Information transmission method and apparatus

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are an information transmission method and apparatus. The method comprises: a MAC layer of a first device sending a first message to a MAC layer of a second device, wherein the first message comprises first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from an IP layer of the first device, the first message is used for instructing the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to an IP layer of the second device, and the first message is transmitted by means of an SRI. Therefore, an SRI protocol function can be defined, such that first information from an IP layer of an SRI of a first device can be quickly transmitted to an IP layer of an SRI of a second device, thereby implementing quick exchange between the IP layer of the SRI of the first device and the IP layer of the SRI of the second device.

Description

Information transmission method and device

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411677097.X, filed on November 21, 2024, entitled "Information Transmission Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of satellite communication technology, and in particular to an information transmission method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] In related technologies, the first device and the second device can communicate through the Satellite Radio Interface (SRI) interface. However, the SRI interface protocol function is not defined. Therefore, defining the SRI interface protocol function is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides an information transmission method and apparatus to define the functions of the SRI interface protocol, enabling the first information of the Internet Protocol (IP) layer of the first device to be quickly transmitted to the IP layer of the second device, thereby achieving rapid interaction between the IP layers of the first device and the IP layers of the second device.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide an information transmission method executed by a first device. The method includes: the Media Access Control (MAC) layer of the first device sending a first message to the MAC layer of a second device, wherein the first message includes first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from the IP layer of the first device, the first message being used to instruct the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device, and the first message being transmitted through an SRI interface.

[0007] In the above embodiments, the SRI interface protocol functions can be defined to enable the first information of the IP layer of the first device to be quickly transmitted to the IP layer of the second device, thereby enabling rapid interaction between the IP layers of the first device and the IP layers of the second device.

[0008] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above method further includes: the IP layer of the first device sending a first inter-layer primitive to the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the first inter-layer primitive is used to indicate first information.

[0009] In the above embodiments, the SRI interface protocol function can be defined, and the IP layer of the first device can send the first information to the MAC layer of the first device, so that the MAC layer of the first device sends the first information to the MAC layer of the second device and then sends it to the IP layer of the second device, thereby realizing fast information transmission of the IP layer.

[0010] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above method further includes: the MAC layer of the first device sending a second inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the first device, wherein the second inter-layer primitive is used to indicate that the first information has been sent to the second device.

[0011] In the above embodiments, the SRI interface protocol function can be defined. After the MAC layer of the first device sends the first information to the MAC layer of the second device, it can send the second layer primitive to the IP layer of the first device to inform that the first information has been sent to the second device, thereby realizing the fast transmission of the first information.

[0012] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above method further includes: the MAC layer of the first device sending a third-layer inter-primitive to the IP layer of the first device, wherein the third-layer inter-primitive is used to indicate that a communication connection with the second device has been established.

[0013] In the above embodiments, the SRI interface protocol functions can be defined. When the MAC layer of the first device determines that it can communicate with the MAC layer of the second device, it can send a third-layer primitive to the IP layer of the first device to inform it that it can communicate with the IP layer of the second device, so as to realize the fast transmission of information in the IP layer.

[0014] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the above method further includes: the IP layer of the first device sending a fifth inter-layer primitive to the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the fifth inter-layer primitive is used to request whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first device; and the MAC layer of the first device sending a sixth inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the first device, wherein the sixth inter-layer primitive is used to indicate whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first device.

[0015] In the above embodiments, the SRI interface protocol function can be defined. The IP layer of the first device can query whether the MAC layer of the first device supports and receives data from the IP layer of the first device, so as to send it to the MAC layer of the second device and then to the IP layer of the second device, which can ensure accurate data transmission.

[0016] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the MAC layer of the first device sends a first message to the MAC layer of the second device, including: the MAC layer of the first device sending a MAC control element (CE) to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC CE includes the first message; or the MAC layer of the first device sending a MAC SDU to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC service data unit (SDU) includes the first message.

[0017] In the above embodiments, the MAC layer of the first device can use MAC CE or MAC SDU to send a first message to the MAC layer of the second device to ensure data security.

[0018] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first device; core network information.

[0019] In the above embodiments, the SRI interface protocol functions can be defined. The IP layer of the first device can send the identification information of the first device to the IP layer of the second device through the MAC layer of the first device and the MAC layer of the second device to realize the rapid interaction between the identification information of the first device and the second device. The IP layer of the first device can send core network information to the IP layer of the second device through the MAC layer of the first device and the MAC layer of the second device to realize the rapid interaction between the core network information of the first device and the second device, and realize the plug-and-play functionality of the IP layers of the first device and the second device.

[0020] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first device is a satellite, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network that the satellite wishes to connect to; or the first device is a gateway station, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network available to the satellite.

[0021] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first device is a satellite and the second device is a gateway station; or the first device is a gateway station and the second device is a satellite.

[0022] In the above embodiments, the SRI interface protocol functions can be defined. The satellite's IP layer can send the first information to the gateway station's IP layer through the satellite's MAC layer and the gateway station's MAC layer, thereby enabling rapid interaction between the first information and the gateway station, and achieving plug-and-play functionality between the satellite's IP layer and the gateway station's IP layer. Similarly, the gateway station's IP layer can send the first information to the satellite's IP layer through the gateway station's MAC layer and the satellite's MAC layer, thereby enabling rapid interaction between the first information and the satellite, and achieving plug-and-play functionality between the gateway station's IP layer and the satellite's IP layer.

[0023] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an information transmission method executed by a second device. The method includes: the MAC layer of the second device receiving a first message sent by the MAC layer of a first device, wherein the first message includes first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from the IP layer of the first device, the first message being used to instruct the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device, and the first message being transmitted through an SRI interface; the MAC layer of the second device sending a fourth layer primitive to the IP layer of the second device, wherein the fourth layer primitive includes the first information.

[0024] In the above embodiments, the SRI interface protocol functions can be defined. The IP layer of the first device can send the first information to the IP layer of the second device through the MAC layer of the first device and the MAC layer of the second device, so as to realize the rapid interaction between the first information and the second device.

[0025] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the above method further includes: the IP layer of the second device sending a seventh inter-layer primitive to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the seventh inter-layer primitive is used to request whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the second device; and the MAC layer of the second device sending an eighth inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the second device, wherein the eighth inter-layer primitive is used to indicate whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the second device.

[0026] In the above embodiments, the SRI interface protocol functions can be defined, and the IP layer of the second device can query whether the MAC layer of the second device supports and receives data from the IP layer of the second device, thus ensuring accurate data transmission.

[0027] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the MAC layer of the second device receives a first message sent by the MAC layer of the first device, including: the MAC layer of the second device receiving a MAC CE sent by the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the MAC CE includes the first message; or the MAC layer of the second device receiving a MAC SDU sent by the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the MAC SDU includes the first message.

[0028] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first device; core network information.

[0029] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first device is a satellite, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network that the satellite wishes to connect to; or the first device is a gateway station, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network available to the satellite.

[0030] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first device is a satellite and the second device is a gateway station; or the first device is a gateway station and the second device is a satellite.

[0031] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a first device, including: a transceiver module, used for the MAC layer of the first device to send a first message to the MAC layer of a second device, wherein the first message includes first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from the IP layer of the first device, the first message is used to instruct the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device, and the first message is transmitted through an SRI interface.

[0032] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a second device, including: a transceiver module, configured to receive a first message sent by the MAC layer of a first device from the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the first message includes first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from the IP layer of the first device, the first message being used to instruct the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device, and the first message being transmitted through an SRI interface; the transceiver module is further configured to send a fourth layer primitive to the IP layer of the second device from the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the fourth layer primitive includes the first information.

[0033] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, including: at least one processor and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, the instructions being executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the method described in the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0034] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system, the communication system comprising: a first device and a second device, wherein: the first device is configured to implement the method described in the first aspect of embodiments of this disclosure; and the second device is configured to implement the method described in the second aspect of embodiments of this disclosure.

[0035] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip including one or more interface circuits and one or more processors; the interface circuits are configured to receive signals from a memory of a communication device and send the received signals to the processors, the received signals including computer instructions stored in the memory, and when the processor executes the computer instructions, the communication device implements the method described in the first or second aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0036] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, can implement the methods described in the first or second aspect of embodiments of this disclosure.

[0037] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program product that, when executed by an instruction processor, implements the method described in the first or second aspect of embodiments of this disclosure.

[0038] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of this disclosure brings at least the following beneficial effects: the MAC layer of the first device sends a first message to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the first message includes first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from the IP layer of the first device, the first message is used to instruct the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device, and the first message is transmitted through the SRI interface. Therefore, the SRI interface protocol function can be defined, and the IP layer and MAC layer of the SRI interface of the first device and the second device can communicate through inter-layer primitives, enabling the first information of the IP layer of the SRI interface of the first device to be quickly transmitted to the IP layer of the SRI interface of the second device, thus achieving rapid interaction between the IP layers of the SRI interface of the first device and the SRI interface of the second device.

[0039] Additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0040] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent and readily understood from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0041] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0042] Figure 2 illustrates a protocol architecture for a regenerative RAN provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0043] Figure 3 shows a protocol architecture of a user plane RAN in a regeneration mode provided by an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0044] Figure 4 shows a protocol architecture of the RAN control plane in a regeneration mode provided by an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0045] Figure 5 shows a lightweight SRI interface protocol stack based on MAC provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0046] Figure 6 is a flowchart of an information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0047] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of inter-layer primitives of an SRI interface IP layer and MAC layer provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0048] Figure 8 is a flowchart of an information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0049] Figure 9 is a flowchart of another information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0050] Figure 10 is a flowchart of another information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0051] Figure 11 is a flowchart of another information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0052] Figure 12 is a structural diagram of a first device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0053] Figure 13 is a structural diagram of a second device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0054] Figure 14 is a structural diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0055] Figure 15 is a block diagram illustrating a communication device for implementing an information transmission method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0056] Figure 16 is a structural diagram of a chip according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0057] Embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this disclosure, and should not be construed as limiting this disclosure.

[0058] To better understand the information transmission method and apparatus disclosed in this disclosure, the satellite communication system to which this disclosure applies will be described first.

[0059] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a satellite communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The satellite communication system may include a satellite 101, a terminal 102, and a gateway station 103.

[0060] In this disclosure, satellite 101 is an entity used for transmitting or receiving signals. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the specific technologies or equipment used in the satellite.

[0061] In this disclosure, terminal 102 refers to a processing device within the satellite coverage beam range for communicating with a satellite. For example, the terminal can be a car with satellite communication capabilities, a smart car, a mobile phone, a wearable device, a tablet computer, etc. This disclosure does not limit the specific technology or device form used in the terminal.

[0062] It should be noted that Figure 1 uses two terminals 102 as an example.

[0063] In one embodiment of this disclosure, gateway station 103 is connected to satellite 101.

[0064] In this embodiment, the gateway station 103 is a ground-based node in a satellite communication system used for transmitting and receiving data. This embodiment does not limit the specific technology or equipment form employed by the gateway station.

[0065] It is understood that the satellite communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0066] In some embodiments, the end-to-end network architecture of a 5G non-terrestrial network (NTN) is shown in Figures 2 to 4.

[0067] Figure 2 illustrates the architecture of the Radio Access Network (RAN) in regenerative mode. The base station (e.g., gNB) carries packet data unit (PDU) sessions, Quality of Service (QoS) flows, radio bearers, and next-generation (NG) user plane (NG-U) tunnels on the satellite, which are identical to those in 5G systems and remain unchanged. A new SRI (Satellite Radio Interface) interface is added between the gateway station and the base station (between satellites).

[0068] Figure 3 shows the User Plane protocol stack in regeneration mode. The overall SRI interface protocol stack between the gateway station and the base station is shown in the figure. The SRI interface protocol stack is part of the Transport Network Layer (TNL) in the NG interface, located below the Internet Protocol (IP) layer. Its input and output payloads are IP packets. Since the SRI interface protocol stack is below the IP layer, it can be composed of L3 / L2 / L1 or L2 / L1. If it includes L3, the protocol functions in that part are extensions of the L3 IP packet processing functions specific to the SRI interface characteristics, such as encryption / decryption, robustness mechanisms based on data IP packets, and data adaptation mechanisms based on data IP packets.

[0069] In some embodiments, the Satellite Radio Interface (SRI) protocol stack is used to transmit the terminal's user plane between the satellite and the gateway station (also known as the NTN gateway). The terminal PDU is transmitted between the 5G core (5GC) and the onboard gNB as usual via the General Packet Radio Service Tunnel Protocol for the User Plane (GTP-U), but through the NTN gateway.

[0070] Figure 4 shows the control plane protocol stack in regeneration mode. The SRI interface protocol stack has the same framework as the user plane SRI protocol stack. The SRI interface protocol stack can be composed of L3 / L2 / L1 or L2 / L1. If it includes L3, then the protocol functions in this part are extensions of the L3 IP packet processing functions for SRI interface features, such as encryption / decryption, robust mechanisms based on signaling IP packets, and fast data transmission mechanisms based on signaling IP packets.

[0071] In some embodiments, the Next Generation Application (NG-AP) protocol is transmitted between the 5GC and the onboard gNB via the Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP), but through the NTN gateway. The Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocol is also transmitted between the 5GC and the onboard gNB via the NG-AP protocol and the NTN gateway.

[0072] In some embodiments, the New Radio (NR) NTN function is in transparent payload mode. In transparent payload mode, the SRI interface protocol stack shown in Figures 3 and 4 is not required; the SRI interface protocol stack is only required in regenerative payload mode (gNB on board). 3GPP has completed the deployment of base station functionality to satellites in regenerative payload mode, and the SRI interface will become a mandatory interface for NR NTN systems.

[0073] Related technologies have proposed an SRI interface protocol stack framework, but have not defined the protocol functions. In response to the current state of the 3GPP protocol, some embodiments propose a lightweight SRI interface protocol stack scheme based on MAC. By defining the L2 protocol framework in SRI, the control plane and user plane of the SRI interface are integrated (as shown in Figure 5).

[0074] The MAC protocol (sub) layer (SRI-MAC) is the control protocol (sub) layer for SRI interface control, connection, resource scheduling, and data transmission. The SRI-MAC protocol functions need to be defined.

[0075] Related technologies provide an SRI interface protocol stack framework, but do not define the protocol functions. Therefore, defining the SRI interface protocol stack is essential. First and second devices can communicate via the SRI interface, but the SRI interface protocol functions are not defined. Thus, defining the SRI interface protocol functions is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.

[0076] Based on this, this disclosure provides an information transmission method and apparatus. The method includes: the MAC layer of a first device sending a first message to the MAC layer of a second device. The first message includes first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from the IP layer of the first device. The first message instructs the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device. The first message is transmitted through an SRI interface. Therefore, the SRI interface protocol function can be defined, enabling the first information from the IP layer of the first device to be quickly transmitted to the IP layer of the second device, thus achieving rapid interaction between the IP layers of the first and second devices.

[0077] The information transmission method and apparatus of this disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0078] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of an information transmission method provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, the information transmission method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0079] S1: The MAC layer of the first device sends a third-layer inter-primary primitive to the IP layer of the first device.

[0080] In some embodiments, the third-layer primitive is used to indicate that a communication connection with the second device has been established.

[0081] In some embodiments, when the first device completes the SRI interface connection with the MAC of the second device, it can determine that the communication connection with the second device has been established. Based on this, it sends a third-layer inter-primary to the IP layer of the first device to indicate that the communication connection with the second device has been established.

[0082] In some embodiments, the MAC layer of the first device sends an SRI Interface Indicator message to the IP layer of the first device. The SRI Interface Indicator message includes inter-layer primitives indicating that an SRI interface connection with the second device has been established and data transmission with the second device is possible.

[0083] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the MAC layer of the first device sends a third-layer inter-primary primitive to the IP layer of the first device, which can indicate the status information of the SRI interface with the second device to the IP layer of the first device. The SRI interface with the second device is indicated to be an available interface, that is, it indicates that the communication connection with the second device has been established.

[0084] In some embodiments, the first device is a satellite and the second device is a gateway station; or the first device is a gateway station and the second device is a satellite.

[0085] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the MAC layer of the satellite sends a third-layer inter-primary primitive to the IP layer of the satellite, indicating that a communication connection with the gateway station has been established.

[0086] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the MAC layer of the gateway station sends a third-layer primitive to the IP layer of the gateway station, indicating that a communication connection with the satellite has been established.

[0087] In some embodiments, the MAC layer of the first device sends a third-layer primitive message to the IP layer of the first device on its own, or sends a third-layer primitive message to the IP layer of the first device based on a request message sent by the IP layer of the first device.

[0088] For example, when there is a data transmission requirement between the IP layer of the first device and the second device, the MAC layer of the first device may request the MAC layer of the first device to establish a communication connection with the MAC layer of the second device. Then, when the SRI interface connection between the MAC layer of the first device and the MAC layer of the second device has been established, the MAC layer of the first device sends a third-layer primitive to the IP layer of the first device.

[0089] As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment of the disclosure, the SRI interface protocol function can be defined, and the IP layer and MAC layer of the satellite and / or NTN Gateway can directly transmit or interact with information, so that the MAC layer can provide services to the IP layer through inter-layer primitives (the lower layer provides services to its upper layer, and the services come from L2).

[0090] S2: The IP layer of the first device sends the first layer primitive to the MAC layer of the first device.

[0091] In some embodiments, the first interlayer primitive is used to indicate first information.

[0092] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the IP layer of the satellite sends a first inter-layer primitive to the MAC layer of the satellite, indicating first information.

[0093] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the IP layer of the gateway station sends a first inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the gateway station, indicating the first information.

[0094] In this embodiment of the disclosure, if the IP layer of the first device receives a third-layer inter-primitive sent by the MAC layer of the first device, and there is a need to send the first information to the second device, the first information can be sent to the MAC layer of the first device, so that the first information can be sent to the IP layer of the second device through the MAC layers of the first device and the second device.

[0095] In this embodiment of the disclosure, S1 is omitted. When the IP layer of the first device needs to send the first information to the second device, it can send the first information to the MAC layer of the first device, so that the first information can be sent to the IP layer of the second device through the MAC layer of the first device and the MAC layer of the second device.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first device; core network information.

[0097] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first information includes the identification information of the first device. The identification information of the first device can be either the device's identifier or its IP address. The identification information uniquely identifies the IP layer of the first device. If the identification information is the device's identifier (ID), such as the device ID of a satellite (i.e., a satellite-based base station) or gateway station, it can be used as the IP layer identifier (a satellite-based base station and gateway station have one and only one IP layer functional entity). If it is an IP address, it can be the IP address of the IP layer.

[0098] In some embodiments, the identification information of the first device can be pre-assigned when the first device is started, or it can be labeled by the operation and control system, or it can be assigned by the operation and maintenance system, or it can be configured by signaling.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first device is a satellite, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network that the satellite wishes to connect to; or the first device is a gateway station, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network available to the satellite.

[0100] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first information includes core network information. When the first device is a satellite, the core network information is used to indicate the core network that the satellite wishes to connect to. When the first device is a gateway station, the core network information is used to indicate the core network available to the satellite.

[0101] In some embodiments, a core network ID or IP address, or other identifier that can uniquely identify the core network, is assigned, specified, or configured. If it is an ID, it could be a core network ID defined by 3GPP. If it is an IP address, it could be an IP address assigned during core network deployment.

[0102] In some embodiments, the first layer primitive is an SRI-IP Connectivity Setup Indicator. The SRI-IP Connectivity Setup Indicator sent by the IP layer of the first device to the MAC layer carries the identification information of the first device, such as SRI-IP layer identification information. After receiving the indication, the MAC layer sends a corresponding message to the MAC layer of the second device through the SRI interface. After receiving the message, the MAC layer of the second device sends the information (SRI-IP Connectivity Setup) to the IP layer of the second device.

[0103] In some embodiments, the first-layer primitive is the Core Network Routing Indicator (CN Routing Indicator). The IP layer of the first device sends the core network information of the satellite base station connection to the MAC layer. Upon receiving this indication, the MAC layer sends a corresponding message to the MAC layer of the second device via the SRI interface. The MAC layer of the second device, upon receiving this message, sends the information (CN Routing) to the IP layer of the second device. The IP layer of the second device uses this information to complete the satellite IP function for inter-satellite routing in the SRI interface IP protocol, denoted as S-IP (Satellite IP), and the general IP function for terrestrial routing, denoted as G-IP (General IP) to general IP address translation.

[0104] S3: The MAC layer of the first device sends the first message to the MAC layer of the second device.

[0105] In some embodiments, the first message includes first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from the IP layer of the first device. The first message is used to instruct the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device. The first message is transmitted through the SRI interface.

[0106] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the MAC layer of the first device receives the first information sent by the IP layer of the first device, and then sends a first message to the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the MAC layer of the second device. The first message instructs the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device. Thus, when the MAC layer of the second device receives the first message sent by the MAC layer of the first device and determines the first information, it can send the first information to the IP layer of the second device.

[0107] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the MAC layer of the first device sends a first message to the MAC layer of the second device through the SRI interface.

[0108] In some embodiments, the satellite's MAC layer sends a first message to the gateway station's MAC layer via the SRI interface.

[0109] In some embodiments, the MAC layer of the gateway station sends a first message to the MAC layer of the satellite via the SRI interface.

[0110] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the IP layer of the first device can send the identification information of the first device to the IP layer of the second device through the MAC layer.

[0111] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the IP layer of the first device can send core network information to the IP layer of the second device through the MAC layer.

[0112] The relevant descriptions of the identification information and core network information of the first device can be found in the descriptions in the above steps, and will not be repeated here.

[0113] In some embodiments, the MAC layer of the first device sends a first message to the MAC layer of the second device, including: the MAC layer of the first device sending a MAC CE to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC CE includes the first message; or the MAC layer of the first device sending a MAC SDU to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC SDU includes the first message.

[0114] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the MAC layer of the first device sends a MAC CE to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC CE includes a first message, and the MAC layer of the second device receives the MAC CE sent by the MAC layer of the first device and parses the MAC CE to obtain the first information.

[0115] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the MAC layer of the first device sends a MAC SDU to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC SDU includes a first message, and the MAC layer of the second device receives the MAC SDU sent by the MAC layer of the first device and parses the MAC SDU to obtain the first information.

[0116] S4: The MAC layer of the second device sends the fourth layer inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the second device.

[0117] In some embodiments, the fourth inter-layer primitive includes first information.

[0118] In this embodiment of the disclosure, when the MAC layer of the second device receives the first information sent by the MAC layer of the first device, it can send a fourth layer primitive to the IP layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device.

[0119] In this embodiment, the IP layer of the first device sends a first inter-layer primitive to the MAC layer of the first device. The MAC layer of the first device receives the first inter-layer primitive sent by the IP layer of the first device and determines the first information. Then, the MAC layer of the first device sends a first message to the MAC layer of the second device, sending the first information to the MAC layer of the second device. When the MAC layer of the second device receives the first message sent by the MAC layer of the first device and determines the first information, it can send a fourth inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the second device to indicate the first information. The IP layer of the second device receives the fourth inter-layer primitive sent by the MAC layer of the second device and can determine the first information, thereby realizing that the first information of the IP layer of the first device is sent to the IP layer of the second device through the MAC layer.

[0120] The first information includes the identification information and core network information of the first device. The relevant descriptions of the identification information and core network information of the first device can be found in the descriptions in the above steps, and will not be repeated here.

[0121] In some embodiments, the fourth layer primitive is an SRI-IP Connectivity Setup message. The MAC layer of the second device sends an SRI-IP Connectivity Setup message to the IP layer of the second device. The SRI-IP Connectivity Setup message includes first information, thereby enabling the first information to be sent to the IP layer of the second device.

[0122] In some embodiments, the fourth layer primitive is a core network routing (CN Routing) message. The MAC layer of the second device sends a CN Routing message to the IP layer of the second device. The CN Routing message includes first information, thereby enabling the first information to be sent to the IP layer of the second device.

[0123] S5: The MAC layer of the first device sends the second layer inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the first device.

[0124] In some embodiments, the second interlayer primitive is used to indicate that the first information has been sent to the second device.

[0125] In some embodiments, S5 and S4 can be executed simultaneously or in reverse order, or S5 can be executed first and S4 can be executed later.

[0126] In some embodiments, the second layer primitive is an SRI-IP Ack / Nack Indicator message, wherein the MAC layer of the first device sends an SRI-IP Ack Indicator message to the IP layer of the first device, and the SRI-IP Ack Indicator message can be used to indicate that the first information has been sent to the second device.

[0127] S6: The IP layer of the first device sends a Layer 5 inter-process primitive to the MAC layer of the first device.

[0128] In some embodiments, the fifth layer primitive is used to request whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first device.

[0129] In some embodiments, the Layer 5 primitive is the SRI-IP Data Transmission Query (SRI-IP Ack / Nack Request): This is a query request sent by the IP layer of the first device to the MAC layer of the first device regarding the success or failure status of the SRI-IP data packet transmitted via the SRI interface. The status can be queried once or multiple times.

[0130] In some embodiments, the Layer 5 inter-process primitive is an SRI-IP data transmission query (SRI-IP Ack / Nack Request): The IP layer of the first device sends an SRI-IP Ack / Nack Request to the MAC layer of the first device, requesting a query on whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first device. Specifically, the IP layer of the first device sends the Layer 5 inter-process primitive to the MAC layer of the first device based on its own data transmission needs.

[0131] In some embodiments, S6 may be executed before S1.

[0132] In some embodiments, if S1 is omitted, S6 may be executed before S2.

[0133] S7: The MAC layer of the first device sends the sixth layer inter-process primitive to the IP layer of the first device.

[0134] In some embodiments, the sixth layer primitive is used to indicate whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first device.

[0135] In some embodiments, when the first device MAC receives a fifth inter-layer primitive sent by the IP layer of the first device, it sends a sixth inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the first device.

[0136] In some embodiments, the Layer 6 inter-primary primitive is the SRI-IP Ack / Nack Indicator: an indication of whether an SRI-IP data packet sent from the MAC layer of the first device to the IP layer of the first device was successfully or unsuccessfully transmitted via the SRI interface. It can provide feedback on the status of a single transmission or multiple data transmissions.

[0137] In some embodiments, the sixth layer primitive is the SRI-IP Data Transmission Status Indicator (SRI-IP Ack / Nack Indicator): the MAC layer of the first device sends the SRI-IP Ack / Nack Indicator to the IP layer of the first device, and can reply with an SRI-IP Ack / Nack Request to indicate whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first device.

[0138] In some embodiments, S7 can be executed simultaneously with S1 or in an alternate order, for example, S7 is executed first and S1 is executed later.

[0139] In some embodiments, if S1 is omitted, S7 may be executed before S2.

[0140] In some embodiments, S6 can be omitted, and the MAC layer of the first device can send the sixth layer inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the first device on its own.

[0141] In some embodiments, the sixth-level inter-level primitive and the third-level inter-level primitive can be the same primitive.

[0142] S8: The IP layer of the second device sends a Layer 7 inter-process primitive to the MAC layer of the second device.

[0143] In some embodiments, the seventh layer primitive is used to request whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the second device.

[0144] In some embodiments, the Layer 7 primitive is the SRI-IP Ack / Nack Request: This is a query request sent from the IP layer of the second device to the MAC layer of the second device regarding the success or failure status of the SRI-IP data packet sent via the SRI interface. The status can be queried once or multiple times.

[0145] In some embodiments, the Layer 7 inter-process primitive is the SRI-IP Ack / Nack Request: the IP layer of the second device sends an SRI-IP Ack / Nack Request to the MAC layer of the second device, requesting a query on whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the second device. Specifically, the IP layer of the second device sends the Layer 7 inter-process primitive to the MAC layer of the second device based on its own data transmission needs.

[0146] In some embodiments, S8 may be executed before S1.

[0147] In some embodiments, if S1 is omitted, S8 may be executed before S2.

[0148] In some embodiments, S8 can be executed simultaneously with S6 or in a different order, and S8 can be executed simultaneously with S7 or in a different order.

[0149] S9: The MAC layer of the second device sends the layer 8 inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the second device.

[0150] In some embodiments, the eighth layer primitive is used to indicate whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the second device.

[0151] In some embodiments, if the second device MAC receives a seventh inter-layer primitive sent by the IP layer of the second device, it sends an eighth inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the second device.

[0152] In some embodiments, the Layer 8 primitive is the SRI-IP Ack / Nack Indicator: an indication of whether the SRI-IP data packet sent from the MAC layer of the second device to the IP layer of the second device was successfully or unsuccessfully transmitted on the SRI interface. It can provide feedback on the status of one or multiple data transmissions at a time.

[0153] In some embodiments, the eighth layer primitive is the SRI-IP Data Transmission Status Indicator (SRI-IP Ack / Nack Indicator): The MAC layer of the second device sends the SRI-IP Ack / Nack Indicator to the IP layer of the second device, and can reply with an SRI-IP Ack / Nack Request to indicate whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the second device.

[0154] In some embodiments, S8 can be executed simultaneously with S1 or in an alternate order, for example, S8 is executed first and S1 is executed later.

[0155] In some embodiments, if S1 is omitted, S8 may be executed before S2.

[0156] In some embodiments, S8 can be omitted, and the MAC layer of the second device can send the inter-layer 8 primitive to the IP layer of the second device on its own.

[0157] In some embodiments, S9 can be executed simultaneously with S6 or in a different order, and S9 can be executed simultaneously with S7 or in a different order.

[0158] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the services that the IP layer of the first device expects to receive from the MAC layer of the first device include at least one of the following:

[0159] The identity information of the first device's IP layer (i.e., the identification information of the first device) is sent to the IP layer of the second device through the MAC layer of the first device;

[0160] The core network identification information (i.e., core network information) sent by the IP layer of the first device is sent to the IP layer of the second device through the MAC layer of the first device;

[0161] SRI interface status information;

[0162] The IP layer of the first device needs to send data to the second device to check whether the data has been successfully sent.

[0163] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the services provided by the MAC layer of the first device to the IP layer of the first device include at least one of the following:

[0164] After the SRI interface is running normally, the IP layer of the first device is notified that the SRI interface is an available interface;

[0165] Send the SRI interface status to the IP layer of the first device;

[0166] It provides reliable transmission of information for the IP layer of the first device, and sends feedback on the success or failure of sending the information of the IP layer of the first device to the IP layer of the first device through the SRI interface as needed.

[0167] It should be noted that in this embodiment of the disclosure, the first device or the second device is a satellite, which can be understood as the first device or the second device being a satellite-borne base station.

[0168] By implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, the functions of the SRI interface protocol can be defined. The IP layers and MAC layers of the first device and the second device can communicate quickly through inter-layer primitives, enabling the first information of the IP layer of the first device to be quickly transmitted to the IP layer of the second device, thus achieving rapid interaction between the IP layers of the first device and the IP layers of the second device.

[0169] The information transmission method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of S1 to S9. For example, S1 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S2 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S3 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S4 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S5 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S6 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S7 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S8 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S9 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S2+S3 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S3+S4 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S2+S3+S4+S5 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S1+S2+S3+S4+S5 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S1+S5 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S6+S7 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and S8+S9 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0170] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0171] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of another information transmission method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 8, the information transmission method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0172] S10: The IP layer of the first device sends the first inter-layer primitive to the MAC layer of the first device.

[0173] The optional implementation of S10 can be found in the optional implementation of S2 in Figure 6 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0174] In some embodiments, the first interlayer primitive is used to indicate first information.

[0175] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the identification information of the first device and core network information.

[0176] In some embodiments, the first device is a satellite, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network that the satellite wishes to connect to; or the first device is a gateway station, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network available to the satellite.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first device is a satellite and the second device is a gateway station; or the first device is a gateway station and the second device is a satellite.

[0178] S20: The MAC layer of the first device sends the first message to the MAC layer of the second device.

[0179] The optional implementation of S20 can be found in the optional implementation of S3 in Figure 6 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0180] In some embodiments, the first message includes first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from the IP layer of the first device. The first message is used to instruct the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device. The first message is transmitted through the SRI interface.

[0181] In some embodiments, the MAC layer of the first device sends a first message to the MAC layer of the second device, including: the MAC layer of the first device sending a MAC CE to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC CE includes the first message; or the MAC layer of the first device sending a MAC SDU to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC SDU includes the first message.

[0182] S30: The MAC layer of the second device sends a fourth-layer inter-process primitive to the IP layer of the second device.

[0183] The optional implementation of S30 can be found in the optional implementation of S4 in Figure 6 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0184] In some embodiments, the fourth inter-layer primitive includes first information.

[0185] S40: The MAC layer of the first device sends the second inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the first device.

[0186] The optional implementation of S40 can be found in the optional implementation of S5 in Figure 6 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0187] In some embodiments, the second interlayer primitive is used to indicate that the first information has been sent to the second device.

[0188] By implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, the functions of the SRI interface protocol can be defined. The IP layer and MAC layer of the SRI interface of the first device and the second device can communicate through inter-layer primitives, enabling the first information of the IP layer of the SRI interface of the first device to be quickly transmitted to the IP layer of the SRI interface of the second device, thereby realizing fast interaction between the IP layer of the SRI interface of the first device and the IP layer of the SRI interface of the second device.

[0189] The information transmission method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of S10 to S40. For example, S10 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S20 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S30 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S40 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S10+S20 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, S20+S30 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, and S20+S30+S40 may be implemented as an independent embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0190] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0191] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of another information transmission method provided in this disclosure embodiment. As shown in Figure 9, the information transmission method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0192] S100: The IP layer of the first device sends a Layer 5 inter-process primitive to the MAC layer of the first device.

[0193] The optional implementations of S100 can be found in the optional implementations of S6 in Figure 6 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0194] In some embodiments, the fifth layer primitive is used to request whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first device.

[0195] S200: The MAC layer of the first device sends a Layer 6 inter-process primitive to the IP layer of the first device.

[0196] The optional implementation of S200 can be found in the optional implementation of S7 in Figure 6 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0197] In some embodiments, the sixth layer primitive is used to indicate whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first device.

[0198] By implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, the functions of the SRI interface protocol can be defined, and the IP layer and MAC layer of the first device can communicate directly through inter-layer primitives to enable the IP layer information of the SRI interface to be sent directly to the MAC layer.

[0199] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the interaction flow of another information transmission method provided in this disclosure embodiment. As shown in Figure 10, the information transmission method may include, but is not limited to, the following steps:

[0200] S1000: The IP layer of the second device sends a Layer 7 inter-process primitive to the MAC layer of the second device.

[0201] The optional implementations of S1000 can be found in the optional implementations of S8 in Figure 6 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0202] In some embodiments, the seventh layer primitive is used to request whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the second device.

[0203] S2000: The MAC layer of the second device sends the layer 8 inter-layer primitive to the IP layer of the second device.

[0204] The optional implementation of S2000 can be found in the optional implementation of S9 in Figure 6 and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 6, which will not be repeated here.

[0205] In some embodiments, the eighth layer primitive is used to indicate whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the second device.

[0206] By implementing the embodiments of this disclosure, the SRI interface protocol functions can be defined, and the IP layer and MAC layer of the second device can communicate directly through inter-layer primitives to enable the IP layer information of the SRI interface to be sent directly to the MAC layer.

[0207] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this disclosure, an exemplary embodiment is provided.

[0208] In the exemplary embodiment, the SRI interface protocol stack is part of the TNL (Transport Network Layer) in the NG interface. The IP (sub) layer serves as the routing protocol layer for implementing the connection from the satellite to the core network. Information exchanged between the satellite and the core network is forwarded to the target device through the gateway station. The SRI interface is a direct connection between the gateway station (NTN Gateway) and the satellite. The IP routing transmission between the satellite and the gateway station is point-to-point. Considering the transmission characteristics between the satellite and the gateway station in the SRI interface, a lightweight IP protocol is defined in the SRI interface, denoted as SRI-IP.

[0209] The SRI interface IP protocol consists of three parts: SRI-IP functionality, G-IP (General IP) functionality for terrestrial routing, and S-IP (Satellite IP) functionality for satellite-to-satellite routing.

[0210] The G-IP function is an IP translation function in the SRI interface of the gateway station. According to the functional definition of SRI-IP, it translates SRI-IP packets into general IP packets for routing, or processes general IP packets into SRI-IP packets and sends them to the satellite base station. It also implements IP packet routing between the gateway station cluster or between the gateway station and the core network using general IP packets, sending them to the destination Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) / User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

[0211] The S-IP function is the IP function of inter-satellite IP routing. According to the IP protocol function definition of inter-satellite routing, it realizes data routing between satellites directly connected to gateway stations and data source satellites.

[0212] SRI-IP, as an interface protocol between high-speed moving satellites and relatively stationary ground gateways, needs to have the ability to quickly establish connections and implement plug-and-play services in order to support the high-speed motion effects of satellites.

[0213] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 7, the SRI interface IP layer plug-and-play scheme defines interlayer service primitives between the MAC (sub) layer (belonging to L2: Layer2) and the SRI-IP (sub) layer (belonging to L3: Layer3).

[0214] In some embodiments, the SRI-IP layer and the MAC layer directly transmit or interact with each other, enabling the MAC layer to provide services to the SRI-IP layer through inter-layer primitives (the lower layer provides services to the upper layer, service from L2).

[0215] In some embodiments, the SRI-IP layer expects one of the following services from the MAC layer:

[0216] 1. SRI-IP layer identification information is sent to the peer's SRI-IP layer via the MAC layer;

[0217] 2. The expected core network identification information sent by the SRI-IP layer is transmitted to the peer's SRI-IP layer through the MAC layer;

[0218] 3. SRI interface status information;

[0219] 4. The status of whether SRI-IP layer data transmission was successful or not.

[0220] In some embodiments, the MAC layer provides one of the following services to the SRI-IP layer:

[0221] 1. After the SRI interface is running normally, notify the SRI-IP layer that the SRI interface is an available interface;

[0222] 2. Report the SRI interface status;

[0223] 3. Provide reliable transmission of SRI-IP layer information, and provide feedback on the success or failure of SRI port transmission to the SRI-IP layer as needed.

[0224] In some embodiments, interlayer primitives of the SRI-IP layer and the MAC layer.

[0225] SRI-IP layer identification information: This includes the assigned, specified, or configured SRI-IP layer ID or IP address, or other identifier that uniquely identifies the SRI-IP layer. If it's an ID, it can be the device ID of a satellite-based base station or gateway station used as the SRI-IP identifier (each satellite-based base station and gateway station has one and only one SRI-IP layer functional entity). If it's an IP address, it can be the SRI-IP layer's IP address. SRI-IP layer identification information can be pre-assigned during device startup, uploaded by the operation and control system, allocated through the operation and maintenance system, or configured via signaling.

[0226] The SRI-IP layer provides the core network above it with identification information: an ID or IP address assigned, specified, or configured for the core network, or other identifier that uniquely identifies the core network. If it's an ID, it could be a core network ID defined by 3GPP. If it's an IP address, it could be the IP address assigned during core network deployment.

[0227] SRI interface status: Reflects the success rate of SRI data transmission, including but not limited to: BLER (Block Error Rate), Residual BLER (the percentage of transmissions that still fail after reaching the retransmission count), the number or percentage of successful transmissions in one go, the percentage of successful transmissions after retransmissions, the percentage of successful transmissions for each retransmission count (1 retransmission, 2 retransmissions, ..., etc.), the number of times the gateway station is switched in the same area, and other related statuses.

[0228] The inter-layer primitives for the SIR-IP layer and the MAC layer are:

[0229] 1. The SRI interface can provide a service indicator (SRI Interface Indicator): The MAC layer sends this to the SRI-IP layer, notifying the SRI-IP layer that the SRI interface between the satellite and the gateway station has been successfully established and data transmission can proceed.

[0230] 2. SRI-IP Connectivity Setup Indicator: The SRI-IP layer sends the SRI-IP connection setup indicator to the MAC layer, carrying the SRI-IP layer's identification information. After receiving the indicator, the MAC layer sends the corresponding message to the peer MAC layer through the SRI port. After receiving the message, the peer MAC layer sends the information (SRI-IP Connectivity Setup) to the peer's SRI-IP layer.

[0231] 3. Core Network Routing Indicator (CN): This is the core network information for the satellite base station connection sent from the SRI-IP layer to the MAC layer. Upon receiving this indication, the MAC layer sends a corresponding message to the peer MAC layer via the SRI interface. The peer MAC layer, upon receiving this, forwards the information (CN Routing) to the peer's SRI-IP layer. The SRI-IP layer uses this information to complete the address translation from S-IP and G-IP to generic IP.

[0232] 4. SRI-IP Data Transmission Query (SRI-IP Ack / Nack Request): This is a status query request sent from the SRI-IP layer to the MAC layer regarding the success or failure of SRI-IP data transmission on the SRI interface. It can query the status of a single transmission or multiple transmissions.

[0233] 5. SRI-IP Data Transmission Status Indicator (SRI-IP Ack / Nack Indicator): An indication sent from the MAC layer to the SRI-IP layer whether the SRI-IP data packet was successfully or failed to be transmitted on the SRI interface. It can provide feedback on the status of a single transmission, a single transmission, or multiple transmissions.

[0234] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG11, the plug-and-play process between SRI-IP peer layers.

[0235] The SRI-IP plug-and-play process can be initiated by either a gateway station or a satellite. After the SRI-IP layer connection is established, information between the satellite base station and the core network can be sent to the peer. Figure 11 shows the SRI-IP layer plug-and-play flowchart.

[0236] 1. The SRI interface is synchronized through the MAC layer, that is, the SRI interface connection is established between the peer MAC layers of the satellite and the gateway station.

[0237] 2. The MAC layers of the satellite and the gateway station notify their respective SRI-IP layers via the SRI Interface Indicator message: The SRI interface connection has been established and data transmission can proceed.

[0238] The gateway station initiates the SRI-IP layer plug-and-play process (the receiver is a satellite, and the transmitter is a gateway station):

[0239] 3. The sending SRI-IP layer sends the SRI-IP Connectivity Setup Indicator to the sending MAC layer, instructing the sending MAC layer to send the SRI-IP identity information to the receiving SRI-IP layer via the receiving MAC layer.

[0240] 4. The MAC layers at both ends of the SRI interface complete the transmission of SRI-IP identity information. The MAC layer can send this information by defining a dedicated MAC CE (MAC Control Element) or by using a MAC SDU (MAC layer data packet).

[0241] 5. After the receiving MAC layer successfully receives the data, it parses the MAC CE or MAC SDU and sends the SRI-IP identity information to the receiving SRI-IP layer through the SRI-IP Connectivity Setup message.

[0242] 6. After the sending end's MAC layer completes the data transmission (data is successfully transmitted on the SRI interface), it uses the SRI-IP Ack / Nack Indicator message to indicate to the sending end's SRI-IP that the data has been successfully transmitted on the SRI interface.

[0243] Assigning a core network to the satellite by the ground gateway station is an optional configuration.

[0244] 7. After the SRI-IP connection is successfully established, the sending gateway station specifies the available core network to the receiving satellite and sends a CN Routing Indicator message.

[0245] 8. The MAC layers at both ends of the SRI interface complete the transmission of core network identity information. The MAC layer can transmit this information by defining a dedicated MAC CE (MAC Control Element) or by using MAC SDU (MAC layer data packets).

[0246] 9. After the receiving MAC layer successfully receives the data, it parses the MAC CE or MAC SDU and sends the CN identity information to the receiving SRI-IP layer through a CN Routing message.

[0247] Satellite initiates SRI-IP layer plug-and-play process (receiver is gateway station, sender is satellite):

[0248] 3. The sending SRI-IP layer sends the SRI-IP Connectivity Setup Indicator to the sending MAC layer, instructing the sending MAC layer to send the SRI-IP identity information to the receiving SRI-IP layer via the receiving MAC layer.

[0249] 4. The MAC layers at both ends of the SRI interface complete the transmission of SRI-IP identity information. The MAC layer can send this information by defining a dedicated MAC CE (MAC Control Element) or by using a MAC SDU (MAC layer data packet).

[0250] 5. After the receiving MAC layer successfully receives the data, it parses the MAC CE or MAC SDU and sends the SRI-IP identity information to the receiving SRI-IP layer through the SRI-IP Connectivity Setup message.

[0251] 6. After the sending end's MAC layer completes the data transmission (data is successfully transmitted on the SRI interface), it uses the SRI-IP Ack / Nack Indicator message to indicate to the sending end's SRI-IP that the data has been successfully transmitted on the SRI interface.

[0252] The satellite-designated core network is an optional configuration.

[0253] 7. After the SRI-IP connection is successfully established, the transmitting satellite sends the core network information of the desired connection to the receiving gateway station and sends a CN Routing Indicator message.

[0254] 8. The MAC layers at both ends of the SRI interface complete the transmission of core network identity information. The MAC layer can transmit this information by defining a dedicated MAC CE (MAC Control Element) or by using MAC SDU (MAC layer data packets).

[0255] 9. After the receiving MAC layer successfully receives the data, it parses the MAC CE or MAC SDU and sends the CN identity information to the receiving SRI-IP layer through a CN Routing message.

[0256] SRI-IP layer's routine query operations on the MAC layer:

[0257] 10. The SRI-IP layer sends a status query message (SRI-IP Ack / Nack Request) to the MAC layer via the SRI interface. The SRI-IP layer initiates the query based on its own data transmission requirements to the MAC layer.

[0258] 11. After receiving the data transmission status request, the MAC layer replies with an SRI-IP Ack / Nack Indicator message to report the data transmission status.

[0259] It should be noted that the relevant descriptions in the process shown in Figure 11 can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0260] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the SRI-IP plug-and-play process is realized through the MAC layer; peer-to-peer SRI-IP layer identity information is quickly exchanged; the core network that the base station needs to connect to transmits data quickly through SRI-IP; and the MAC layer provides reliable SRI data transmission.

[0261] Figure 12 is a structural diagram of a first device 10 provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 12, the first device 10 includes a transceiver module 11.

[0262] The transceiver module 11 is used to send a first message from the MAC layer of the first device to the MAC layer of the second device. The first message includes first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from the IP layer of the first device. The first message is used to instruct the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device. The first message is transmitted through the SRI interface.

[0263] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 11 is further configured to send a first inter-layer primitive from the IP layer of the first device to the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the first inter-layer primitive is used to indicate first information.

[0264] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 11 is further configured to send a second inter-layer primitive from the MAC layer of the first device to the IP layer of the first device, wherein the second inter-layer primitive is used to indicate that the first information has been sent to the second device.

[0265] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 11 is further configured to send a third-layer primitive from the MAC layer of the first device to the IP layer of the first device, wherein the third-layer primitive is used to indicate that a communication connection with the second device has been established.

[0266] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 11 is further configured to send a fifth-layer inter-primitive from the IP layer of the first device to the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the fifth-layer inter-primitive is used to request whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first device.

[0267] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 11 is further configured to send a sixth-layer inter-primitive from the MAC layer of the first device to the IP layer of the first device, wherein the sixth-layer inter-primitive is used to indicate whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first device.

[0268] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 11 is specifically used to send a MAC CE from the MAC layer of the first device to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC CE includes a first message; or the MAC layer of the first device sends a MAC SDU from the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC SDU includes a first message.

[0269] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first device; core network information.

[0270] In some embodiments, the first device is a satellite, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network that the satellite wishes to connect to; or the first device is a gateway station, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network available to the satellite.

[0271] In some embodiments, the first device is a satellite and the second device is a gateway station; or the first device is a gateway station and the second device is a satellite.

[0272] It should be noted that the explanations and descriptions of the information transmission method embodiments in the foregoing embodiments also apply to the first device in this embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0273] It should be noted that the beneficial effects achieved by the first device are the same as those achieved by the information transmission method in the aforementioned embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0274] Figure 13 is a structural diagram of a second device 20 provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 13, the second device 20 includes a transceiver module 21.

[0275] The transceiver module 21 is used for the MAC layer of the second device to receive a first message sent by the MAC layer of the first device. The first message includes first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from the IP layer of the first device. The first message is used to instruct the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device. The first message is transmitted through the SRI interface. The transceiver module 21 is also used for the MAC layer of the second device to send a fourth layer primitive to the IP layer of the second device. The fourth layer primitive includes the first information.

[0276] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 21 is further configured to send a seventh-layer primitive from the IP layer of the second device to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the seventh-layer primitive is used to request whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the second device.

[0277] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 21 is further configured to send an inter-layer eighth primitive from the MAC layer of the second device to the IP layer of the second device, wherein the inter-layer eighth primitive is used to indicate whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the second device.

[0278] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 21 is specifically configured to receive a MAC CE sent by the MAC layer of the first device from the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC CE includes a first message; or the MAC layer of the second device receives a MAC SDU sent by the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the MAC SDU includes a first message.

[0279] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: identification information of the first device; core network information.

[0280] In some embodiments, the first device is a satellite, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network that the satellite wishes to connect to; or the first device is a gateway station, and the core network information is used to indicate the core network available to the satellite.

[0281] In some embodiments, the first device is a satellite and the second device is a gateway station; or the first device is a gateway station and the second device is a satellite.

[0282] It should be noted that the explanations and descriptions of the information transmission method embodiments in the foregoing embodiments also apply to the second device in this embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0283] It should be noted that the beneficial effects achieved by the second device are the same as those achieved by the information transmission method in the aforementioned embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0284] Figure 14 is a structural diagram of a communication system provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 14, the communication system 100 may include a first device 10 as shown in Figure 12 and a second device 20 as shown in Figure 13.

[0285] It should be noted that the foregoing explanation of the information transmission method embodiment also applies to the communication system of this embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0286] It should be noted that the beneficial effects achieved by the communication system are the same as those achieved by the information transmission method in the aforementioned embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0287] Figure 15 is a block diagram of a communication device for implementing an information transmission method according to an exemplary embodiment. It should be noted that the communication device 1800 in this embodiment can be used to implement the method described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiments. As shown in Figure 15, the communication device 1800 includes:

[0288] One or more processors 1801. Processor 1801 can be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminals, terminal chips, distributed units (DUs) or centralized units (CUs), execute programs, and process program data. Processor 1801 is used to invoke instructions to cause communication device 1800 to execute any of the above methods.

[0289] In some embodiments, the communication device 1800 further includes one or more memories 1802 for storing instructions. In some embodiments, all or part of the memories 1802 may also be located outside the communication device 1800. In some embodiments, the communication device 1800 further includes one or more transceivers 1803. When the communication device 1800 includes one or more transceivers 1803, the communication steps such as sending and receiving in the above method are performed by the transceivers 1803, and other steps are performed by the processor 1801.

[0290] In some embodiments, transceiver 1803 may include a receiver and a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. In some embodiments, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, and transceiver circuit are interchangeable; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, and transmitting circuit are interchangeable; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, and receiving circuit are interchangeable. In some embodiments, communication device 1800 further includes one or more interface circuits 1804 connected to memory 1802. Interface circuits 1804 can be used to receive signals from memory 1802 or other devices, and can be used to send signals to memory 1802 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 1804 can read instructions stored in memory 1802 and send those instructions to processor 1801.

[0291] The communication device 1800 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a space terminal, but the scope of the communication device 1800 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 1800 may not be limited by FIG15. The communication device may be a standalone device or may be part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit (IC), or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, in some embodiments, the above IC collection may also include storage components for storing data and programs; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal, smart terminal, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0292] It should be noted that the implementation process and technical principles of the communication device in this embodiment are explained in the foregoing description of the information transmission method of this disclosure embodiment, and will not be repeated here.

[0293] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide a chip. Figure 16 is a structural diagram of a chip according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0294] As shown in Figure 16, the chip 1900 includes a processor 1901 and an interface circuit 1902. The number of processors 1901 and the number of interface circuits 1902 can be one or more.

[0295] Optionally, the chip also includes a memory 1903 for storing necessary computer programs and data; an interface circuit 1902 for receiving signals from the memory 1903 and sending signals to the processor 1901, the signals including computer instructions stored in the memory 1903, and when the processor 1901 executes the computer instructions, causing the communication device to perform the information transmission method described in the above embodiments of this disclosure.

[0296] To implement the above embodiments, this disclosure also proposes a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the information transmission method of the above embodiments.

[0297] To implement the above embodiments, this disclosure also provides a computer program product that, when executed by an instruction processor, performs the information transmission method of the above embodiments.

[0298] It should be noted that in the description of this disclosure, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Furthermore, in the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0299] Any process or method description in the flowchart or otherwise herein can be understood as representing a module, segment, or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing a particular logical function or process, and the scope of preferred embodiments of this disclosure includes additional implementations in which functions may be performed not in the order shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order depending on the function involved, as will be understood by those skilled in the art to which embodiments of this disclosure pertain.

[0300] It should be understood that various parts of this disclosure can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented using software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0301] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the steps of the methods described in the above embodiments can be implemented by a program instructing related hardware, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When executed, the program includes one or a combination of the steps of the method embodiments.

[0302] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this disclosure can be integrated into a processing module, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into a module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional module. If the integrated module is implemented as a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The aforementioned storage medium can be a read-only memory, a disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0303] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0304] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method of information transmission, characterized in that, The method is performed by a first device, comprising: a media access control (MAC) layer of the first device sends a first message to a MAC layer of a second device, wherein the first message comprises first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from an Internet Protocol (IP) layer of the first device, and the first message is used to instruct the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to an IP layer of the second device, and the first message is transmitted through a satellite radio interface (SRI) interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The method further comprises: the IP layer of the first device sends a first interlayer primitive to the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the first interlayer primitive is used to instruct the first information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein, The method further comprises: the MAC layer of the first device sends a second interlayer primitive to the IP layer of the first device, wherein the second interlayer primitive is used to instruct that the first information has been sent to the second device.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The method further comprises: the MAC layer of the first device sends a third interlayer primitive to the IP layer of the first device, wherein the third interlayer primitive is used to instruct that a communication connection with the second device has been established.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The method further comprises: the IP layer of the first device sends a fifth interlayer primitive to the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the fifth interlayer primitive is used to request to query whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first device; and the MAC layer of the first device sends a sixth interlayer primitive to the IP layer of the first device, wherein the sixth interlayer primitive is used to instruct whether the MAC layer of the first device supports receiving data sent by the IP layer of the first.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The MAC layer of the first device sends a first message to the MAC layer of the second device, comprising: the MAC layer of the first device sends a MAC control element (CE) to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC CE comprises the first message; or the MAC layer of the first device sends a MAC service data unit (SDU) to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the MAC SDU comprises the first message.

7. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The first information comprises at least one of: identification information of the first device; and core network information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein: the first device is a satellite, and the core network information is used to instruct a core network of the satellite connection; or the first device is a gateway station, and the core network information is used to instruct a core network available to the satellite.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: the first device is a satellite, and the second device is a gateway station; or the first device is a gateway station, and the second device is a satellite.

10. An information transmission method characterized by comprising: The method is performed by a second device, comprising: a MAC layer of the second device receives a first message sent by a MAC layer of a first device, wherein the first message comprises first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from a IP layer of the first device, and the first message is used to instruct the MAC layer of the first device to send the first information to the IP layer of the first device, and the first message is transmitted through an SRI interface. The MAC layer of the second device sends a fourth interlayer primitive to the IP layer of the second device, wherein the fourth interlayer primitive comprises the first information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The method further comprises: The IP layer of the second device sends a seventh interlayer primitive to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the seventh interlayer primitive is used to request to query whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving the data sent by the IP layer of the second device. The MAC layer of the second device sends an eighth interlayer primitive to the IP layer of the second device, wherein the eighth interlayer primitive is used to indicate whether the MAC layer of the second device supports receiving the data sent by the IP layer of the first device.

12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein, The MAC layer of the second device receives the first message sent by the MAC layer of the first device, comprising: The MAC layer of the second device receives the MAC CE sent by the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the MAC CE comprises the first message; or The MAC layer of the second device receives the MAC SDU sent by the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the MAC SDU comprises the first message.

13. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein, The first information comprises at least one of: identification information of the first device; core network information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein: the first device is a satellite, and the core network information is used to indicate a core network to which the satellite is connected; or the first device is a gateway station, and the core network information is used to indicate a core network available to the satellite.

15. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein: the first device is a satellite, and the second device is a gateway station; or the first device is a gateway station, and the second device is a satellite.

16. A first device, comprising: comprise: a transceiver module, configured to send, by the MAC layer of the first device, a first message to the MAC layer of the second device, wherein the first message comprises first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from the IP layer of the first device, and the first message is used to instruct the MAC layer of the second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device, and the first message is transmitted through an SRI interface.

17. A second device, comprising: comprise: a transceiver module, configured to receive, by the MAC layer of the second device, a first message sent by the MAC layer of the first device, wherein the first message comprises first information obtained by the MAC layer of the first device from an IP layer of the first device, and the first message is used to instruct the MAC layer of a second device to send the first information to the IP layer of the second device, and the first information is transmitted through an SRI interface; the transceiver module is further configured to send, by the MAC layer of the second device, a fourth interlayer primitive to the IP layer of the second device, wherein the fourth interlayer comprises the first information.

18. A communication device, characterized by comprise: at least one processor; and a memory connected to the at least one processor in communication; wherein The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, the instructions being executable by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 9, or the instructions being executable by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 10 to 15.

19. A communication system, characterized by The computer storage medium stores computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, enable performance of the method of any one of claims 1 to 9, or the computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, enable performance of the method of any of claims 10 to 15.

20. A computer storage medium, comprising, ​

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