Communication methods, communication device, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to communication methods, a communication device, a storage medium, and a program product. A communication method comprises: a terminal performing a communication service with a first-type cell; and, after the communication service has been completed, in response to a second-type cell satisfying a condition, the terminal camping on the second-type cell, wherein the coverage range of the first-type cell is smaller than the coverage range of the second-type cell, or the second-type cell is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, the altitude of a satellite corresponding to the second-type cell being higher than an altitude threshold, and the first-type cell being different from the second-type cell. The embodiments of the present disclosure can save the power consumption of terminals.

Description

Communication methods, communication equipment, storage media and software products Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to communication methods, communication devices, storage media, and program products. Background Technology

[0002] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) provide wireless resources via satellites (or drones). In multi-orbit satellite NTN network deployment scenarios, idle / inactive terminals will camp on low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite cells with better signal quality. LEO satellite cells have smaller coverage areas compared to high-Earth orbit (HEO) satellite cells. When LEO satellites move at high speeds, they trigger frequent neighbor cell measurements and cell reselection by the terminals, increasing their power consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0003] How to save power consumption in the terminal is a problem that needs to be solved.

[0004] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, storage media, and program products.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is proposed, comprising: a terminal engaging in communication services with a first type of cell; and, upon completion of the communication services, in response to a second type of cell meeting certain conditions, the terminal camping on the second type of cell; wherein the coverage area of ​​the first type of cell is smaller than the coverage area of ​​the second type of cell; or, the second type of cell is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is located at an altitude higher than an altitude threshold, and the first type of cell is different from the second type of cell.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is proposed, comprising: in response to a second type of cell meeting certain conditions, a terminal camping on the second type of cell; in response to a communication service triggering, the terminal performing cell reselection or switching to a first type of cell to perform the communication service; wherein the coverage area of ​​the first type of cell is smaller than the coverage area of ​​the second type of cell; or, the second type of cell is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is located at an altitude higher than an altitude threshold, and the first type of cell is different from the second type of cell.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided for performing the communication method of any of the above aspects.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions which, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a program product is provided, comprising at least one of a program and instructions, wherein when the program and instructions are executed by a communication device, the computer program implements the method of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0010] Through the embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal communicates with a first type of cell. After the communication service is completed, in response to the second type of cell meeting the conditions, the terminal camps in the second type of cell. The coverage area of ​​the first type of cell is smaller than the coverage area of ​​the second type of cell, or the altitude of the orbit of the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is greater than the altitude threshold. That is, the terminal camps in a high-orbit NTN cell, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal. Attached Figure Description

[0011] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0012] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 3A is a schematic flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 3B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the terminal proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0019] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0020] Figure 4C is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0023] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, storage media, and program products.

[0024] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method, comprising: a terminal engaging in communication services with a first type of cell; upon completion of the communication services, in response to a second type of cell meeting certain conditions, the terminal camping on the second type of cell; wherein the coverage area of ​​the first type of cell is smaller than the coverage area of ​​the second type of cell; or, the second type of cell is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is located at an altitude higher than an altitude threshold, and the first type of cell is different from the second type of cell.

[0025] In the above embodiments, the terminal communicates with the first type of cell. After the communication service is completed, in response to the second type of cell meeting the conditions, the terminal camps in the second type of cell. The coverage area of ​​the first type of cell is smaller than the coverage area of ​​the second type of cell, or the altitude of the orbit of the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is greater than the altitude threshold. That is, the terminal camps in the high-orbit NTN cell, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal.

[0026] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second type of cell satisfies at least one of the following conditions: the second type of cell satisfies the cell selection criteria; the signal quality of the second type of cell is greater than a quality threshold.

[0027] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the terminal performs communication services with a first type of cell, including: the terminal performs downlink synchronization with the first type of cell based on auxiliary information of the first type of cell; the terminal receives system messages sent by a first network device and performs a random access procedure, wherein the first network device is the network device to which the first type of cell belongs; and the terminal performs data transmission with the first network device.

[0028] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, after the communication service is completed, the method further includes: the terminal receiving first indication information sent by a first network device, the first indication information being used to instruct the terminal to camp on the second type of cell.

[0029] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, after the communication service is completed, the method further includes: in response to the terminal being in a disconnected state, the terminal determines whether the second type of cell meets the conditions.

[0030] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: in response to a communication service trigger, the terminal performs cell reselection or switches to a first type of cell to perform the communication service.

[0031] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the communication service triggering includes at least one of the following: the terminal receives a paging message sent by a second network device, the second network device being the network device to which the second type of cell belongs; the higher layer of the terminal sends a first message to the terminal's Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, the first message being used to indicate a calling service.

[0032] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first type of cell is an NTN cell or a terrestrial network NT cell.

[0033] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose a communication method, including: in response to a second type of cell meeting certain conditions, a terminal camps on the second type of cell; in response to a communication service triggering, the terminal performs cell reselection or switches to a first type of cell to perform the communication service; wherein the coverage area of ​​the first type of cell is smaller than the coverage area of ​​the second type of cell; or, the second type of cell is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is located at an altitude higher than an altitude threshold, and the first type of cell is different from the second type of cell.

[0034] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second type of cell satisfies at least one of the following conditions: the second type of cell satisfies the cell selection criteria; the signal quality of the second type of cell is greater than a quality threshold.

[0035] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the communication service triggering includes at least one of the following: the terminal receives a paging message sent by a second network device, the second network device being the network device to which the second type of cell belongs, the paging message being used to initiate a called service; the higher layer of the terminal sends a first message to the terminal's Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, the first message being used to indicate a calling service.

[0036] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the paging message includes at least one of the following: second indication information for instructing the terminal to reselect to a first type of cell; the quality of service characteristics of the called service; and the identifier of the first type of cell.

[0037] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first message includes at least one of the following: third indication information for instructing the terminal to reselect to a first type of cell; and the quality of service characteristics of the calling service.

[0038] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the terminal performs cell reselection, including: the terminal performs cell reselection based on the location information and / or signal quality of the first type of cell.

[0039] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: the terminal receiving location information of the first type of cell sent by a second network device, wherein the second network device is the network device to which the second type of cell belongs.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: the terminal performing relaxed radio resource management (RRM) measurements on the second type of cell to obtain the signal quality of the second type of cell.

[0041] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the terminal performs cell reselection and switches to a first type of cell to perform the communication service, including: the terminal determines a target cell from the first type of cell; the terminal performs downlink synchronization with the target cell based on auxiliary information of the target cell; the terminal receives a system message sent by a first network device and performs a random access procedure, wherein the first network device is the network device to which the target cell belongs.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: after the communication service is completed, in response to the second type of cell meeting the conditions, the terminal camps on the second type of cell.

[0043] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first type of cell is an NTN cell or a terrestrial network NT cell.

[0044] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device for performing the communication method described in any of the above aspects.

[0045] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system including a terminal, a first network device, and a second network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the communication method of the first or second aspect.

[0046] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0047] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, wherein when the program and instructions are executed by a communication device, the computer program implements the method of the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0048] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform any of the communication methods described above.

[0049] It is understood that the aforementioned communication devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, etc., are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0050] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products. In some embodiments, the terms communication method, information processing method, information sending method, and information receiving method may be used interchangeably.

[0051] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments. In all embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0052] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0053] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0054] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0055] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of A or B, at least one of A and B”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0056] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether there is a branch B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether there is a branch A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0057] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether a branch B exists); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether a branch A exists); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0058] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0059] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0060] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0061] In some embodiments, terms such as “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “when…”, “if…”, etc. can be used interchangeably. These descriptions all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not necessarily limit the time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there must be other limitations.

[0062] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0063] In some embodiments, devices, etc., may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as “device,” “equipment,” “circuit,” “network element,” “network function,” “network device,” “function,” “node,” “unit,” “section,” “system,” “network,” “chip,” “chip system,” “entity,” and “subject” are interchangeable.

[0064] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0065] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0066] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0067] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0068] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0069] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0070] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0071] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0072] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes at least one of a terminal 101, a first network device 102, and a second network device 103.

[0074] In this embodiment of the disclosure, when the conditions are met, the terminal 101 camps on a second type of cell. The second type of cell can be an high-orbit NTN cell, and the altitude of the orbit of the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is greater than the altitude threshold.

[0075] In this embodiment of the disclosure, in response to a communication service trigger, terminal 101 performs cell reselection or switches to a first type of cell for communication services. The first type of cell may be a low-Earth orbit NTN cell or a TN cell.

[0076] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the first network device 102 may be a network device belonging to a first type of cell, and the second network device 103 may be a network device belonging to a second type of cell.

[0077] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, for example, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0078] In some embodiments, the network device may include at least one of an access network device and a core network device.

[0079] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system.

[0080] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0081] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0082] In some embodiments, a core network device may be a single device comprising one or more network elements, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of the aforementioned one or more network elements. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), or a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0083] It is understood that the 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 proposed 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 proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0084] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1A, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1A are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1A, or it may include other main bodies outside of FIG1A. The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0085] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0086] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) provide wireless resources via satellites (or drones) instead of terrestrial base stations.

[0087] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of a non-terrestrial network architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0088] As shown in Figure 1B, the satellite or Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) platform is located in the air. The satellite communicates with the gateway via a feeder link, and the gateway interacts with the data network. The satellite communicates with user equipment via a service link, and the user equipment is located within the satellite's beam footprint.

[0089] In some embodiments, the signal processing can be divided into transparent transmission mode and regeneration mode, depending on the satellite signal processing method. In transparent transmission mode, the NTN ground station transmits the gNB signal to the satellite. The satellite converts the signal to its own frequency band and then transmits it to the UE. Apart from frequency conversion and signal amplification, the satellite does not demodulate the gNB signal, similar to a repeater. In regeneration mode, after the NTN ground station transmits the gNB signal to the satellite, the satellite first demodulates and decodes the signal and then re-encodes and modulates it (this process is regeneration) and transmits the regenerated signal through the satellite frequency band.

[0090] In some embodiments, in a 5G NR system, the cell reselection process refers to the process by which a mobile device (also known as a terminal, user equipment, such as a smartphone) initiates a cell reselection mechanism when it detects that the signal quality of the current serving cell has dropped below a threshold, in order to try to find a cell with a better signal and more suitable for communication, and then switches to that cell for communication.

[0091] The cell reselection process may include the following steps:

[0092] Measuring neighboring cell signals: When the signal quality of the serving cell deteriorates, mobile devices measure the signal quality of surrounding neighboring cells. These measurements typically include metrics such as Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP) and Reference Signal Receiving Quality (RSRQ).

[0093] Ranking and evaluation: Mobile devices rank neighboring cells based on measurement results and evaluate whether cell reselection is necessary. The ranking is usually based on signal strength and network configuration parameters, such as cell reselection priority.

[0094] Triggering cell reselection: When certain conditions are met, such as when the signal of the current serving cell is below a certain threshold, or when there is a neighboring cell with a significantly better signal, the mobile device will trigger the cell reselection process.

[0095] Perform reselection: After the target cell is determined, the mobile device will perform steps such as synchronizing with the new cell and reading system information.

[0096] In multi-orbit satellite NTN network deployments, terminals in the idle / inactive state may reside in low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite cells with better signal quality. LEO satellite cells have a smaller coverage area compared to high-Earth orbit (HEO) satellite cells. When LEO satellites move at high speeds, they trigger frequent neighbor cell measurements and cell reselection by the terminals, increasing the power consumption of terminals in the idle / inactive state.

[0097] In view of this, the present disclosure provides a communication method in which a terminal communicates with a first type of cell. After the communication service is completed, in response to a second type of cell meeting certain conditions, the terminal camps in the second type of cell. The coverage area of ​​the first type of cell is smaller than that of the second type of cell, or the altitude of the orbit of the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is greater than an altitude threshold. That is, the terminal camps in a high-orbit NTN cell, which can reduce the power consumption of the terminal.

[0098] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0099] As shown in Figure 2A, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes the following steps.

[0100] In step S2101, terminal 101 determines that it is camped in the second type of cell.

[0101] In some embodiments, if certain conditions are met, the terminal determines that it is camped in a second type of cell.

[0102] In some embodiments, the terminal communicates with a first type of cell, which may be a called service or a calling service.

[0103] In some embodiments, after a communication service is completed, the terminal can determine whether the second type of cell meets the conditions, and in response to the second type of cell meeting the conditions, the terminal camps on the second type of cell.

[0104] In some embodiments, the coverage area of ​​the first type of cell is smaller than that of the second type of cell. That is, when conducting communication services, the terminal communicates with the first type of cell with smaller coverage area, and after the communication service is completed, the terminal camps on the second type of cell with larger coverage area.

[0105] In some embodiments, the second type of cell is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, and the altitude of the orbit of the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is greater than an altitude threshold. The altitude threshold can be set according to actual conditions, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0106] In some embodiments, the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is a high-orbit satellite, and the second type of cell may also be called a high-orbit NTN cell.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first type of cell is an NTN cell or a TN cell, and the altitude of the orbit of the satellite corresponding to the first type of cell is less than or equal to an altitude threshold.

[0108] In some embodiments, the altitude of the satellite corresponding to the first type of cell is lower than the altitude of the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell.

[0109] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in a disconnected state, it camps on a second type of cell. The disconnected state can be an idle state or an inactive state. When the terminal is performing a communication service, i.e., when the terminal is in a connected state, it communicates with a first type of cell. After the communication service is completed, the terminal returns to the disconnected state, and in response to being in a disconnected state, it re-camps on the second type of cell.

[0110] In some embodiments, the conditions for a second type of cell to meet the following criteria include at least one of the following: the second type of cell meets the cell selection criteria; the signal quality of the second type of cell is greater than a quality threshold. The cell selection criteria may be, for example, the S-criteria, and the quality threshold may also be called a threshold value. The quality threshold can be set according to actual conditions, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0111] Cell selection or reselection involves the S criterion and the R criterion. The S criterion primarily refers to S... rxlev >0 and S qual >0. Where S rxlev Select the level for the cell, S qual Cell quality is selected. The cells selected or reselected by the terminal must satisfy the S criterion. The R criterion primarily refers to: Rs = Q. meas,s +Q hyst –Q offsettemp Rn = Q meas,n -Q offset -Q offsettemp Where Rs is the R value of the serving cell, Rn is the R value of the neighboring cells, and Q... meas,s For the RSRP measurement of the serving cell, Q meas,n The RSRP measurement value of the neighboring cell, Q hyst Q is the cell reselection hysteresis value. offsettemp This is a temporary offset value; Q offset This is the offset value.

[0112] In some embodiments, when the second type of cell meets the cell selection criteria, or when the signal quality of the second type of cell is greater than the quality threshold, the terminal may remain camped on the second type of cell.

[0113] In some embodiments, when the second type of cell does not meet the cell selection criteria, or when the signal quality of the second type of cell is less than or equal to a quality threshold, the terminal may trigger cell reselection.

[0114] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in a disconnected state, it can camp on a second type of cell. Since the altitude of the orbit of the satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is greater than the altitude threshold, i.e., the satellite is a high-orbit satellite, the coverage area of ​​the second type of cell is large, which can reduce the terminal's neighbor cell measurement and cell reselection, thereby saving the terminal's power consumption.

[0115] In some embodiments, in response to a communication service trigger, the terminal performs cell reselection or switches to a first type of cell to perform communication services.

[0116] In some embodiments, communication service triggering may include the terminal receiving a paging message sent by a second network device.

[0117] In step S2102, the second network device 103 sends a paging message to the terminal 101.

[0118] In some embodiments, terminal 101 receives a paging message sent by second network device 103.

[0119] In some embodiments, the second network device 103 is a network device belonging to a second type of cell. For example, the second network device 103 is an access network device belonging to a second type of cell.

[0120] In some embodiments, paging messages are used to initiate a called party service (Mobile Terminating, MT).

[0121] In some embodiments, a paging message includes at least one of the following:

[0122] The second instruction information is used to instruct the terminal to reselect to the first type of cell;

[0123] Service quality characteristics of called party services;

[0124] The signage for the first type of residential area.

[0125] The first type of cell can be a low-Earth orbit NTN cell or a ground-based TN cell.

[0126] The second instruction information is used to instruct the terminal to reselect to a low-orbit NTN cell or a TN cell.

[0127] In some embodiments, the first indication information may only instruct the terminal to perform cell reselection, and may not necessarily indicate the specific cell to which the terminal reselects.

[0128] In some embodiments, the first indication information may both instruct the terminal to perform cell reselection and indicate the identifiers of one or more first-type cells to be selected. For example, the first network device knows the terminal's current location information, determines one or more first-type cells currently covering the terminal, and sends the identifiers of the first-type cells to the terminal.

[0129] In some embodiments, the Quality of Service (QoS) characteristics of the called service may be, for example, latency requirements, rate requirements, etc.

[0130] In some embodiments, the paging message may be a paging message on the Uu interface of the air interface, a paging message sent to the base station by the Authentication Management Function (AMF) on the NG interface, or a paging message sent from the anchor base station to the neighbor base station on the Xn interface.

[0131] In step S2103, terminal 101 performs cell reselection or handover.

[0132] In some embodiments, the terminal performs cell reselection based on the location information and / or signal quality of a first type of cell to determine the target cell. For example, the terminal performs cell reselection based on the location information of at least one first type of cell to determine the target cell; or, the terminal performs cell reselection based on the signal quality of at least one first type of cell to determine the target cell; or, the terminal performs cell reselection based on both the location information and signal quality of at least one first type of cell to determine the target cell.

[0133] In some embodiments, the target cell is one of the first type of cells.

[0134] In some embodiments, the terminal identifies a first type of cell whose distance from the terminal is less than a distance threshold and / or whose signal quality is greater than a signal quality threshold as the target cell.

[0135] In some embodiments, the terminal determines a first type of cell whose distance from the terminal is less than a distance threshold as the target cell; or, the terminal determines a first type of cell whose signal quality is greater than a signal quality threshold as the target cell; or, the terminal determines the target cell from the first type of cells based on a comprehensive evaluation of distance information and signal quality.

[0136] In some embodiments, the location information of the first type of cell can be a reference point for the first type of cell.

[0137] In some embodiments, the location information of the first type of cell can be provided through system message broadcasts of the second type of cell.

[0138] In some embodiments, the second network device may broadcast the location information of at least one first-type cell via system messages.

[0139] In some embodiments, the terminal receives location information of at least one first type of cell sent by a second network device.

[0140] In other embodiments, the location information of the first type of cell can be measured by the terminal itself.

[0141] In other embodiments, the terminal performs relaxed radio resource management (RRM) measurements on at least one first-type cell to obtain the signal quality of at least one first-type cell.

[0142] For example, when the terminal is camped on a Type II cell, it can use relaxed RRM measurement to perform measurements on the LOT NTN or TN cell to obtain the location information of the LOT NTN or TN cell. In this way, the terminal can combine the location information and / or the measurement results of the LOT NTN or TN cell to select the target cell.

[0143] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after determining the first type of cell (i.e. the target cell) to be reselected or switched to, the terminal reselects or switches to the target cell.

[0144] In some embodiments, the terminal performs downlink synchronization with the first type of cell (i.e., the target cell) based on auxiliary information of the first type of cell (i.e., the target cell).

[0145] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the auxiliary information of the first type of cell (i.e. the target cell) can be provided by the second type of cell through system message broadcasting. For example, the second network device to which the second type of cell belongs broadcasts the auxiliary information of the target cell, and the terminal receives the auxiliary information.

[0146] In this embodiment of the disclosure, after the terminal reselects or switches to the target cell, the terminal can perform downlink synchronization with the target cell based on the auxiliary information of the target cell.

[0147] Understandably, if the terminal has previously measured the target cell via RRM, then the downlink synchronization step can be omitted.

[0148] In some embodiments, after completing downlink synchronization, the first network device sends a system message to the terminal. This system message may be, for example, a System Information Block (SIB) message.

[0149] In some embodiments, the terminal receives a system message sent by the first network device and performs a random access procedure.

[0150] In some embodiments, the step of the terminal reading the SIB19 information of the target cell during random access can be omitted, because this information can be obtained in advance through system messages of the second type of cell.

[0151] In step S2104, data transmission occurs between terminal 101 and the first network device 102.

[0152] In some embodiments, data can be transmitted between the terminal and the first network device to complete communication services (e.g., called services).

[0153] In step S2105, terminal 101 re-camps to the second type of cell.

[0154] In some embodiments, after data transmission with the first network device is completed, the terminal re-camps to the second type of cell.

[0155] In some embodiments, after a communication service is completed, in response to the second type of cell meeting the conditions, the terminal reselects to camp on the second type of cell.

[0156] In some embodiments, after a communication service is completed, in response to the terminal being in a disconnected state, the terminal determines whether the second type of cell meets the conditions. In response to the second type of cell meeting the conditions, the terminal reselects to camp on the second type of cell.

[0157] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal's reselection to camp on the second type of cell may be triggered by the indication information of the first network device, or the terminal may spontaneously return to the second type of cell.

[0158] In some embodiments, the terminal re-camping to the second type of cell includes: the terminal receiving first indication information sent by a first network device, the first indication information being used to instruct the terminal to camp to the second type of cell; and the terminal re-camping to the second type of cell based on the first indication information.

[0159] In some embodiments, the second type of cell that the terminal re-camps in may not be the same cell as the second type of cell that it previously camped in.

[0160] For example, when the first network device of the first type of cell releases the terminal to a non-connected state (e.g., idle state or inactive state), it sends a first indication information to the terminal. The first indication information indicates the frequency point, cell identifier, track information, etc. of the second type of cell.

[0161] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal camps on the high-orbit NTN cell. Based on the network device to which the high-orbit NTN cell belongs, the terminal can perform cell reselection and access the first type of cell (i.e., the target cell). After the terminal completes the data transmission with the first network device to which the target cell belongs, the first network device can instruct the terminal to camp on the high-orbit NTN cell again to save the terminal's power consumption.

[0162] In some embodiments, the terminal re-camping to the second type of cell includes: in response to the terminal being in a disconnected state, the terminal reselects to the second type of cell.

[0163] For example, after a terminal leaves the connected state in a first-type cell, it automatically reselects to camp in a second-type cell.

[0164] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal camps on the high-orbit NTN cell. Based on the triggering of the second network device to which the high-orbit NTN cell belongs, the terminal can perform cell reselection and access the low-orbit NTN cell or TN cell. After the terminal completes the data transmission with the first network device to which the low-orbit NTN cell or TN cell belongs, the terminal automatically camps back on the high-orbit NTN cell to save the terminal's power consumption.

[0165] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2105. For example, step S2101 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2101+S2102+S2103 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S2101+S2102+S2103+S2105 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0166] In some embodiments, steps S2102, S2103, S2104, and S2105 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0167] In some embodiments, steps S2104 and S2105 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0168] In some embodiments, step S2104 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0169] 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.

[0170] Figure 2B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0171] The communication method shown in Figure 2A is cell reselection triggered by a second network device, while the communication method shown in Figure 2B is cell reselection or handover performed spontaneously by the terminal.

[0172] As shown in Figure 2B, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes the following steps.

[0173] In step S2201, terminal 101 determines that it is camped in the second type of cell.

[0174] The optional implementation of step S2201 can be found in the optional implementation of step S2101 in Figure 2A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0175] In some embodiments, in response to a communication service trigger, the terminal performs cell reselection or switches to a first type of cell to perform communication services.

[0176] In some embodiments, communication service triggering may include a higher layer of the terminal sending a first message to the RRC layer of the terminal, the first message being used to indicate a calling service.

[0177] In step S2202, the higher layer of terminal 101 sends a first message to the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer of terminal 101.

[0178] In some embodiments, when a terminal residing in a second type of cell initiates a calling service, the higher layer of the terminal can send a first message to the RRC layer, which is used to instruct the RRC layer to perform cell reselection.

[0179] The higher layers can be, for example, the non-access layer (NAS) or the application layer.

[0180] In some embodiments, the first message includes third indication information and / or the quality of service characteristics of the calling (Mobile Originating, MO) service, wherein the third indication information is used to instruct the terminal to reselect to a first type of cell.

[0181] Among them, the quality of service characteristics of the calling service can be, for example, latency requirements, speed requirements, etc.

[0182] In step S2203, terminal 101 performs cell reselection or handover.

[0183] In some embodiments, the terminal determines the target cell by performing cell reselection or handover based on the location information and / or signal quality of at least one first-type cell.

[0184] In some embodiments, the terminal's RRC layer performs cell reselection or handover based on at least one type of location information and / or signal quality to determine the target cell.

[0185] The optional implementation of step S2203 can be found in the optional implementation of step S2103 in Figure 2A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0186] In step S2204, terminal 101 sends a first request to first network device 102.

[0187] In some embodiments, the first network device is the network device to which the first type of cell belongs.

[0188] In some embodiments, the first network device is the network device to which the target cell belongs, and the target cell is one of the first type of cells.

[0189] In some embodiments, the first network device receives a first request sent by the terminal.

[0190] In some embodiments, the first request is used to initiate a calling service.

[0191] In some embodiments, the first request may be an MO request.

[0192] In step S2205, data transmission occurs between terminal 101 and the first network device 102.

[0193] In some embodiments, data can be transmitted between the terminal and the first network device to complete communication services (e.g., calling services).

[0194] In step S2206, terminal 101 re-camps to the second type of cell.

[0195] The optional implementation of step S2206 can be found in the optional implementation of step S2105 in Figure 2A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0196] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal camps on a high-orbit NTN cell. When the terminal is making a call, it can perform cell reselection or handover and access a low-orbit NTN cell or TN cell. After the terminal completes data transmission with the first network device to which the low-orbit NTN cell or TN cell belongs, the first network device can instruct the terminal to camp on the high-orbit NTN cell again to save the terminal's power consumption.

[0197] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal camps on a high-orbit NTN cell. When the terminal is making a call, it can perform cell reselection or handover and access a low-orbit NTN cell or TN cell. After the terminal completes data transmission with the first network device to which the low-orbit NTN cell or TN cell belongs, the terminal automatically camps back on the high-orbit NTN cell to save the terminal's power consumption.

[0198] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2201 to S2206. For example, step S2201 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S2201+S2202+S2203 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S2201+S2203+S2204+S2206 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0199] In some embodiments, steps S2202, S2203, S2204, S2205, and S2206 are optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0200] In some embodiments, step S2205 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0201] In some embodiments, step S2202 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0202] 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.

[0203] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0204] In some embodiments, the terms "uplink", "uplink", and "physical uplink" can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "downlink", "downlink", and "physical downlink", as well as the terms "sidelink", "sidelink", "sidelink communication", "sidelink communication", "direct connection", "direct link", "direct communication", and "direct link communication".

[0205] In some embodiments, the terms “downlink control information (DCI),” “downlink (DL) assignment,” “DL DCI,” “uplink (UL) grant,” and “UL DCI” can be used interchangeably.

[0206] In some embodiments, the terms “radio”, “wireless”, “radio access network (RAN)”, “access network (AN)”, and “RAN-based” can be used interchangeably.

[0207] In some embodiments, "acquire," "get," "obtain," "receive," "transmit," "bidirectional transmission," and "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, acquiring from protocols, acquiring from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation. Protocols include, for example, at least one of the 3GPP protocol, Wi-Fi protocol, and audio and / or video protocols.

[0208] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0209] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0210] In some embodiments, the determination or judgment can be made by a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), or by a true or false value (boolean), or by a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., a comparison with a predetermined value), but is not limited thereto.

[0211] In some embodiments, "not expecting to receive" can be interpreted as not receiving on time domain resources and / or frequency domain resources, or as not performing subsequent processing on the data and / or instructions received; "not expecting to send" can be interpreted as not sending, or as sending but not expecting the receiver to respond to the sent content.

[0212] In some embodiments, if an arrow in the interaction diagram representing the sending of information, signaling, etc. from one subject to another passes through other subjects, it can be interpreted as the information being forwarded from one subject to another via other subjects, or it can be interpreted as the information being sent from one subject to another without passing through other subjects.

[0213] Figure 3A is a flowchart illustrating a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0214] Step S3101: If the condition is met, the terminal determines that it is camped in the second type of cell.

[0215] In some embodiments, the second type of cell is a non-terrestrial network NTN cell of the second satellite, and the altitude of the orbit of the second satellite is greater than an altitude threshold. The altitude threshold can be set according to actual conditions, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0216] In some embodiments, the second satellite is a high-orbit satellite, and the second type of cell can also be called a high-orbit NTN cell.

[0217] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in a disconnected state, the terminal camps on a second type of cell. The disconnected state can be an idle state or an inactive state.

[0218] In some embodiments, the conditions include at least one of the following: the second type of cell meets the cell selection criteria; the signal quality of the second type of cell is greater than a quality threshold. The cell selection criteria may be, for example, the S-criteria, and the quality threshold may also be called a threshold value. The quality threshold can be set according to actual conditions, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0219] In some embodiments, when the second type of cell meets the cell selection criteria, or when the signal quality of the second type of cell is greater than the quality threshold, the terminal may remain camped on the second type of cell.

[0220] In some embodiments, when the second type of cell does not meet the cell selection criteria, or when the signal quality of the second type of cell is less than or equal to the quality threshold, the terminal may trigger cell reselection or handover.

[0221] In some embodiments, the terminal resides in a second type of cell. Since the altitude of the orbit of the second satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is greater than the altitude threshold, i.e., the second satellite is a high-orbit satellite, the coverage area of ​​the second satellite is large, which can reduce the terminal's neighbor cell measurement and cell reselection, thereby saving the terminal's power consumption.

[0222] 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.

[0223] Figure 3B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0224] Step S3201: The terminal determines that it is camped in the second type of cell.

[0225] In some embodiments, the second type of cell is a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell of the second satellite, and the altitude of the orbit of the second satellite is greater than an altitude threshold.

[0226] In some embodiments, the second satellite is a high-orbit satellite, and the second type of cell can also be called a high-orbit NTN cell.

[0227] In some embodiments, when the terminal is in a disconnected state, the terminal camps on a second type of cell. The disconnected state can be an idle state or an inactive state.

[0228] In step S3202, the terminal performs cell reselection or handover.

[0229] In some embodiments, the terminal performs cell reselection based on the location information and / or signal quality of at least one first-type cell to determine the target cell. The location information of the first-type cell can be provided by a second network device to which the second-type cell belongs, or it can be obtained by the terminal through RRM measurements.

[0230] In some embodiments, cell reselection or handover by the terminal can be triggered by the network device or can be performed spontaneously by the terminal.

[0231] In step S3203, data transmission occurs between the terminal and the first network device.

[0232] In some embodiments, after determining the target cell, the terminal performs downlink synchronization with the target cell based on the target cell's auxiliary information. After completing the downlink synchronization, the terminal receives a system message sent by the first network device and executes a random access procedure.

[0233] In some embodiments, data is transmitted between the terminal and the first network device to complete communication services, such as calling services and / or called services.

[0234] Step S3204: The terminal re-camps to the second type of cell.

[0235] In some embodiments, after data transmission with the first network device is completed, the terminal re-camps to the second type of cell.

[0236] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal's reselection to camp on the second type of cell may be triggered by the indication information of the first network device, or the terminal may spontaneously return to the second type of cell.

[0237] 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.

[0238] This disclosure provides a method for cell camping, reselection, and access under multi-orbit satellite deployment. The aim is to allow terminals to camp on high-orbit NTN cells as much as possible during IDLE / INACTIVE states, thereby reducing neighbor cell measurements and cell reselection during IDLE / INACTIVE states and achieving energy savings. When a service arrives, the terminal can reselect to an appropriate low-orbit NTN or TN cell to meet the needs of specific services.

[0239] In some embodiments, to maximize UE camping in the high-orbit NTN cell and reduce cell reselection, camping conditions for the high-orbit NTN cell are introduced. For example, as long as the cell selection criterion (i.e., the S criterion) is met, or as long as the signal quality of the high-orbit NTN cell is greater than a first threshold, the terminal will camp in the high-orbit NTN cell until another reason triggers cell reselection. Other reasons may include, for example, a deterioration in the signal quality of the current high-orbit NTN cell.

[0240] In some embodiments, for terminal called (MT) scenarios, network-triggered cell reselection is introduced.

[0241] In some embodiments, a UE residing in a high-orbit NTN cell receives a paging message from the high-orbit NTN cell. The paging message may contain one or more of the following information:

[0242] Instruct the UE to reselect to a low-orbit NTN cell or a TN cell;

[0243] The QoS characteristics of the upcoming MT service, such as latency requirements and rate requirements;

[0244] Specifically, the UE will be reselected to a specific low-Earth orbit NTN cell or TN cell (if the network has the UE's current location information (e.g., a stationary UE), the network will know which low-Earth orbit NTN cell or TN cell currently covers the UE based on the deployment).

[0245] The paging messages that need to be expanded include paging messages on the Uu interface of the air interface, paging messages sent from the AMF to the base station on the NG interface, and paging messages sent from the anchor base station to the neighbor base station on the Xn interface.

[0246] In some embodiments, for terminal calling (MO) scenarios, a terminal-triggered cell reselection is introduced.

[0247] In some embodiments, when a terminal residing in a high-orbit NTN cell initiates an MO request, the terminal's higher layer (e.g., NAS layer or application layer) instructs the RRC layer to reselect to a low-orbit NTN cell. The higher layer may also send the QoS characteristics of the upcoming MO service to the RRC layer.

[0248] In some embodiments, the terminal uses location information to initiate a reselection to a low-orbit NTN cell or a TN cell.

[0249] In some embodiments, to expedite the cell reselection process, the terminal can use location information from a low-Earth orbit (LEO) NTN cell or a TN cell to select a target cell. For example, the terminal may select a cell whose distance to a LEO NTN cell reference point or a TN cell reference point is less than a first distance threshold as the target cell. The LEO NTN cell reference point or TN cell reference point can be provided via high-Earth orbit (HEO) NTN cell system message broadcast.

[0250] Optionally, the terminal can also use relaxed RRM measurements to perform measurements of low-Earth orbit NTN or TN cells while stationed in a high-Earth orbit NTN cell to achieve node objectives. In this way, the terminal can combine location information and / or measurement results from low-Earth orbit NTN or TN cells to select the target cell.

[0251] In some embodiments, downlink synchronization is performed after the terminal reselects a low-Earth orbit (LEO) NTN or TN cell (downlink synchronization can be ignored if the cell has been previously measured via RRM). The downlink synchronization process can utilize satellite-aided information from the LEO NTN cell, which can also be provided via system message broadcast from a high-Earth orbit (HEO) NTN cell. The downlink synchronization process establishes downlink synchronization by detecting / receiving the SSB signal from the LEO NTN cell.

[0252] In some embodiments, after downlink synchronization is completed, the terminal reads the SIB1 of the target low-Earth orbit (LEO) NTN or TN cell and executes the RACH procedure. Reading the SIB19 of the LEO NTN cell is not mandatory for the RACH procedure, as its content, as satellite auxiliary information, can be obtained in advance through system message broadcasts from high-Earth orbit (HEO) NTN cells. Specifically, SIB19 is used to broadcast the ephemeris information of the LEO NTN cell.

[0253] In some embodiments, if the terminal remains camped in the high-orbit NTN cell after completing data transmission, this can be achieved through a network-triggered redirection process or by the UE spontaneously returning to the high-orbit NTN cell.

[0254] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0255] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0256] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0257] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Terminal 4100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4A, terminal 4100 may include a processing module 4101. In some embodiments, the terminal may further include a transceiver module. In some embodiments, the processing module 4101 is used for the terminal to perform communication services with a first type of cell; after the communication service is completed, in response to a second type of cell meeting a condition, the terminal camps on the second type of cell. Optionally, the transceiver module is used to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2102, S2104, S2202, S2204, S2205, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to execute at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2103, S2105, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0258] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The first network device 4200 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4B, the first network device 4200 may include a transceiver module 4201. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4201 is used to receive a first request. Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2104, S2204, and S2205, but not limited thereto) performed by the first network device in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0259] Figure 4C is a schematic diagram of the structure of a second network device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The second network device 4300 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4C, the second network device 4300 may include a transceiver module 4301. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4301 is used to send a paging message. Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., step S2102, but not limited thereto) performed by the second network device in any of the above methods, which will not be described in detail here.

[0260] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0261] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module.

[0262] In some embodiments, the processing module can be replaced by the processor, and the transceiver module can be replaced by the transceiver.

[0263] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 5100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 5100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 5100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0264] As shown in Figure 5A, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 includes one or more processors 5101. The processor 5101 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 5100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0265] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more transceivers 5102. When the communication device 5100 includes one or more transceivers 5102, the transceiver 5102 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S2102, S2104, S2204, S2205, but not limited thereto), and the processor 5101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2103, S2105, S2201, S2203, S2206, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0266] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more memories 5103 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 are used to invoke instructions stored in the memory 5103 to cause the communication device 5100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, all or part of the memory 5103 may also be located outside the communication device 5100. In an optional embodiment, the communication device 5100 may include one or more interface circuits 5104. Optionally, the interface circuit 5104 is connected to the memory 5103 and can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memory 5103 or other devices, and can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memory 5103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5104 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memory 5103 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5101.

[0267] The communication device 5100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 5100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 5100 may not be limited by FIG. 5A. 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, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data, programs and / or instructions; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0268] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 5200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 5100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 5200 shown in Figure 5B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0269] Chip 5200 includes one or more processors 5201. Chip 5200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0270] In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more interface circuits 5202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 5200 further includes one or more memories 5203 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5203 may be located outside of chip 5200. Optionally, the interface circuit 5202 is connected to the memories 5203, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memories 5203 or other devices, and the interface circuit 5202 can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memories 5203 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 5202 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memories 5203 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 5201.

[0271] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 5202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S2102, S2104, S2204, and S2205, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 5202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 5202 performing data and / or instruction interaction between the processor 5201, the chip 5200, the memory 5203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 5201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2103, S2105, S2201, S2203, and S2206, but not limited thereto).

[0272] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0273] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0274] This disclosure also proposes a program product, including a program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product. Optionally, the program product is stored on the storage medium.

[0275] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The terminal communicates with the first type of cell. After the communication service is completed, in response to the condition being met in the second type of cell, the terminal camps in the second type of cell; Wherein, the coverage area of ​​the first type of cell is smaller than the coverage area of ​​the second type of cell; or, The second type of cell is a non-terrestrial network NTN cell. The satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is located at an altitude higher than the altitude threshold. The first type of cell is different from the second type of cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second type of cell meets at least one of the following conditions: The second type of community meets the community selection criteria; The signal quality of the second type of cell is greater than the quality threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal communicates with the first type of cell, including: The terminal performs downlink synchronization with the first type of cell based on the auxiliary information of the first type of cell; The terminal receives a system message sent by a first network device and performs a random access procedure. The first network device is the network device to which the first type of cell belongs. The terminal transmits data with the first network device.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, After the communication service is completed, the method further includes: The terminal receives a first indication information sent by a first network device, the first indication information being used to instruct the terminal to camp on the second type of cell.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, After the communication service is completed, the method further includes: In response to the terminal being in a disconnected state, the terminal determines whether the second type of cell meets the conditions.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: In response to a communication service trigger, the terminal performs cell reselection or switches to a first type of cell to perform the communication service.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The communication service trigger includes at least one of the following: The terminal receives a paging message sent by a second network device, which is the network device to which the second type of cell belongs; The higher layer of the terminal sends a first message to the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer of the terminal, the first message being used to indicate the calling service.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first type of cell is an NTN cell or a terrestrial network NT cell.

9. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: In response to the condition being met in the second type of cell, the terminal camps on the second type of cell; In response to a communication service trigger, the terminal performs cell reselection or switches to a first type of cell to perform the communication service; Wherein, the coverage area of ​​the first type of cell is smaller than the coverage area of ​​the second type of cell; or, The second type of cell is a non-terrestrial network NTN cell. The satellite corresponding to the second type of cell is located at an altitude higher than the altitude threshold. The first type of cell is different from the second type of cell.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The second type of cell meets at least one of the following conditions: The second type of community meets the community selection criteria; The signal quality of the second type of cell is greater than the quality threshold.

11. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The communication service trigger includes at least one of the following: The terminal receives a paging message sent by a second network device, which is the network device to which the second type of cell belongs, and the paging message is used to initiate a called service; The higher layer of the terminal sends a first message to the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer of the terminal, the first message being used to indicate the calling service.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The paging message includes at least one of the following: The second instruction information is used to instruct the terminal to reselect to the first type of cell; The quality of service characteristics of the called service; The identifier of the first type of community.

13. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first message includes at least one of the following: The third instruction information is used to instruct the terminal to reselect to the first type of cell; The quality of service characteristics of the calling service.

14. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The terminal performs cell reselection, including: The terminal performs cell reselection based on the location information and / or signal quality of the first type of cell.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal receives the location information of the first type of cell sent by the second network device, where the second network device is the network device to which the second type of cell belongs.

16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: The terminal performs relaxed radio resource management (RRM) measurements on the second type of cell to obtain the signal quality of the second type of cell.

17. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The terminal performs cell reselection or switches to a first-type cell to perform the communication service, including: The terminal determines the target cell from the first type of cell; The terminal performs downlink synchronization with the target cell based on the auxiliary information of the target cell; The terminal receives a system message sent by a first network device and performs a random access procedure. The first network device is the network device to which the target cell belongs.

18. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the communication service is completed, in response to the condition being met in the second type of cell, the terminal camps on the second type of cell.

19. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 18, characterized in that, The first type of cell is an NTN cell or a terrestrial network NT cell.

20. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or the communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 19.

21. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instructions are executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 8 or the communication method as described in any one of claims 9 to 19.

22. A program product, characterized in that, It includes at least one of a program and instructions, wherein when the program or instructions are executed by a communication device, they implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or perform the communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 19.

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