Communication method, airborne node, and program product

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the technical field of communications, and provide a communication method, an airborne node, and a program product, for use in solving the technical problem in related art that airborne coverage is incomplete, resulting in an unmanned aerial vehicle possibly being unable to access a network. The communication method is applied to a first airborne node. The method comprises: acquiring first information, wherein the first information is used for indicating that a first cell of the first airborne node is a signal coverage blind area; and on the basis of the first information, sending a first request message to a second airborne node, wherein the first request message is used for requesting the second airborne node to provide a network assistance service to the first airborne node, such that the first airborne node acquires a network service within the first cell by means of the second airborne node.

Description

Communication methods, flight nodes and program products

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202411642943.4, filed on November 15, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, a flight node, and a program product. Background Technology

[0003] With the evolution of 5G and 6G technologies, the application scenarios for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasing. UAVs can be deployed at very low cost and with very fast deployment time in areas such as emergency communication services, goods delivery, and air quality / weather monitoring.

[0004] To ensure the safe integration of drones into the airspace, a reliable communication method is needed between the drone and the application server. Ubiquitous mobile communication network infrastructure is the ideal carrier for this communication. Drones can access mobile communication devices (such as base stations) during flight to transmit data with the application server. Therefore, the airborne coverage of mobile communication networks has a significant impact on whether drones can successfully access the network.

[0005] However, the current aerial coverage of mobile communication devices is not perfect, and there are situations where drones may not be able to access the network, affecting the reliability of drone network communication. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a communication method, a flight node, and a program product.

[0007] On the one hand, a communication method is provided for application to the first flight node, the method including:

[0008] Obtain first information, which indicates that the first cell of the first flight node is a signal coverage blind spot; based on the first information, send a first request message to the second flight node, which requests the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node so that the first flight node can obtain network services in the first cell through the second flight node.

[0009] On another front, a flight node is provided, including an acquisition module and a transmission module; the acquisition module is used to acquire first information, the first information being used to indicate that a first cell of the first flight node is a signal coverage blind spot; the transmission module is used to send a first request message to a second flight node according to the first information, the first request message being used to request the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services for the first flight node, so that the first flight node can obtain network services in the first cell through the second flight node.

[0010] In another aspect, a flight node is provided, comprising: a memory and a processor; the memory and the processor are coupled; the memory is used to store a computer program; and the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0011] In another aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which computer program instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, implement the method described in any of the above embodiments; the computer-readable medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0012] In another aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method described in any of the above embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in some embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 is a system architecture diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of network coverage according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating another communication method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flight node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another flight node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of this disclosure will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0021] It should be noted that, in this disclosure, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in this disclosure should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0022] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0023] In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this document 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 alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. Furthermore, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more.

[0024] With the evolution of 5G technology and the future trend of 6G, the application scenarios of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasing. UAVs offer very low cost and rapid deployment in areas such as emergency communication services, goods delivery, and air quality / weather monitoring. To ensure the safe integration of UAVs into the airspace, a reliable communication method is needed between the UAV and application servers, and ubiquitous mobile communication network infrastructure is an excellent platform for this.

[0025] Since drones need to access the network during flight, the air coverage of mobile communication networks has a significant impact on whether drones can access the network normally.

[0026] However, the current aerial coverage is not perfect, and there are situations where drones may not be able to access the network, which will affect the reliability of drone network communication.

[0027] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a communication method applied to a first flight node. When the first flight node's first cell is a signal coverage blind spot, the first flight node can request a second flight node to provide network auxiliary services, enabling the first flight node to obtain network services within the first cell through the second flight node. This ensures that the first flight node can access the network normally in network coverage blind spots, guaranteeing the reliability of its network communication.

[0028] The communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to systems with various communication standards. For example, the systems to which the communication method provided in this disclosure is applicable include, but are not limited to, long-term evolution (LTE) systems, various versions based on LTE evolution, 5G systems, future mobile communication networks (e.g., 6G mobile communication networks), or multiple converged communication systems. Furthermore, the communication method provided in this disclosure can also be applied to future-oriented communication systems.

[0029] For example, the above communication method can be applied to the communication system shown in FIG1. ​​As shown in FIG1, the communication system includes: a first flight node 101, a second flight node 102, and a third node 103.

[0030] For example, the first flight node 101 is used to obtain information on whether the first flight node is in a signal coverage blind zone; or to send a request message to the second flight node 102, requesting the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services so that the first flight node can obtain network services through the second flight node 102 in the signal coverage blind zone.

[0031] The second flight node 102 is used to receive request messages from the first flight node 101; or to provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node 101; or to access the network through the third node 103; or to assist the first flight node 101 in accessing the network through the network services provided by the third node 103.

[0032] The third node 103 is used to provide network services for the second flight node 102.

[0033] In some embodiments, the third node 103 can be any one of an air node, a ground node, or a satellite.

[0034] In some embodiments, a ground node may be referred to as a base station.

[0035] In some embodiments, the base station may be a base station in Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTEA), or an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB), a base station device in a 5G network, or a base station in a future communication system. The base station may include various macro base stations, micro base stations, femtocell base stations, wireless remote extensions, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), routers, wireless fidelity (WIFI) devices, or various network-side devices such as primary cells and secondary cells.

[0036] It should be noted that Figure 1 is only an exemplary framework diagram, and the number of devices included in Figure 1 and the names of each device are not limited.

[0037] The application scenarios of the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited. The system architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this disclosure are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0038] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] The communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to the first flying node 101 in the communication system shown in FIG1. ​​FIG2 shows a schematic flowchart of a communication method, which includes the following steps S201-S202:

[0040] S201, Obtain first information.

[0041] For example, the first information is used to indicate that the first cell of the first flight node is a signal coverage blind spot.

[0042] S202. Based on the first information, send a first request message to the second flight node.

[0043] For example, the first request message is used to request the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node, so that the first flight node can obtain network services through the second flight node in the first cell.

[0044] If the first cell of the first flight node is a signal coverage blind spot, the first flight node can request the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services, enabling the first flight node to obtain network services within the first cell through the second flight node. This ensures that the first flight node can access the network normally in the network coverage blind spot, guaranteeing the reliability of its network communication.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first cell is the current serving cell of the first flying node, or the adjacent serving cell of the current serving cell that the first flying node is about to enter. That is, it can be understood that the first flying node is currently in the serving cell, and the first flying node may fly to the adjacent serving cell of the current serving cell. When flying to the adjacent serving cell, the adjacent serving cell is a signal coverage blind spot relative to the first flight, and the first flying node cannot obtain network services in the adjacent serving cell.

[0046] When the first cell is the current serving cell of the first flight node, the first flight node can send a first request message to the second flight node in order to obtain network services through the second flight node if the first cell is a signal coverage blind spot.

[0047] The first flight node may have multiple neighboring cells of its current serving cell, and the first cell is the neighboring cell that the first flight node will access among these multiple neighboring cells.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first flight node determines the neighboring cell to be entered from a plurality of neighboring cells based on the flight path of the first flight node.

[0049] When the first cell is an adjacent cell to the current serving cell that the first flight node is about to enter, the first flight node can send a first request message to the second flight node. In this way, the first flight node can request the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services for the first flight node in the first cell before entering the network coverage blind spot, so as to assist the first flight node in accessing the network.

[0050] In some embodiments, the first flight node may obtain information about its current serving cell and / or information about neighboring cells of the current serving cell. The first flight node may determine whether the current serving cell is a signal coverage blind spot based on the information about the current serving cell, or determine whether a neighboring cell is a signal coverage blind spot based on the information about the neighboring cells.

[0051] For example, the information of a cell may include at least one of the following: cell identifier, physical cell identifier, signal strength, signal quality, tracking area code, and location area code.

[0052] In some embodiments, the first cell satisfies one of the following: the network service operator corresponding to the first cell is not the network service operator of the first flight node, or the network service operator corresponding to the first cell is the network service operator of the second flight node; or the access frequency band of the first cell does not support access by the first flight node, but supports access by the second flight node.

[0053] The network service provider (ISP) for the first cell is not the ISP for the first flight node, indicating that the first flight node cannot access the first cell. The ISP for the first cell is the ISP for the second flight node, indicating that the second flight node can access the first cell. Therefore, the second flight node can access the network through the first cell and can provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node, assisting it in accessing the network.

[0054] For example, the first flight node has an identification card (e.g., a subscriber identity module, SIM card) inserted into it, and the second flight node has an identification card inserted into it into it.

[0055] If the access frequency band of the first cell does not support the access of the first flight node, but supports the access of the second flight node, it means that the frequency band supported by the first flight node is different from the access frequency band of the first cell, while the frequency band supported by the second flight node is the same as the access frequency band of the first cell. Therefore, the second flight node can access the network through the first cell and can provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node, assisting it in accessing the network.

[0056] In some embodiments, different operators may support the same frequency band.

[0057] For example, if a first operator supports a cell with frequency band 1 and a second operator supports a cell with frequency band 1, and the flight node supports frequency band 1 and only performs identity authentication with the first operator, the second operator's cell with frequency band 1, although supporting the same frequency band as the flight node, still does not support the flight node's network access.

[0058] For example, as shown in FIG3, a network coverage diagram provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cell supporting frequency band 1 of a first operator, a cell supporting frequency band 2 of a first operator, a cell supporting frequency band 1 of a second operator, and a cell supporting frequency band 2 of a second operator. For example, the cells supporting frequency band 1, the cells supporting frequency band 2 of the first operator, the cells supporting frequency band 1 of the second operator, and the cells supporting frequency band 2 of the second operator have spatial overlap.

[0059] For example, suppose that the first flying node can only access the network in cells supporting frequency band 1 of the first operator. In this case, the network coverage blind spot of the first flying node is the area outside the cells supporting frequency band 1 of the first operator.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first flight node and the second flight node establish a connection via wireless local area network communication, thereby the second flight node can provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node.

[0061] In some embodiments, the wireless local area network communication method between the first flight node and the second flight node includes at least one of the following: side link PC5 interface, wireless fidelity (WI-FI).

[0062] In some embodiments, the first flight node and the second flight node can be unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with communication capabilities.

[0063] In some embodiments, the first flight node and the second flight node belong to the same flight group; the flight group includes at least one flight node with the same or similar flight routes; the first flight node belongs to a first subgroup in the flight group; and the second flight node belongs to a second subgroup in the flight group.

[0064] In some scenarios, the first and second flight nodes often perform flight missions in a swarm configuration. Therefore, a flight communication group can include at least one flight node with the same or similar flight routes.

[0065] In some embodiments, the flight group may be referred to as a formation or flight formation.

[0066] In some embodiments, subgroups within a flight group are defined based on the access frequency bands of the flight nodes included in the flight group and / or the network service operators of the flight nodes included in the flight group.

[0067] The subgroups within a flight group are divided based on the access frequency bands of the flight nodes included in the flight group. That is, the flight nodes in a subgroup have the same access frequency band or the access frequency bands belong to the same set of frequency bands.

[0068] Subgroups within a flight group are determined based on the network service providers (ISPs) of the flight nodes included in the flight group; that is, the flight nodes in a subgroup share the same ISP.

[0069] In some embodiments, each subgroup includes a master flight node and a slave flight node; the master flight node and the slave flight node communicate via a wireless local area network; the master flight node is used to synchronize second information to the slave flight node, the second information being used to indicate the information of the serving cell and / or neighboring cells of the location of the master flight node; the slave flight node is used to select a serving cell based on the received second information.

[0070] The master flight node can synchronize the second information to the slave flight nodes via a wireless local area network, which can ensure that the slave flight nodes in the subgroup can select the serving cell based on the second information. In this way, the slave flight nodes in the subgroup can reliably fly or complete flight tasks, and the slave flight nodes do not need to collect cell information themselves, which reduces the energy consumption of the slave flight nodes and improves the utilization rate of the information collected by the master flight node.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first flight node is the master flight node in the first subgroup; the master flight node in the first subgroup is the flight node with the foremost flight position in the first subgroup; the second flight node is the master flight node in the second subgroup; the master flight node in the second subgroup is the flight node with the foremost flight position in the second subgroup.

[0072] The master flight node is the flight node with the highest flight position in a subgroup. Therefore, during flight, the master flight node can obtain flight information or cell information first, so that when the master flight node synchronizes information to the slave flight node, the slave flight node can receive timely and reliable synchronization information.

[0073] In some embodiments, the first information obtained in S201 is achieved by: measuring the signal quality of the signal provided by the access network device in the first cell, and / or searching for the signal provided by the access network device in the first cell; determining the first information based on the measurement result and / or the search result, wherein the measurement result is used to indicate that the signal quality is less than a signal threshold, and the search result is used to indicate that no signal was found.

[0074] If the signal quality of the signal provided by the access network equipment in the first cell is less than the signal threshold, it indicates that the first flying node cannot access the first cell or that the first cell cannot provide reliable network services to the first flying node. In this case, the first cell is determined to be the network coverage blind spot of the first flying node.

[0075] If no signal is found from the access network equipment in the first cell, it means that the first flight node cannot access the network through the first cell. In this case, the first cell is determined to be the network coverage blind spot of the first flight node.

[0076] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending an alarm message to other flight nodes in the first subgroup other than the first flight node, the alarm message being used to indicate that the other flight nodes are about to enter a signal coverage blind spot.

[0077] The alarm information alerts other flight nodes in the first subgroup, excluding the first flight node, to confirm that they are about to enter a signal coverage blind spot.

[0078] In some embodiments, the first flight node is a slave flight node in the first subgroup; the slave flight node in the first subgroup is a flight node in the first subgroup whose flight position is not the foremost; the second flight node is a slave flight node in the second subgroup corresponding to the first flight node; the slave flight node in the second subgroup is a flight node in the second subgroup whose flight position is not the foremost; in this case, obtaining the first information includes: receiving first information from the master flight node in the first subgroup.

[0079] When the first flight node is a slave flight node, it can receive the first information from the master flight node in the first subgroup, thus acquiring the first information. This saves energy for the first flight node.

[0080] In some embodiments, the alarm message may include information about other flight nodes in the first subgroup, excluding the first flight node, entering a signal coverage blind zone; based on this information, the other flight nodes in the first subgroup, excluding the first flight node, determine whether to perform network selection or cell handover at a target time; or determine whether to perform network selection or cell handover earlier or later.

[0081] In some embodiments, the relevant information of other flight nodes in the first subgroup entering the signal coverage blind zone may include at least one of the following: distance from the signal coverage blind zone, time period of entering the signal coverage blind zone, and time of entering the signal coverage blind zone.

[0082] In some embodiments, other flight nodes in the first subgroup, besides the first flight node, may send a request message to the flight nodes in the second subgroup based on the alarm message, requesting the flight nodes in the second subgroup to provide network assistance services for the first flight node.

[0083] In some embodiments, each flight node in the first subgroup that needs to obtain network assistance services may have its network services provided by a flight node in the second subgroup.

[0084] In some embodiments, each flight node in the second subgroup provides network services to a target number of flight nodes in the first subgroup.

[0085] For example, a flight node in the second subgroup provides network services to a flight node in the first subgroup.

[0086] In some embodiments, the first flight node may send a third message to the master flight node in the second subgroup. The third message is used to indicate that other flight nodes in the subgroup to which the first flight node belongs are about to enter a network coverage blind spot, so that the master flight node in the second subgroup can prepare to provide network auxiliary services to the other flight nodes in the first subgroup.

[0087] In some embodiments, after receiving the third information, the master flight node in the second subgroup synchronizes the third information with other flight nodes in the second subgroup, so that the master flight node in the second subgroup is ready to provide network auxiliary services to other flight nodes in the first subgroup. In some embodiments, the master flight node in the first subgroup is in network search mode; the slave flight nodes in the first subgroup are in non-network search mode; network search mode refers to performing network search operations in signal coverage blind spots during flight; non-network search mode refers to not performing network search operations during flight.

[0088] Since the flight paths of the flying nodes in the first subgroup are the same or similar, during the network search process, one flying node can select a network or switch cells based on the network search results of another flying node. Therefore, the master flying node in the first subgroup is in network search mode, while the slave flying nodes are in non-network search mode. This allows the slave flying nodes to select a network or switch cells based on the network search results of the master flying node, thus reducing the energy consumption of the slave flying nodes.

[0089] In some embodiments, the master flight node in the first subgroup can periodically send network search results to the slave flight nodes in the first subgroup.

[0090] In some embodiments, the network search results include information about the current serving cell of the first flight node and / or information about the neighboring cells of the current serving cell.

[0091] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a response message from a second flight node, the response message being used to respond to a first request message, and the response message being used to instruct the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node.

[0092] By responding to the first request message from the first flight node with its response message, the first flight node can determine that the second flight node can provide network auxiliary services. This improves the reliability of providing network auxiliary services.

[0093] In some embodiments, the response message from the second flight node may also include coordination information related to network-assisted services. For example, the start time of the network-assisted service, the end time of the network-assisted service, the duration of the network-assisted service, the distance between the second flight node and the first flight node, and the relative position or direction between the second flight node and the first flight node.

[0094] Coordinating information related to network ancillary services can improve the reliability and stability of the second flight node providing network ancillary services to the first flight node.

[0095] For example, by measuring the distance between the second flight node and the first flight node, the first flight node can determine the power of the signal transmitted by either the first or second flight node when providing network-assisted services. By measuring the relative position or direction between the second and first flight nodes, the first or second flight node can determine the direction of the beam when using beam communication.

[0096] In some embodiments, the method further includes: if the first flight node successfully searches for a network, sending a second message to the second flight node, the second message being used to request the second flight node to stop providing network auxiliary services to the first flight node.

[0097] If the first flight node successfully searches for a network, it can access the network independently without needing the network assistance service from the second flight node. At this point, the first flight node sends a second message to the second flight node. This reduces the first flight node's latency because it no longer needs to go through the second flight node to access the network; furthermore, it reduces the second flight node's energy consumption because it no longer needs to provide network assistance services.

[0098] In some embodiments, the first flight node is the primary flight node, and the method further includes sending third information to other flight nodes in the subgroup to which the first flight node is located. The third information is used to indicate that the first flight node has successfully searched for the network and to indicate the configuration information related to the second cell.

[0099] If the first flight node successfully searches for and locates the second cell, it indicates that other flight nodes in the first subgroup are about to enter or have already entered the second cell. At this point, a third message is sent to the other flight nodes in the subgroup containing the first flight node. This allows the other flight nodes in the subgroup containing the first flight node to send a message to the node providing network assistance services to terminate the provision of network assistance services; and it also allows the other flight nodes in the subgroup containing the first flight node to perform network selection or network switching.

[0100] In some embodiments, if the distance between other flight nodes in the subgroup to the first flight node is greater than the first distance, the flight nodes in the second subgroup provide network auxiliary services to the other flight nodes.

[0101] If the distance between other flight nodes in the subgroup of the first flight node and the first flight node is greater than the first distance, it indicates that the other flight nodes in the subgroup of the first flight node have not yet entered the second cell. At this time, the flight nodes in the second subgroup provide network auxiliary services to other flight nodes to ensure that the other flight nodes in the subgroup of the first flight node can access the network normally.

[0102] In some embodiments, if other flight nodes in the subgroup to which the first flight node is located fly to a distance of a first distance from the first flight node, the provision of network auxiliary services by flight nodes in the second subgroup to other flight nodes is stopped, where the first distance is less than a distance threshold.

[0103] If other flight nodes in the subgroup of the first flight node fly to a distance of the first flight node, it indicates that the other flight nodes in the subgroup of the first flight node have entered the second cell. At this time, the network auxiliary services provided by the flight nodes in the second subgroup to the other flight nodes are stopped, so as to reduce the energy consumption of the flight nodes in the second subgroup and reduce the network latency of the other flight nodes in the subgroup of the first flight node.

[0104] In some embodiments, other flying nodes in the subgroup to which the first flying node is located determine the time of entering the second cell or the time period required to enter the second cell based on the distance between them and the first flying node and their own flight speed; and based on the time of entering the second cell or the time period required to enter the second cell, send a message to terminate the network assistance service to the nodes in the second subgroup that provide network assistance services to the other node; and based on the time of entering the second cell or the time period required to enter the second cell, determine the time when the other node performs network handover.

[0105] In some embodiments, other flying nodes in the subgroup to which the first flying node is located determine the distance between themselves and the first flying node based on the signal strength of the wireless local area network signal emitted by the first flying node.

[0106] In some embodiments, since UAV terminals mostly fly above rooftops or other obstacles, unlike traditional ground-based mobile phones, the wireless channel environment of UAV UEs is mostly line-of-sight (LOS) transmission, meaning there are no obstacles obstructing the connection between the base station and the terminal. This also means that UAV UEs can receive strong signal interference from neighboring cells. Due to this characteristic, measurement strategies for the terminal can introduce altitude-specific measurement reporting triggering capabilities (Event H1 and H2) to allow the network to understand the current altitude range of the UAV. Once the network knows the altitude information, it can help the UAV UE optimize parameter configuration to minimize interference levels from surrounding cells. For example, different parameters can be configured for UAV devices in areas above and below rooftops to optimize communication performance.

[0107] When the flight altitude exceeds a certain threshold, the drone can be considered to have entered normal cruise mode, and tall buildings or trees can no longer block radio signals. At this point, signal transmission between the drone and the ground base station, as well as between drones themselves, can be considered as free-space line-of-sight transmission, and the degree of signal attenuation is only related to distance.

[0108] In some embodiments, for line-of-sight transmission in free space, the path loss can be approximated by the following formula 1: L = 32.5 + 20lgF + 20lgD (Formula 1);

[0109] For example, D = distance (km), F = frequency (MHz).

[0110] In some embodiments, based on Formula 1, other flying nodes in the subgroup where the first flying node is located can determine their distance from the first flying node by using the signal strength of the wireless local area network signal transmitted by the first flying node.

[0111] In some embodiments, when the first flight node is the master flight node, it can be referred to as the master coordinating flight node or the master coordinating UAV.

[0112] For example, assume that the first subgroup includes flight node 0 and flight node 1, and the second subgroup includes flight node 2 and flight node 3. Flight node 0 and flight node 2 are located at the flight front of their respective subgroups, or flight node 0 and flight node 2 are the master flight nodes of their respective subgroups. At flight time 1, the signal strength and cell information at the flight nodes are shown in Table 1:

[0113] Table 1

[0114] At flight time 2, the signal strength and cell information at the flight node are shown in Table 2:

[0115] Table 2

[0116] At this point, Flight Node 0 can establish a wireless LAN connection with Flight Node 2 and requests network assistance services from Flight Node 2. Flight Node 2, having established network signal service, responds to Flight Node 0's request. Simultaneously, Flight Node 0 sends a network signal loss alarm to Flight Node 1. Based on the alarm, Flight Node 1 requests network assistance services from Flight Node 3.

[0117] At flight time 3, the signal strength and cell information at the flight node are shown in Table 3:

[0118] Table 3

[0119] At this time, flight node 0 performs a network search, while flight node 1 does not perform a network search.

[0120] In one scenario, at flight time 4, the signal strength and cell information at the flight node are shown in Table 4:

[0121] Table 4

[0122] At this point, Flight Node 0 requests Flight Node 2 to terminate the network auxiliary service, while Flight Node 1 continues to receive network auxiliary service from Flight Node 3.

[0123] In one scenario, at flight time 4, the signal strength and cell information at the flight node are shown in Table 5:

[0124] Table 5

[0125] At this point, both Flight Node 0 and Flight Node 1 request to stop the network auxiliary services.

[0126] The communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to the second flight node 102 in the communication system shown in FIG1. ​​FIG4 shows a flowchart of another communication method, which includes the following steps S401-S402:

[0127] S401, Receive the first request message from the first flight node.

[0128] For example, the first request message is used to request the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node, so that the first flight node can obtain network services through the second flight node in the first cell.

[0129] S402. Provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node based on the first request message.

[0130] In some embodiments, the first cell satisfies one of the following:

[0131] The network service operator corresponding to the first cell is not the network service operator of the first flight node, but the network service operator corresponding to the first cell is the network service operator of the second flight node; the access frequency band of the first cell does not support the access of the first flight node, but supports the access of the second flight node.

[0132] In some embodiments, the first flight node and the second flight node belong to the same flight group; the flight group includes at least one flight node with the same or similar flight routes; the first flight node belongs to a first subgroup in the flight group; and the second flight node belongs to a second subgroup in the flight group.

[0133] In some embodiments, the subgroups in the flight group are determined based on the access frequency bands of the flight nodes included in the flight group and / or the network service operators of the flight nodes included in the flight group.

[0134] In some embodiments, each subgroup includes a master flight node and a slave flight node; the master flight node and the slave flight node communicate via a wireless local area network; the master flight node is used to synchronize second information to the slave flight node, the second information being used to indicate information about the serving cell and / or neighboring cells of the location of the master flight node; the slave flight node is used to select a serving cell based on the received second information.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first flight node is the master flight node in the first subgroup; the master flight node in the first subgroup is the flight node with the foremost flight position in the first subgroup; the second flight node is the master flight node in the second subgroup; and the master flight node in the second subgroup is the flight node with the foremost flight position in the second subgroup.

[0136] In some embodiments, the first flight node is a slave flight node in the first subgroup; the slave flight node in the first subgroup is a flight node in the first subgroup whose flight position is not the foremost; the second flight node is a slave flight node in the second subgroup corresponding to the first flight node; the slave flight node in the second subgroup is a flight node in the second subgroup whose flight position is not the foremost.

[0137] In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending a response message to a first flight node, the response message being used to respond to the first request message, the response message being used to instruct the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node.

[0138] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving a second message from a first flight node, the second message being used to request the second flight node to stop providing network auxiliary services to the first flight node.

[0139] In some embodiments, if the distance between the first flight node and other flight nodes in the subgroup to which the first flight node is located is greater than a first distance, the flight nodes in the second subgroup provide network auxiliary services to the other flight nodes.

[0140] In some embodiments, if other flight nodes in the subgroup to which the first flight node is located fly to a distance of a first distance from the first flight node, the provision of network assistance services by flight nodes in the second subgroup to the other flight nodes is stopped, where the first distance is less than a distance threshold.

[0141] It should be noted that the explanation of the embodiment of the communication method applied to the second flight node 102 in the communication system shown in Figure 2 can be referred to the explanation of the embodiment of the communication method applied to the first flight node 101 in the communication system shown in Figure 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0142] The disclosed embodiments can divide the flight node into functional modules according to the above method embodiments. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or software. It should be noted that the module division in this disclosed embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0143] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a flying node provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The flying node can execute the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the flying node includes: an acquisition module 501 and a sending module 502.

[0144] The acquisition module 501 is used to acquire first information, which is used to indicate that the first cell of the first flight node is a signal coverage blind spot;

[0145] The sending module 502 is used to send a first request message to the second flight node according to the first information. The first request message is used to request the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services for the first flight node, so that the first flight node can obtain network services through the second flight node in the first cell.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first cell satisfies one of the following: the network service operator corresponding to the first cell is not the network service operator of the first flight node, or the network service operator corresponding to the first cell is the network service operator of the second flight node; or the access frequency band of the first cell does not support access by the first flight node, but supports access by the second flight node.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first flight node and the second flight node belong to the same flight group; the flight group includes at least one flight node with the same or similar flight routes; the first flight node belongs to a first subgroup in the flight group; and the second flight node belongs to a second subgroup in the flight group.

[0148] In some embodiments, subgroups within a flight group are defined based on the access frequency bands of the flight nodes included in the flight group and / or the network service operators of the flight nodes included in the flight group.

[0149] In some embodiments, each subgroup includes a master flight node and a slave flight node; the master flight node and the slave flight node communicate via a wireless local area network; the master flight node is used to synchronize second information to the slave flight node, the second information being used to indicate the information of the serving cell and / or neighboring cells of the location of the master flight node; the slave flight node is used to select a serving cell based on the received second information.

[0150] In some embodiments, the first flight node is the master flight node in the first subgroup; the master flight node in the first subgroup is the flight node with the foremost flight position in the first subgroup; the second flight node is the master flight node in the second subgroup; the master flight node in the second subgroup is the flight node with the foremost flight position in the second subgroup.

[0151] In some embodiments, the flight node further includes a processing module 503 and a determination module 504.

[0152] The processing module 503 is used to measure the signal quality of the signal provided by the access network equipment in the first cell, and / or to search for the signal provided by the access network equipment in the first cell.

[0153] The determination module 504 is used to determine first information based on the measurement results and / or search results, wherein the measurement results are used to indicate that the signal quality is less than a signal threshold, and the search results are used to indicate that no signal was found.

[0154] In some embodiments, the sending module 502 is further configured to send an alarm message to other flying nodes in the first subgroup other than the first flying node, the alarm message being used to indicate that the other flying nodes are about to enter a signal coverage blind zone.

[0155] In some embodiments, the first flight node is a slave flight node in the first subgroup; the slave flight node in the first subgroup is a flight node in the first subgroup whose flight position is not the first; the second flight node is a slave flight node in the second subgroup corresponding to the first flight node; the slave flight node in the second subgroup is a flight node in the second subgroup whose flight position is not the first.

[0156] In some embodiments, the flight node further includes a receiving module 505.

[0157] The receiving module 505 is used to receive the first information from the master flight node in the first subgroup.

[0158] In some embodiments, the master flight node in the first subgroup is in network search mode; the slave flight node in the first subgroup is in non-network search mode; network search mode refers to performing network search operations in signal coverage blind spots during flight; non-network search mode refers to not performing network search operations during flight.

[0159] In some embodiments, the receiving module 505 is further configured to receive a response message from the second flight node, the response message being used to respond to the first request message, and the response message being used to instruct the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node.

[0160] In some embodiments, the sending module 502 is further configured to send a second message to the second flight node if the first flight node successfully searches for a network. The second message is used to request the second flight node to stop providing network auxiliary services to the first flight node.

[0161] In some embodiments, the first flight node is the master flight node. After the first flight node successfully searches for the network and finds the second cell, the sending module 502 is further configured to send third information to other flight nodes in the subgroup to which the first flight node is located. The third information is used to indicate that the first flight node has successfully searched for the network and to indicate the configuration information related to the second cell.

[0162] In some embodiments, if the distance between other flight nodes in the subgroup to which the first flight node is located and the first flight node is greater than a first distance, the flight nodes in the second subgroup provide network auxiliary services to the other flight nodes; or, if other flight nodes in the subgroup to which the first flight node is located fly to a distance of the first flight node that is the first distance, the network auxiliary services provided by the flight nodes in the second subgroup to the other flight nodes are stopped, and the first distance is less than a distance threshold.

[0163] In some embodiments, the first cell is the current serving cell of the first flight node, or a neighboring serving cell of the current serving cell that the first flight node is about to enter.

[0164] In implementing the functions of the integrated modules described above in hardware, this disclosure provides another possible structure for the flight node involved in the above embodiments. As shown in FIG6, the flight node includes: a processor 602 and a bus 604. Optionally, the flight node may further include a memory 601; optionally, the flight node may further include a communication interface 603.

[0165] Processor 602 may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 602 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 602 may also be a combination that implements computational functions, such as including one or more microprocessor combinations, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, etc.

[0166] Communication interface 603 is used to connect with other devices via a communication network. This communication network can be Ethernet, wireless access network, wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0167] The memory 601 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), disk storage medium or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0168] In one possible implementation, the memory 601 can exist independently of the processor 602. The memory 601 can be connected to the processor 602 via a bus 604 and is used to store instructions or program code. When the processor 602 calls and executes the instructions or program code stored in the memory 601, it can implement the methods provided in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0169] In another possible implementation, the memory 601 can also be integrated with the processor 602.

[0170] Bus 604 can be an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Bus 604 can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used to represent it in Figure 6, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0171] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) storing computer program instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0172] Exemplary examples show that the aforementioned computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes), optical discs (e.g., compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMs), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). The various computer-readable storage media described in this disclosure may represent one or more devices for storing information and / or other machine-readable storage media. The term "machine-readable storage media" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0173] This disclosure provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0174] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, wherein, Applied to the first flight node, the method includes: Obtain first information, which is used to indicate that the first cell of the first flight node is a signal coverage blind spot; Based on the first information, a first request message is sent to the second flight node. The first request message is used to request the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node, so that the first flight node can obtain network services through the second flight node within the first cell.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first cell satisfies one of the following: The network service operator corresponding to the first cell is not the network service operator of the first flight node, but the network service operator corresponding to the first cell is the network service operator of the second flight node. The access frequency band of the first cell does not support access by the first flight node, but supports access by the second flight node.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first flight node and the second flight node belong to the same flight group; the flight group includes at least one flight node with the same or similar flight routes; The first flight node belongs to the first subgroup within the flight group; The second flight node belongs to the second subgroup within the flight group.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The subgroups in the flight group are determined based on the access frequency bands of the flight nodes included in the flight group and / or the network service operators of the flight nodes included in the flight group.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Each subgroup includes a master flight node and slave flight nodes; The master flight node and the slave flight node communicate via a wireless local area network. The master flight node is used to synchronize second information to the slave flight node. The second information is used to indicate the information of the serving cell and / or neighboring cells where the master flight node is located. The flight node is used to select a serving cell based on the received second information.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The first flight node is the master flight node in the first subgroup; the master flight node in the first subgroup is the flight node with the foremost flight position in the first subgroup; The second flight node is the master flight node in the second subgroup; the master flight node in the second subgroup is the flight node with the foremost flight position in the second subgroup.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, The acquisition of the first information includes: Measure the signal quality of the signal provided by the access network device in the first cell, and / or search for the signal provided by the access network device in the first cell; The first information is determined based on the measurement results and / or search results, wherein the measurement results are used to indicate that the signal quality is less than a signal threshold, and the search results are used to indicate that no signal was found.

8. The method of claim 3 or 6, wherein, The method further includes: An alarm message is sent to all other flight nodes in the first subgroup except for the first flight node. The alarm message is used to indicate that the other flight nodes are about to enter a signal coverage blind spot.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein, The first flight node is a slave flight node in the first subgroup; the slave flight node in the first subgroup is a flight node in the first subgroup whose flight position is not the first. The second flight node is the slave flight node in the second subgroup that corresponds to the first flight node; the slave flight node in the second subgroup is the flight node in the second subgroup that is not the first in the flight position.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The acquisition of the first information includes: Receive the first information from the master flight node in the first subgroup.

11. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein, The primary flight node in the first subgroup is in network search mode; the secondary flight node in the first subgroup is in non-network search mode; the network search mode refers to performing network search operations within signal coverage blind spots during flight; the non-network search mode refers to not performing network search operations during flight.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: The system receives a response message from the second flight node, the response message being used to respond to the first request message, and the response message being used to instruct the second flight node to provide network auxiliary services to the first flight node.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: If the first flight node successfully searches for a network, it sends a second message to the second flight node. The second message is used to request the second flight node to stop providing network auxiliary services to the first flight node.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, The first flight node is the primary flight node, and the first flight node successfully searches for the second cell. The method further includes: Send a third message to other flight nodes in the subgroup where the first flight node is located. The third message is used to indicate that the first flight node has successfully searched for the network and to indicate the configuration information related to the second cell.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, If the distance between the first flight node and other flight nodes in the subgroup containing the first flight node is greater than a first distance, the flight nodes in the second subgroup provide network auxiliary services to the other flight nodes; or... If other flight nodes in the subgroup to which the first flight node belongs fly to a distance of a first distance from the first flight node, the network auxiliary services provided by the flight nodes in the second subgroup to the other flight nodes shall cease, where the first distance is less than a distance threshold.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein, The first cell is either the current serving cell of the first flight node or a neighboring serving cell of the current serving cell that the first flight node is about to enter.

17. A flying node, wherein, include: Memory and processor; Memory and processor are coupled; The memory is used to store instructions that can be executed by the processor; When the processor executes the instructions, it performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-16.

18. A computer program product, wherein, The computer program product includes computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-16.

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