Network switching method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application discloses a network switching method and apparatus. The method comprises: first, acquiring a first communication map and a second communication map, the first communication map corresponding to a first operator, and the second communication map corresponding to a second operator; then, determining a first network switching area on the basis of the first communication map and the second communication map, the first network switching area being used for indicating that the network signal quality of the first operator in the first network switching area is lower than the network signal quality of the second operator; and finally, sending the first network switching area to a receiving end. In this way, the receiving end can be prevented from performing network switching by means of real-time measurement of a network signal, and operating power consumption of the receiving end is reduced.

Description

Network switching methods and devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411944821.0, filed on December 24, 2024, entitled “Network Switching Method and Apparatus”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a network switching method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Communication experience is a core competitive advantage of mobile terminals (phones, in-vehicle systems, etc.). Network coverage varies between different operators, and complementary coverage is possible in many areas. For terminals equipped with dual SIM cards, if the two SIM cards belong to different operators, in areas where the primary SIM card has poor signal but the secondary SIM card has good signal, the user can switch to the secondary SIM card to ensure communication quality. Current dual SIM switching methods primarily involve real-time network signal measurements for each SIM card belonging to a different operator. However, this requires real-time network signal measurement on the device side, increasing its power consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a network switching method and apparatus. By configuring a network switching area, the terminal device can determine whether to perform a network switching operation based on its own location and the network switching area, thereby reducing the power consumption on the terminal side.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a network switching method applied to a sending end. The method includes: firstly acquiring a first communication map and a second communication map, wherein the first communication map corresponds to a first operator and the second communication map corresponds to a second operator; then determining a first network switching area based on the first communication map and the second communication map, wherein the first network switching area is used to indicate that the network signal quality of the first operator in the first network switching area is lower than that of the second operator; and finally sending the first network switching area to a receiving end.

[0006] Based on the above embodiments, by obtaining the network switching area that indicates the network signal quality of the first operator is lower than that of the second operator, the receiving end can determine whether to switch networks based on whether its own location is in the network switching area. This avoids the receiving end from switching networks by measuring the network signal in real time, thus reducing the operating power consumption of the receiving end.

[0007] In one feasible implementation, the first network switching area is determined based on the first communication map and the second communication map. Specifically, this can be done through the following steps: determining multiple first grid points in the first and second communication maps, wherein the network signal quality of the first operator corresponding to each of the multiple first grid points is less than a preset quality, and the network signal quality of the second operator corresponding to each of the multiple first grid points is greater than the preset quality; and determining the first network switching area based on the multiple first grid points.

[0008] Based on the above implementation, by using a preset quality as a threshold to filter the first grid points, it is possible to exclude situations where the network signal quality corresponding to the first operator network and the second operator network is both high or both low. Furthermore, after determining the first network switching area based on multiple first grid points, the receiving end performs network switching based on the first network switching area, which can avoid some situations where network switching is unnecessary, thereby reducing the frequency of network switching by the receiving end.

[0009] In one feasible implementation, the aforementioned determination of the first network switching region based on multiple first grid points can be performed through the following steps: First, density-based clustering is performed on the multiple first grid points to determine multiple second grid groups, each of the multiple second grid groups including multiple second grid points, and the distribution density of the multiple second grid points is greater than a preset distribution density; then, multiple second network switching regions corresponding to the multiple second grid groups are determined, each of the multiple second network switching regions including multiple second grid points in the second grid group corresponding to each second network switching region; finally, the first network switching region is determined based on the multiple second network switching regions.

[0010] Based on the aforementioned embodiments, when the receiving end switches networks according to the first network switching area, it can avoid switching networks when the user enters an area with poor network signal quality corresponding to the first operator for a short period of time, thereby reducing the frequency of network switching by the receiving end.

[0011] After determining multiple second network handover areas, there are two ways to determine the first network handover area based on these multiple second network handover areas.

[0012] The first approach may include the following steps:

[0013] In one feasible implementation, road network information is first obtained; then, based on the road network information, the longest coverage length of the road network covered by each of the multiple second network switching areas is determined; finally, the first network switching area among the multiple second network switching areas is determined, wherein the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area is greater than a preset length.

[0014] Based on the above implementation method, in the first network switching area obtained in this way, the longest coverage length of the road network covered in each first network switching area is greater than the preset length. When the receiving end performs network switching according to the first network switching area, it can avoid short-distance network switching and reduce the network switching frequency of the receiving end.

[0015] The second approach may include the following steps:

[0016] In one feasible implementation, firstly, multiple second network switching areas are expanded to determine multiple third network switching areas. Secondly, road network information is obtained, and based on the road network information, the longest coverage length of the road network covered by each of the multiple third network switching areas is determined. Finally, the first network switching area among the multiple third network switching areas is determined, and the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area is greater than a preset length.

[0017] Based on the above implementation method, this expansion of the second network switching area allows the terminal device to switch networks in advance. As a result, the terminal device can directly enjoy the operator's network with higher network signal quality after entering the actual network switching area, thus improving the quality of network communication.

[0018] In one feasible implementation, after determining the longest coverage length of the road network covered by each first network switching area, the transmitting end can also send the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area to the receiving end, so that after the receiving end enters the first network switching area and switches the network signal from the first operator network to the second operator network, it can switch the second operator network back to the first operator network according to the longest coverage length and the travel distance.

[0019] Based on the above implementation method, the receiving end can avoid continuously determining whether its current location is outside the first network handover area to decide whether to switch the network signal from the second operator's network back to the first operator's network. Instead, it only needs to determine whether the travel distance is greater than or equal to the longest coverage length to determine whether to switch the network signal back to the first operator's network. This reduces the operating power consumption of the receiving end.

[0020] Secondly, this application provides a network switching method applied at a receiving end. The method includes: firstly receiving a first network switching area from a sending end, the first network switching area indicating that the network signal quality of a first operator in the first network switching area is lower than that of a second operator; if it is detected that the current location is in the first network switching area, switching the network signal from the first operator's network to the second operator's network.

[0021] For the same reasons as the aforementioned embodiments, the above-described method allows the receiving end to determine whether to switch networks simply by whether its location is in a network switching area, avoiding the need for the receiving end to switch networks by measuring network signals in real time, thus reducing the operating power consumption of the receiving end.

[0022] In one feasible implementation, after the receiving end switches the network signal from the first operator network to the second operator network, if it detects that the current location is not in the first network switching area, it will switch the network signal from the second operator network to the first operator network.

[0023] Based on the above implementation method, the receiving end only needs to determine whether the current location is not in the first network switching area, thereby determining whether to switch the network signal back to the first operator's network, which reduces the operating power consumption of the receiving end.

[0024] In one feasible implementation, the receiving end can also receive the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area from the sending end; and after switching the network signal from the first operator network to the second operator network, if it is detected that the driving distance after entering the first network switching area is not less than the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area, the network signal is switched from the second operator network to the first operator network.

[0025] Based on the above implementation method, the receiving end can avoid continuously determining whether its current location is outside the first network handover area to decide whether to switch the network signal from the second operator's network back to the first operator's network. Instead, it only needs to determine whether the travel distance is greater than or equal to the longest coverage length to determine whether to switch the network signal back to the first operator's network. This reduces the operating power consumption of the receiving end.

[0026] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, which includes units or modules for performing the methods that may be implemented in either the first or second aspect described above.

[0027] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication device, which includes at least one processor and a memory; wherein the memory is used to store computer programs or instructions; and at least one processor is used to execute the computer programs or instructions in the memory, such that the methods that may be implemented in any of the first and second aspects described above are executed.

[0028] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a communication system, which includes a transmitting end and a receiving end, wherein the transmitting end is used to perform the method of any one of the first aspects described above, and the receiving end is used to perform the method of any one of the second aspects described above.

[0029] Sixthly, embodiments of this application provide a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform any of the methods described above.

[0030] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this application provide a computer program product, the computer program product including: computer program code, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method as described above.

[0031] Eighthly, embodiments of this application provide a chip coupled to a memory for reading and executing program instructions in the memory, so that the device in which the chip is located implements any of the methods described above.

[0032] Understandably, the index generation apparatus of the third or fourth aspect provided above is used to execute the methods provided in either the first or second aspect, and the communication system of the fifth aspect, the computer storage medium of the sixth aspect, the computer program product of the seventh aspect, and the chip of the eighth aspect are all used to implement the methods provided in either the first or second aspect. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a network control system structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a network handover method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the application of a communication map provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a first network handover area confirmation method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 5 is an application example diagram of a first grid point provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0038] Figure 6 is an example diagram of the application of a second grid point provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 7 is an application example diagram of a second network switching area provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 8 is an application example diagram of another second network switching area provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0041] Figure 9 is a flowchart of a first network handover area confirmation method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 10 is an application example diagram of a buffer provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating another network switching method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 12 is an example diagram of the application of a network signal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 13 is an example diagram of another network signal application provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. Unless otherwise stated, " / " indicates that the objects before and after are in an "or" relationship; for example, A / B can represent A or B. "And / or" in this application is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c can represent: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc, where a, b, and c can be one or multiple. Furthermore, to facilitate a clear description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used in the embodiments of this application to distinguish between network elements and similar items with essentially the same function. Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms "first" and "second" do not limit the quantity or execution order, and that the terms "first" and "second" are not necessarily different.

[0049] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in the embodiments described in this application mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0050] The following detailed embodiments further illustrate the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this application. It should be understood that the following are merely specific embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made based on the technical solutions of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

[0051] In the various embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. The technical features of different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0052] The following describes the scenarios involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of a network control system structure provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the network control system includes a server and terminal devices.

[0054] Optionally, the server can be a single server, a server cluster, a cloud server, a cloud computing service center, or other form of computing-capable device. The server may also include a database or access other databases through other means.

[0055] Optionally, the terminal device may be pre-installed with a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, each SIM card supporting a corresponding operator network. Alternatively, the terminal device may also be pre-installed with an electronic subscriber identity module (eSIM) card (not shown in the figure), which can support at least one operator network. The terminal device may also be pre-installed with a positioning module and a network control module. The positioning module can be used to locate the current position of the terminal device, and the network control module can be used to switch between different operator networks corresponding to different SIM cards, or between different operator networks corresponding to eSIM cards. The terminal device can be a smartphone, an in-vehicle infotainment system (telematics box, T-BOX), etc.

[0056] The prior art involved in the embodiments of this application is described below.

[0057] Currently, most mobile terminal devices can implement dual SIM cards, each corresponding to a different operator's network. In actual use, one SIM card can be selected as the default mobile data card for communication (i.e., designated as the primary SIM), while the other is designated as the secondary SIM. If the two cards belong to different operators, and the primary SIM has poor signal while the secondary SIM has good signal, switching to the secondary SIM can ensure communication quality. However, currently, switching between primary and secondary SIM cards is mainly performed through real-time network signal measurement. This requires the terminal device to constantly interact with the network, downloading and storing large amounts of network status information, increasing the network and computing load. Furthermore, this interaction exposes the terminal device's location information, which involves privacy, to the network.

[0058] Based on this, this embodiment obtains the corresponding network switching area through the server. In this network switching area, the network signal quality corresponding to the primary SIM card is lower than that corresponding to the secondary SIM card. When the terminal device determines that it has entered this network switching area through positioning, it can switch the network signals corresponding to the primary and secondary SIM cards respectively. This solves the problem of increasing the operating power consumption on the terminal side due to continuous interaction with network devices.

[0059] The following is an explanation of the terms involved:

[0060] A communication map is a tool used to visualize and analyze the performance, coverage, and quality of service of telecommunications networks. It typically combines Geographic Information System (GIS) technology with spatial data to graphically display various information. When acquiring a communication map, it is necessary to set the corresponding region (e.g., city), operator (e.g., China Unicom, China Mobile, China Telecom), network standard (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, 5G NR), and time interval. The communication map may include network signal quality data, which includes the network signal quality of the grid points at the corresponding raster level in the map.

[0061] Raster Points: In communication maps, raster points are the basic units used to represent discrete measurements of signal quality or other communication-related parameters within a geographic space. These raster points organize and display data by dividing a geographic area into uniformly sized grids, with each raster point representing a measurement or prediction at a specific location. In actual display, different colors or gray levels can be used to represent the signal quality level (signal strength level) of each raster point, forming a heat map that visually shows signal coverage. For example, green may indicate good signal, yellow indicates moderate signal, and red indicates poor signal. Raster points can exist at corresponding raster levels; in other words, different raster levels correspond to different map resolutions. For example, high resolution means smaller raster units, providing more detailed coverage information; low resolution is suitable for large-scale overviews.

[0062] Network signal quality: Network signal quality refers to the overall performance level of a communication network during service provision, directly impacting user experience and communication effectiveness. Assessing network signal quality typically relies on several key performance indicators (SPIs), which reflect the network's status and service level from different perspectives. These SPIs can include signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and interference, bit error rate (BER), and latency. Signal strength can include Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI); SNR and interference can include Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR); BER can include Bit Error Rate (BER) and Frame Error Rate (FER); and latency can include Round-Trip Time (RTT) and jitter.

[0063] Road network: A road network refers to the collection of all roads within a region, including arterial roads, secondary roads, and local roads, which constitute the transportation network of a city or region. Road networks are typically represented by line strings, each representing a road or a portion of a road, and having start and end point coordinates. In Geographic Information Systems (GIS), road network data is often stored in vector formats, such as Shapefile and GeoJSON, where each road is defined as a series of ordered coordinate points.

[0064] The embodiments of this application are described in detail below:

[0065] Example 1: Please refer to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a flowchart of a network handover method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 2, the method includes the following steps:

[0066] S201, The sending end obtains the first communication map and the second communication map.

[0067] In this system, the first communication map corresponds to the first operator, and the second communication map corresponds to the second operator. The sending end can refer to a server. It is understandable that the first and second communication maps can be represented by two different layers within a communication map, or by two separate communication maps. Furthermore, when the sending end obtains the first and second communication maps, it needs to set the corresponding grid level, region, operator, standard, and time interval. It is understandable that since the communication map is used to obtain the network switching area corresponding to the receiving end, the aforementioned parameters such as region, operator, standard, and time interval can be determined based on the region, operator, and standard corresponding to the receiving end. For example, the receiving end might correspond to operators including China Unicom and China Mobile, a region of a specific city, a standard of 4G, and a time interval encompassing different time intervals throughout the day.

[0068] For example, please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic diagram of the application of a communication map provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 3, it includes a first communication map 301 and a second communication map 302. The first communication map 301 and the second communication map 302 respectively include corresponding grid points. The network signal quality corresponding to each grid point is represented by the gray value of each grid point.

[0069] S202, The sending end determines the first network switching area based on the first communication map and the second communication map.

[0070] The first network handover area is used to indicate that the network signal quality of the first operator in the first network handover area is lower than that of the second operator. Network signal quality can be determined based on factors such as signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio and interference, bit error rate, and latency. For example, only one indicator can be selected as the basis for measuring network signal quality, or multiple indicators can be weighted and summed or otherwise operated on as the basis for measuring network signal quality. It is understood that the first network handover area only indicates to the receiving end that the network signal quality of the first operator in the first network handover area is lower than that of the second operator; it does not mean that the network signal quality of the first operator is actually lower than that of the second operator at all locations within the first network handover area.

[0071] S203. The sending end sends the first network switching area. Correspondingly, the receiving end receives the first network switching area.

[0072] After obtaining the first network switching area, the sending end needs to transmit it to the receiving end. This first network switching area can be represented by a map or by corresponding location information. Understandably, since the aforementioned communication map has corresponding configuration parameters, the transmitted first network switching area can include first network switching areas under various conditions. For example, it can include multiple first network switching areas corresponding to different time intervals. Optionally, the receiving end can refer to a terminal device.

[0073] S204. The receiving end detects that the current location is in the first network switching area and switches the network signal from the first operator network to the second operator network.

[0074] In this scenario, the receiving end only needs to determine whether its current location is within the first network switching zone when switching networks. Understandably, for the receiving end, the first carrier network can refer to the carrier network corresponding to the receiving end's primary SIM card, and the second carrier network can refer to the carrier network corresponding to the receiving end's secondary SIM card.

[0075] For example, if the operators include China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, then the corresponding primary and secondary card switching methods can include: China Mobile -> China Unicom, China Unicom -> China Mobile, China Mobile -> China Telecom, China Telecom -> China Mobile, China Unicom -> China Telecom, and China Telecom -> China Unicom.

[0076] S205. The receiving end detects that the current location is not in the first network switching area and switches the network signal from the second operator network to the first operator network.

[0077] The first network switching area is used to indicate the area where the signal quality of the first operator's network is lower than that of the second operator's network. After leaving the first network switching area, it is necessary to switch the network signal back from the second operator's network to the first operator's network.

[0078] Example 2: The above method mainly outlines the steps of the network handover method. The following section provides a detailed explanation of how the sending end determines the first network handover area based on the first communication map and the second communication map:

[0079] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a flowchart of a first network handover area confirmation method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the method includes the following steps:

[0080] S401. Determine multiple first grid points in the first communication map and the second communication map.

[0081] Specifically, among multiple first grid points, the network signal quality of the first operator corresponding to each first grid point is lower than a preset quality, and the network signal quality of the second operator corresponding to each first grid point is higher than the preset quality. More specifically, by comparing the network signal quality corresponding to grid points in the first and second communication maps with the preset quality, if it is determined that the network signal quality corresponding to the grid point at the target location in the first communication map is lower than the preset quality, and the network signal quality corresponding to the grid point at the target location in the second communication map is higher than the preset quality, then the grid point at that target location is determined as the first grid point.

[0082] For example, please refer to Figure 5, which is an application example diagram of a first grid point provided by an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 5, after determining multiple first grid points, multiple first grid points can be displayed on the communication map. In the figure, multiple first grid points are represented by dark small circles.

[0083] By using a preset quality as a threshold to filter the first grid points, situations where the network signal quality corresponding to the first operator's network and the second operator's network is both high or both low can be excluded. Furthermore, after determining the network switching area based on multiple first grid points, the receiving end can avoid some situations where network switching is unnecessary, thereby reducing the frequency of network switching by the receiving end.

[0084] S402. Perform density-based clustering on multiple first grid points to determine multiple second grid groups.

[0085] In this embodiment, each of the multiple second grid groups includes multiple second grid points, and the distribution density of these second grid points is greater than a preset distribution density. Density-based clustering can be performed using the DBSCAN (Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise) algorithm. Specifically, the corresponding neighborhood radius and minimum number of samples can be set according to the preset distribution density to identify the first grid points in areas with sufficiently high density as clusters. In this embodiment, each cluster corresponds to each second grid group.

[0086] When a user is in an area with poor network signal quality corresponding to their primary SIM card, if the area of ​​poor signal quality is only a short distance away, considering the network handover delay, it can be considered unnecessary to perform a network handover. However, if the user remains in an area with poor network signal quality for an extended period, then a network handover is required. Using the aforementioned clustering algorithm, areas with continuously poor network signal quality corresponding to the primary SIM card are clustered, while areas with short-distance poor signal quality corresponding to the primary SIM card are removed. Multiple second grid groups are then obtained after clustering. This allows the receiver to avoid performing a network handover when the user briefly enters an area with poor network signal quality corresponding to the primary SIM card, thus reducing the frequency of network handovers by the receiver.

[0087] For example, please refer to Figure 6, which is an application example diagram of a second grid point provided by an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 6, the left legend is used to represent the distribution of multiple first grid points, and the right legend is the distribution of multiple second grid points after clustering of multiple first grid points. In the right legend, multiple second grid points are represented by circles with lighter gray values, and the removed first grid points are represented by circles with darker gray values.

[0088] S403. Determine the multiple second network switching areas corresponding to the multiple second grid groups respectively.

[0089] Among them, each of the multiple second network switching regions includes multiple second grid points in the second grid group corresponding to each second network switching region.

[0090] Optionally, for determining the multiple second network switching regions corresponding to multiple second grid groups, the minimum bounding polygon can be calculated for each second grid group, thereby determining the second network switching region corresponding to each second grid group based on the minimum bounding polygon. For example, the calculation of the minimum bounding polygon can be performed using either the convex hull or concave hull algorithm.

[0091] For example, please refer to Figure 7. Figure 7 is an application example diagram of a second network switching area provided by an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 7, the left legend shows the distribution of multiple second grid points, and each polygon in the multiple polygons included in the right legend is the second network switching area corresponding to each second grid group after calculating the minimum bounding polygon of the second grid points included in each second grid group.

[0092] S404. Obtain road network information and, based on the road network information, determine the longest coverage length of the road network covered by each of the multiple second network switching areas.

[0093] S405. Determine the first network handover area among multiple second network handover areas.

[0094] In the first network handover area, the longest coverage length of the road network is greater than the preset length. A single second network handover area may cover multiple road networks. In this case, it is only necessary to select the road network with the longest coverage length among the multiple covered road networks and calculate the coverage length of that road network.

[0095] For example, please refer to Figure 8, which is an application example diagram of another second network switching area provided by the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 8, the second network switching area 801 in the middle of the diagram is included. It can be seen that the second network switching area 801 covers three networks, including the left road network 803, the inner road network 804, and the right road network 802. Among them, the road network with the longest coverage length is the right road network 802. At this time, for the coverage length of the right road network 802, it is necessary to calculate the length of each segment of the right road network 802 covered by the second network switching area 801. As can be seen in Figure 8, the road network covered by the second network switching area 801 in the right road network 802 consists of 6 straight lines. The sum of the lengths of these 6 straight lines is the coverage length of the right road network 802, which is the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the second network switching area 801.

[0096] If the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the second network switching area is determined to be greater than a preset length, then the second network switching area is designated as the first network switching area; if the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the second network switching area is determined to be less than the preset length, then the second network switching area is not designated as the first network switching area. In this way, each of the first network switching areas has a road network with a longest coverage length greater than the preset length. When the receiving end performs network switching based on this first network switching area, it can avoid short-distance network switching and reduce the network switching frequency of the receiving end.

[0097] Example 3: The following is a further explanation of how the sending end determines the first network switching area based on the first communication map and the second communication map:

[0098] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a flowchart of a first network handover area confirmation method provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 4, the method includes the following steps:

[0099] S501, Determine multiple first grid points in the first communication map and the second communication map.

[0100] Among these, the network signal quality of the first operator corresponding to each of the multiple first grid points is less than the preset quality, and the network signal quality of the second operator corresponding to each of the first grid points is greater than the preset quality.

[0101] S502. Perform density-based clustering on multiple first grid points to determine multiple second grid groups.

[0102] Each of the multiple second grid groups includes multiple second grid points, and the distribution density of the multiple second grid points is greater than the preset distribution density.

[0103] S503. Determine the multiple second network switching areas corresponding to the multiple second grid groups respectively.

[0104] Among them, each of the multiple second network switching regions includes multiple second grid points in the second grid group corresponding to each second network switching region.

[0105] S504. Perform expansion processing on multiple second network switching areas to determine multiple third network switching areas.

[0106] Since network switching with a different carrier is not instantaneous and requires a certain amount of time, a pre-switching process can be performed before entering the area where network switching is required. This allows users to directly use the carrier network with better signal strength upon entering the switching area. Because the receiving end primarily determines whether a network switching area has been entered based on location, and thus decides whether to initiate a switch, a buffer zone can be added to each of the multiple secondary network switching areas. This involves buffer expansion for each secondary network switching area, specifically creating a command-distance region around each secondary network switching area.

[0107] For example, please refer to Figure 10. Figure 10 is an application example diagram of a buffer provided by an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 10, the left legend is a distribution diagram of multiple second network switching regions, each of which is a polygon in the left legend. The right legend is a distribution diagram of multiple third network switching regions after the multiple second network switching regions have been expanded, and each of the third network switching regions is also a polygon in the right legend.

[0108] S505. Obtain road network information and, based on the road network information, determine the longest coverage length of the road network covered by each of the multiple third network handover areas.

[0109] S506. Determine the first network handover area among multiple third network handover areas.

[0110] Among them, the longest coverage length of the road network covered in the first network switching area is greater than the preset length.

[0111] Example 4: The network handover method will be further explained below:

[0112] Please refer to Figure 11, which is a flowchart illustrating another network switching method provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0113] S601, the transmitting end transmits the first network switching area and the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area. Correspondingly, the receiving end receives the first network switching area and the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area.

[0114] S602, The receiving end detects that the current location is in the first network switching area and switches the network signal from the first operator network to the second operator network.

[0115] S603, the receiving end detects that the travel distance after entering the first network switching area is greater than or equal to the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area, and switches the network signal from the second operator network to the first operator network.

[0116] In this context, since the road network corresponds to the roads the user travels along, the longest coverage length of the road network within the first network switching area refers to the longest distance the user can travel on a single road within that area. Therefore, after detecting that a user has entered the first network switching area, if it is determined that the user's travel distance is greater than or equal to the longest coverage length of the road network within that area, it can be concluded that the user has left the first network switching area. At this point, the network signal can be switched back from the second operator's network to the first operator's network. This avoids the receiver continuously checking whether the current location is outside the first network switching area; it only needs to check the travel distance to determine whether the network signal should switch back to the first operator's network.

[0117] Furthermore, when the transmitting end determines the longest coverage length of the road network covered by each of the multiple second network handover areas based on road network information, it needs to determine all the road networks covered by each second network handover area, as well as the coverage length of each road network within those covered road networks. After determining the first network handover areas within the multiple second network handover areas, the transmitting end can also send all the road networks covered by each first network handover area, along with the coverage length of each road network within those covered road networks, to the receiving end. Upon receiving all the road networks covered by the first network handover area and the coverage length of each road network within those covered road networks, if the receiving end detects that its current location is within the first network handover area, it can further determine the target road network within that first network handover area. Therefore, after switching the network signal from the first operator's network to the second operator's network, it can determine whether to switch the network signal from the second operator's network to the first operator's network based on the coverage length of the target road network and the distance traveled by the receiving end after entering the first network handover area.

[0118] As can be seen, the current method in this application, which relies solely on real-time signal quality measurement by the terminal device, introduces a time delay during network switching, especially for vehicles traveling at high speeds, where delays can reach hundreds of meters. This delay not only degrades communication quality but may also lead to a situation where, after switching the network signal from the first operator's network to the second operator's network, the signal quality of the second operator's network becomes lower than that of the first operator's network, necessitating a switchback to the first operator's network. This repeated network switching results in frequent handovers.

[0119] For example, please refer to Figure 12, which is an application example diagram of network signal provided by an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 12, it includes the network signal quality values ​​of the first operator and the second operator respectively during the user's journey. It can be seen that if the terminal device switches networks based on the real-time measurement of signal quality, the terminal device will switch the network signal to the operator network with better network signal quality in real time. At this time, according to the network signal quality shown in the figure, seven network switches are required.

[0120] Please refer to Figure 13, which is an example of another network signal application provided by an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 13, according to the method shown in this application, the points where the network quality of the first operator is less than the preset quality and the network instruction of the second operator is greater than the preset quality are first determined. Subsequently, density-based clustering processing and a judgment on whether the longest coverage length of the road network covered in the network switching area is greater than the preset length are also performed. This can exclude short-distance network switching. If the preset quality is 13 and the distance needs to be no less than 3, then a network switching distance can be uniquely determined (the position shown in the solid box). At this time, according to the network signal quality shown in the figure, only two network switching operations are required.

[0121] Specifically, this application filters multiple first grid points in the communication map where the network quality of the first operator is lower than a preset quality and the network quality of the second operator is higher than a preset quality. Then, based on density clustering, a second grid group with a higher distribution density is determined. This eliminates scattered first grid points, avoiding short-distance network handovers. Subsequently, the second network handover area corresponding to the second grid group is expanded to obtain a third network handover area. This allows the terminal device to perform a network handover in advance, and upon entering the network handover area, it can directly enjoy the operator's network with higher signal quality, improving network communication quality. Finally, the maximum coverage length of the road network covered by each third network handover area needs to be determined. Only when the maximum coverage length is greater than a preset length will it be identified as a first network handover area and sent to the terminal device. This also avoids short-distance network handovers. Therefore, this application can not only reduce the frequency of network handovers, avoiding frequent handovers and thus reducing the operating power consumption of the terminal device, but also improve the quality of network communication.

[0122] Please refer to Figure 14, which is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. This communication device can be used to execute any of the methods in the foregoing embodiments.

[0123] As shown in Figure 14, the communication device includes a processing module 1401 and a transceiver module 1402. The processing module 1401 may be one or more processors, and the transceiver module 1402 may be a transceiver or a communication interface. This communication device can be used to implement the functions of the sending end and receiving end involved in any of the above method embodiments. Optionally, the communication device may further include a storage module 1403 for storing the program code and data of the communication device. The processing module 1401 can read instructions and / or data from the storage unit to enable the device to perform the actions of different devices in the aforementioned method embodiments.

[0124] In a first example, the communication device can function as a first device or a chip within a first device, and execute the steps performed by the transmitting end in embodiments one through four of the above method. The transceiver module 1402 supports communication between the transmitting end and the receiving end, etc. The processing module 1401 can be used to support the execution of actions other than transmitting and receiving performed by the transmitting end in the above method embodiments.

[0125] Specifically, the processing module 1401 is used to: acquire a first communication map and a second communication map, the first communication map corresponding to a first operator and the second communication map corresponding to a second operator; determine a first network switching area based on the first communication map and the second communication map, the first network switching area being used to indicate that the network signal quality of the first operator in the first network switching area is lower than that of the second operator; the transceiver module 1402 is used to: send the first network switching area to the receiving end.

[0126] In one feasible implementation, the processing module 1401 is specifically used to: determine a plurality of first grid points in a first communication map and a second communication map, wherein the network signal quality of a first operator corresponding to each of the plurality of first grid points is less than a preset quality, and the network signal quality of a second operator corresponding to each of the plurality of first grid points is greater than the preset quality; and determine a first network switching area based on the plurality of first grid points.

[0127] In one feasible implementation, the processing module 1401 is specifically used for: performing density-based clustering on a plurality of first grid points to determine a plurality of second grid groups, each of the plurality of second grid groups including a plurality of second grid points, the distribution density of the plurality of second grid points being greater than a preset distribution density; determining a plurality of second network switching regions corresponding to the plurality of second grid groups, each of the plurality of second network switching regions including a plurality of second grid points in the second grid group corresponding to each second network switching region; and determining a first network switching region based on the plurality of second network switching regions.

[0128] In one feasible implementation, the processing module 1401 is specifically used to: perform expansion processing on multiple second network switching regions respectively to determine multiple third network switching regions; and determine a first network switching region based on the multiple third network switching regions.

[0129] In one feasible implementation, the processing module 1401 is specifically used to: acquire road network information; determine the longest coverage length of the road network covered by each of the multiple third network switching areas based on the road network information; and determine the first network switching area among the multiple third network switching areas, wherein the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area is greater than a preset length.

[0130] In one feasible implementation, the processing module 1401 is specifically used to: acquire road network information; determine the longest coverage length of the road network covered by each of the multiple second network switching areas based on the road network information; and determine the first network switching area among the multiple second network switching areas, wherein the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area is greater than a preset length.

[0131] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver module 1402 is further configured to: send the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area to the receiving end, so that after the receiving end enters the first network switching area and switches the network signal from the first operator network to the second operator network, it switches the second operator network back to the first operator network according to the longest coverage length and the driving distance.

[0132] In a second example, the communication device can function as a second device or a chip within a second device, and execute the steps performed by the receiving end in embodiments one through six of the above method. The transceiver module 1402 supports communication between the receiving end and the transmitting end, etc. The processing module 1401 can be used to support the execution of actions other than sending and receiving performed by the receiving end in the above method embodiments.

[0133] Specifically, the transceiver module 1402 is used to: receive a first network switching area from the sending end, wherein the first network switching area is used to indicate that the network signal quality of the first operator in the first network switching area is lower than the network signal quality of the second operator;

[0134] The processing module 1401 is used to: detect that the current location is in the first network switching area, and switch the network signal from the first operator network to the second operator network.

[0135] In one feasible implementation, regarding the instantiation of the target function based on the target runtime resource pool, the processing module 1401 is specifically configured to: when there are available worker nodes in the target runtime resource pool, allocate an available worker node to instantiate the target function; when there are no available worker nodes in the target runtime resource pool, create a new worker node and instantiate the target function based on the new worker node.

[0136] In one feasible implementation, the processing module 1401 is further configured to: detect that the current location is not in the first network switching area, and switch the network signal from the second operator network to the first operator network.

[0137] In one feasible implementation, the transceiver module 1402 is further configured to: receive the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area from the sending end; the processing module 1401 is further configured to: detect that the driving distance after entering the first network switching area is not less than the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area, and switch the network signal from the second operator network to the first operator network.

[0138] Furthermore, a processor may include a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and registers. For example, the controller is primarily responsible for instruction decoding and issuing control signals for the operations corresponding to the instructions. The ALU is primarily responsible for performing fixed-point or floating-point arithmetic operations, shift operations, and logical operations, and can also perform address operations and translations. Registers are primarily responsible for storing register operands and intermediate operation results temporarily stored during instruction execution. In specific implementations, the processor's hardware architecture can be an ASIC architecture, a microprocessor without interlocked piped stages architecture (MIPS), an advanced reduced instruction set machine (RISC) machine (ARM) architecture, or a network processor (NP) architecture, etc. The processor can be single-core or multi-core.

[0139] The storage module can be an internal storage module of the chip, such as a register or cache. Alternatively, the storage module can be an external storage module, such as ROM or other types of static storage devices that can store static information and instructions, such as RAM.

[0140] It should be noted that the functions of the processor and interface can be implemented through hardware design, software design, or a combination of both; no restrictions are imposed here.

[0141] Furthermore, it should be noted that the aforementioned transceiver unit and / or processing unit can be implemented through virtual modules. For example, the processing unit can be implemented through software functional units or virtual devices, and the transceiver unit can be implemented through software functions or virtual devices. Alternatively, the processing unit or transceiver unit can also be implemented through physical devices. For example, if the device is implemented using a chip / chip circuit, the transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit and / or a communication interface, performing input operations (corresponding to the aforementioned receiving operation) and output operations (corresponding to the aforementioned sending operation); the processing unit is an integrated processor, microprocessor, or integrated circuit.

[0142] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 15, the communication device may include one or more of the following components: a processor 1501, a memory 1502, and a communication interface 1503. The processor 1501, the memory 1502, and the communication interface 1503 are interconnected and perform communication between them. The memory 1502 may store one or more computer programs, which may be configured to implement the methods described in the above embodiments when executed by one or more processors 1501.

[0143] Processor 1501 may include one or more processing cores. Processor 1501 connects to various parts of the communication device using various interfaces and lines, and performs various functions and processes data by running or executing instructions, programs, code sets, or instruction sets stored in memory 1502, and by calling data stored in memory 1502. Optionally, processor 1501 may be implemented using at least one hardware form of Digital Signal Processing (DSP), Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or Programmable Logic Array (PLA). Processor 1501 may integrate one or more of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), and modem. It is understood that the aforementioned modem may also not be integrated into processor 1501, but may be implemented separately through a communication chip.

[0144] The memory 1502 may include random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM). The memory 1502 can be used to store instructions, programs, code, code sets, or instruction sets. The memory 1502 may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store instructions for implementing an operating system, instructions for implementing at least one function (such as touch functionality, sound playback functionality, image playback functionality, etc.), and instructions for implementing the various method embodiments described above. The data storage area may also store data created during the use of the communication device.

[0145] It is understood that the communication device may include more or fewer structural elements than those shown in the block diagram above.

[0146] This application provides a communication system, which includes a first device corresponding to a transmitting end and a second device corresponding to a receiving end.

[0147] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed, cause the computer to perform any of the methods described above.

[0148] This application provides a computer program product, which includes computer program code. When the computer program code is run, it causes the computer to perform any of the methods described above.

[0149] This application provides a chip coupled to a memory for reading and executing program instructions in the memory, so that the device in which the chip is located implements any of the methods described above.

[0150] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have their own emphasis. Parts not described in detail in a particular embodiment can be found in the relevant descriptions of other embodiments. It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the foregoing method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the described order of actions, as some steps may be performed in other orders or simultaneously according to this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to this application.

[0151] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of the units described above is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical or other forms.

[0152] The units described above as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0153] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A network handover method, characterized in that, The method is applied at the sending end, and the method includes: Obtain a first communication map and a second communication map, wherein the first communication map corresponds to a first operator and the second communication map corresponds to a second operator; A first network switching area is determined based on the first communication map and the second communication map. The first network switching area is used to indicate that the network signal quality of the first operator in the first network switching area is lower than that of the second operator. The first network switching area is sent to the receiving end.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of determining the first network switching area based on the first communication map and the second communication map includes: A plurality of first grid points are determined in the first communication map and the second communication map, wherein the network signal quality of the first operator corresponding to each of the plurality of first grid points is less than a preset quality, and the network signal quality of the second operator corresponding to each of the plurality of first grid points is greater than the preset quality; The first network switching area is determined based on the plurality of first grid points.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Determining the first network switching region based on the plurality of first grid points includes: Density-based clustering is performed on the plurality of first grid points to determine a plurality of second grid groups. Each of the plurality of second grid groups includes a plurality of second grid points, and the distribution density of the plurality of second grid points is greater than a preset distribution density. Determine multiple second network switching regions corresponding to the multiple second grid groups respectively, wherein each of the multiple second network switching regions includes multiple second grid points in the second grid group corresponding to each second network switching region; The first network switching region is determined based on the plurality of second network switching regions.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Determining the first network switching area based on the plurality of second network switching areas includes: The plurality of second network switching regions are expanded to determine a plurality of third network switching regions; The first network switching region is determined based on the plurality of third network switching regions.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Determining the first network switching region based on the plurality of third network switching regions includes: Obtain road network information; Based on the road network information, determine the longest coverage length of the road network covered by each of the plurality of third network switching areas; A first network switching area is determined among the plurality of third network switching areas, wherein the longest coverage length of the road network covered in the first network switching area is greater than a preset length.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, Determining the first network switching area based on the plurality of second network switching areas includes: Obtain road network information; Based on the road network information, determine the longest coverage length of the road network covered by each of the plurality of second network switching areas; A first network switching area is determined among the plurality of second network switching areas, wherein the longest coverage length of the road network covered in the first network switching area is greater than a preset length.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: The longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area is sent to the receiving end, so that after the receiving end enters the first network switching area and switches the network signal from the first operator network to the second operator network, it switches the second operator network back to the first operator network according to the longest coverage length and the driving distance.

8. A network handover method, characterized in that, The method is applied at the receiving end, and the method includes: Receive a first network switching area from the sending end, wherein the first network switching area is used to indicate that the network signal quality of the first operator in the first network switching area is lower than the network signal quality of the second operator; If the current location is detected to be in the first network switching area, the network signal will be switched from the first operator network to the second operator network.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, After switching the network signal from the first operator's network to the second operator's network, the method further includes: If the current location is detected to be outside the first network switching area, the network signal is switched from the second operator network to the first operator network.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area from the sending end; After switching the network signal from the first operator's network to the second operator's network, the method further includes: If the travel distance after entering the first network switching area is not less than the longest coverage length of the road network covered by the first network switching area, the network signal is switched from the second operator network to the first operator network.

11. A communication device, characterized in that, Includes units or modules for implementing the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. A communication device, the device comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in the memory, characterized in that, The processor is configured to retrieve the executable program code computer program stored in the memory to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

13. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by a processor, it implements the method as described in any one of claims 1-10.

15. A chip, characterized by The chip is coupled to a memory for reading and executing program instructions stored in the memory to implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-7, or to implement the method as described in any one of claims 8-10.

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