non-terrestrial network beam to a shutdown type after receiving a shutdown indication from all target user equipment in response to the SSB measurement time configuration update.
[0023] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a user equipment including: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform a non-terrestrial network communication method based on instructions stored in the memory.
[0024] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device including: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform a non-terrestrial network communication method based on instructions stored in the memory.
[0025] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of a non-terrestrial network communication method.
[0026] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product including computer instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement steps of a non-terrestrial network communication method. Attached Figure Description
[0027] The accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. This disclosure can be more clearly understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0028] Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort.
[0029] Figure 1 shows a flowchart of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, thereby optimizing the non-terrestrial network beam scanning strategy.
[0030] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of non-terrestrial network beam scanning according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0031] Figure 3 shows a flowchart of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, thereby optimizing non-terrestrial network beam measurement.
[0032] Figure 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of non-terrestrial network beam measurement according to some embodiments of this disclosure.
[0033] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, thereby updating non-terrestrial network beam measurements.
[0034] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a user equipment for non-terrestrial network communication according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0035] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device for non-terrestrial network communication according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0036] Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation
[0037] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this disclosure.
[0038] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the embodiments of this disclosure are only used to distinguish different steps, devices, or modules, and do not represent any specific technical meaning, nor do they indicate a necessary logical order between them.
[0039] It should also be understood that in the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" can refer to two or more, and "at least one" can refer to one, two or more.
[0040] It should also be understood that any component, data or structure mentioned in the embodiments of this disclosure can generally be understood as one or more unless expressly defined or given to the contrary in the context.
[0041] Furthermore, the term "and / or" in this disclosure is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this disclosure generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.
[0042] It should also be understood that the description of the various embodiments in this disclosure emphasizes the differences between the various embodiments, and the similarities or similarities can be referred to each other. For the sake of brevity, they will not be described in detail.
[0043] At the same time, it should be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the accompanying drawings are not drawn according to actual scale.
[0044] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure or its application or use.
[0045] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.
[0046] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.
[0047] Furthermore, to avoid obscuring this disclosure with unnecessary detail, only processing steps and / or apparatus structures closely related to at least the solutions according to this disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, while other details not closely related to this disclosure are omitted. It should also be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the drawings indicate similar items, and therefore once an item is defined in one drawing, it need not be discussed again in subsequent drawings.
[0048] Synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks (SSBs) are key components of wireless networks, primarily used for cell search, timing and frequency synchronization, location and mobility management, and other functions. An SSB mainly consists of three parts: the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS): provides basic synchronization information within a cell group and helps user equipment initially identify the base station; the Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS): used in conjunction with the PSS to determine the specific cell ID within the cell ID group and provide more granular synchronization information; and the physical broadcast channel.
[0049] (PBCH, Physical Broadcast Channel): Carries system broadcast information, including the Master Information Block (MIB), which contains the basic parameters and configurations required for user equipment to access the network.
[0050] Figure 1 shows a flowchart of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, thereby optimizing the non-terrestrial network beam scanning strategy.
[0051] As shown in Figure 1, the non-terrestrial network communication method of this embodiment includes steps 110-130.
[0052] In step 110, the network device broadcasts an indication that it supports coverage enhancement, and each user equipment receives the indication sent by the network device that it supports coverage enhancement.
[0053] In this embodiment, the network device and user equipment are devices used for communication over non-terrestrial networks. Network devices include, but are not limited to, satellites. User equipment includes, but is not limited to, mobile phones and computers.
[0054] Coverage enhancement refers to network coverage enhancement, such as, but not limited to, beam scanning characteristics of different types of non-terrestrial networks. Accordingly, the indication for supporting coverage enhancement at this time is specifically: the indication for supporting beam scanning characteristics of different types of non-terrestrial networks.
[0055] The various types (also known as various states) of the non-terrestrial network beam include, for example, off type, public signal transmission only type, and active type. Based on the location information of each user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam, and combined with the connection status information of each user equipment, the type of the non-terrestrial network beam can be determined. For example, if there are no user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam, the non-terrestrial network beam is set to the off type; if there are user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam and all user equipment is in an idle state, the non-terrestrial network beam is set to the public signal transmission only type; if there are user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam and some user equipment is in a connected state, the non-terrestrial network beam is set to the active type.
[0056] If the non-terrestrial network beam is in the off type, the satellite does not transmit or receive any data under that beam. If the non-terrestrial network beam is in the public signal transmission only type, the satellite does not provide data transmission services for user equipment under that beam, but only provides necessary public signal transmissions, such as SSB, SIB (System Information Block) messages, paging messages, etc., to ensure cell discovery and initial access. If the non-terrestrial network beam is in the active type, the satellite provides data transmission services for user equipment under that beam, and both public and proprietary signals can be transmitted.
[0057] Due to satellite power limitations, NTNs need to allocate transmit power rationally. Not all NTN beams carry a large number of UE services, such as in remote areas like wilderness and deserts. The network side can optimize beam scanning strategies based on UE location information, concentrating the limited satellite power to prioritize beams with higher UE traffic.
[0058] In step 120, each user equipment sends its own location information to the network device, and the network device receives the location information sent by each user equipment.
[0059] In some embodiments, user equipment that supports coverage enhancement can send its location information to the network device. For example, user equipment that supports different types of non-terrestrial network beam scanning characteristics can send its location information to the network device; conversely, user equipment that does not support different types of non-terrestrial network beam scanning characteristics can ignore this instruction and not send its location information to the network device.
[0060] In step 130, the network device sends the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration of its neighboring cells to the target user equipment based on the location information of each user equipment. The target user equipment receives the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration of its neighboring cells sent by the network device.
[0061] In some embodiments, SSBs are transmitted to non-terrestrial network beams within the coverage area where user equipment is located, for example, to non-terrestrial network beams in active type and / or public signal transmission only type. Based on the corresponding SSB transmission time of the target user equipment's neighboring cells, a corresponding SSB measurement time configuration for the neighboring cells is determined to indicate the corresponding SSB transmission time of the neighboring cells. Thus, based on the location information of each user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam in the neighboring cells, the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration for that neighboring cell is determined.
[0062] As shown in Figure 2, the satellite broadcast supports coverage enhancement instructions. User equipment that supports coverage enhancement reports its own location information. Based on the location information of each user equipment, the satellite determines the type of non-terrestrial network beam and sends SSB only to non-terrestrial network beams that are in the active type and / or only public signal transmission type, and sends SSB measurement time configuration to each user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam.
[0063] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the user equipment receives an instruction from the network device to support coverage enhancement, sends its own location information to the network device, and receives the SSB measurement time configuration from the network device. Based on the location information of each user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam in the neighboring cell, the type of non-terrestrial network beam is determined, and the SSB measurement time configuration of the neighboring cell is configured or adjusted to improve the accuracy of neighboring cell measurement and also help reduce the measurement power consumption of the user equipment.
[0064] Figure 3 shows a flowchart illustrating a non-terrestrial network communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, thereby optimizing non-terrestrial network beam measurement. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram illustrating non-terrestrial network beam measurement according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0065] As shown in Figure 3, the non-terrestrial network communication method of this embodiment includes steps 310-320, and may also include steps 330 and / or 340 as needed.
[0066] In step 310, a time reference point is selected, and the SSB measurement window is calculated based on this time reference point. For example, the propagation delay of the serving cell is selected as the time reference point, as shown in Figure 4.
[0067] In step 320, the user equipment determines the SSB measurement window (i.e., SMTC window) based on the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration of the neighboring cell and the difference in actual propagation delay between the serving cell and the neighboring cell, on the basis of the time reference point, in order to compensate for the difference in propagation delay between the serving cell and the neighboring cell, and performs SSB measurement.
[0068] In some embodiments, the user equipment (UE) determines the difference in actual propagation delay between the serving cell and neighboring cells based on the location information of the target UE and the ephemeris information of its serving cell and neighboring cells. Specifically, the propagation delay T1 of the serving cell is determined based on the location information of the target UE and the ephemeris information of its serving cell; the propagation delay T2 of the neighboring cells is determined based on the location information of the target UE and the ephemeris information of its neighboring cells; and the difference in actual propagation delay between the serving cell and the neighboring cells is determined as T = T2 - T1. Then, based on the time reference point, the UE determines the start time of the SSB measurement window for the neighboring cell based on the difference in actual propagation delay between the serving cell and the neighboring cells and the offset in the SSB measurement time configuration of the neighboring cells. That is, the start time of the SSB measurement window for the neighboring cells = T + the offset in the SSB measurement time configuration of the neighboring cells, so as to start performing SSB measurement on the neighboring cells. This process is shown in Figure 4.
[0069] In step 330, given the limited measurement capabilities of the user equipment, the active type of non-terrestrial network beams are prioritized for measurement from the SSB measurement time configuration configured on the network equipment, so that data transmission can be performed quickly when data transmission demand arrives. If the user equipment still has the capacity, it can continue to measure non-terrestrial network beams of the public signal transmission only type.
[0070] In step 340, if the distance between the user equipment and the non-terrestrial network beam of the neighboring cell is less than a threshold value, the measurement of the SSB measurement window of the neighboring cell is activated, which can reduce the measurement power consumption of the user equipment.
[0071] In this embodiment, the user equipment (UE) configures its SSB measurement time based on neighboring cells to compensate for the propagation delay difference between the serving cell and neighboring cells, thereby more accurately determining the SSB measurement window. Furthermore, the UE prioritizes measuring active non-terrestrial network beams, enabling rapid data transmission when data transmission demands arrive. Activating the SSB measurement window based on the UE's location information reduces the UE's measurement power consumption.
[0072] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a non-terrestrial network communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, thereby updating non-terrestrial network beam measurements.
[0073] In step 510, the network device requests the user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam to report its location information.
[0074] In step 520, the user equipment reports its location information to the network equipment.
[0075] In step 530, if there are no user equipments (UEs) under the non-terrestrial network beam, the network device sends an SSB measurement time configuration update to the target UEs whose distance from the non-terrestrial network beam is less than a threshold value. This SSB measurement time configuration update removes the measurement of the non-terrestrial network beam. For other UEs whose distance from the non-terrestrial network beam is greater than or equal to the threshold value, an SSB measurement time configuration update may not be sent.
[0076] Therefore, when a network device needs to shut down a non-terrestrial network beam, the network device can locate the relevant user equipment based on the location information and update the SSB measurement time configuration.
[0077] In step 540, the target user equipment receives the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration update for the neighboring cell sent by the network device, and in response to the deletion of the non-terrestrial network beam in the SSB measurement time configuration update, sends a shutdown indication of the deleted non-terrestrial network beam to the network device.
[0078] In step 550, after receiving a shutdown indication from all target user equipment in response to the SSB measurement time configuration update, the network device configures the non-terrestrial network beam to the shutdown type.
[0079] As user equipment moves, the type of non-terrestrial network beam is also updated. When all user equipment under a certain non-terrestrial network beam is moved to other beams, the network equipment can turn off the non-terrestrial network beam to save power. At this time, it is necessary to update the SSB measurement time configuration to avoid user equipment from measuring the turned-off non-terrestrial network beam and reduce the measurement power consumption of user equipment.
[0080] Although the non-terrestrial network communication methods in the embodiments of Figures 1-5 are described separately, those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments can be implemented independently or in combination, depending on business needs. For example, in combined implementation, the network device classifies the non-terrestrial network beam type into three categories: "off," "public signal transmission only," and "active," based on the location information reported by the user equipment. SSB is only transmitted in the non-terrestrial network beams in the "public signal transmission only" and "active" states. The network device configures the SSB measurement time configuration according to the location of the user equipment and the non-terrestrial network beam type of its neighboring cells and sends it to the user equipment. The user equipment performs relevant measurements according to the SSB measurement time configuration. As the location of the user equipment changes and the non-terrestrial network beam type is adjusted, the network device updates the SSB measurement time configuration to ensure that the user equipment's SSB measurement is always accurate.
[0081] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a user equipment for non-terrestrial network communication according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the user equipment 600 of this embodiment includes a memory 610 and a processor 620 coupled to the memory 610. The processor 620 is configured to execute the non-terrestrial network communication method on the user equipment side of each embodiment based on the instructions stored in the memory 610, which will not be described in detail here.
[0082] User equipment 600 may also include input / output interfaces 630, network interfaces 640, storage interfaces 650, etc. These interfaces 630, 640, 650, as well as the memory 610 and processor 620, can be connected, for example, via a bus 660.
[0083] The memory 610 may include, for example, system memory, fixed non-volatile storage media, etc. The system memory may store, for example, the operating system, application programs, boot loader, and other programs.
[0084] The processor 620 can be implemented using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates, or transistors, or other discrete hardware components.
[0085] The input / output interface 630 provides a connection interface for input / output devices such as monitors, mice, keyboards, and touchscreens. The network interface 640 provides a connection interface for various networked devices. The storage interface 650 provides a connection interface for external storage devices such as SD cards and USB flash drives. The bus 660 can use any bus architecture from a variety of bus structures. For example, bus architectures include, but are not limited to, Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.
[0086] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a network device for non-terrestrial network communication according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the network device 700 of this embodiment includes a memory 710 and a processor 720 coupled to the memory 710. The processor 720 is configured to execute the non-terrestrial network communication method on the network device side of each embodiment based on the instructions stored in the memory 710, which will not be described in detail here.
[0087] The network device 700 may also include an input / output interface 730, a network interface 740, a storage interface 750, etc. These interfaces 730, 740, 750, as well as the memory 710 and the processor 720, can be connected, for example, via a bus 760.
[0088] The memory 710 may include, for example, system memory, fixed non-volatile storage media, etc. The system memory may store, for example, the operating system, application programs, boot loader, and other programs.
[0089] The processor 720 can be implemented using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gates, or transistors, or other discrete hardware components.
[0090] The input / output interface 730 provides a connection interface for input / output devices such as monitors, mice, keyboards, and touchscreens. The network interface 740 provides a connection interface for various networked devices. The storage interface 750 provides a connection interface for external storage devices such as SD cards and USB flash drives. The bus 760 can use any bus architecture from a variety of bus structures. For example, bus architectures include, but are not limited to, Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.
[0091] Figure 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 8, the non-terrestrial network communication system 800 of this embodiment includes user equipment 600 and network equipment 700. One network equipment 700 can serve multiple user equipments 600, and one user equipment 600 can receive services provided by multiple network equipments 700.
[0092] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this disclosure can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this disclosure can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this disclosure can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more (non-transitory) computer-readable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, cloud storage, etc.) containing computer program code. A computer program product should be understood as a software product that primarily implements its solution through a computer program.
[0093] This disclosure is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowchart illustrations and / or one or more block diagrams.
[0094] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.
[0095] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.
[0096] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit this disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the protection scope of this disclosure.
Claims
1. A non-terrestrial network communication method, applied to a target user equipment, comprising: Receive instructions from network devices to support coverage enhancement; Send the location information of the target user equipment to the network device; The network device receives the corresponding synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) measurement time configuration of the target user equipment's neighboring cells.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The coverage enhancement includes beam scanning characteristics for different types of non-terrestrial networks.
3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: SSB measurement is performed based on the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration of the target user equipment's neighboring cells and the difference between the actual propagation delay of the serving cell and the neighboring cells.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Based on the SSB measurement time configuration of the target user equipment's neighboring cells and the difference between the actual propagation delay of the serving cell and the neighboring cells, the SSB measurement is performed, including: Based on the location information of the target user equipment and the ephemeris information of its serving cell and neighboring cells, determine the difference in actual propagation delay between the serving cell and neighboring cells; Based on the difference in actual propagation delay between the serving cell and the neighboring cell, as well as the offset in the neighboring cell's SSB measurement time configuration, the start time of the neighboring cell's SSB measurement window is determined so that SSB measurement can begin for the neighboring cell.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, Determining the difference in actual propagation delay between the serving cell and neighboring cells includes: The propagation delay of the serving cell is determined based on the location information of the target user equipment and the ephemeris information of its serving cell. The propagation delay of the neighboring cells is determined based on the location information of the target user equipment and the ephemeris information of its neighboring cells; The difference between the actual propagation delay of the serving cell and the neighboring cells is determined based on the propagation delay of the serving cell and the neighboring cells.
6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: If the distance between the target user equipment and the non-terrestrial network beam of the neighboring cell is less than a threshold value, the measurement of the SSB measurement window of the neighboring cell is activated.
7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: When the target user equipment has limited measurement capabilities, non-terrestrial network beams of active type are prioritized for measurement from the SSB measurement time configuration configured in the network equipment.
8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Receive the SSB measurement time configuration update for the neighboring cell of the target user equipment sent by the network device; In response to the deletion of a non-terrestrial network beam in the SSB measurement time configuration update, a shutdown indication for the deleted non-terrestrial network beam is sent to the network device so that the network device, upon receiving shutdown indications returned by all target user equipment in response to the SSB measurement time configuration update, configures the deleted non-terrestrial network beam as shut-off.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The SSB measurement time configuration is determined based on the location information of each user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam in the neighboring cell of the target user equipment.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The SSB measurement time configuration is determined based on the location information of each user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam in the neighboring cells of the target user equipment, including: For non-terrestrial network beams that transmit SSBs within the coverage area containing user equipment, the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration for the neighboring cells of the target user equipment is determined based on the corresponding SSB transmission time of the neighboring cells of the target user equipment.
11. A non-terrestrial network communication method, applied to a network device, comprising: Broadcast support for enhanced coverage instructions; Receive the location information of the target user equipment sent by the target user equipment; Send the corresponding synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block (SSB) measurement time configuration of its neighboring cells to the target user equipment.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The coverage enhancement includes beam scanning characteristics for different types of non-terrestrial networks.
13. The method of claim 11, further comprising: Based on the location information of each user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam in the neighboring cells of the target user equipment, the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration of the neighboring cells of the target user equipment is determined.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, Determining the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration of the neighboring cells of the target user equipment includes: For non-terrestrial network beams that transmit SSBs within the coverage area containing user equipment, the corresponding SSB measurement time configuration for the neighboring cells of the target user equipment is determined based on the corresponding SSB transmission time of the neighboring cells of the target user equipment.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, For non-terrestrial networks with user equipment within the coverage area, beam-transmitted SSBs include: When there are no user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam, set the non-terrestrial network beam to the off type; When there are user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam and all user equipment is in an idle state, the non-terrestrial network beam is set to the public signal transmission only type. When there are user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam and the user equipment is in a connected state, set the non-terrestrial network beam to the active type; SSB is sent to non-terrestrial network beams in active type and / or public signal transmission only type.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising: In the absence of user equipment under the non-terrestrial network beam, an SSB measurement time configuration update is sent to the target user equipment at a distance less than a threshold value from the non-terrestrial network beam. The SSB measurement time configuration update removes the measurement of the non-terrestrial network beam.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: After receiving a shutdown indication from all target user equipment in response to the SSB measurement time configuration update, configure the non-terrestrial network beam to the shutdown type.
18. A user equipment, comprising: Memory; And a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the non-terrestrial network communication method according to any one of claims 1-10 based on instructions stored in the memory.
19. A network device, comprising: Memory; And a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the non-terrestrial network communication method of any one of claims 11-17 based on instructions stored in the memory.
20. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer instructions, wherein, When executed by a processor, the computer instructions implement the steps of the non-terrestrial network communication method according to any one of claims 1-17.
21. A computer program product comprising computer instructions, wherein, When executed by a processor, the computer instructions implement the steps of the non-terrestrial network communication method according to any one of claims 1-17.