Communication method and related apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed in the embodiments of the present application are a communication method and a related apparatus. The method comprises: a serving satellite sending second information to a terminal device, the second information indicating the activation of first ephemeris information, so that on the basis of the second information and from among one or more pieces of ephemeris information configured on the basis of first information, the terminal device determines the first ephemeris information that needs to be activated. The present application ensures that a terminal device can determine, from among one or more pieces of configured ephemeris information, a specific piece of ephemeris information to calculate related data of a spatial domain receiver, thereby ensuring that the terminal device establishes a communication connection with a neighbor satellite of a serving satellite, and improving the quality of communication between the terminal device and the neighbor satellite.

Description

A communication method and related apparatus

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. CN202510129134.1, filed on January 27, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Related Device", 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 communication method and related apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Ephemeris plays a crucial role in satellite communication systems. Satellites transmit ephemeris data to user equipment (UE), which then calculates the satellite's position, velocity, and trajectory. Based on this information, the UE can calculate the time and frequency offsets for downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) communication.

[0004] In multi-satellite non-coherent joint transmission (NCJT), different satellites send different data streams to the UE. Multiple satellites, acting as network devices, may collaborate to serve the same geographical area. However, in multi-satellite NCJT systems, the arrival of signals from multiple satellites at the UE may result in time-frequency asynchrony. This asynchrony can cause severe inter-symbol interference and inter-carrier interference at the receiver, severely degrading system performance.

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, the UE can rely on ephemeris data to achieve "asynchronous stacking" of multiple data streams, eliminating the requirement for time-frequency synchronization of signals from multiple satellites arriving at the UE. The ephemeris-based asynchronous stacking method is as follows: the UE first calculates the spatial receiver based on the ephemeris data of the serving satellite and neighbor satellites, and then synchronizes with the neighbor satellites based on this spatial receiver. However, the serving satellite will configure multiple neighbor cell ephemeris data for the UE. The UE cannot determine which neighbor cell's ephemeris data to use to calculate the spatial receiver in order to establish a communication connection with that neighbor satellite. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application propose a communication method, which is applied to a terminal device.

[0007] The first communication device is applied to the terminal side, such as a terminal or a communication module within a terminal, or a circuit or chip (such as a modem chip, also known as a baseband chip, or a system-on-chip (SoC) chip containing a modem core, or a system-in-package (SIP) chip) within a terminal responsible for communication functions. For example, the first communication device can be a terminal device, a device or apparatus with a chip, or a device or apparatus with integrated circuits, or a chip, chip system, functional module, control unit, circuit, processor, or integrated circuit that can be applied to the aforementioned device or apparatus; specific applications are not limited in this application.

[0008] The method includes: receiving first information, the first information being used to configure one or more ephemeris information; receiving second information, the second information being used to indicate the activation of first ephemeris information, the first ephemeris information belonging to the one or more ephemeris information, the first ephemeris information corresponding to a first satellite; calculating first communication information based on the first information and the second information, the first communication information being used by the terminal device to measure the channel quality between the terminal device and the first satellite, the first communication information including relevant information of the airspace receiver of the terminal device.

[0009] In the above technical solution, the serving satellite sends second information to the terminal device, which instructs the activation of first ephemeris information. This allows the terminal device to determine the first ephemeris information to be activated from one or more ephemeris information configured in the first information, based on the second information. This ensures that the terminal device can determine which ephemeris information to use to calculate relevant data for the airspace receiver from the configured one or more ephemeris information, guaranteeing the establishment of a communication connection between the terminal device and the neighboring satellites of the serving satellite, and improving the communication quality between the terminal device and the neighboring satellites.

[0010] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, calculating the first communication information based on the first information and the second information includes: determining second ephemeris information based on the first information, the second ephemeris information corresponding to a second satellite, the second satellite being the satellite currently providing communication services to the terminal device; determining the first ephemeris information based on the second information; and determining the first communication information based on the first ephemeris information and the second ephemeris information.

[0011] In the above technical solution, the terminal device calculates the spatial receiver based on the ephemeris information of the first satellite (first ephemeris information) and the ephemeris information of the second satellite (second ephemeris information) to obtain the first communication information. This ensures that the terminal device can successfully establish a communication connection with the first satellite, improving the communication quality between the terminal device and the first satellite.

[0012] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the second information includes: identification information of the first ephemeris information and first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the activation of the first ephemeris information.

[0013] For example, the first indication information may be a bitmap. The first indication information may also be other information such as an identifier bit, and this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0014] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving a first synchronization signal block (SSB) from the first satellite according to the first communication information; sending first channel information to the second satellite according to the first SSB, the first channel information indicating the channel quality between the terminal device and the first satellite; receiving second communication information or third information, wherein the second communication information is used for communication between the terminal device and the first satellite, and the third information is used to deactivate the first ephemeris information.

[0015] In the above technical solution, the terminal device can report the channel quality information between the terminal device and the first satellite to the second satellite, so that the second satellite can determine whether to allow the terminal device to establish a communication connection with the first satellite based on the channel quality information, or the second satellite can determine whether to allow the first satellite to provide communication services to the terminal device based on the channel quality information.

[0016] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the second communication information includes: configuration information of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and / or configuration information of the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0017] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the method further includes: receiving a first synchronization signal block (SSB) from the first satellite based on the first communication information; generating first channel information based on the first SSB, the first channel information indicating the channel quality between the terminal device and the first satellite; detecting whether the first channel information satisfies a second condition; if the first channel information does not satisfy the second condition, sending fourth information, the fourth information indicating that the terminal device has failed to synchronize with the first satellite; determining third communication information based on second ephemeris information, the third communication information being used for communication between the terminal device and the second satellite, the second ephemeris information corresponding to the second satellite, the second satellite being the satellite currently providing communication services to the terminal device.

[0018] For example, the first channel information mentioned above may be: SSB-RSRP.

[0019] In the above technical solution, the terminal device can also determine whether to allow successful synchronization between the terminal device and the first satellite based on the channel quality information between the terminal device and the first satellite. If synchronization fails, the terminal device continues to use the communication service provided by the second satellite.

[0020] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the second information is carried in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, a Media Access Control (MAC-CE) message, or a Downlink Control Information (DCI) message.

[0021] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first communication information includes: relevant parameters of the spatial receiver of the terminal device.

[0022] In conjunction with the first aspect, in one possible implementation of the first aspect, the first ephemeris information corresponds to a first cell, the second ephemeris information corresponds to a second cell, and the first cell is a neighboring cell of the second cell.

[0023] Secondly, embodiments of this application propose a communication method applied to a second satellite.

[0024] The second satellite may be a network device, a device or apparatus with a chip, a device or apparatus with integrated circuits, or a chip, chip system, module, control unit, circuit or processor applicable to the aforementioned device or apparatus, or at least one of a central unit (CU) or a distributed unit (DU), the specific of which is not limited in this application.

[0025] The method includes: sending first information, the first information being used to configure one or more ephemeris information; sending second information, the second information being used to indicate the activation of first ephemeris information, the first ephemeris information belonging to the one or more ephemeris information, the first ephemeris information corresponding to a first satellite, and the first satellite being a neighboring satellite of the second satellite.

[0026] The second aspect provides some possible implementation methods and beneficial effects that can be referred to in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0027] Thirdly, embodiments of this application propose a communication system comprising: a terminal device and a second satellite. This communication system performs the methods described in the first and / or second aspects above, which will not be elaborated upon here.

[0028] Fourthly, this application provides a communication device, which is a terminal device. The device includes a transceiver module and a processing module. The components of the communication device can also be used to perform the steps executed in various possible implementations of the first aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the first aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0029] Fifthly, this application provides a communication device, which is a second satellite. The communication device includes a transceiver module and a processing module. The components of the communication device can also be used to perform the steps executed in various possible implementations of the second aspect and achieve the corresponding technical effects. For details, please refer to the second aspect, which will not be repeated here.

[0030] Sixthly, this application provides a communication device comprising one or more processors. The one or more processors are capable of executing the computer program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the first aspect described above.

[0031] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0032] In one possible design, the communication device may further include a memory. The memory is used to store part or all of the computer programs or instructions necessary to implement the functions described in the first aspect above.

[0033] The aforementioned communication device may be a terminal, or a communication module in a terminal, or a chip in a terminal that is responsible for communication functions, such as a modem chip (also known as a baseband chip), or a system-on-a-chip (SoC) containing a modem module, or a chip or a system-in-package (SIP) chip.

[0034] In a seventh aspect, this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is configured to perform the method described in any possible implementation of any of the preceding first aspects.

[0035] In an eighth aspect, this application provides a communication device comprising one or more processors. The one or more processors are capable of executing the computer program or instructions, which, when executed, cause the communication device to implement the methods in any possible design or implementation of the second aspect described above.

[0036] In one possible design, the communication device may further include an interface circuit, wherein the processor is used to communicate with other devices or components through the interface circuit.

[0037] In one possible design, the communication device may further include a memory. The memory is used to store part or all of the computer programs or instructions necessary to implement the functions described in the second aspect above.

[0038] In a ninth aspect, this application provides a communication device including at least one logic circuit and an input / output interface; the logic circuit is configured to perform the method described in any possible implementation of any of the preceding second aspects.

[0039] In a tenth aspect, this application provides a communication system that includes the aforementioned network equipment and / or terminal equipment.

[0040] Eleventhly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium for storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform the method as described in any possible implementation of any of the first and / or second aspects above.

[0041] In a twelfth aspect, this application provides a computer program product (or computer program) that, when executed by a processor, performs the method described in any possible implementation of either the first aspect or the second aspect.

[0042] In a thirteenth aspect, this application provides a chip or chip system including at least one processor for supporting a communication device in implementing the method described in any possible implementation of any of the first and / or second aspects described above.

[0043] In one possible design, the chip or chip system may further include a memory for storing program instructions and data necessary for the communication device. The chip system may be composed of chips or may include chips and other discrete devices. Optionally, the chip system may also include interface circuitry that provides program instructions and / or data to the at least one processor.

[0044] The technical effects of any of the design methods in aspects three through thirteen can be found in the technical effects of the different design methods in aspects one through two above, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 1000 used in the embodiments of this application;

[0046] Figures 2a to 2d are some schematic diagrams of the satellite communication process provided in this application;

[0047] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the satellite communication process in the 5G system provided in this application;

[0048] Figure 4a shows the satellite orbital plane and parameters;

[0049] Figure 4b is a schematic diagram of a multi-star NCJT system;

[0050] Figure 4c is a schematic diagram of the time-frequency asynchronous problem in a multi-star NCJT system;

[0051] Figures 5a to 5d are schematic diagrams of the receiver structure of a multi-satellite NCJT system;

[0052] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of logical channels, transmission channels and physical channels in a wireless communication system;

[0053] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of ephemeris information;

[0054] Figures 8 and 9 are schematic diagrams of a scenario involving a cell serving a satellite and a cell serving a neighboring satellite;

[0055] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the communication method in this application.

[0056] Figure 11a is a schematic flowchart of another embodiment of the communication method in this application;

[0057] Figure 11b is a schematic flowchart of another embodiment of the communication method in this application;

[0058] Figure 12 is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 13 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 14 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0061] First, some terms used in the embodiments of this application will be explained to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0062] (1) Terminal device: can be a wireless terminal device that can receive network device scheduling and instruction information. The wireless terminal device can be a device that provides voice and / or data connectivity to the user, or a handheld device with wireless connection function, or other processing device connected to a wireless modem.

[0063] Terminal devices can be various communication kits with wireless communication capabilities (kits may include, for example, antennas, power supply modules, cables, and Wi-Fi modules). Terminal devices can also be communication modules with satellite communication capabilities, satellite phones or components thereof, and very small aperture terminals (VSATs). Terminal devices can be mobile terminal devices, such as mobile phones (or "cellular" phones), computers, and data cards. For example, they can be portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-embedded, or vehicle-mounted mobile devices that exchange voice and / or data with a wireless access network. Examples include personal communication service (PCS) phones, cordless phones, session initiation protocol (SIP) phones, wireless local loop (WLL) stations, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, and computers with wireless transceiver capabilities. Wireless terminal equipment can also be referred to as a system, subscriber unit, subscriber station, mobile station, mobile station (MS), remote station, access point (AP), remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, user agent, subscriber station (SS), customer premises equipment (CPE), terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile terminal (MT), drone, etc. Terminal equipment can also be wearable devices and next-generation communication systems, such as terminal equipment in 6G communication systems or terminal equipment in future evolved public land mobile networks (PLMNs). Of course, in this application, terminal equipment can also refer to chips, modems, system-on-a-chip (SoC), or communication platforms that may include radio frequency (RF) components, etc., that are primarily responsible for related communication functions.

[0064] (2) Network equipment: This can be equipment within a wireless network. For example, network equipment can be a RAN node (or device) that connects terminal devices to the wireless network, and can also be called a base station. Currently, some examples of RAN equipment include: base station, evolved NodeB (eNodeB), gNB (gNodeB) in 5G communication systems, transmission reception point (TRP), evolved Node B (eNB), radio network controller (RNC), Node B (NB), home base station (e.g., home evolved Node B, or home Node B, HNB), base band unit (BBU), or wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access point (AP), etc. In addition, in a network architecture, network equipment can include centralized unit (CU) nodes, distributed unit (DU) nodes, or RAN equipment including CU nodes and DU nodes.

[0065] Optionally, RAN nodes can also be macro base stations, micro base stations, indoor stations, relay nodes, donor nodes, or radio controllers in cloud radio access network (CRAN) scenarios. RAN nodes can also be servers, wearable devices, vehicles, or in-vehicle equipment. For example, the access network equipment in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology can be a roadside unit (RSU).

[0066] In another possible scenario, multiple RAN nodes collaborate to assist the terminal in achieving wireless access, with each RAN node performing a portion of the base station's functions. For example, RAN nodes can be central units (CUs), distributed units (DUs), CU-control plane (CPs), CU-user plane (UPs), or radio units (RUs), etc. CUs and DUs can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RUs can be included in radio frequency equipment or radio frequency units, such as remote radio units (RRUs), active antenna units (AAUs), or remote radio heads (RRHs).

[0067] In different systems, CU (or CU-CP and CU-UP), DU, or RU may have different names, but those skilled in the art will understand their meaning. For example, in an open access network (open RAN, O-RAN, or ORAN) system, CU can also be called O-CU (open CU), DU can also be called O-DU, CU-CP can also be called O-CU-CP, CU-UP can also be called O-CU-UP, and RU can also be called O-RU. For ease of description, this application uses CU, CU-CP, CU-UP, DU, and RU as examples. Any of the units among CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, and RU in this application can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software modules and hardware modules.

[0068] Communication between access network devices and terminal devices follows a specific protocol layer structure. This protocol layer may include a control plane protocol layer and a user plane protocol layer. The control plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: radio resource control (RRC) layer, packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, radio link control (RLC) layer, media access control (MAC) layer, or physical (PHY) layer, etc. The user plane protocol layer may include at least one of the following: service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, PDCP layer, RLC layer, MAC layer, or physical layer, etc.

[0069] The correspondence between network elements and their achievable protocol layer functions in the ORAN system can be found in Table 1 below.

[0070] Table 1

[0071] Network devices can be other devices that provide wireless communication functions for terminal devices. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technology or form of the network device. For ease of description, the embodiments of this application are not limited.

[0072] Network equipment may also include core network equipment, such as the Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Serving Gateway (S-GW), Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), and Public Data Network Gateway (PDN Gateway, P-GW) in 4th generation (4G) networks; and access and mobility management function (AMF), user plane function (UPF), or session management function (SMF) in 5G networks. Furthermore, this core network equipment may also include other core network equipment in 5G networks and next-generation networks of 5G networks.

[0073] In this embodiment of the application, the network device can also be a network node with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, which can provide AI services to terminals or other network devices. For example, it can be an AI node, computing power node, RAN node with AI capabilities, core network element with AI capabilities, etc. on the network side (access network or core network).

[0074] In this application embodiment, the device for implementing the function of the network device can be the network device itself, or it can be a device capable of supporting the network device in implementing that function, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the network device. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the example of a network device being used to implement the function of the network device is used to describe the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment.

[0075] (3) Configuration and Pre-configuration: In this application, both configuration and pre-configuration are used. Configuration refers to the network device sending configuration information or parameter values ​​of some parameters to the terminal device through messages or signaling, so that the terminal device can determine the communication parameters or resources during transmission based on these values ​​or information. Pre-configuration is similar to configuration; it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​that the network device and the terminal device have negotiated in advance, or it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​that the network device or the terminal device uses as specified by the standard protocol, or it can be parameter information or parameter values ​​that are pre-stored in the network device or the terminal device. This application does not limit this.

[0076] Furthermore, these values ​​and parameters can be changed or updated.

[0077] (4) The terms "system" and "network" in the embodiments of this application can be used interchangeably. "At least one" means one or more, and "more" means two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone, where A and B can be singular or plural. The character " / " generally indicates that the related objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. "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 and C" includes A, B, C, AB, AC, BC or ABC. And, unless otherwise specified, the ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" mentioned in the embodiments of this application are used to distinguish multiple objects and are not used to limit the order, sequence, priority or importance of multiple objects.

[0078] (5) In the embodiments of this application, "send" and "receive" indicate the direction of signal transmission. For example, "send information to XX" can be understood as the destination of the information being XX, which may include sending directly through the air interface or sending indirectly through the air interface by other units or modules. "Receive information from YY" can be understood as the source of the information being YY, which may include receiving directly from YY through the air interface or receiving indirectly from YY through the air interface by other units or modules. "Send" can also be understood as the "output" of the chip interface, and "receive" can also be understood as the "input" of the chip interface.

[0079] In other words, sending and receiving can occur between devices, such as between network devices and terminal devices, or within a device, such as between components, modules, chips, software modules, or hardware modules within the device via buses, wiring, or interfaces.

[0080] It is understandable that information may undergo necessary processing, such as encoding and modulation, between the source and destination, but the destination can understand the valid information from the source. Similar statements in this application can be interpreted in a similar way and will not be elaborated further.

[0081] (6) Geographical region. In the embodiments of this application, a geographic region may be replaced with a region. Herein, a region is fixed relative to the Earth, or it can be understood as a geographic region that is fixed relative to the Earth.

[0082] For example, a region may have at least one of the following attributes: shape, outline, size, radius, area, geographic location, etc. Furthermore, a "region" may also have an altitude attribute, meaning a region can be understood as a geographic area at a given altitude or within a given altitude range. For instance, a region may refer to a geographic area on the ground with an elevation of 0 km or within a range of 0 km ± 2 km, or a geographic area at a certain average altitude, or a geographic area at a specific altitude, such as an elevation of 10 km or within a range of 10 km ± 3 km.

[0083] Alternatively, the aforementioned region fixed relative to the Earth can also be referred to as a "wave position," "geographic region," etc. Of course, other names are also possible, and this application does not specifically limit the name of the region fixed relative to the Earth.

[0084] In one possible implementation, the shapes, outlines, sizes, radii, and areas of different regions may be the same or different. The geographical locations of the different regions may differ. The different regions may or may not overlap.

[0085] In one possible implementation, the region being fixed relative to the Earth can be understood as follows: the region's outline, size, or geographical location remains unchanged; for example, the region's outline, size, or geographical location does not change over time. Alternatively, the region being fixed relative to the Earth can be understood as follows: the region's outline and the points within it can be described using a fixed Earth coordinate system, or the coordinates of each point on the region's outline in the fixed Earth coordinate system remain constant.

[0086] In one possible implementation, the shape of the region can be a regular hexagon, or other shapes such as a regular pentagon, a circle, an ellipse, etc. Alternatively, the shape of the region can also be irregular, without restriction.

[0087] For example, the shape of a region can be defined by a protocol or by a network device. Regions defined by different network devices can have the same or different shapes. The same network device can also define multiple region shapes. Similarly, the size, radius, and area of ​​a region can also be defined by a protocol or by a network device. Regions defined by different network devices can have the same or different sizes, radii, or areas. The same network device can also define multiple region sizes, multiple region radii, or multiple region areas.

[0088] In one possible implementation, the Earth's surface can be divided into multiple regions, and these regions can be indexed (e.g., numbered). Terminal devices and network devices can agree on the numbering method for these regions (e.g., starting from 1 or 0) and the correspondence between regions and indexes. Alternatively, the protocol can define the numbering method for these regions and the correspondence between regions and indexes. Based on the region indexes, information such as the region's geographical location can be determined.

[0089] Optionally, the multiple regions can completely cover the Earth's surface, such that any location on the Earth's surface belongs to a certain region; or, the multiple regions can also cover part of the geographical location on Earth, for example, the multiple regions may not cover the Earth's South Pole and / or North Pole, that is, the South Pole and / or North Pole may not exist in the region.

[0090] Optionally, the method of dividing the network into multiple zones can be defined by a protocol or by the network device. Different network devices can define the same or different division methods. The same network device can also define multiple division methods.

[0091] As a first possible method of partitioning, the Earth's surface can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity, for example, a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1 degree. If only this discretization method is used, the globe can be divided into 360×360=129600 regions. Terminal devices and network devices can define the indexes of these 129600 regions as 0,1,…,129599, or they can also define them as 1,2,…,129600.

[0092] Optionally, when introducing the altitude attribute of a geographic region, multiple grids can be defined to divide the Earth's surface. For example, a grid at an altitude of 0 km or within a range of 0 km ± 2 km can be divided into 1-degree latitude and longitude grids, generating 129,600 regions. At an altitude of 10 km or within a range of 10 km ± 3 km, another 1-degree latitude and longitude grid can be used, generating yet another 129,600 regions. When indexing these grids, the index range of a single-layer grid needs to be expanded. For example, the total index could be 0, 1, ..., 129599, 129600, 129601, ..., 259199, where the first 129,600 indices represent the grid index at an altitude of 0 km, and the last 129,600 indices represent the grid index at an altitude of 10 km.

[0093] For example, the granularity of the latitude and longitude grid can be determined based on the type of network device. For instance, a relatively small granularity can be used for discretization when the network device is a LEO satellite, and a relatively large granularity can be used when the network device is a GEO satellite.

[0094] As a second possible method of division, the Earth's surface can be divided using latitude and longitude grids of various granularities. For example, a portion of the Earth's surface or a portion of its administrative region can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1 degree, while another portion of the surface or administrative region can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 2 degrees.

[0095] Alternatively, by introducing the altitude attribute of a geographic region, the Earth's surface can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1 degree at an altitude of 0 km, and the Earth's surface can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 2 degrees at an altitude of 10 km.

[0096] As a third possible method of division, the Earth's surface can be divided by administrative regions. For example, a township-level administrative region could be considered as a region.

[0097] As a fourth possible division method, for GEO satellites, the projection of one of the GEO satellite's beams onto the ground can be considered as a region. Since GEO satellites are stationary relative to the Earth, the projection of the GEO satellite's beams onto the ground can be considered fixed relative to the Earth.

[0098] In practical applications, the Earth's surface can be divided using a combination of different methods. For example, a portion of the Earth's surface or a part of its administrative region can be divided using a latitude and longitude grid with a granularity of 1, while another portion of the surface or administrative region can be divided according to its administrative region.

[0099] In one possible implementation, when the Earth's surface is divided into multiple regions, different levels of region division can be applied to the same surface area. For example, for a given surface area, a first level of region division can be performed using a 10-degree granularity latitude and longitude grid, a second level using a 6-degree granularity grid, and a third level using a 1-degree granularity grid. In this case, within the surface area, the number of regions at the first level is greater than the number at the second level, and the number of regions at the second level is greater than the number at the third level. Furthermore, in this scenario, each level of region can be individually numbered.

[0100] (7) In the embodiments of this application, "instruction" may include direct instruction and indirect instruction, as well as explicit instruction and implicit instruction. The information indicated by a certain piece of information (as described below, the instruction information) is called the information to be instructed. In the specific implementation process, there are many ways to indicate the information to be instructed, such as, but not limited to, directly indicating the information to be instructed, such as the information to be instructed itself or its index. It can also indirectly indicate the information to be instructed by indicating other information, where there is an association between the other information and the information to be instructed; or it can only indicate a part of the information to be instructed, while the other parts of the information to be instructed are known or pre-agreed upon. For example, the instruction can be implemented by using a pre-agreed (e.g., protocol predefined) arrangement order of various information, thereby reducing the instruction overhead to a certain extent. This application does not limit the specific method of instruction. It is understood that for the sender of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to indicate the information to be instructed; for the receiver of the instruction information, the instruction information can be used to determine the information to be instructed.

[0101] (8) Ephemeris.

[0102] Ephemeris plays a crucial role in satellite communication systems. Satellites transmit ephemeris data to the UE, allowing the UE to calculate the satellite's position, velocity, and trajectory. Based on this information, the UE can calculate downlink or uplink time-frequency offsets. In short, ephemeris assists the UE in performing DL / UL synchronization. The satellite's orbital plane and its position within that plane are illustrated in Figure 4a, which shows a schematic diagram of the satellite orbital plane and its parameters. The current protocol defines two ephemeris formats: 1) PVT format and 2) Orbital format. Specifically, as shown in Table 2, the PVT format ephemeris describes the satellite's position, velocity, and time; as shown in Table 3, the Orbital format ephemeris describes the plane of the satellite's orbit and its position within that plane.

[0103] Table 2

[0104] Table 3

[0105] Next, we will introduce the methods for transmitting ephemeris information.

[0106] Please refer to Figure 6, which is a schematic diagram of logical channels, transmission channels and physical channels in a wireless communication system.

[0107] First, in 5G systems, the Media Access Control (MAC) layer provides services to the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer in the form of logical channels. The types of logical channels include:

[0108] 1. Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH): Used by network devices to send system messages to terminal devices within the cell's coverage area. Before accessing the system, terminal devices need to obtain system messages to understand the system's configuration and the rules required for normal operation within the cell.

[0109] 2. Paging Control Channel (PCCH): Used in network equipment to page terminal devices whose cell location information is unknown. Therefore, paging messages need to be sent in multiple cells.

[0110] 3. Common control channel (CCCH): Used to transmit control information during random access.

[0111] 4. Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH): Used to transmit control information between network devices and terminal devices. This channel is used for dedicated configuration of a terminal device, such as configuring various parameters.

[0112] 5. Dedicated Traffic Channel (DTCH): Used for transmitting user data between network devices and terminal devices. This is a logical channel type used to transmit all unicast uplink and downlink user data.

[0113] Secondly, the physical layer provides services to the MAC layer in the form of transport channels. A transport channel is defined as how information is transmitted through the wireless interface and what characteristics this air interface transmission has. Data on the transport channel is organized into transport blocks (TBs). Transport channel types include:

[0114] 1. Broadcast Channel (BCH): It has a fixed transmission format, defined by 3GPP specifications. The BCH is used to transmit some BCCH system messages, more specifically called the master information block (MIB).

[0115] 2. Paging Channel (PCH): Used to transmit paging information for the PCCH logical channel. The PCH supports discontinuous reception (DRX), allowing terminal devices to wake up only at predefined times to receive PCH information, thereby saving battery power.

[0116] 3. Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH): The primary transport channel used for transmitting downlink data in network devices. It supports key NR features, including dynamic rate adaptation, channel-dependent scheduling in the time and frequency domains, Hybrid Automatic-Repeat-Request (HARQ) with soft combining, and spatial multiplexing. It also supports DRX to reduce terminal device power consumption while providing an always-on experience. The DL-SCH is also used to transmit some BCCH system messages that are not mapped to the BCH. Each terminal device has one DL-SCH in each cell it connects to. From the terminal device's perspective, there is an additional DL-SCH in the time slot for receiving system messages.

[0117] 4. Uplink shared channel (UL-SCH): The uplink transmission channel used for transmitting uplink data, corresponding to DL-SCH.

[0118] Furthermore, a physical channel corresponds to a set of time-frequency resources used to transmit a specific transmission channel, with each transmission channel mapped to a corresponding physical channel. Some physical channels have corresponding transmission channels, while others do not. Physical channel types include:

[0119] 1. Physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH): The main physical channel used for unicast data transmission, and also used for transmitting information such as paging messages, random access response messages, and some system messages.

[0120] 2. Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH): Carries some system messages required by terminal devices to access network devices.

[0121] 3. Physical downlink control channel (PDCCH): Used to transmit downlink control information, mainly scheduling decisions, necessary information for receiving PDSCH, and scheduling authorization for enabling PUSCH uplink transmission.

[0122] 4. Physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH): This is the uplink corresponding channel of the PDSCH. Each terminal device has at most one PUSCH per uplink component carrier.

[0123] 5. Physical uplink control channel (PUCCH): Terminal devices use it to send HARQ acknowledgments to indicate to network devices whether downlink transport blocks have been successfully received, send channel status reports to assist in downlink channel-related scheduling, and request resources to send uplink data.

[0124] 6. Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH): Used for random access.

[0125] The system information (SI) sent by the network device to the terminal device includes basic information required by the terminal device. SI includes minimum system information (minimum SI) and other system information (other SI). Specifically, the minimum SI includes the master information block (MIB) and system information block type 1 (SIB-1). The MIB is sent periodically on the BCH, and SIB-1 is sent on the DL-SCH. Other SI includes SIB-n (n is an integer greater than 1), which can be broadcast periodically on the DL-SCH, broadcast on demand on the DL-SCH, unicast on the DL-SCH, or unicast on demand on the DL-SCH. SIB-19 carries ephemeris information required for the UE to access the non-terrestrial network (NTN), including one serving NTN cell and four neighboring NTN cells. In SIB-19, “UlSyncValidityDuration-17” indicates the cell range of the ephemeris, which is {5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 120, 180, 240, 900} seconds. For detailed ephemeris information, please refer to Figure 7, which is a schematic diagram of ephemeris information.

[0126] (9) Multi-satellite non-coherent joint transmission (NCJT).

[0127] In NCJT, different satellites send different data streams to the UE. For easier understanding, please refer to Figure 4b, which is a schematic diagram of a multi-satellite NCJT system. In Figure 4b, satellite (SAT) 1 and SAT 2 cooperate to serve UEs within the same geographical area. SAT 1 sends data y1 to the UE, and SAT 2 sends data y2 to the UE.

[0128] In multi-satellite NCJT systems, time-frequency asynchrony may occur when different signals from multiple satellites arrive at the UE. For clarity, please refer to Figure 4c, which illustrates this time-frequency asynchrony problem in a multi-satellite NCJT system. SAT 1 uses beam 1 to serve geographic region 1 on the Earth's surface, and SAT 2 uses beam 2 to serve geographic region 1 on the Earth's surface; that is, SAT 1 and SAT 2 each use different beams to serve the same geographic region. Ignoring beam edge distortion, the beam radius of beam 1 and beam 2 is the same, 10 kilometers (km). To ensure signal transmission accuracy, SAT 1 and SAT 2 perform time-frequency pre-compensation operations at the beam center point. In detail, SAT 1 uses frequency f1 and time t1 to transmit beam 1, while SAT 2 uses frequency f2 and time t2 to transmit beam 2. This ensures that when the signals from SAT 1 and SAT 2 arrive at the UE located at the beam center, the time delay difference between the two signals is less than the cyclic prefix (CP) of the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system, and the frequency shift difference between the two signals is much smaller than the subcarrier spacing (SCS) of the OFDM system. Time and frequency synchronization is crucial for accurate signal transmission and normal system operation. It ensures the consistency and stability of the signal during transmission, avoiding signal distortion and performance degradation caused by time and frequency deviations.

[0129] However, in practical satellite communication systems, the situation becomes more complex. Because the distance between Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites and the UE is relatively long, with orbital altitudes typically ranging from 200km to 2000km, and LEO satellites have relatively high movement speeds, approximately 7.5 km / s, this presents new challenges. When the UE is located outside the beam center, the signals from SAT 1 and SAT 2 may exhibit time-frequency asynchrony upon arrival at the UE. Specifically, this time-frequency asynchrony means that when the signals from SAT 1 and SAT 2 arrive at the UE, the time delay difference between them exceeds the CP of the OFDM system, and the frequency shift difference is on the same order of magnitude as the SCS of the OFDM system.

[0130] This time-frequency asynchrony phenomenon has a severe impact on the performance of the entire system because it causes serious inter-symbol interference (ISI) and inter-carrier interference (ICI) at the receiver (UE side). ISI refers to the interference between different symbols during signal reception due to time delays or shifts, making it difficult for the receiver to accurately identify and interpret the information carried by each symbol. ICI, on the other hand, is caused by frequency shift differences, leading to interference between signals on different subcarriers, thus disrupting the original orthogonality between subcarriers and altering the frequency domain characteristics of the signal. The simultaneous presence of these two types of interference severely degrades system performance, significantly affecting signal transmission quality and overall system efficiency. It may even lead to communication interruptions or data transmission errors, seriously impacting system reliability and stability and causing significant disruption to communication services.

[0131] To address the aforementioned issues, one possible approach is to enhance the design of the spatial receiver (or simply receiver) on the UE side for multi-satellite NCJT systems. Please refer to Figures 5a to 5d, which are schematic diagrams of the receiver structure for multi-satellite NCJT systems.

[0132] Figure 5a illustrates a receiver that does not rely on ephemeris information. First, satellite 1 and satellite 2 transmit data stream x1 and data stream x2, respectively. These data streams x1 and x2 are transmitted through a wireless channel and are affected by channel fading, denoted by h1 and h2, respectively. Multiple antennas on the handheld terminal (UE) receive the wireless signals corresponding to these data streams x1 and x2. After receiving the wireless signals, the UE first sends them to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to convert the analog signals into digital signals for subsequent digital signal processing. Next, the digital signals enter a synchronization module. The synchronization module aims to synchronize signals from different satellites in time and frequency as much as possible. Although it does not rely on ephemeris, it still performs some basic synchronization operations, such as coarse synchronization, to reduce time-frequency deviations between signals. Then, after passing through the synchronization module, the synchronized digital signals undergo serial-to-parallel (S / P) conversion, converting the serial signal into a parallel signal for subsequent parallel processing. Finally, the cyclic prefix (-CP), added to combat multipath effects, is removed in subsequent processing. Then, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is performed to convert the time-domain signal to the frequency domain for more efficient processing and analysis. Next, a parallel-to-serial (P / S) conversion is performed to convert the processed frequency-domain parallel signal back to a serial signal. The processed serial signal enters the spatial receiver, where it performs spatial filtering and processing using specific weights to separate and enhance signals from different satellites. Finally, the processed signal is detected by the detection module to obtain the data stream. and data stream

[0133] Figures 5b to 5d illustrate various receivers that rely on ephemeris information, namely type 1 receivers, type 2 receivers, and type 3 receivers.

[0134] In the type 1 receiver shown in Figure 5b, the digital signal first enters the spatial receiver, which uses ephemeris information to calculate the communication information. Based on the communication information, the digital signal is subjected to preliminary spatial filtering and correlation processing to better separate digital signals from different satellites.

[0135] In the type 2 receiver shown in Figure 5c, the digital signal first enters the synchronization module, and after synchronization processing, the digital signal enters the spatial receiver. The spatial receiver uses ephemeris information to calculate communication information, and performs spatial filtering and related processing on the digital signal based on the communication information.

[0136] In the type 3 receiver illustrated in Figure 5d, the signal that has undergone parallel-to-serial (P / S) conversion enters the spatial receiver. The spatial receiver uses ephemeris information to calculate communication information and performs spatial filtering and correlation processing on the digital signal based on this communication information.

[0137] The communication system involved in the embodiments of this application is described below.

[0138] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. In the various embodiments of this application, and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments and between the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment are consistent and can be mutually referenced. The technical features in different embodiments and the various methods / designs / implementations within each embodiment can be combined to form new embodiments, methods, or implementations based on their inherent logical relationships. The following descriptions of the embodiments of this application do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this application.

[0139] This application can be applied to long-term evolution (LTE) systems, new radio (NR) systems, or new radio vehicle-to-everything (NR V2X) systems; it can also be applied to systems with hybrid LTE and 5G networks; or device-to-device (D2D) communication systems, machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, or drone communication systems; or communication systems supporting multiple wireless technologies, such as LTE and NR technologies; or non-terrestrial communication systems, such as satellite communication systems, high-altitude communication platforms, etc.; or other communication systems, wherein the communication system includes network devices and terminal devices, with the network devices acting as configuration information sending entities and the terminal devices acting as configuration information receiving entities. Specifically, in this communication system, an entity sends configuration information to another entity and sends data to or receives data sent by another entity; another entity receives the configuration information and, according to the configuration information, sends data to or receives data sent by the configuration information sending entity. This application can be applied to terminal devices that are in a connected or active state, or to terminal devices that are in an inactive or idle state.

[0140] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the communication system 1000 used in the embodiments of this application. As shown in Figure 1, the communication system includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 and a core network 200. Optionally, the communication system 1000 may also include an Internet 300. The RAN 100 includes at least one RAN node (110a and 110b in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 110), and may also include at least one terminal (120a-120j in Figure 1, collectively referred to as 120). The RAN 100 may also include other RAN nodes, such as wireless relay devices and / or wireless backhaul devices (not shown in Figure 1). The terminal 120 is wirelessly connected to the RAN node 110, and the RAN node 110 is wirelessly or wiredly connected to the core network 200. The core network equipment in the core network 200 and the RAN node 110 in the RAN 100 can be independent and different physical devices, or they can be the same physical device integrating the logical functions of the core network equipment and the logical functions of the RAN node. Terminals can be connected to each other, as can RAN nodes, via wired or wireless means.

[0141] It should be noted that the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are applicable to terrestrial communication systems. Alternatively, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application are applicable to communication systems that integrate terrestrial and satellite communication, which can also be called non-terrestrial network (NTN) communication systems. For example, RAN100 in Figure 1 may include a terrestrial base station, wherein the terrestrial base station may include a TN cell (i.e., the signal of the TN cell can be transmitted and received through the terrestrial base station); and RAN100 in Figure 1 may also include a non-terrestrial base station, taking a satellite as an example, the satellite may include an NTN cell (i.e., the signal of the NTN cell can be transmitted and received through the satellite). The terrestrial communication system may be, for example, a long term evolution (LTE) system, a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS), a 5G communication system, or a new radio (NR) system, or a communication system that is the next step in the development of the 5G communication system, etc., and is not limited here.

[0142] Compared to traditional mobile communication systems, satellite communication offers advantages such as wider coverage, communication costs independent of transmission distance, and the ability to overcome natural geographical barriers like oceans, deserts, and mountains. To overcome the shortcomings of traditional communication networks, satellite communication can serve as an effective supplement. It is generally believed that non-terrestrial network communication has different channel characteristics compared to terrestrial network communication, such as large transmission delays and Doppler frequency offsets. For example, the round-trip time (RTT) of GEO satellite communication is 238–270 milliseconds (ms), while that of LEO satellite communication is 8 ms–20 ms. Based on orbital altitude, satellite communication systems can be classified into three types: geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite communication systems (also known as geosynchronous orbit satellite systems); medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite communication systems; and low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication systems.

[0143] GEO satellites, also known as geostationary orbit satellites, orbit at an altitude of 35,786 kilometers. Their main advantages are relative stationary position and large coverage area. However, GEO satellites also have significant drawbacks: their large distance from Earth necessitates larger antennas; their transmission latency is relatively high, around 0.5 seconds, failing to meet the demands of real-time services; and their orbital resources are relatively scarce, resulting in high launch costs and an inability to provide coverage to polar regions. MEO satellites, orbiting at altitudes between 2,000 and 35,786 kilometers, can achieve global coverage with a relatively small number of satellites, but their transmission latency is higher than that of LEO satellites, and they are primarily used for positioning and navigation. Furthermore, satellites orbiting at altitudes between 300 and 2,000 kilometers are called Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. LEO satellites are lower in altitude than MEO and GEO satellites, resulting in lower data propagation latency, lower power loss, and relatively lower launch costs. Therefore, LEO satellite communication networks have received considerable attention in recent years.

[0144] In one possible implementation, satellite equipment can be categorized into transparent mode and regenerative mode based on its operating mode.

[0145] The two modes will be illustrated below using the implementation methods shown in Figures 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d.

[0146] In the transparent transmission mode implementation shown in Figure 2a, the satellite and the gateway station (i.e., the NTN Gateway in Figure 2a) act as relays, specifically the Remote Radio Unit (RTU) shown in Figure 2a. Communication between the terminal equipment and the gNB requires this relay process. In other words, in transparent transmission mode, the satellite has a relay forwarding function.

[0147] For example, in the transparent transmission mode implementation shown in Figure 2b, when the satellite (including GEO satellites, MEO satellites, LEO satellites, etc.) operates in transparent transmission mode, the satellite has a relay forwarding function. The gateway station has the function of a base station or part of the function of a base station, and in this case, the gateway station can be regarded as a base station. Alternatively, the base station can be deployed separately from the gateway station, then the delay of the feeder link includes two parts: the delay from the satellite to the gateway station and the delay from the gateway station to the gNB.

[0148] Optionally, the transparent transmission mode can be used as an example where the gateway station and gNB are together or in close proximity. For cases where the gateway station and gNB are far apart, the feeder link delay can be calculated by adding the delay from the satellite to the gateway station and the delay from the gateway station to the gNB.

[0149] As shown in Figure 2c, in the regeneration mode implementation, the satellite and the gateway station (i.e., the NTN Gateway in Figure 2c) act as gNBs and can communicate with the terminal devices. In other words, in regeneration mode, the satellite has the functions of a base station or some of the functions of a base station, and in this case, the satellite can be regarded as a base station.

[0150] For example, in the regeneration mode implementation shown in Figure 2d, when the satellite (including GEO satellites, MEO satellites, LEO satellites, etc.) is working in regeneration mode, compared with the implementation shown in Figure 2b, the satellite has the function of a base station or part of the function of a base station. In this case, the satellite can be regarded as a base station (i.e., an airborne base station).

[0151] Alternatively, in Figures 2b and / or 2d, the satellite can be implemented in other ways, such as by a drone or a high-altitude platform as shown in the figures.

[0152] It should be noted that NTN and terrestrial network base stations can be interconnected through a shared core network. They can also achieve more timely assistance and interconnection through interfaces defined between base stations. In NR, the interface between base stations is called the Xn interface, and the interface between the base station and the core network is called the NG interface. In a converged network, both NTN nodes and terrestrial nodes can achieve interoperability and collaboration through these interfaces.

[0153] It should be noted that this application can be applied to long term evolution (LTE) systems, new radio (NR) systems, or communication systems that evolve after 5G.

[0154] Taking 5G as an example, a 5G satellite communication system architecture is shown in Figure 3. Ground terminal equipment accesses the network through the 5G New Radio interface, while 5G base stations are deployed on satellites and connected to the ground core network via wireless links. Simultaneously, wireless links exist between satellites to facilitate signaling interaction and user data transmission between base stations. The devices and interfaces in Figure 3 are described below:

[0155] 5G Core Network: This includes services such as user access control, mobility management, session management, user security authentication, and billing. It consists of multiple functional units, which can be divided into control plane and data plane functional entities. The Access and Mobility Management Unit (AMF) is responsible for user access management, security authentication, and mobility management. The User Plane Unit (UPF) is responsible for managing user plane data transmission and traffic statistics. The Session Management Function (SMF) is mainly used for session management in the mobile network, such as session establishment, modification, and release.

[0156] Ground station: Responsible for forwarding signaling and service data between satellite base stations and the 5G core network.

[0157] 5G New Radio: The wireless link between a terminal and a base station.

[0158] Xn interface: The interface between 5G base stations, mainly used for signaling interactions such as handover.

[0159] NG interface: The interface between 5G base stations and 5G core networks, mainly used for exchanging non-access stratum (NAS) signaling of the core network and user service data.

[0160] Furthermore, network devices in terrestrial network communication systems and satellites in NTN communication systems can be uniformly considered as network devices. The apparatus used to implement the functions of a network device can be a network device itself; it can also be an apparatus capable of supporting the network device in implementing that function, such as a chip system, which can be installed within the network device. In the following description of the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application, a satellite is used as an example to illustrate the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this application. It is understood that when the methods provided by the embodiments of this application are applied to terrestrial network communication systems, the actions performed by the satellite can be applied to the base station or network device for execution.

[0161] In this application embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device can be the terminal device itself; it can also be a device capable of supporting the terminal device in implementing the functions, such as a chip system, which can be installed in the terminal device. In this application embodiment, the chip system can be composed of chips, or it can include chips and other discrete devices. In the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment, the device for implementing the functions of the terminal device is a terminal or UE as an example to describe the technical solutions provided in this application embodiment.

[0162] In addition, the aforementioned satellites can be geostationary satellites, non-geostationary satellites, artificial satellites, low-Earth orbit satellites, medium-Earth orbit satellites, and high-Earth orbit satellites, etc., which are not specifically limited here.

[0163] The foregoing content describes various wireless communication scenarios involved in this application. It should be understood that the above content is merely an illustrative description of the scenarios in which this application can be applied, and this application can also be applied to other application scenarios, which are not limited here. The wireless communication process involved in this application will be described below.

[0164] In the communication systems shown in Figures 1 / 2a / 2b / 2c / 2d / 3, the signals that network devices can send (e.g., signals carrying configuration information / configuration signaling) can configure communication resources. These communication resources can include the communication resources of the network device itself, as well as the communication resources of any adjacent network devices, so that the receiver of the signal can determine the appropriate communication resources based on the signal. For example, if the receiver of the signal is a terminal device, the terminal device can obtain network services based on these communication resources.

[0165] With the development of communication technology, network equipment may not be fixed in a certain place on the ground. For example, the network equipment may be a high-speed mobile device belonging to a non-terrestrial network (NTN) cell, including but not limited to satellite equipment such as low-Earth orbit satellites, medium-Earth orbit satellites, and high-Earth orbit satellites.

[0166] In the current NTN scenario, the UE first calculates the relevant information for the spatial receiver based on the ephemeris information provided by the serving satellite and neighbor satellites. The UE calculates the spatial receiver's relevant information by analyzing and processing this ephemeris information. The spatial receiver is used to perform related processing on the received radio signals. Currently, the serving satellite typically configures ephemeris information for multiple neighbor cells for the UE. However, after receiving multiple ephemeris information, the UE cannot determine which neighbor cell's ephemeris information should be used to accurately calculate the spatial receiver's relevant information, thus ensuring correct reception of the synchronization signal block (SSB) from the neighbor satellite. If the UE cannot correctly receive the SSB from the neighbor satellite, it cannot establish a communication connection with that neighbor satellite. In this embodiment, the relevant information for the spatial receiver is referred to as communication information.

[0167] For ease of understanding, please refer to Figures 8 and 9, which illustrate a scenario of a serving satellite cell and neighboring satellite cells. Within the coverage area of ​​the serving satellite, there exists a cell x, whose Physical Cell ID (PCI) is set to PCI=x. This cell x (also known as cell PCI=x) has four neighboring cells: cell PCI=y (cell y), cell PCI=a (cell a), cell PCI=b (cell b), and cell PCI=c (cell c). The UE performs downlink and uplink time-frequency synchronization with cell PCI=x within the serving satellite's coverage area. The downlink refers to the link from the satellite to the UE, while the uplink is the link from the UE to the satellite. Time-frequency synchronization ensures data consistency in time and frequency, avoiding signal deviations and interference. During downlink and uplink time-frequency synchronization between the UE and cell PCI=x, cell PCI=x sends the ephemeris information of the aforementioned four neighboring cells to the UE in System Information Block 19 (SIB-19). The serving satellite sends SIB-19 to the UE, which includes ephemeris information for four neighboring cells. However, since the cell corresponding to the neighboring satellite has a cell PCI of y, the UE can only accurately calculate the communication information by using the ephemeris information of cell PCI=y. Based on this communication information, the UE can accurately receive the SSB from the neighboring satellite and establish a communication connection with that neighboring satellite. If the UE cannot know which ephemeris information in SIB-19 to use to calculate the relevant information for the airspace receiver, the UE will be unable to establish a communication connection with the neighboring satellite.

[0168] Based on this, this application proposes a communication method in which a second satellite sends second information to a terminal device. This second information instructs the activation of first ephemeris information, so that the terminal device can calculate first communication information based on the first ephemeris information. The first communication information is used for communication connection between the terminal device and the first satellite, which is a neighboring satellite of the second satellite. This ensures that the terminal device can smoothly switch from the second satellite to the first satellite, and that the first satellite provides communication services to the terminal device, guaranteeing the communication quality between the first satellite and the terminal device.

[0169] The embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, a scenario for activating ephemeris information for a serving satellite will be introduced.

[0170] Please refer to Figure 10, which is a schematic flowchart of an embodiment of the communication method in this application. The communication method proposed in this application includes:

[0171] S1. The terminal device receives first information from the second satellite. The first information is used to configure one or more ephemeris information.

[0172] The terminal device receives first information from the second satellite, which is the satellite currently providing communication services to the terminal device; the second satellite can also be referred to as the service satellite. In step S1, the cell providing communication services to the terminal device is the second cell, which is the cell corresponding to the second satellite. The neighboring satellites of the second satellite include the first satellite, and the cell corresponding to the first satellite is the first cell, which is a neighboring cell of the second cell.

[0173] The first information includes one or more ephemeris information items that correspond to one or more neighboring satellites of the second satellite, and correspondingly, the one or more ephemeris information items correspond to one or more neighboring cells of the second cell. The one or more ephemeris information items include first ephemeris information, which is the ephemeris information of the first satellite. This first ephemeris information corresponds to the first cell.

[0174] For example, the first information includes the identification information of the first cell and the first ephemeris information, indicating that the identification information of the first cell and the first ephemeris information are related. The identification information of the first cell is, for example, the Physical Cell Identifier (PCI). For ease of distinction, the PCI of the first cell is referred to as PCI=y, and the PCI of the second cell is referred to as PCI=x.

[0175] For example, the first information could be SIB-19.

[0176] S2. The terminal device receives second information from the second satellite, which is used to activate the first ephemeris information.

[0177] The second information, also known as the ephemeris activation command or ephemeris activation instruction, is used to activate the first ephemeris information.

[0178] For example, the second information includes identification information of the first ephemeris information and first indication information, the first indication information being used to activate the first ephemeris information.

[0179] For example, the second information includes the identification information of the first cell and the first indication information.

[0180] For example, the second information is carried in RRC, MAC-CE, or DCI.

[0181] S3. The terminal device calculates the first communication information based on the first information and the second information.

[0182] After receiving the second information, the terminal device determines the first ephemeris information and the second ephemeris information based on the first and second information. Then, it calculates the first communication information based on the first and second ephemeris information. The first communication information includes relevant information of the terminal device's airspace receiver.

[0183] For example, the relevant information of the spatial receiver includes, but is not limited to, channel state information, spatial angle information, and / or signal strength information. Channel state information includes, but is not limited to, channel gain information or channel phase information, where the channel gain information indicates the channel gain between the satellite's transmitting antenna and the terminal device's receiving antenna, and the channel phase information indicates the phase delay between signals on different wireless transmission paths. Spatial angle information includes, for example, angle of arrival (AoA) information or angle of departure (AoD) information. Signal strength information includes, for example, received signal strength indication (RSSI) or reference received signal power (RSRP).

[0184] S4. The terminal device receives the first SSB from the second satellite based on the first communication information.

[0185] After the terminal device calculates and obtains the first communication information, it is ready to receive the first SSB from the second satellite. Then, the terminal device receives the first SSB from the second satellite. In step S4, the terminal device successfully synchronizes with the second satellite.

[0186] In one possible implementation, the first satellite sends first configuration information to the terminal device, which includes SSB configuration information of the second satellite. The terminal device determines how to receive the first SSB from the second satellite based on the first configuration information. The first satellite then sends fifth information to the terminal device, instructing the terminal device to prepare to receive the first SSB from the second satellite.

[0187] S5. The terminal device sends the first channel information based on the first SSB. Correspondingly, the second satellite receives the first channel information.

[0188] The terminal device performs channel measurements based on the first SSB to determine the first channel information. The first channel information is channel information related to the synchronization signal (first SSB). Then, the terminal device transmits the first channel information. This first channel information includes one or more of the following: received signal strength indicator (RSSI), reference signal receiving power (RSRP), signal strength indicator (SSI), signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), interference signal strength (ISS), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), reference signal receiving quality (RSRQ), or signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR); the third information includes one or more of the following: channel quality indicator (CQI), precoding matrix indicator (PMI), and rank indicator (RI).

[0189] S6. The second satellite determines, based on the first channel information, whether to add the first satellite as a satellite to provide communication services to the terminal device. If the first channel information meets the first condition, the second satellite adds the first satellite as a satellite to provide communication services to the terminal device. The second satellite sends second communication information to the terminal device, which is used to establish a communication connection between the terminal device and the first satellite. The second communication information includes first ephemeris information and second ephemeris information.

[0190] For example, the second satellite adding the first satellite as a satellite to provide communication services to the terminal device specifically means that the second satellite adds the first satellite as a satellite to provide NCJT services.

[0191] For example, the first condition is: the first channel information is greater than or equal to the first threshold. Alternatively, the first channel information is less than or equal to the first threshold.

[0192] In one example, the second communication information includes: configuration information of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and / or configuration information of the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). For example, the PDCCH configuration information includes two control resource pools (CORESET Pool), the first control resource pool (CORESETPoolIndex=0) corresponds to the second satellite (i.e., the serving satellite), and the second control resource pool (CORESETPoolIndex=1) corresponds to the first satellite (i.e., the neighboring satellite). For example, the PDSCH configuration information includes two multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers, the first layer comes from the second satellite (i.e., the serving satellite), and the second layer comes from the first satellite (i.e., the neighboring satellite). The two layers can be asynchronous in time and frequency.

[0193] S7. Based on the second communication information, the terminal device establishes a communication connection with the first satellite.

[0194] In the above technical solution, the serving satellite sends second information to the terminal device, which instructs the activation of first ephemeris information. This allows the terminal device to determine the first ephemeris information to be activated from one or more ephemeris information configured in the first information, based on the second information. This ensures that the terminal device can determine which ephemeris information to use to calculate relevant data for the airspace receiver from the configured one or more ephemeris information, guaranteeing the establishment of a communication connection between the terminal device and the neighboring satellites of the serving satellite, and improving the communication quality between the terminal device and the neighboring satellites.

[0195] Based on the foregoing embodiments, the following section describes a scenario where service satellites deactivate ephemeris information.

[0196] Please refer to Figure 11a, which is a schematic flowchart of another embodiment of the communication method in this application. The communication method proposed in this application includes:

[0197] D1. The terminal device receives the first information from the second satellite. The first information is used to configure one or more ephemeris information.

[0198] D2. The terminal device receives the second information from the second satellite, which is used to activate the first ephemeris information.

[0199] D3. The terminal device calculates the first communication information based on the first information and the second information.

[0200] D4. The terminal device receives the first SSB from the second satellite based on the first communication information.

[0201] D5. The terminal device transmits the first channel information based on the first SSB. Correspondingly, the second satellite receives the first channel information.

[0202] Steps D1 to D5 are the same as steps S1 to S5 mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0203] D6. The second satellite, based on the first channel information, determines whether to add the first satellite as a satellite to provide communication services to the terminal device. If the first channel information does not meet the first condition, the first satellite cannot provide communication services to the terminal device. The second satellite sends third information to the terminal device, which is used to deactivate the first ephemeris information.

[0204] The specific judgment method is similar to step S6 mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0205] Optionally, the second satellite may send third information to the terminal device in order to reduce the power consumption of the terminal device.

[0206] The aforementioned third information can be carried in RRC, MAC-CE, or DCI.

[0207] D7. The terminal device receives the third information and activates the first ephemeris information based on the third information.

[0208] For example, the third information can be activated in the form of a bitmap. For instance, when the bit corresponding to the first ephemeris information is set to "0000", the bit indicates that the first ephemeris information is activated; when the bit is set to "1111", the bit indicates that the first ephemeris information is activated.

[0209] D8. Because the third information indicates the deactivation of the first ephemeris information, the terminal device continues to use the second ephemeris information to calculate the spatial receiver's synchronization with the second satellite. Based on the second ephemeris information, the terminal device determines the third communication information, which is used for communication between the terminal device and the second satellite.

[0210] D9. Based on the third communication information, the terminal equipment establishes a communication connection with the second satellite.

[0211] Based on the aforementioned embodiments, the following describes a scenario where the terminal device fails to synchronize with a neighboring satellite.

[0212] Please refer to Figure 11b, which is a schematic flowchart of another embodiment of the communication method in this application. The communication method proposed in this application includes:

[0213] F1. The terminal device receives first information from the second satellite. The first information is used to configure one or more ephemeris information.

[0214] F2. The terminal device receives second information from the second satellite, which is used to activate the first ephemeris information.

[0215] F3. The terminal device calculates the first communication information based on the first information and the second information.

[0216] F4. The terminal device receives the first SSB from the second satellite based on the first communication information.

[0217] F5. The terminal device transmits the first channel information based on the first SSB. Correspondingly, the second satellite receives the first channel information.

[0218] Steps F1 to F5 are the same as steps S1 to S5 mentioned above, and will not be repeated here.

[0219] F6. If the first channel information does not meet the second condition, the terminal device sends the fourth information, which indicates that the terminal device has failed to synchronize with the first satellite.

[0220] In step F6, after the terminal device determines the first channel information based on the first SSB, the terminal device itself determines whether the first channel information meets the second condition. If it does, it means that the terminal device has successfully synchronized with the first satellite; if it does not, it means that the terminal device has failed to synchronize with the first satellite.

[0221] For example, if the RSRP in the first channel information (i.e., the RSRP of the first SSB) is lower than the second threshold, it means that the terminal device cannot synchronize with the first satellite.

[0222] Because the terminal device cannot synchronize with the first satellite, the first satellite cannot provide communication services to the terminal device. The terminal device sends a fourth message so that the second satellite can determine, based on the fourth message, that the first satellite cannot be added as a satellite providing NCJT.

[0223] F7. Since the first channel information does not meet the second condition, the terminal device continues to use the second ephemeris information to calculate the spatial receiver to maintain synchronization with the second satellite. Based on the second ephemeris information, the terminal device determines the third communication information, which is used for communication between the terminal device and the second satellite.

[0224] F8. Based on the third communication information, the terminal device establishes a communication connection with the second satellite.

[0225] Next, the communication device involved in the embodiments of this application will be described. This communication device can be used in the terminal device in the foregoing embodiments or at least one of the devices of the first satellite or the second satellite.

[0226] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to Figure 12, the communication device 1200 includes a transceiver module 1201 and a processing module 1202.

[0227] The communication device 1200 includes a terminal device or components (e.g., a chip or chip system), modules, or units within a terminal device. Alternatively, the communication device 1200 includes components (e.g., a chip or chip system), modules, or units within a first satellite or a second satellite.

[0228] The communication device 1200 can be used to perform all or part of the steps performed by the terminal device in the embodiments shown in FIG10 to FIG11b. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the embodiments shown in FIG10 to FIG11b.

[0229] The communication device 1200 can be used to execute all or part of the steps performed by the first satellite or the second satellite in the embodiments shown in Figures 10 to 11b. For details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the embodiments shown in Figures 10 to 11b.

[0230] The processing module 1202 is used for data processing. The transceiver module 1201 is used to implement the corresponding communication functions.

[0231] Optionally, the transceiver module 1201 may include a sending module and a receiving module. The sending module is used to perform the sending operation in the above method embodiments. The receiving module is used to perform the receiving operation in the above method embodiments.

[0232] Optionally, the communication device 1200 may include a transmitting module but not a receiving module. Alternatively, the communication device 1200 may include a receiving module but not a transmitting module. Specifically, it depends on whether the above-described scheme performed by the communication device 1200 includes both transmitting and receiving actions.

[0233] Optionally, the communication device 1200 may further include a storage module, which can be used to store at least one of the instructions or data. The processing module 1202 can read at least one of the instructions or data in the storage module so that the communication device 1200 can implement the aforementioned method embodiment.

[0234] The communication device 1200 can be used to perform the actions performed by the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 10-11b. The processing module 1202 is used to perform processing-related operations on the terminal device side in the embodiments shown in Figures 10-11b. The transceiver module 1201 is used to perform receiving or sending-related operations on the terminal device side in the embodiments shown in Figures 10-11b.

[0235] The communication device 1200 can be used to perform the actions performed by the first satellite or the second satellite in the embodiments shown in Figures 10-11b. The processing module 1202 is used to perform processing-related operations of the first satellite or the second satellite in the embodiments shown in Figures 10-11b. The transceiver module 1201 is used to perform receiving or transmitting-related operations of the first satellite or the second satellite in the embodiments shown in Figures 10-11b.

[0236] This application also provides another communication device. FIG13 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to FIG13, the communication device 1300 includes a processor 1301.

[0237] Optionally, the communication device 1300 may also include a memory 1302.

[0238] Optionally, the communication device 1300 may also include a transceiver 1303.

[0239] In one possible implementation, the processor 1301, memory 1302, and transceiver 1303 are connected via a bus, and the memory 1302 stores computer instructions.

[0240] In one possible implementation, when the communication device 1300 includes a first satellite or a second satellite, or a CU or DU included in the first satellite or the second satellite, or a component (e.g., a chip or chip system), module or unit within the first satellite or the second satellite, the communication device 1300 can be used to perform the steps performed by the first satellite or the second satellite in the above method embodiments, and the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments can be referred to.

[0241] Optionally, the processing module 1202 in the embodiment shown in FIG12 may be the processor 1301, and the transceiver module 1201 in the embodiment shown in FIG12 may be the transceiver 1303. Alternatively, the processing module 1202 in the embodiment shown in FIG12 may be the processor 1301, and the transceiver module 1201 in the embodiment shown in FIG12 may be the transceiver 1303.

[0242] The aforementioned memory 1302 can be built into the communication device 1300 or externally placed in the communication device 1300. This application embodiment does not limit this.

[0243] This application also provides a communication device. Figure 14 is another structural schematic diagram of the communication device according to an embodiment of this application. Referring to Figure 14, the communication device 1400 can be a terminal device in the above method embodiments, or a component (e.g., a chip or chip system), module, or unit of the terminal device in the above method embodiments. The communication device 1400 can be used to perform the steps performed by the terminal device in the above method embodiments, and can be referred to the relevant descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0244] Processors are mainly used to process data or signals, control communication devices, execute corresponding software programs, and process the data of software programs.

[0245] The memory is mainly used to store software programs and data. The radio frequency (RF) circuit is mainly used for the conversion between baseband signals and RF signals, as well as the processing of RF signals.

[0246] Antennas are primarily used for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals in the form of electromagnetic waves.

[0247] Optionally, the communication device 1400 may also include input / output devices, such as a touch screen, a display screen, a keyboard, etc., primarily used to receive user input data and output data to the user.

[0248] When data needs to be transmitted, the processor performs baseband processing on the data to be transmitted and outputs the baseband signal to the radio frequency (RF) circuit. The RF circuit then processes the baseband signal and transmits it outward as electromagnetic waves through the antenna. When data is sent to the communication device, the RF circuit receives the RF signal through the antenna, converts it into a baseband signal, and outputs the baseband signal to the processor. The processor then converts the baseband signal back into data and processes it.

[0249] For ease of explanation, only one memory and processor are shown in Figure 14. In actual communication device products, there may be one or more processors and one or more memories. Memory may also be called storage medium or storage device, etc. Memory may be set up independently of the processor or integrated with the processor; this application embodiment does not limit this.

[0250] In this embodiment, the antenna and radio frequency circuit with transceiver functions can be regarded as the transceiver unit of the communication device, and the processor with processing functions can be regarded as the processing unit of the communication device. As shown in FIG14, the communication device 1400 includes a transceiver unit 1410 and a processing unit 1420. The transceiver unit can also be called a transceiver, transceiver machine, transceiver device, etc. The processing unit can also be called a processor, processing board, processing module, processing device, etc.

[0251] Optionally, the devices in transceiver unit 1410 used for receiving functions can be considered as receiving units, and the devices in transceiver unit 1410 used for transmitting functions can be considered as transmitting units. That is, transceiver unit 1410 includes both receiving and transmitting units. A transceiver unit can also be called a transceiver, transceiver circuit, etc. A receiving unit can also be called a receiver, receiver, or receiving circuit, etc. A transmitting unit can also be called a transmitter, transmitter, or transmitting circuit, etc.

[0252] It should be understood that the transceiver unit 1410 is used to perform the sending and receiving operations of at least one device in the terminal device in the above method embodiment, and the processing unit 1420 is used to perform other operations on at least one device in the terminal device in the above method embodiment besides the sending and receiving operations.

[0253] When the communication device is a chip or chip system, the chip or chip system includes a transceiver unit and a processing unit. The transceiver unit can be an input / output circuit or a communication interface; the processing unit is a processor, microprocessor, integrated circuit, or logic circuit integrated on the chip or chip system. In the above method embodiments, the sending operation corresponds to the output of the input / output circuit, and the receiving operation corresponds to the input of the input / output circuit.

[0254] This application also provides another communication system, which includes a first satellite or a second satellite and a terminal device. The first satellite or the second satellite is used to perform all or part of the steps performed by the first satellite or the second satellite in the embodiments shown in Figures 10 to 11b, and the terminal device is used to perform all or part of the steps performed by the terminal device in the embodiments shown in Figures 10 to 11b.

[0255] This application also provides a computer program product including computer instructions, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method of the embodiments shown in Figures 10 to 11b above.

[0256] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium including computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods shown in the embodiments of FIG10-FIG11b above.

[0257] This application also provides a chip device, including a processor, for calling a computer program or computer instructions stored in a memory, so that the processor executes the method of the embodiments shown in Figures 10 to 11b above.

[0258] Optionally, the processor is coupled to the memory via an interface.

[0259] Optionally, the chip device may also include a memory in which computer programs or computer instructions are stored.

[0260] The processor mentioned above can be a general-purpose central processing unit, a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits used to control the execution of a program for controlling the methods of the embodiments shown in Figures 10-11b. The memory mentioned above can be read-only memory (ROM) or other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, such as random access memory (RAM).

[0261] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units 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 an indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units through some interfaces, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0262] The units described 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.

[0263] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0264] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the part of the technical solution that makes an essential contribution, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a first or second satellite, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0265] The above-described 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 scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method characterized by comprising: The method is applied to a terminal device, and the method includes: Receive first information, which is used to configure one or more ephemeris information; Receive second information, the second information being used to instruct the activation of first ephemeris information, the first ephemeris information belonging to one or more ephemeris information, the first ephemeris information corresponding to a first satellite; Based on the first information and the second information, first communication information is calculated. The first communication information is used by the terminal device to measure the channel quality between the terminal device and the first satellite. The first communication information includes relevant information of the airspace receiver of the terminal device.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Based on the first information and the second information, the first communication information is calculated, including: Based on the first information, second ephemeris information is determined, the second ephemeris information corresponds to a second satellite, and the second satellite is the satellite currently providing communication services to the terminal device; Based on the second information, determine the first ephemeris information; The first communication information is determined based on the first ephemeris information and the second ephemeris information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second information includes: identification information of the first ephemeris information and first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the activation of the first ephemeris information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the first communication information, receive the first synchronization signal block SSB from the first satellite; Based on the first SSB, the terminal device sends first channel information to the second satellite, the first channel information indicating the channel quality between the terminal device and the first satellite; The device receives a second communication message or a third message, wherein the second communication message is used for communication between the terminal device and the first satellite, and the third message is used to deactivate the first ephemeris information.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second communication information includes: Configuration information for the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and / or the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Based on the first communication information, receive the first synchronization signal block SSB from the first satellite; Based on the first SSB, first channel information is generated, which indicates the channel quality between the terminal device and the first satellite. Detect whether the first channel information satisfies the second condition; If the first channel information does not meet the second condition, a fourth message is sent, indicating that the terminal device has failed to synchronize with the first satellite. Based on the second ephemeris information, third communication information is determined. The third communication information is used for communication between the terminal device and the second satellite. The second ephemeris information corresponds to the second satellite, which is the satellite currently providing communication services to the terminal device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The second information is carried in Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages, Media Access Control (MAC-CE) messages, or Downlink Control Information (DCI) messages.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The first communication information includes: relevant parameters of the airspace receiver of the terminal device.

9. The method according to any one of claims 2-8, characterized in that, The first ephemeris information corresponds to the first cell, the second ephemeris information corresponds to the second cell, and the first cell is a neighboring cell of the second cell.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, The method is applied to a second satellite, and the method includes: Send a first message, which is used to configure one or more ephemeris information; Send a second message, the second message being used to indicate the activation of a first ephemeris message, the first ephemeris message belonging to one or more ephemeris messages, the first ephemeris message corresponding to a first satellite, the first satellite being a neighboring satellite of the second satellite.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The second information includes: identification information of the first ephemeris information and first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the activation of the first ephemeris information.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive first channel information, which indicates the channel quality between the terminal device and the first satellite; If the first channel information meets the first condition, send the second communication information; Alternatively, if the first channel information does not meet the first condition, third information is sent, wherein the second communication information is used for communication between the terminal device and the first satellite, and the third information is used to deactivate the first ephemeris information.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The second communication information includes: Configuration information for the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and / or the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

14. The method according to any one of claims 11-13, characterized in that, The first ephemeris information corresponds to the first cell, the second ephemeris information corresponds to the second cell, the first cell is a neighboring cell of the second cell, and the second ephemeris information corresponds to the second satellite.

15. A communication device, characterized in that, Used to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. A communications device, characterized by Includes a processor, which implements the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14 via logic circuits or executing code instructions.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program or instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14 to be implemented.

18. A computer program product, characterized in that, Includes instructions that, when executed, cause the method as described in any one of claims 1 to 14 to be implemented.

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