Communication method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application discloses a communication method and apparatus. The method comprises: acquiring first information and second information, wherein the first information includes a frequency band supported by a satellite, distribution information of beam positions of the satellite, and ephemeris information of the satellite, and the second information includes location information of a terrestrial device within the signal coverage range of the satellite and a frequency band used by the terrestrial device; and sending third information on the basis of the first information and the second information, the third information being used for indicating a frequency band used by the satellite on at least one beam position, wherein a frequency band used by the satellite on a first beam position is different from a frequency band used by the terrestrial device located at the first beam position, and the first beam position is one of the at least one beam position. According to the method, spectrum sharing parameters of a satellite-terrestrial integrated network are configured according to a beam position as a basic unit, so that mutual interference between a terrestrial network and a satellite network can be suppressed, and spectrum utilization efficiency is improved.

Description

A communication method and apparatus

[0001] Cross-reference of related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510237747.7, filed on February 28, 2025, entitled "A Communication Method and Apparatus", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0004] A space-ground converged network refers to the deep integration of satellite and terrestrial networks to form a seamless, globally covered communication network. Compared to traditional single networks (such as terrestrial or satellite networks), a space-ground converged network can be flexibly designed according to the different positioning of terrestrial and satellite networks, providing global broadband access for different types of users.

[0005] Frequency, as a scarce communication resource, is a key factor and a core bottleneck in building converged space-ground networks. Sharing spectrum between terrestrial and satellite networks can improve spectrum resource utilization and alleviate spectrum pressure.

[0006] However, sharing spectrum between terrestrial and satellite networks can cause mutual interference between them, limiting system performance. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This application provides a communication method and apparatus that can configure spectrum sharing parameters (such as the frequency bands used by satellites on the terrestrial network) of a satellite-ground integrated network according to the basic unit of waveband, which can suppress mutual interference between the terrestrial network and the satellite network, while improving spectrum utilization.

[0008] In a first aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by an intermediate node or a chip in the intermediate node. The method includes: acquiring first information and second information, the first information including frequency bands supported by the satellite, distribution information of the satellite's wave positions, and ephemeris information of the satellite; the second information including location information of ground equipment (such as a base station) within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite and the frequency band used by the ground equipment; transmitting third information according to the first information and the second information, the third information being used to indicate the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one wave position; wherein the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wave position is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the first wave position, and the first wave position is one of the at least one wave positions.

[0009] In the above scheme, the intermediate node configures the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wave position based on the frequency bands supported by the satellite, the distribution information of the satellite's wave positions, the satellite's ephemeris information, the location information of ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area, and the frequency bands used by the ground equipment. This isolates the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wave position from the frequency bands used by the ground equipment on the first wave position, thereby reducing or suppressing interference between the satellite network and the ground network and improving system performance. Furthermore, this scheme configures spectrum sharing parameters (such as the frequency band used by the satellite) on a wave position basis, which can improve the flexibility of spectrum sharing parameter configuration and thus improve spectrum utilization (for example, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wave position can be the same as the frequency band used by ground equipment on other wave positions, which can improve spectrum utilization compared to the satellite and all ground equipment using different frequency bands).

[0010] In one possible design, the first frequency band can be any one of at least one frequency band. In other words, the frequency band used by the satellite and the frequency band used by the ground equipment can be different at each frequency band within the satellite's signal coverage area.

[0011] This ensures that the frequency domain resources of satellites and ground equipment are isolated from each other at each wavelength, thereby better suppressing interference between satellite networks and ground networks and further improving system performance.

[0012] In one possible design, the satellite's frequency band includes a first frequency band and a second frequency band; the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band; or, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is the same as the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band, and the interference of the ground equipment located on the second frequency band to the satellite on the first frequency band is less than the interference threshold.

[0013] This ensures that ground equipment on other wavelengths (excluding the first wavelength) causes minimal interference to the satellite signal on the first wavelength, further improving system performance.

[0014] In one possible design, the first wave position is adjacent to the second wave position.

[0015] In this way, interference from ground equipment on adjacent wavelengths to the satellite signal on the first wavelength can be reduced, while reducing the complexity of frequency band selection. In addition, the maximum spectrum utilization can be achieved (for example, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength can be the same as the frequency band used by ground equipment on non-adjacent wavelengths of the first wavelength), further improving system performance.

[0016] In one possible design, obtaining the first information includes receiving the first information from the satellite.

[0017] In one possible design, obtaining the second information includes receiving second information from ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite.

[0018] In one possible design, before receiving the second information from ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area, a first request may also be received from the satellite, which requests the satellite to use a frequency band on the satellite's band. Based on the first request, a second request is sent to the ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area, which requests the ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area to report the second information.

[0019] In this way, information reporting by ground equipment can be triggered by satellite requests. On the one hand, frequency bands can be allocated to satellites in a timely manner to meet their communication needs; on the other hand, the problem of power waste caused by frequent information reporting by ground equipment can be avoided.

[0020] In one possible design, the third information includes indication information for each of at least one wavelength, and indication information for the frequency band used by the satellite at each wavelength. Of course, this is not the only practical application.

[0021] In one possible design, the third information also includes the effective time of the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one spectral position.

[0022] In this way, on the one hand, satellites can avoid occupying the same frequency band resources for a long time and release them in time for use by other frequency bands or equipment, which helps to improve spectrum efficiency. On the other hand, satellites can avoid using invalid frequency bands for communication, thus improving the reliability of satellite communication.

[0023] In one possible design, a fourth piece of information may also be acquired; wherein the fourth piece of information includes at least one of the following: updated information on the frequency bands supported by the satellite, updated information on the distribution of the satellite's spectral positions, updated information on the satellite's link budget, updated information on ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area, or updated information on the frequency bands used by ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area; and a fifth piece of information is transmitted based on the fourth piece of information, wherein the fifth piece of information is used to update the frequency bands used by the satellite at at least one spectral position.

[0024] In this way, the spectrum sharing parameters (such as the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one wavelength) can be readjusted when the satellite-terrestrial fusion network changes, enabling interference avoidance and adaptive fusion of the satellite-terrestrial fusion network when the satellite network or terrestrial network system changes, and further improving system performance.

[0025] In one possible design, the satellite's link budget includes at least one of the satellite's transmit power and its bandwidth configuration. Of course, this is not the only possibility.

[0026] In one possible design, update information on ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area is used to indicate at least one of the following: newly added ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area; or ground equipment removed from the satellite's signal coverage area. Of course, this is not the only practical application.

[0027] In a second aspect, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by a satellite or a chip in a satellite, the method comprising: transmitting first information, the first information including frequency bands supported by the satellite, wavenumber distribution information of the satellite, and ephemeris information of the satellite; receiving third information, the third information being used to indicate the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one wavenumber; wherein the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavenumber is different from the frequency band used by ground equipment located on the first wavenumber, and the first wavenumber is one of at least one wavenumber.

[0028] In one possible design, the first wave position is any one of at least one wave position.

[0029] In one possible design, the satellite's frequency band includes a first frequency band and a second frequency band; the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band; or, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is the same as the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band, and the interference of the ground equipment located on the second frequency band to the satellite on the first frequency band is less than the interference threshold.

[0030] In one possible design, the first wave position is adjacent to the second wave position.

[0031] In one possible design, a first request can be sent before receiving the third information. This first request is used to request the frequency band that the satellite can use on the satellite's wavelength.

[0032] In one possible design, the third information includes indication information for each of at least one wavelength, and indication information for the frequency band used by the satellite at each wavelength.

[0033] In one possible design, the third information also includes the effective time of the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one spectral position.

[0034] In one possible design, a sixth message may also be sent; wherein the sixth message includes at least one of the following: updated information on the frequency bands supported by the satellite, updated information on the distribution of the satellite's spectral positions, and updated information on the satellite's link budget; and a fifth message may be received, the fifth message being used to update the frequency bands used by the satellite on at least one spectral position.

[0035] In one possible design, the satellite's link budget includes at least one of the satellite's transmit power and the satellite's scaling method.

[0036] Thirdly, a communication method is provided, which can be executed by ground equipment (such as a base station) or a chip in the ground equipment. The method includes: determining second information, the second information including the location information of the ground equipment and the frequency band used by the ground equipment, the ground equipment being located on a first wave position of a satellite; transmitting the second information, the second information being used to determine third information, the third information being used to indicate the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one wave position; wherein the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wave position is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment, and the first wave position is one of at least one wave position of the satellite.

[0037] In one possible design, the first wave position is any one of at least one wave position.

[0038] In one possible design, the satellite's frequency band includes a first frequency band and a second frequency band; the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band; or, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is the same as the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band, and the interference of the ground equipment located on the second frequency band to the satellite on the first frequency band is less than the interference threshold.

[0039] In one possible design, the first wave position is adjacent to the second wave position.

[0040] In one possible design, before determining the second information, the process further includes receiving a second request, which requests the ground equipment to report the second information.

[0041] In one possible design, the third information includes indication information for each of at least one wavelength, and indication information for the frequency band used by the satellite at each wavelength.

[0042] In one possible design, the third information also includes the effective time of the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one spectral position.

[0043] In one possible design, the method further includes: sending a seventh message, which includes at least one of the following: update information of the ground equipment, update information of the frequency band used by the ground equipment, the seventh message being used to determine the fifth message, and the fifth message being used to update the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one spectral position.

[0044] In one possible design, the update information for ground equipment is used to indicate: newly added ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area; and ground equipment removed from the satellite's signal coverage area.

[0045] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, which may include modules, units, or technical means for performing the methods described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect.

[0046] For example, the device may include:

[0047] The transceiver unit is used to acquire first information and second information. The first information includes the frequency band supported by the satellite, the distribution information of the satellite's wave positions, and the satellite's ephemeris information. The second information includes the location information of ground equipment (such as base stations) within the satellite's signal coverage area and the frequency band used by the ground equipment.

[0048] The processing unit is configured to control the transceiver unit to send third information based on the first information and the second information. The third information is used to indicate the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one wave position. The frequency band used by the satellite on the first wave position is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the first wave position. The first wave position is one of at least one wave position.

[0049] In one possible design, the first wave position is any one of at least one wave position.

[0050] In one possible design, the satellite's frequency band includes a first frequency band and a second frequency band; the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band; or, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is the same as the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band, and the interference of the ground equipment located on the second frequency band to the satellite on the first frequency band is less than the interference threshold.

[0051] In one possible design, the first wave position is adjacent to the second wave position.

[0052] In one possible design, the transceiver unit is used to: receive the first information from the satellite.

[0053] In one possible design, the transceiver unit is used to receive second information from ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite.

[0054] In one possible design, the transceiver unit is also used to: receive a first request from the satellite before receiving second information from ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite, the first request being used to request the frequency band used by the satellite on the satellite's waveband;

[0055] The processing unit is also configured to send a second request to the ground equipment control transceiver unit within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite according to the first request. The second request is used to request the ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite to report second information.

[0056] In one possible design, the third information includes indication information for each of at least one wavelength, and indication information for the frequency band used by the satellite at each wavelength.

[0057] In one possible design, the third information also includes the effective time of the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one spectral position.

[0058] In one possible design, the transceiver unit is further configured to: acquire fourth information; wherein the fourth information includes at least one of the following: updated information on the frequency bands supported by the satellite, updated information on the distribution information of the satellite's spectral positions, updated information on the satellite's link budget, updated information on ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area, or updated information on the frequency bands used by ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area; the processing unit is further configured to: control the transceiver unit to transmit fifth information based on the fourth information, wherein the fifth information is used to update the frequency bands used by the satellite at at least one spectral position.

[0059] In one possible design, the satellite's link budget includes at least one of the satellite's transmit power and the satellite's scaling method.

[0060] In one possible design, update information for ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area is used to indicate at least one of the following: newly added ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area; or ground equipment removed from the satellite's signal coverage area.

[0061] Fifthly, a communication device is provided, which may include modules, units, or technical means for performing the methods described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect.

[0062] For example, the device may include:

[0063] Processing unit, used to determine the first information;

[0064] The transceiver unit is used to transmit first information, which includes the frequency bands supported by the satellite, the distribution information of the satellite's wave positions, and the satellite's ephemeris information; and to receive third information, which is used to indicate the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one wave position; wherein the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wave position is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the first wave position, and the first wave position is one of at least one wave position.

[0065] In one possible design, the first wave position is any one of at least one wave position.

[0066] In one possible design, the satellite's frequency band includes a first frequency band and a second frequency band; the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band; or, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is the same as the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band, and the interference of the ground equipment located on the second frequency band to the satellite on the first frequency band is less than the interference threshold.

[0067] In one possible design, the first wave position is adjacent to the second wave position.

[0068] In one possible design, the transceiver unit is also used to: send a first request before receiving the third information, the first request being used to request the frequency band used by the satellite on the satellite's wavelength.

[0069] In one possible design, the third information includes indication information for each of at least one wavelength, and indication information for the frequency band used by the satellite at each wavelength.

[0070] In one possible design, the third information also includes the effective time of the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one spectral position.

[0071] In one possible design, the transceiver unit is further configured to: transmit sixth information; wherein the sixth information includes at least one of the following: updated information on the frequency bands supported by the satellite, updated information on the distribution of the satellite's spectral positions, and updated information on the satellite's link budget; and receive fifth information, which is used to update the frequency bands used by the satellite on at least one spectral position.

[0072] In one possible design, the satellite's link budget includes at least one of the satellite's transmit power and the satellite's scaling method.

[0073] In a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided, which may include modules, units, or technical means for performing the methods described in the third aspect or any possible design of the third aspect.

[0074] For example, the device may include:

[0075] The processing unit is used to determine the second information, which includes the location information of the ground equipment and the frequency band used by the ground equipment, and the ground equipment is located on the first wave position of the satellite.

[0076] The transceiver unit is used to transmit second information, which is used to determine third information, which is used to indicate the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one wavelength; wherein the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment, and the first wavelength is one of at least one wavelength of the satellite.

[0077] In one possible design, the first wave position is any one of at least one wave position.

[0078] In one possible design, the satellite's frequency band includes a first frequency band and a second frequency band; the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band; or, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is the same as the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second frequency band, and the interference of the ground equipment located on the second frequency band to the satellite on the first frequency band is less than the interference threshold.

[0079] In one possible design, the first wave position is adjacent to the second wave position.

[0080] In one possible design, the transceiver unit is also used to: receive a second request before determining the second information, the second request being used to request the ground equipment to report the second information.

[0081] In one possible design, the third information includes indication information for each of at least one wavelength, and indication information for the frequency band used by the satellite at each wavelength.

[0082] In one possible design, the third information also includes the effective time of the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one spectral position.

[0083] In one possible design, the transceiver unit is also used to: transmit seventh information, which includes at least one of the following: update information of the ground equipment, update information of the frequency band used by the ground equipment, the seventh information being used to determine the fifth information, and the fifth information being used to update the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one spectral position.

[0084] In one possible design, the update information for ground equipment is used to indicate: newly added ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area; and ground equipment removed from the satellite's signal coverage area.

[0085] A seventh aspect provides a communication device, the communication device comprising: at least one processor; and a communication interface communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor, by executing instructions stored in a memory, causes the device to perform, via the communication interface, the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, or the third aspect or any possible design of the third aspect.

[0086] Eighthly, a computer-readable storage medium is provided for storing a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, or the third aspect or any possible design of the third aspect to be performed.

[0087] Ninth aspect, a computer program product is provided, the computer program product including a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect, or the third aspect or any possible design of the third aspect.

[0088] A tenth aspect provides a communication system including an intermediate node, a satellite, and ground equipment. The intermediate node is configured to perform the method described in the first aspect or any possible design of the first aspect; the satellite is configured to perform the method described in the second aspect or any possible design of the second aspect; and the ground equipment is configured to perform the method described in the third aspect or any possible design of the third aspect.

[0089] For the specific designs and beneficial effects of the second to tenth aspects mentioned above, please refer to the corresponding designs and beneficial effects in the first aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0090] Figure 1 is an example diagram of a space-ground integrated network;

[0091] Figure 2 shows a scenario example of the interference zone generation mechanism;

[0092] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a satellite-ground fusion network applicable to an embodiment of this application;

[0093] Figures 3B and 3C are schematic diagrams of the transparent transmission mode and the regeneration mode, respectively;

[0094] Figure 4 is a flowchart of a communication method provided in this application;

[0095] Figure 5 shows an example of the mapping relationship between the SSB index and the wave position number;

[0096] Figures 6A and 6B are example diagrams of ground equipment located within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite;

[0097] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the process of intermediate nodes obtaining the first and second information.

[0098] Figure 8 shows a specific example of wave position distribution;

[0099] Figure 9 is a flowchart of another communication method provided in this application;

[0100] Figure 10 is a flowchart of another communication method provided in this application;

[0101] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0102] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0103] The following section will introduce some of the technical terms involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0104] 1) Wave position: The coverage area of ​​the ground mapped by the satellite beam can be called the wave position. A wave position can be described by the geographical location of the beam center point and the coverage radius of the beam on the ground.

[0105] 2) Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) refer to networks that use radio frequency resources on satellite platforms (including low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), and highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms, or high altitude platform stations (HAPS) to provide communication services. Compared with terrestrial cellular networks (such as 5G and new radio, NR), NTN networks have advantages such as wider coverage, higher path loss, greater latency, faster speed, and lower cost. As a supplement and extension to terrestrial networks, NTN can achieve wide-area seamless coverage that wired telephone networks and terrestrial mobile communication networks cannot, effectively solving the problem of internet access in areas with insufficient communication infrastructure. For example, by deploying a large number of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), seamless ground coverage can be achieved through reasonable constellation construction. Furthermore, the round-trip latency of data transmission between satellites and ground terminals can be significantly reduced compared to Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites, reaching levels in the tens of milliseconds. With the use of technologies such as high-frequency bands, multi-beamforming, and frequency reuse, satellite communication capabilities have been significantly enhanced, while simultaneously reducing the cost per unit of broadband, thus meeting the demands of high-data-rate services. Compared to terrestrial 5G networks and submarine fiber optic cables, NTN also has a significant cost advantage. Modern small satellites have low R&D and manufacturing costs, and software-defined technologies can further extend the lifespan of satellites in orbit. In addition to global coverage (such as in remote areas and on ocean-going vessels), NTN can also be used in emergency relief (such as disaster monitoring and emergency communications), the Internet of Things, and high-speed mobility (such as high-speed rail and airplanes).

[0106] 3) Satellite-Ground Integrated Network: This network deeply integrates satellite communication systems (or satellite networks) and terrestrial communication systems (or terrestrial networks) to form a globally covered, seamless communication network.

[0107] "Ground-space integration," as a crucial direction for future network development, is a vital means of achieving "global coverage," providing services to users in various scenarios. In areas with well-developed terrestrial base station deployments, the terrestrial network provides access links to users, who then connect to the core network via terrestrial backhaul links. Satellite networks can also be used to extend the coverage of the converged network, providing services to users in remote areas. When there are no base stations in remote areas, users directly access the satellite network; when base stations are present, the satellite primarily serves as the base station's backhaul link. Additionally, the satellite connects to the terrestrial satellite gateway via a feeder link, and finally connects to the core network via a satellite backhaul link. Notably, this converged space-ground system has a processing center that interacts with the satellite gateway and terrestrial base stations via a separate backhaul link to perform signal decisions, user access, and resource management, enabling the integration of independent satellite and terrestrial networks into a unified network. Combining the advantages of terrestrial and satellite networks, converged space-ground networks can achieve global broadband access, providing ubiquitous network services, overcoming challenges inherent in 5G networks, and driving the development of next-generation wireless networks.

[0108] Compared to traditional single networks, space-ground converged networks can be flexibly designed based on the different positioning of terrestrial and satellite networks, providing global broadband access to different types of users. As shown in Figure 1, satellites can supplement terrestrial networks, providing access or backhaul services to remote areas through multiple LEO satellites and coordinated transmission between high- and low-Earth orbit satellites. They can also collaborate with terrestrial base stations in urban areas to serve ground users. Spectrum sharing strategies effectively improve spectrum utilization and are widely used in space-ground converged networks. From a network architecture perspective, space-ground converged networks can be divided into three main categories: cognitive space-ground converged networks, hybrid space-ground converged networks, and cooperative space-ground converged networks.

[0109] The cognitive satellite-terrestrial converged network consists of a primary network and secondary networks. In this network, both the satellite and terrestrial networks can be either primary or secondary. The primary network has priority access to spectrum resources and can communicate at any time; the secondary network shares the same spectrum resources with the primary network, but must communicate without affecting the normal operation of the primary network. By employing a spectrum-sharing strategy between the satellite and terrestrial networks, spectrum resources can be fully utilized, alleviating spectrum pressure.

[0110] In a hybrid satellite-terrestrial converged network, data typically originates from satellites, passes through base stations, and is finally received by users. Depending on the application scenario, it can be further divided into satellite-terrestrial relay networks and satellite-terrestrial backhaul networks. In satellite-terrestrial relay networks, due to the shielding effect, satellites and users cannot communicate directly; data transmission relies on base stations, which act as relay nodes, forwarding data from satellites to the satellite users they serve. Regardless of whether it's a cognitive satellite-terrestrial converged network architecture or a hybrid satellite-terrestrial converged network architecture, the terrestrial network and satellite network still operate independently.

[0111] In a collaborative space-ground converged network, terrestrial and satellite networks can cooperate and fully leverage their respective advantages. Terrestrial networks, with their accumulated technological and equipment deployment advantages, can provide low-cost internet access, while satellite networks, due to their inherent characteristics, can provide wide-area coverage. The collaborative space-ground converged network combines the advantages of these two networks, which can further promote the development of space-ground converged networks.

[0112] It is understandable that the technical solution provided in this article can be applied to any type of space-ground fusion network.

[0113] 4) Terminal equipment: This can be referred to as a terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile station, mobile terminal device, etc. Terminal equipment can be widely used in various scenarios, such as device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, machine-type communication (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, augmented reality, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, etc. Terminal equipment can be mobile phones, tablets, computers with wireless transceiver capabilities, wearable devices, vehicles, drones, helicopters, airplanes, ships, robots, robotic arms, smart home devices, roadside units (RSUs), etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific technologies or equipment forms used in the terminal equipment.

[0114] 5) Radio access network equipment can be a base station, an evolved NodeB (eNodeB), a transmission reception point (TRP), a transmission point (TP), a base station in a 5G mobile communication system, a base station in a future mobile communication system, or an access node in a WiFi system; it can also be a module or unit that performs some of the functions of a base station, for example, it can be a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU), or a radio unit (RU). Here, the CU performs the functions of the radio resource control protocol and the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) of the base station, and can also perform the functions of the service data adaptation protocol (SDAP); the DU performs the functions of the radio link control layer and the medium access control (MAC) layer of the base station, and can also perform some or all of the physical layer functions. For specific descriptions of the above protocol layers, please refer to the relevant technical specifications of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). CU and DU can be separate entities or included in the same network element, such as a baseband unit (BBU). RU 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). CU, DU, or RU may have different names in different systems, but their meanings will be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, in an open radio access network (O-RAN) system, CU can also be called an open CU (open-CU, O-CU), DU can also be called an open DU (open-DU, O-DU), and RU can also be called an open RU (open-RU, O-RU).In this application, any of the following units—CU (or CU control plane (CU-CP), CU user plane (CU-UP), DU, and RU)—can be implemented through software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules. CU-CP can also be called open-CU-CP (O-CU-CP), and CU-UP can also be called open-CU-UP (O-CU-UP).

[0115] 6) Core Network: Primarily responsible for user registration, connection, and session management. The core network can include network equipment that processes and forwards user signaling and data. Examples include access and mobility management functions (AMF), session management functions (SMF), user plane gateways, and location management equipment. The user plane gateway can be a server capable of mobility management, routing, and forwarding user plane data, typically located on the network side, such as a serving gateway (SGW), packet data network gateway (PGW), or user plane function (UPF). AMF and SMF are equivalent to the mobility management entity (MME) in a long-term evolution (LTE) system. AMF is primarily responsible for access control, while SMF is primarily responsible for session management. Of course, the core network can also include other network elements, which are not listed here.

[0116] 7) In the embodiments of this application, the number of nouns, unless otherwise specified, refers to "singular nouns or plural nouns," that is, "one or more." "At least one" means one or more, and "more than one" 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. For example, A / B means: A or B. "At least one of the following" or similar expressions refer to any combination of these items, including any combination of single or plural items. For example, at least one of a, b, or c means: a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c, where a, b, and c can be single or multiple.

[0117] 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 size, content, order, timing, priority, or importance of the multiple objects. Furthermore, the numbering of steps in the various embodiments described in this application is only to distinguish different steps and is not used to limit the order in which the steps are performed.

[0118] In this article, the terms "network," "communication network," "system," and "communication system" can be used interchangeably.

[0119] The following describes some of the technical features involved in the embodiments of this application.

[0120] 1) Frequency domain resource overlap:

[0121] According to the radio regulations established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), non-geostationary satellite orbit systems operate on a "first-come, first-served" basis, meaning that the satellite constellation that applies for registration first has priority in frequency usage. Therefore, building a global low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet constellation system is also a battle for satellite frequency resources. The ITU divides satellite communication services into two main categories: fixed satellite services and mobile satellite services. Fixed satellite services currently primarily use the C-band (3.4-4.2 GHz), Ku-band (12.5-18 GHz), and Ka-band (26.5-40 GHz), characterized by large bandwidth and high transmission rates, enabling fixed transmission of broadband information such as video. Mobile satellite services currently primarily use the L-band and S-band, characterized by small bandwidth, low transmission rates, and the ability to transmit narrowband information such as voice data while mobile. Satellite communication in the millimeter-wave band has been studied for many years, especially in the Ka-band (downlink 17.7–19.7 GHz, uplink 27.5–29.5 GHz). The 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) decided to apply these two frequency bands to earth station in motion (ESIM), enabling widespread satellite broadband internet access services on mobile platforms such as ships, airplanes, and trains. However, according to the decision of the exceptional cases committee (ECC) / decision (DEC) / (00)07 adopted by the European Postal and Telecommunications Conference, the Ka band was allocated to microwave links for terrestrial fixed services. As shown in Table 1, there is an overlap between terrestrial network frequency bands and satellite frequency bands.

[0122] Table 1

[0123] The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designates terrestrial 5G frequency bands of 7.5-28.35 GHz and 37-38.6 GHz, which overlap with some frequency bands for satellite uplink and downlink. The International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) terrestrial frequency bands of 45.5-47 GHz and 47.2-48.2 GHz also overlap with some frequency bands for satellite uplink. Globally, 5G terrestrial network frequency bands of 24.25-27.5 GHz, 37-43.5 GHz, and 66-71 GHz overlap with some frequency bands for satellite downlink and inter-satellite links.

[0124] It is understandable that frequency, as a scarce communication resource, is a key factor and a core bottleneck in building a global low-Earth orbit satellite internet constellation system. Therefore, it is imperative to use frequency compatibility strategies between satellite and terrestrial networks, and to overcome the limitations of spectrum sharing theory and technology to solve the frequency resource utilization problem in satellite-terrestrial integrated networks. The main problem faced by satellite-terrestrial integrated networks based on spectrum sharing strategies is interference suppression, which is the primary reason limiting system performance.

[0125] 2) Interference zone generation mechanism:

[0126] The converged architecture of satellite and terrestrial networks adopts a centralized approach, meaning that a central control center connects to both the satellite and terrestrial networks for information exchange. For example, as shown in Figure 2, a coexistence control point is defined. This control point collects information from satellites and base stations, dynamically delineates protected areas based on the collected information, and triggers the registration of spectrum-sharing devices and the determination of interference zones. Spectrum-sharing devices are satellites and base stations that may use the same frequency band.

[0127] Step 2: Register the shared device with the coexistence control point and provide information;

[0128] Step 3: The coexistence control point calculates the satellite beam coverage area based on the information in Step 2, which is used as the geographical area to be evaluated;

[0129] Step 4: Two-level evaluation of coexistence control points:

[0130] Condition 1: Does the base station antenna overlap with the frequency band used by the satellite?

[0131] Condition 2: Does the equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) of the base station antenna exceed a certain threshold?

[0132] If condition 1 is met and condition 2 is optionally met, then the base station is determined to be a base station in the interference zone.

[0133] Specific parameters used include those provided during shared device registration. On the ground base station side, this includes: base station (antenna) identifier, frequency band used, base station (antenna) transmit power, and base station (antenna) transmit gain. Transmit power and gain are used to determine whether the base station's EIRP exceeds a threshold that may affect the satellite receiver. On the satellite side, this includes: satellite (antenna) identifier, frequency band used, service information, model information, and incident angle information. Service information may include the start time, duration, or end time of the satellite service, as well as the imaging mode of the service. Model information is a delineation model indicating the interference zone, such as the interference zone being the beam footprint / coverage area, and whether further filtering based on EIRP is required, providing the EIRP threshold range. Incident angle information is used to determine the specific coverage area of ​​the beam.

[0134] Meanwhile, the parameters used in the evaluation include two parts: determining the evaluation range and selecting the interference area (base station) within the evaluation range. First, the selected evaluation range (such as coverage area or footprint) is determined based on the model information. If it is a footprint, the satellite trajectory is determined based on the ephemeris information, and the time and specific location of the beam on the trajectory are determined based on the service information and the angle of incidence information. If it is a coverage area, the coverage area is calculated based on the satellite altitude and Earth radius in the ephemeris information, and the time when the coverage area will appear is determined based on the service information. Then, in the selection of the interference area (base station) within the evaluation range, first, whether there is an intersection between the frequency bands of the base stations and the satellites within the evaluation range, and then, based on the model information, it is determined whether it is necessary to compare the EIRP threshold. If so, the base stations with EIRP greater than the EIRP threshold are selected from the base stations with frequency band intersection as the interference area base stations.

[0135] 3) Interference avoidance mechanism:

[0136] After the interference zone is determined, the coexistence control point collects interference avoidance parameters for the protected area (e.g., satellite) and the interference zone (e.g., base station). Then, the centralized control center determines the base station that needs to be handled and the handling method. The main idea is to control the lumped interference (lumped interference refers to the interference effect of multiple interference sources on a system) of the base station antennas in the interference zone to the satellite below the threshold by reducing antenna transmit power and channel reallocation, so as to avoid interference with the normal satellite services.

[0137] Taking satellite networks as the primary network as an example, the specific process is as follows:

[0138] Step 1: After the base stations in the interference area are determined, the centralized control point obtains the interference calculation parameters;

[0139] Step 2: If the current satellite is in more than one interference zone, the coexistence control point determines the range of the interference zone that the current satellite is about to enter based on ephemeris information and service information;

[0140] Step 3: Calculate the total integrated interference after calculating the single-point interference of the base station at the coexistence control point;

[0141] Step 4: The coexistence control point sends operation instruction information to the base station according to the avoidance algorithm. The base station changes the channel or frequency band used, or reduces the transmission power according to the instruction information.

[0142] Specific parameters used include obtaining interference calculation parameters. These include the antenna polarization on the base station side, and the receiving gain, fading model information, and avoidance algorithm information on the satellite side. The fading model information includes the propagation loss model and the antenna polarization. The propagation loss model further includes calculation methods for free space loss, ionospheric loss, atmospheric attenuation, beam spread, and clutter loss. The antenna polarization is used to calculate polarization loss. The avoidance algorithm information includes methods for determining the list of base stations to be avoided and corresponding avoidance measures, including providing interference thresholds. When using parameter-based interference calculation, the interference of a single base station is calculated: based on the formula, the single-point interference of the base station is calculated using the fading model information, polarization information, the output power and output gain of the base station (antenna), and the receiving gain of the satellite antenna; then the lumped interference of all base stations is calculated.

[0143] According to the avoidance algorithm, the coexistence control point outputs a list of base stations that need to be processed, along with the corresponding processing methods. There are two methods for determining the list of base stations to be processed: Method 1: If the total interference exceeds a threshold, the individual interferences of each base station are sorted in ascending order and summed. Base stations whose sum exceeds the threshold are considered to be processed. Method 2: If the total interference exceeds the threshold, all base stations need to have their transmit power reduced. There are also two processing methods: For Method 1, the base station to be processed is required to use another frequency band or have its power set to zero and turned off. For Method 2, the base station output power is reduced according to weighted sharing, ensuring that the total interference of the reduced-power base stations does not exceed the threshold. The weights can be determined based on information such as the base station load, the number of connected users, and the central processing unit (CPU) utilization, so that base stations with high loads receive less power control.

[0144] However, the parameter configuration in interference avoidance mechanisms is based on cells for both satellite and terrestrial networks. Satellite networks cover a cell range of hundreds of kilometers, while base station coverage is on the order of kilometers, resulting in a severe mismatch in the order of magnitude of the parameters between satellite and terrestrial base station networks. Furthermore, large-scale parameter measurements incur significant resource overhead, and message configuration is inflexible (requiring message configuration for a large number of base stations), making it impossible to implement different configurations for regions with different needs.

[0145] 4) Time-frequency domain resource allocation mechanism:

[0146] To improve spectrum utilization efficiency, spectrum sharing is the most promising mechanism for satellite-terrestrial converged networks. However, sharing spectrum between satellites and ground base stations can cause serious mutual interference. From a communication perspective, the most effective method is to isolate communication resources in both the time and frequency domains. This involves statically dividing time and frequency domain communication resources according to different services, so that the frequency bands or usage time of satellites are completely separated from the frequency bands of terrestrial services.

[0147] Taking the terrestrial network at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) level as an existing service as an example, new services need to ensure that they will not affect its operation. The specific process is as follows:

[0148] Step 1: The base station reports the spectrum utilization information to the centralized control point;

[0149] Step 2: Satellites report capability information, and the centralized control node calculates the satellite beam coverage range as the basis for determining spectrum isolation;

[0150] Step 3: The centralized control point calculates the available time and available frequency bands when there is interference between satellites and base stations from both the time and frequency domains.

[0151] Step 4: The centralized control node sends the calculation results to the satellite.

[0152] However, the above schemes restrict the site selection of ground base stations or adjust the beam direction of satellites based on protected areas, or limit the transmission power of ground base stations or satellites based on interference thresholds, or misallocate frequency and time domain resources to achieve a frequency-division or time-division fusion spectrum sharing mechanism between satellite networks and terrestrial networks. These time-frequency domain resource allocation mechanisms are all static spectrum sharing mechanisms, which greatly limit the deployment of commercial macro base stations (such as IMT) on the ground. Although these static spectrum sharing mechanisms can effectively reduce mutual interference between networks, the resource isolation granularity is large (e.g., based on the satellite's service cell as the basic unit), resulting in low spectrum utilization and failing to achieve the effect of efficient spectrum utilization.

[0153] In view of this, the technical solution of the embodiments of this application is provided, which uses wavebands as the basic unit and flexibly configures spectrum sharing parameters (such as the frequency band used by the satellite), realizing waveband-level satellite-ground integrated network spectrum sharing, which can reduce interference between satellite networks and terrestrial networks and improve network spectrum utilization, so as to support the deep integration of satellite networks and terrestrial networks.

[0154] The following describes the application scenarios of the embodiments of this application.

[0155] The technical solutions provided in this application can be applied to various converged networks, such as converged networks of terrestrial and satellite networks (i.e., satellite-terrestrial converged networks). However, they are not limited to satellite-terrestrial converged networks; for example, they can also be converged networks of high-altitude platforms and terrestrial networks.

[0156] The terrestrial network can be, for example, the 4th generation (4G) system, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, or the 5G system (such as the NR system), or a future mobile communication system or other similar communication system, etc., without any specific restrictions.

[0157] Figure 3A illustrates an exemplary architecture of a satellite-ground converged network applicable to embodiments of this application. The devices in the satellite-ground converged network include satellites, gateways (or ground stations, earth stations, signaling stations, or gateways), ground equipment, and terminal equipment. Both satellites and ground equipment can provide network services to the terminal equipment.

[0158] Satellite and terrestrial networks can be interconnected through a common core network (as shown in Figure 3A). They can also achieve more timely assistance and interconnection through interfaces defined between base stations (not shown in Figure 3A). 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, NTN nodes (such as gateways) and terrestrial nodes (such as base stations) can communicate and coordinate using the aforementioned interfaces.

[0159] Ground equipment can be any device deployed on the ground that can provide terrestrial network services to terminal devices, such as radio access network (RAN) equipment. This article mainly takes base stations as an example of ground equipment.

[0160] The satellite can be a HEO, GEO, MEO, or LEO satellite, etc., without restriction. The satellite can wirelessly communicate with the terminal device via broadcast communication signals and navigation signals. Optionally, each satellite can provide communication, navigation, and positioning services to the terminal device through multiple beams. For example, each satellite uses multiple beams to cover the service area, and the relationship between the different beams can be one or more of time-division, frequency-division, and space-division.

[0161] Gateways are used to connect satellites to ground-based network devices (such as core network devices or access network devices). One or more satellites can connect to one or more ground-based network devices (such as access network devices or core network devices) through one or more gateways; this is not a limitation. The link between a satellite and a terminal device is called a service link, and the link between a satellite and a gateway is called a feeder link.

[0162] The satellite can operate in either transparent or regenerative mode.

[0163] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of the transparent transmission mode: The satellite acts as an analog radio frequency repeater, with relay forwarding functions. It can perform wireless frequency conversion and amplification, and can transparently transmit or copy signals between the base station and the terminal equipment. For example, signals sent by the terminal equipment can be transparently transmitted through the satellite, and the gateway forwards them to the ground base station. The gateway has some or all of the functions of the base station, and in this case, the gateway can be regarded as the base station. It can be considered that the gateway and the base station can be deployed together or separately. If the gateway and the base station are deployed separately, then the delay of the feeder link includes the delay from the satellite to the gateway and the delay from the gateway to the base station.

[0164] Figure 3C illustrates the regeneration mode: The satellite acts as a base station for wireless communication, possessing some or all of the functions of a base station. It regenerates signals received from the ground and can understand and process these signals. For example, the satellite can be a base station mounted on an artificial Earth satellite or a high-altitude aircraft; the base station could be an evolved NB (eNB) or a 5G base station (gNB). The gateway can forward signaling between the satellite (or base station) and the core network.

[0165] Satellite networks and terrestrial networks can share spectrum. For example, satellites and ground equipment can use frequency domain resources within the same frequency range, or satellites and ground equipment can use the same band (such as C-band, Ku-band, or Ka-band).

[0166] The space-ground fusion network also includes intermediate nodes, the functions of which vary depending on the scenario, and this application does not limit them. Furthermore, this application does not limit the deployment location of the space-ground fusion network within the satellite and terrestrial fusion network.

[0167] The intermediate node in this application embodiment is a trusted third-party node that is distinct from the terrestrial network and satellite network. It can collect relevant information from the terrestrial network and satellite network, that is, it can send data requests to the terrestrial core network and satellite core network to obtain information reported by the terrestrial core network and satellite core network. It can also make decisions based on the relevant information obtained, and perform corresponding calculations and resource allocation decisions based on historical experience information or requested information. Then, it sends the decision actions or instructions to the relevant equipment of the terrestrial network and satellite network for execution.

[0168] The deployment location of intermediate nodes is not limited. For example, they can be deployed on independent ground gateways, connected to ground base stations and satellites via feeder links (as shown in Figure 3A); they can also be deployed on ground base stations, connected to the ground network via wired connections and to the satellite via feeder links or wireless communication (not shown in Figure 3A); or they can be deployed on satellites, communicating directly with the ground network (not shown in Figure 3A), and so on. This completes the information exchange between base stations, intermediate nodes, and satellites in the converged network. Intermediate nodes can be independent hardware entities, such as independent ground gateways; or they can be software forms of independent third-party network elements on the core network, such as those installed within the core networks of satellites and ground base stations. In short, the specific form of intermediate nodes is not limited, and their actual functions can be defined.

[0169] The embodiments of this application do not limit the name of the intermediate node. For example, it can also be called a centralized control node, centralized control equipment, centralized control center, or coexistence control point, etc.

[0170] It is understandable that the satellite in Figure 3A above can also be replaced with other NTN equipment, such as HAPS.

[0171] It is understood that the network architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this application are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of this application are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0172] The method provided in the embodiments of this application is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0173] Referring to Figure 4, a communication method provided in this application is shown. Taking the satellite-ground fusion network shown in Figure 3A as an example, the method includes the following steps:

[0174] S401, the intermediate node obtains the first and second information.

[0175] The first information includes the frequency bands supported by the satellite (which can be simply referred to as the satellite's frequency bands), the distribution information of the satellite's wave positions (which can be simply referred to as the satellite's wave position information), and the satellite's ephemeris information.

[0176] It is understandable that the number of satellites can be one or more. In other words, an intermediate node can acquire the frequency band, position, and ephemeris information of only one satellite, or it can acquire the frequency band, position, and ephemeris information of multiple satellites, without restriction. For ease of description, this article mainly uses a single satellite as an example.

[0177] The frequency bands supported by the satellite may include frequency bands supported by the satellite downlink, frequency bands supported by the satellite uplink, or frequency bands supported by inter-satellite links. In some embodiments, the frequency bands supported by the satellite may also be replaced with the frequency bands used by the satellite.

[0178] Ephemeris information refers to a precise table of the position or trajectory of a celestial body that changes over time; it is a function of time. Satellite ephemeris information can be used to describe the satellite's motion trajectory and positional changes.

[0179] Information on the distribution of satellite wave positions can include the location, size, or shape of the satellite wave positions.

[0180] For the ground, the division of wave positions is to improve the effectiveness and simplicity of satellite beam management. The ground control center can divide the overall ground coverage area of ​​the satellite into several areas of fixed size, each area corresponding to a wave position, and assigning a unique number to all wave positions.

[0181] As an example, the position of a wavelet can be set to be the same as the position of the synchronization signal block (SSB) beam, and the size of the wavelet can be set to be the same as the position of the SSB beam, so that the distribution of the wavelets is adapted to the periodic scanning method of the satellite beams. The specific position and number of each wavelet can be preset in the chip of the satellite, terminal equipment, etc., or can be periodically issued by the ground control center, core network, etc. Within a certain period of time, a satellite will cover the same number of wavelets as the SSB beam. Therefore, there is a one-to-one mapping relationship between the SSB index and the wavelet number, as shown in Figure 5. The wavelets within the satellite coverage area shown in the upper part of Figure 5 correspond one-to-one with the satellite SSB index shown in the lower part of Figure 5. This mapping relationship can be maintained by the control center and uploaded to the satellite. As the satellite moves, the mapping relationship can change periodically.

[0182] The second piece of information includes the location information of ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area and the frequency band used by that ground equipment.

[0183] Ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area can include ground equipment located within the satellite's signal coverage area, as shown in Figure 6A, and can also include ground equipment whose signal coverage overlaps with the satellite's signal coverage area, as shown in Figure 6B. The frequency bands used by the ground equipment include the frequency bands currently in use by the ground equipment, and can also include frequency bands supported by the ground equipment. Examples of frequency bands used by ground equipment include: FCC terrestrial 5G frequency bands 7.5-28.35GHz and 37-38.6GHz, IMT terrestrial portion frequency bands 45.5-47GHz and 47.2-48.2GHz, or global 5G terrestrial network frequency bands 24.25-27.5GHz, 37-43.5GHz, and 66-71GHz, etc., without limitation.

[0184] It is understandable that, considering the satellite signal is scanned periodically, the ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area can refer to the ground equipment that the satellite signal can cover during a portion of a scanning cycle (such as ground equipment on some satellite positions), or it can refer to the ground equipment that the satellite signal can cover during the entire scanning cycle (such as ground equipment on all satellite positions), without limitation. A scanning cycle, for example, is the time it takes for the satellite to scan all positions once.

[0185] In one possible implementation, the intermediate node acquiring the first information includes: the intermediate node receiving the first information from the satellite.

[0186] In one possible implementation, the intermediate node acquiring the second information includes: the intermediate node receiving second information from ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite.

[0187] The second information can be proactively reported by ground equipment or proactively acquired by intermediate nodes; there are no restrictions. In one possible example, before receiving the second information from ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area, the intermediate node also receives a first request from the satellite. The first request requests the satellite to use a frequency band on its band. Accordingly, the intermediate node sends a second request to the ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area based on the first request. The second request requests the ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area to report the second information. The first information can be sent simultaneously with the first request (e.g., the first information is carried in the first request) or it can be sent separately (e.g., the first information is not carried in the first request but is carried in other messages); there are no restrictions.

[0188] In one possible example, referring to Figure 7, the process of the intermediate node obtaining the first and second information (i.e., S401) may include the following steps:

[0189] S701, the satellite sends the first request and the first information, and the intermediate node receives the first request and the first information;

[0190] Optionally, the satellite may determine the first request and the first information before sending them. The first request and the first information may be sent separately or simultaneously. Optionally, the first information may be included in the first request.

[0191] S702, The intermediate node sends a second request to the ground equipment according to the first request, and the ground equipment receives the second request;

[0192] It is understood that the number of ground devices receiving the first request can be one or more without limitation. Figure 7 only illustrates one ground device, but it is not limited to this in practice.

[0193] S703. The ground equipment reports its own location information and the frequency band it uses according to the second request; the intermediate node receives the location information and frequency band reported by the ground equipment.

[0194] Optionally, before reporting its own location information and the frequency band it uses, the ground equipment may also determine its own location information and the frequency band it uses.

[0195] It is understandable that if only one ground device reports its location information and frequency band, the second information will be the location information and frequency band of that ground device. If multiple ground devices report their location information and frequency band, the second information may include the location information and frequency band of multiple ground devices. Figure 7 only illustrates one ground device, but it is not limited to this in practice.

[0196] S402, the intermediate node sends third information based on the first and second information, the third information being used to indicate the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one wave position.

[0197] It is understandable that the frequency band used by a satellite at a certain wavelength refers to the frequency band of the signal (or beam) emitted by the satellite that covers that wavelength.

[0198] For example, following the examples of S701 to S703 above, as shown in Figure 7, S402 may include the following steps:

[0199] S704. The intermediate node determines the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one wavelength based on the first information and the second information.

[0200] S705, intermediate nodes send third information, and satellites receive third information.

[0201] The third information is used to indicate the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one Hz. After receiving the third information, the satellite can determine the frequency band it is using at at least one Hz based on the third information. When the satellite scans the at least one Hz subsequently, it uses the beam of the corresponding frequency band to scan, which can achieve frequency domain resource isolation between ground equipment and satellite at the at least one Hz.

[0202] As an example, the intermediate node can determine the specific location of each satellite position based on the satellite's position distribution information, determine which positions the satellite's current signal (or signal over a period of time) covers based on the satellite's ephemeris information, such as determining at least one position; determine the ground equipment for each position within the at least one position based on the location information of the ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area; for each position within the at least one position, determine the frequency band used by the satellite for that position (i.e., the frequency band of the beam transmitted by the satellite covering that position) based on the frequency band used by the ground equipment on that position and the frequency band supported by the satellite. The frequency band used by the satellite for that position is a frequency band supported by the satellite, and the frequency band used by the satellite for that position is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment on that position.

[0203] Referring to Figure 8, a specific example of the wavefront distribution is given. The satellite coverage area includes 25 wavefronts, numbered sequentially as 11, 12, 13, ..., 54, 55. Ground equipment within the satellite coverage area includes A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J. Ground equipment A is located at wavefront 22, ground equipment B at wavefront 23, ground equipment C at wavefront 24, ground equipment D at wavefront 32, ground equipment E at wavefront 33, ground equipment F at wavefront 34, ground equipment G at wavefront 42, ground equipment H at wavefront 43, ground equipment I at wavefront 44, and ground equipment J at wavefront 55. For example, the first wavefront is wavefront 33, and the frequency band used by ground equipment E is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wavefront 33.

[0204] It should be understood that Figure 8 is only an example, and the shape, size, location, number, etc. of the actual wave position are not limited, nor is the number of ground devices in a wave position.

[0205] Furthermore, the frequency bands used by a satellite at different wave positions can be the same or different, without restriction. For example, in Figure 8, the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 22 is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 23, and the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 22 is the same as the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 55. Of course, this is just an example, and it is not limited to this in practice.

[0206] It is understandable that the frequency bands used by ground equipment on other bands, whether within or outside the satellite's coverage area, can be different from or the same as the frequency band used by the satellite on the first band, without restriction. For example, in Figure 8, the frequency band used by ground equipment J on band 55 can be the same as the frequency band used by the satellite on band 33. Of course, this is just an example, and it is not limited to this in practice. Having the satellite use the same frequency band on the first band as ground equipment on other bands improves spectrum utilization compared to having the satellite and all ground equipment use different frequency bands.

[0207] In one possible example, if there are no other frequency bands supported by the satellite except for the frequency band used by ground equipment on the first frequency band (which is one of at least one frequency band), then the satellite has no usable frequency bands on the first frequency band, or in other words, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is empty.

[0208] In one possible implementation, the third information may include indication information for each of the at least one wave position, and indication information for the frequency band used by the satellite at each wave position. The wave position indication information may be, for example, a wave position number, and the frequency band indication information may be, for example, a frequency band identifier or a frequency range corresponding to the frequency band. There is a mapping relationship between the indication information for each wave position and the indication information for the frequency band used by the satellite at that wave position. This mapping relationship may specifically be in the form of a mapping table or other forms, without limitation. Optionally, when the satellite does not use a frequency band at a certain wave position, it may use a special identifier or frequency band range to indicate this.

[0209] For example, Table 2 is an example of third-party information:

[0210] Table 2 Third Information

[0211] Of course, Table 2 is just an example, and the actual situation is not limited to it.

[0212] In one possible implementation, the third information may further include the effective time of the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one spectral position. By configuring the effective time, on the one hand, it can prevent the satellite from occupying the same frequency band resources for a long time on one spectral position, and release them in a timely manner for use by other spectral positions or equipment, which helps to improve spectrum efficiency; on the other hand, it can prevent the satellite from using invalid frequency bands for communication, thereby improving the reliability of satellite communication.

[0213] The specific form of the validity period can be an expiration date (i.e., the frequency band is valid before the expiration date and invalid after the expiration date) or a validity duration (i.e., it is valid if the usage duration does not exceed the specified duration and is invalid if the usage duration exceeds the specified duration), without any restrictions.

[0214] For example, Table 3 is another example of third-party information:

[0215] Table 3 Third Information

[0216] Of course, Table 3 is just an example, and the actual situation is not limited to it.

[0217] In the above scheme, the intermediate node configures the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wave position based on the frequency bands supported by the satellite, the distribution information of the satellite's wave positions, the satellite's ephemeris information, the location information of ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area, and the frequency bands used by the ground equipment. This isolates the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wave position from the frequency bands used by the ground equipment on the first wave position, reducing interference between the satellite network and the ground network and improving system performance. Furthermore, this scheme configures spectrum sharing parameters (such as the frequency band used by the satellite) on a wave position basis, which can improve the flexibility of spectrum sharing parameter configuration and thus improve spectrum utilization (for example, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wave position can be the same as the frequency band used by ground equipment on other wave positions, which can improve spectrum utilization compared to the satellite and all ground equipment using different frequency bands).

[0218] In one possible design, the first wave position is any one of at least one wave position. Alternatively, at each wave position within the satellite's signal coverage area, the frequency band used by the satellite and the frequency band used by the ground equipment are different.

[0219] Using the example given in Figure 8, the frequency band used by ground equipment A is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 22; the frequency band used by ground equipment B is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 23; the frequency band used by ground equipment C is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 24; the frequency band used by ground equipment D is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 32; the frequency band used by ground equipment E is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 33; the frequency band used by ground equipment F is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 34; the frequency band used by ground equipment G is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 42; the frequency band used by ground equipment H is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 43; the frequency band used by ground equipment I is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 44; and the frequency band used by ground equipment J is different from the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 55.

[0220] This ensures that the frequency domain resources of satellites and ground equipment are isolated from each other at each wavelength, thereby better suppressing interference between satellite networks and ground networks and further improving system performance.

[0221] In one possible design, the satellite's frequency bands include a first frequency band and a second frequency band. The frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is different from the frequency band used by ground equipment located on the second frequency band; or, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is the same as the frequency band used by ground equipment located on the second frequency band, and the interference from ground equipment located on the second frequency band to the satellite on the first frequency band is less than the interference threshold.

[0222] Using the example given in Figure 8, if the first wave position is wave position 33, then: the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 33 is different from the frequency band used by ground equipment A or B or C or D or F or G or H or I or J; or, the interference of ground equipment A or B or C or D or F or G or H or I or J to the satellite at wave position 33 is less than the interference threshold.

[0223] This ensures that ground equipment on other wavelengths (excluding the first wavelength) causes minimal interference to the satellite signal on the first wavelength, further improving system performance.

[0224] In one possible design, the first and second frequency bands are adjacent. The frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is different from the frequency band used by ground equipment on the adjacent frequency band. Alternatively, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band is the same as the frequency band used by ground equipment on the adjacent frequency band, and the interference from the ground equipment on the adjacent frequency band to the satellite on the first frequency band is less than the interference threshold.

[0225] Using the example given in Figure 8, if the first wave position is wave position 33, then: the frequency band used by the satellite at wave position 33 is different from the frequency band used by each of the ground devices A, B, C, D, F, G, H, I; or, the interference of each of the ground devices A, B, C, D, F, G, H, I to the satellite at wave position 33 is less than the interference threshold.

[0226] As for ground equipment on non-adjacent wavelengths to the first wavelength, the frequency band used can be the same as or different from the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength, without limitation. Continuing with the example given in Figure 8, the first wavelength is wavelength 33, and the wavelength 55 where ground equipment J is located is not adjacent to wavelength 33. The frequency band used by the satellite on wavelength 33 can be the same as the frequency band used by ground equipment J.

[0227] In one possible example, if there are no other frequencies supported by the satellite besides the frequency band used by ground equipment on the first frequency band (which is one of at least one frequency band) and the frequency band used by ground equipment on the adjacent frequency bands of the first frequency band, then the satellite has no usable frequency band on the first frequency band.

[0228] Typically, ground equipment on adjacent frequency bands generates more interference, while ground equipment on distant non-adjacent frequency bands generates less interference. Therefore, this design considers the frequency bands of ground equipment on adjacent frequency bands when configuring the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band. This can reduce the interference of ground equipment on adjacent frequency bands on the satellite's signal on the first frequency band, reduce the complexity of frequency band selection, and maximize spectrum utilization (for example, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first frequency band can be the same as the frequency band used by ground equipment on non-adjacent frequency bands of the first frequency band), further improving system performance.

[0229] To facilitate understanding, here's another concrete example illustrating how intermediate nodes determine the frequency bands used by satellites at each wavelength:

[0230] Step 1: The intermediate node counts the spectrum usage of the base station within different wavelengths of the satellite;

[0231] Step 2: Iterate through each satellite's epoch, and use the epoch encountered as the target epoch. Determine the candidate frequency band for the target epoch based on the following principles:

[0232] 2a: If there are unused frequency bands in the target wavelength and adjacent wavelengths of the target wavelength among the frequency bands supported by the satellite, then the frequency band is taken as the candidate frequency band for the satellite in the target wavelength.

[0233] 2b: If there are frequency bands that are not used by the base station in the target wave position, but are used by all the base stations in the adjacent wave positions of the first wave position, then calculate the interference threshold of the frequency bands used by the base stations in the adjacent wave positions on the satellite signal in the target wave position, and use the frequency bands with interference below the threshold as candidate frequency bands for the target wave position; if there are no frequency bands with interference below the threshold, then the candidate frequency bands for the satellite in the target wave position are empty.

[0234] 2c: If there is no unused frequency band in the target wavelength range among the frequency bands supported by the satellite, then the satellite's candidate frequency bands for the target wavelength range are empty;

[0235] Step 3: Based on the candidate frequency bands of the satellite at each wavelength, and based on the interference suppression of adjacent wavelengths, allocate the spectrum of the satellite at the target wavelength.

[0236] Referring to Figure 8 as an example, the candidate frequency bands for satellite at waveposition 22 are F1 and F2; for satellite at waveposition 23, they are F3 and F4; for satellite at waveposition 24, they are F5 and F6; for satellite at waveposition 32, they are F6 and F7; for satellite at waveposition 33, they are F1, F8, and F9; for satellite at waveposition 34, they are F1, F2, and F3; for satellite at waveposition 42, they are F1, F6, and F7; for satellite at waveposition 43, they are F9 and F10; and for satellite at waveposition 44, they are F1 and F11. When determining the frequency band for waveposition 33, the frequency band with the lowest interference from adjacent waveposition candidate bands can be selected from the candidate bands F1, F8, and F9.

[0237] In one possible design, after S402, as shown in Figure 9, the intermediate node can also perform the following:

[0238] S901, intermediate nodes obtain the fourth information;

[0239] The fourth piece of information includes at least one of the following:

[0240] 1) Updated information on the frequency bands supported by the satellite;

[0241] For example, adjustments to the frequency bands supported by the satellite, such as adding new frequency bands or deleting old frequency bands.

[0242] 2) Updated information on the distribution of satellite wave positions;

[0243] For example, reclassifying satellite positions leads to updates in the position, size, and other parameters of the positions.

[0244] 3) Updated information on satellite link budget;

[0245] For example, adjusting the satellite's allocated power and its beamwidth configuration. It can be understood that beamwidth configuration is a type of beam capability; when the beam position is defined according to the beam (such as an SSB beam), adjusting the beamwidth configuration will affect the beam position.

[0246] 4) Updated information on ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area;

[0247] For example, adding new base stations or deleting old base stations.

[0248] 5) Updated information on the frequency bands used by ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area.

[0249] For example, adjustments to the frequency band used by base stations, base station updates leading to changes in the frequency bands used by base stations, and so on.

[0250] S902, the intermediate node sends the fifth information based on the fourth information, and the fifth information is used to update the frequency band used by the satellite in at least one wavelet.

[0251] The at least one wave position here may be the same as or different from the at least one wave position in S402 above, without any restriction.

[0252] The specific implementation method for the intermediate node to send the fifth information based on the fourth information can be referred to the specific implementation method for the intermediate node to send the third information based on the first and second information mentioned above.

[0253] Understandably, in practical applications, updated information can come solely from ground equipment, solely from satellites, or simultaneously from both; there are no restrictions. The fourth type of information can include all updated information reported by ground equipment and satellites. The ground equipment sending the updated information can be either existing or newly added; there are no restrictions.

[0254] To make it easier to understand, here is another specific update example, as shown in Figure 10, which includes the following steps:

[0255] S1001, The satellite transmits the sixth message, and the intermediate node receives the sixth message;

[0256] The sixth piece of information includes at least one of the following: updated information on the frequency bands supported by the satellite, updated information on the distribution of the satellite's wave positions, or updated information on the satellite's link budget.

[0257] S1002. The ground equipment sends the seventh message, and the intermediate node receives the seventh message;

[0258] The seventh piece of information includes at least one of the following: update information of the ground equipment, or update information of the frequency band used by the ground equipment.

[0259] The update information from ground equipment can be either its own update information or updates from other ground equipment. For example, base station 1 may report whether it has been removed from or added to the satellite's signal coverage area, or base station 1 may report whether base station 2 has been removed from or added to the satellite's signal coverage area, and so on.

[0260] It is understandable that one or more ground devices can report updated information, without any restrictions.

[0261] S1003. The intermediate node re-determines the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one wavelength based on the sixth and seventh information.

[0262] The fourth information above may include the sixth and seventh information here. The at least one wave position here may be the same as or different from the at least one wave position in S704 above, without limitation.

[0263] It is understandable that S1001 and S1002 can each have only one step or both steps, without restriction.

[0264] S1004, the intermediate node sends the fifth message, and the satellite receives the fifth message.

[0265] The fifth information is used to update the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one wavelength. For example, the fifth information indicates one or more of the following: a new wavelength, a new frequency band corresponding to an old wavelength, or a frequency band corresponding to a new wavelength. There are no restrictions on this.

[0266] Based on the above design, the spectrum sharing parameters can be readjusted when changes occur in the satellite-terrestrial fusion network (such as updating the frequency band used by the satellite at at least one spectral position), thereby achieving interference avoidance and adaptive fusion of the satellite-terrestrial fusion network when the satellite network or terrestrial network system changes, and further improving system performance.

[0267] It is understood that the above embodiments can be implemented individually or in combination, without limitation.

[0268] It is understood that the above embodiments configure spectrum sharing parameters (such as the frequency band used by the satellite) based on the wavelet as the basic unit. In practical applications, the wavelet can also be replaced with other basic units smaller than the satellite's serving cell, which can also achieve the effect of suppressing interference and improving spectrum utilization.

[0269] It is understood that the above embodiments are all based on satellite-ground fusion networks. In practical applications, the above methods can also be extended to other fusion network scenarios.

[0270] The methods provided by the embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. The apparatus provided by the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0271] Figure 11 shows a schematic diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application. The communication device 1100 can be the circuit system of a satellite as described above, used to implement the methods corresponding to the satellite in the above method embodiments; or, the communication device 1100 can be the circuit system of a ground device as described above, used to implement the methods corresponding to the ground device in the above method embodiments; or, the communication device 1100 can be the circuit system of an intermediate node as described above, used to implement the methods corresponding to the intermediate node in the above method embodiments. For example, one type of circuit system is a chip system.

[0272] The communication device 1100 includes at least one processor 1101. The processor 1101 can be used for internal processing within the device to implement certain control processing functions. Optionally, the processor 1101 includes instructions. Optionally, the processor 1101 can store data. Optionally, different processors can be independent devices, located in different physical locations, or located on different integrated circuits. Optionally, different processors can be integrated into one or more processors, for example, integrated onto one or more integrated circuits.

[0273] Optionally, the communication device 1100 includes one or more memories 1103 for storing instructions. Optionally, the memories 1103 may also store data. The processor and the memories may be separate or integrated together.

[0274] Optionally, the communication device 1100 includes a communication line 1102 and at least one communication interface 1104. Since the memory 1103, communication line 1102, and communication interface 1104 are all optional, they are all represented by dashed lines in Figure 11.

[0275] Optionally, the communication device 1100 may further include a transceiver and / or an antenna. The transceiver can be used to send information to or receive information from other devices. The transceiver may be referred to as a transceiver unit, transceiver circuit, input / output interface, etc., and is used to realize the transmission and reception functions of the communication device 1100 via the antenna. Optionally, the transceiver includes a transmitter and a receiver. For example, the transmitter can be used to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal from a baseband signal, and the receiver can be used to convert the RF signal back into a baseband signal.

[0276] Processor 1101 may include a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of programs according to the present application.

[0277] Communication line 1102 may include a path for transmitting information between the aforementioned components.

[0278] Communication interface 1104 uses any transceiver-like device for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, radio access network (RAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), wired access network, etc.

[0279] The memory 1103 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or other optical disc storage, optical disc storage (including compressed optical discs, laser discs, optical discs, digital universal optical discs, Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but not limited thereto. The memory 1103 may exist independently and be connected to the processor 1101 via communication line 1102. Alternatively, the memory 1103 may be integrated with the processor 1101.

[0280] The memory 1103 stores computer execution instructions for implementing the scheme of this application, and the processor 1101 controls the execution. The processor 1101 executes the computer execution instructions stored in the memory 1103, thereby implementing the steps performed by the intermediate node, satellite, or ground equipment in the above embodiments.

[0281] Optionally, the computer execution instructions in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as application code, and the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit this.

[0282] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, processor 1101 may include one or more CPUs, such as CPU0 and CPU1 in FIG11.

[0283] In a specific implementation, as one embodiment, the communication device 1100 may include multiple processors, such as processor 1101 and processor 1105 in FIG. 11. Each of these processors may be a single-core (single-CPU) processor or a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. Here, a processor may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or processing cores for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0284] When the device shown in Figure 11 is a chip, such as a chip for an intermediate node, satellite, or ground equipment, the chip includes a processor 1101 (and may also include a processor 1105), a communication line 1102, and a communication interface 1104. Optionally, it may include a memory 1103. Specifically, the communication interface 1104 may be an input interface, pins, or circuits, etc. The memory 1103 may be a register, cache, etc. The processor 1101 and processor 1105 may be a general-purpose CPU, microprocessor, ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of a program that controls the communication method of any of the above embodiments.

[0285] This application embodiment can divide the device into functional modules according to the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into its own functional modules, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module. The integrated modules can be implemented in hardware or software functional modules. It should be noted that the module division in this application embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, when dividing each functional module according to its own function, Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a communication device. The device 1200 can be an intermediate node, satellite, or ground equipment involved in the above method embodiments, or a chip in an intermediate node, satellite, or ground equipment. The device 1200 includes a processing unit 1202 and a transceiver unit 1201.

[0286] It should be understood that the device 1200 can be used to implement the steps performed by intermediate nodes, satellites, or ground equipment as described above. The relevant features can be referred to in the embodiments shown in Figures 4, 7, 9, or 10 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0287] Optionally, the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver unit 1201 and processing unit 1202 in Figure 12 can be implemented by the processor 1101 in Figure 11 calling computer execution instructions stored in memory 1103. Alternatively, the functions / implementation processes of the processing unit 1202 in Figure 12 can be implemented by the processor 1101 in Figure 11 calling computer execution instructions stored in memory 1103, and the functions / implementation processes of the transceiver unit 1201 in Figure 12 can be implemented by the communication interface 1104 in Figure 11.

[0288] Optionally, when the device 1200 is a chip or circuit, the function / implementation process of the transceiver unit 1201 can also be implemented through pins or circuits. Optionally, the transceiver unit 1201 may include a transmitting unit and / or a receiving unit, wherein the transmitting unit is used to implement the transmitting function and the receiving unit is used to implement the receiving function; or, the transceiver unit 1201 may be an integral module capable of implementing the transmitting and / or receiving functions. Optionally, the transceiver unit 1201 may be implemented using a transceiver.

[0289] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program or instructions that, when executed, implement the methods performed by intermediate nodes, satellites, or ground equipment in the aforementioned method embodiments. Thus, the functions described in the above embodiments can be implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to it, or a 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, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, ROM, RAM, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0290] This application also provides a computer program product comprising: computer program code, which, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method executed by an intermediate node, satellite, or ground device in any of the foregoing method embodiments.

[0291] This application also provides a communication device, including a processor and an interface; the processor is used to execute the methods performed by intermediate nodes, satellites, or ground equipment involved in any of the above method embodiments.

[0292] In the above embodiments, implementation can be achieved entirely or partially through software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, it can be implemented entirely or partially in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer instructions. When the computer program instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or part of the processes or functions described in the embodiments of this application are generated. The computer can be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable device. The computer instructions can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another. For example, the computer instructions can be transmitted from one website, computer, server, or data center to another website, computer, server, or data center via wired (e.g., coaxial cable, fiber optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) means. The computer-readable storage medium can be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium can be a magnetic medium (e.g., floppy disk, hard disk, magnetic tape), an optical medium (e.g., DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., solid-state disk (SSD)).

[0293] The various illustrative logic units and circuits described in the embodiments of this application can be implemented or operate the described functions using a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), ASIC, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor; alternatively, it can be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented using a combination of computing devices, such as a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other similar configuration.

[0294] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in the embodiments of this application can be directly embedded in hardware, software units executed by a processor, or a combination of both. The software units can be stored in RAM, flash memory, ROM, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), EEPROM, registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium in the art. Exemplarily, the storage medium can be connected to the processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium can also be integrated into the processor. The processor and storage medium can be disposed in an ASIC, which can be disposed in the terminal device. Optionally, the processor and storage medium can also be disposed in different components of the terminal device.

[0295] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0296] The contents of the various embodiments of this application can be referenced to each other. Unless otherwise specified or there is a logical conflict, the terms and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced to each other. The technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationship.

[0297] It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, intermediate nodes, satellites, or ground equipment may perform some or all of the steps in the embodiments of this application. These steps or operations are merely examples, and other operations or variations thereof may also be performed in the embodiments of this application. Furthermore, the various steps may be performed in different orders as presented in the embodiments of this application, and it is not necessarily necessary to perform all the operations in the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Acquire first information and second information. The first information includes the frequency bands supported by the satellite, the distribution information of the satellite's wave positions, and the ephemeris information of the satellite. The second information includes the location information of ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite and the frequency bands used by the ground equipment. Based on the first information and the second information, a third information is sent, the third information being used to indicate the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one wavelength; wherein the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength is different from the frequency band used by ground equipment located on the first wavelength, and the first wavelength is one of the at least one wavelengths.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The satellite's wave position includes the first wave position and the second wave position; The frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength position is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second wavelength position; or, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength position is the same as the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second wavelength position, and the interference of the ground equipment located on the second wavelength position to the satellite on the first wavelength position is less than the interference threshold.

3. The method as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Obtaining the first information includes: Receive the first information from the satellite.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, Obtaining the second information includes: Receive second information from ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, Before receiving second information from ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite, the process also includes: Receive a first request from the satellite, the first request being for the satellite to request a frequency band used by the satellite on the satellite's wavelength; According to the first request, a second request is sent to ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite, the second request being used to request the ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite to report the second information.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The third information includes indication information for each of the at least one wavelength position, and indication information for the frequency band used by the satellite at each wavelength position.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The third information also includes the effective time of the frequency band used by the satellite on the at least one wavelength.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain fourth information; wherein the fourth information includes at least one of the following: updated information on the frequency bands supported by the satellite, updated information on the distribution of the satellite's wave positions, updated information on the satellite's link budget, updated information on ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite, or updated information on the frequency bands used by ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite. The fifth information is sent according to the fourth information, and the fifth information is used to update the frequency band used by the satellite on the at least one wavelength.

9. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The satellite's link budget includes at least one of the satellite's transmit power and the satellite's scaling method.

10. The method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The updated information for ground equipment within the satellite's signal coverage area is used to indicate at least one of the following: Newly added ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite; Ground equipment removed within the satellite's signal coverage area.

11. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: Send first information, which includes the frequency bands supported by the satellite, the distribution information of the satellite's wave positions, and the ephemeris information of the satellite; Receive third information, the third information being used to indicate the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one wavelength; wherein the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength is different from the frequency band used by ground equipment located on the first wavelength, and the first wavelength is one of the at least one wavelengths.

12. The method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The satellite's wave position includes the first wave position and the second wave position; The frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength position is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second wavelength position; or, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength position is the same as the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second wavelength position, and the interference of the ground equipment located on the second wavelength position to the satellite on the first wavelength position is less than the interference threshold.

13. The method as described in claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, Before receiving the third information, it also includes: Send a first request, the first request being used to request the frequency band used by the satellite on the satellite's wavelength.

14. The method according to any one of claims 11-13, characterized in that, The third information includes indication information for each of the at least one wavelength position, and indication information for the frequency band used by the satellite at each wavelength position.

15. The method according to any one of claims 11-14, characterized in that, The third information also includes the effective time of the frequency band used by the satellite on the at least one wavelength.

16. The method according to any one of claims 11-15, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a sixth message; wherein the sixth message includes at least one of the following: updated information on the frequency bands supported by the satellite, updated information on the distribution of the satellite's wavenumbers, and updated information on the satellite's link budget; The fifth information is received, which is used to update the frequency band used by the satellite on the at least one wavelength.

17. The method as described in claim 16, characterized in that, The satellite's link budget includes at least one of the satellite's transmit power and the satellite's scaling method.

18. A communication method, characterized in that, The method includes: The second information is determined, which includes the location information of the ground equipment and the frequency band used by the ground equipment, wherein the ground equipment is located on the first band position of the satellite. Send a second message, which is used to determine a third message, which is used to indicate the frequency band used by the satellite on at least one wavelength; wherein the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment, and the first wavelength is one of the at least one wavelengths of the satellite.

19. The method as described in claim 18, characterized in that, The satellite's wave position includes the first wave position and the second wave position; The frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength position is different from the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second wavelength position; or, the frequency band used by the satellite on the first wavelength position is the same as the frequency band used by the ground equipment located on the second wavelength position, and the interference of the ground equipment located on the second wavelength position to the satellite on the first wavelength position is less than the interference threshold.

20. The method as described in claim 18 or 19, characterized in that, Before determining the second piece of information, the following is also included: A second request is received, which is used to request the ground equipment to report the second information.

21. The method according to any one of claims 18-20, characterized in that, The third information includes indication information for each of the at least one wavelength position, and indication information for the frequency band used by the satellite at each wavelength position.

22. The method according to any one of claims 18-21, characterized in that, The third information also includes the effective time of the frequency band used by the satellite on the at least one wavelength.

23. The method according to any one of claims 18-22, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send a seventh message, which includes at least one of the following: update information of the ground equipment, update information of the frequency band used by the ground equipment, the seventh message being used to determine the fifth message, and the fifth message being used to update the frequency band used by the satellite on the at least one wave position.

24. The method as described in claim 23, characterized in that, The updated information from the ground equipment is used to indicate: Newly added ground equipment within the signal coverage area of ​​the satellite; Ground equipment removed within the satellite's signal coverage area.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 1-10, or includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 11-17, or includes a module for performing the method as described in any one of claims 18-24.

26. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes: At least one processor; and a communication interface communicatively connected to said at least one processor; Wherein, the at least one processor, by executing instructions stored in the memory, causes the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10 through the communication interface, or causes the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11-17 through the communication interface, or causes the device to perform the method as described in any one of claims 18-24 through the communication interface.

27. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium is used to store a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the method as described in any one of claims 1-10 to be performed, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 11-17 to be performed, or causes the method as described in any one of claims 18-24 to be performed.

28. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10, or causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 11-17, or causes the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 18-24.

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