Communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium and program product

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a communication method, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium and a program product. The communication method comprises: a terminal receiving first information sent by a network device, wherein the first information is used for indicating that a first cell configured by the network device for the terminal supports satellite handover without changing PCI and SSB frequencies, and the first cell comprises at least one of the following: a secondary cell (SCell) and a primary secondary cell (PSCell). The embodiments of the present disclosure provide, for a multi-orbit satellite CA or DC scenario, a process of replacing a first cell (for example, an SCell and / or a PSCell) without using an RRC reconfiguration message, thereby reducing signaling overheads and reducing data interruption during the replacement process.

Description

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

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

[0002] Non-terrestrial Network (NTN) is an important technology introduced by 5G, which provides wireless resources through satellites (or drones) instead of terrestrial base stations. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a communication method is provided, executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0005] The network device receives first information sent by the network device, the first information being used to instruct the network device to configure a first cell for the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) and Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) frequency points, the first cell including at least one of the following: Secondary Cell (SCell) and Primary Secondary Cell (PSCell).

[0006] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure, a communication method is provided, performed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0007] Send first information to the terminal, the first information being used to instruct the network device to configure a first cell for the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points, the first cell including at least one of the following: a secondary cell, a primary and secondary cell.

[0008] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided for performing the communication method proposed in the first or second aspect.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the communication method proposed in the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method proposed in the second aspect.

[0010] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform a communication method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0011] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a program product is provided, comprising at least one of a program and instructions, wherein when the program and instructions are executed by a communication device, they implement the steps of the communication method proposed in the first or second aspect.

[0012] In this embodiment of the disclosure, for multi-orbit satellite carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity (DC) scenarios, a method is provided to achieve the first cell (e.g., SCell and / or PSCell) replacement process without using Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration messages. When configuring the first cell for the terminal, the network device configures the first cell to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization). Therefore, when the conditions for satellite handover are met, the terminal can autonomously synchronize with the target satellite of the first cell and complete the satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points, without needing to use additional RRC reconfiguration messages to complete the first cell replacement, thereby reducing signaling overhead and minimizing data interruptions during the handover process. Attached Figure Description

[0013] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0014] Figure 1A is an exemplary schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 1B is an exemplary schematic diagram of an NTN provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 1C is an exemplary schematic diagram of satellite handover with resynchronization provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 1D is an exemplary schematic diagram of the SatSwitchWithReSync field provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2A is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 2B is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 3A is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 3B is an exemplary interaction diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 4A is an exemplary schematic diagram of the SCellConfig field provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 4B is an exemplary schematic diagram of the SpCellConfig field provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 4C is an exemplary schematic diagram of the ReconfigurationWithSync field provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 4D is an exemplary schematic diagram of the ServingCellConfigCommon field provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 5A is an exemplary schematic diagram of the structure of a terminal provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 5B is an exemplary schematic diagram of the structure of a network device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 6A is an exemplary schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 6B is an exemplary schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0030] This disclosure provides communication methods, communication devices, communication systems, storage media, and program products.

[0031] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a terminal, the method comprising:

[0032] The network device receives first information sent by the network device, the first information being used to instruct the network device to configure a first cell for the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) and Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) frequency point, the first cell including at least one of the following: SCell, PSCell.

[0033] In the above embodiments, for multi-orbit satellite carrier aggregation (CA) or dual connectivity (DC) scenarios, a method is provided to achieve the first cell (e.g., SCell and / or PSCell) replacement process without radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration messages. When the network device configures the first cell for the terminal, the configured first cell supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization). Therefore, if the conditions for satellite handover of the first cell are met, the terminal can autonomously synchronize with the target satellite of the first cell and complete the satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points, without needing to complete the first cell replacement through additional RRC reconfiguration messages, thereby reducing signaling overhead and reducing data interruption during the replacement process.

[0034] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0035] Satellite information of the target satellite in the first cell;

[0036] The time information of the target satellite of the first cell and the service satellite of the first cell serving the same area;

[0037] The time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the serving satellite of the first cell;

[0038] Information on the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceased to serve the first cell.

[0039] In the above embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the above information for synchronization with the target satellite of the first cell. For example, the terminal can synchronize with the target satellite of the first cell based on the satellite information of the target satellite of the first cell (e.g., including ephemeris information, common timing advance (TA), etc.), the time information of the target satellite of the first cell and the serving satellite of the first cell serving the same area (e.g., indicated by t-ServiceStart), and the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite of the first cell and the serving satellite of the first cell. Alternatively, the terminal can synchronize with the target satellite of the first cell based on the satellite information of the target satellite of the first cell (e.g., including ephemeris information, common TA, etc.), the time information of the serving satellite of the first cell ceasing to serve the first cell (e.g., indicated by t-Service), and the time offset between the target satellite of the first cell and the serving satellite of the first cell transmitting SSBs.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is included in the SCellConfig field and / or SpCellConfig field of the RRC reconfiguration message.

[0041] In the above embodiments, the first information is included in the RRC reconfiguration message for the network device to configure SCell and / or PSCell for the terminal, and is included in the SCellConfig field and / or SpCellConfig field therein. Therefore, when the network device configures SCell and / or PSCell for the terminal, by introducing the first information in the SCell configuration and / or PSCell configuration, the configured SCell and / or PSCell supports satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0043] If the conditions for satellite handover in the first cell are met, synchronization is performed with the target satellite of the first cell.

[0044] In the above embodiments, if the conditions for satellite handover of the first cell are met, the terminal can autonomously synchronize with the target satellite of the first cell and complete the satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points. This does not require additional RRC reconfiguration messages to complete the first cell replacement, thereby reducing signaling overhead and minimizing data interruptions during the handover process.

[0045] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the synchronization with the target satellite of the first cell includes:

[0046] Synchronization with the target satellite of the first cell occurs between the time when the target satellite of the first cell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell and the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell; or...

[0047] After the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell, it synchronizes with the target satellite of the first cell.

[0048] In the above embodiments, for soft handover, the terminal can begin synchronizing with the target satellite of the first cell between the time when the target satellite of the first cell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell (e.g., indicated by t-ServiceStart) and the time when the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell (e.g., indicated by t-Service). This synchronization can be achieved by using satellite information of the target satellite (e.g., including ephemeris information, common TA, etc.) and the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the serving satellite of the first cell. For hard handover, the terminal can begin synchronizing with the target satellite of the first cell after the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell (e.g., indicated by t-Service). This synchronization can also be achieved by using satellite information of the target satellite (e.g., including ephemeris information, common TA, etc.) and the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the serving satellite of the first cell. When the conditions for satellite handover in the first cell are met, the terminal can autonomously synchronize with the target satellite of the first cell and complete the satellite handover based on the first information, without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points.

[0049] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the synchronization with the target satellite of the first cell between the time when the target satellite of the first cell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell and the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell includes:

[0050] If the first information includes first time information, the target satellite of the first cell is synchronized with the target satellite of the first cell between the time when the target satellite of the first cell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell and the time when the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell. The first time information is used to indicate that the target satellite of the first cell serves the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell.

[0051] In the above embodiments, the first time information is used to indicate that the target satellite of the first cell and the serving satellite of the first cell serve the same area. For example, the first time information is the time information (e.g., t-ServiceStart) of the target satellite and the serving satellite of the first cell serving the same area. If the first information contains the time information (e.g., t-ServiceStart) of the target satellite and the serving satellite of the first cell serving the same area, or if the first information contains t-ServiceStart configuration, or if t-ServiceStart is configured in the first information, then the first information indicates a soft handover. Therefore, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the first cell between the time when the target satellite of the first cell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell and the time when the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell. Thus, the terminal can complete synchronization with the target satellite before disconnecting from the current serving satellite (source satellite).

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the step of synchronizing with the target satellite of the first cell after the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell includes:

[0053] If the first information does not include the second time information, after the time when the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell, it is synchronized with the target satellite of the first cell. The second time information is used to indicate that the target satellite of the first cell serves the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell.

[0054] In the above embodiments, the second time information is used to indicate that the target satellite of the first cell and the serving satellite of the first cell serve the same area. For example, the second time information is the time information (e.g., t-ServiceStart) of the target satellite and the serving satellite of the first cell serving the same area. If the first information does not contain the time information (e.g., t-ServiceStart) of the target satellite and the serving satellite of the first cell serving the same area, or if the first information does not contain t-ServiceStart configuration, or if the first information configures t-ServiceStart but does not configure t-ServiceStart, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the first cell after the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell. Thus, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite after disconnecting from the current serving satellite (source satellite).

[0055] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0056] After the service satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell, the uplink transmission on the first cell is stopped by notifying the Medium Access Control (MAC) entity of the first cell through the RRC layer due to the loss of uplink synchronization caused by satellite handover.

[0057] In the above embodiments, for hard handover, after the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell, the terminal's RRC layer promptly notifies the MAC entity where the first cell is located that uplink synchronization is lost due to satellite handover, and stops uplink transmission on the first cell, thereby quickly stopping uplink transmission and re-establishing synchronization with the target satellite.

[0058] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes:

[0059] Once synchronization with the target satellite of the first cell is completed, the MAC entity of the first cell is notified through the RRC layer to resume uplink transmission on the first cell.

[0060] In the above embodiments, for hard handover, the MAC entity of the first cell is notified through the RRC layer to resume uplink transmission, ensuring that the terminal can quickly resume communication on the first cell after completing synchronization with the target satellite, thereby achieving seamless handover. This reduces communication interruption time during the handover process and improves the user experience.

[0061] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a network device, the method comprising:

[0062] Send first information to the terminal, the first information being used to instruct the network device to configure a first cell for the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points, the first cell including at least one of the following: a secondary cell, a primary and secondary cell.

[0063] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0064] Satellite information of the target satellite in the first cell;

[0065] The time information of the target satellite of the first cell and the service satellite of the first cell serving the same area;

[0066] The time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the serving satellite of the first cell;

[0067] Information on the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceased to serve the first cell.

[0068] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is included in the SCellConfig field and / or SpCellConfig field of the RRC reconfiguration message.

[0069] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device for performing the method described in an optional implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0070] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the method described in the optional implementation of the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the method described in the optional implementation of the second aspect.

[0071] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the method as described in an optional implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0072] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, wherein the program and instructions, when executed by a communication device, implement the steps of the method described in the optional implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0073] It is understood that the aforementioned communication equipment, communication system, storage medium, program product, etc., are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0074] This disclosure is not exhaustive, but merely illustrative of some embodiments, and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, each step in a particular embodiment can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the steps can be arbitrarily combined. For example, a solution after removing some steps in a particular embodiment can also be implemented as an independent embodiment, and the order of the steps in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily interchanged. Furthermore, the optional implementation methods in a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined; moreover, the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, for example, some or all steps of different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined, and a particular embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the optional implementation methods of other embodiments. In all embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise specified or logically conflicting, the terminology and / or descriptions between the embodiments are consistent and can be mutually referenced. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0075] The terminology used in the embodiments of this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0076] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0077] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0078] In some embodiments, the terms "at least one of A or B, at least one of A and B", "one or more", "a plurality of", "multiple" and the like can be used interchangeably.

[0079] In some embodiments, the notation "at least one of A and B", "A and / or B", "A in one case, B in another", "in response to one case A, in response to another case B", etc., may include the following technical solutions depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether there is a branch B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether there is a branch A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, both A and B are executed. The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0080] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execute A regardless of whether a branch B exists); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of whether a branch A exists); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, and C.

[0081] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0082] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0083] In some embodiments, terms such as "time / frequency" and "time-frequency domain" refer to the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0084] In some embodiments, terms such as “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “when…”, “if…”, etc. can be used interchangeably. These descriptions all refer to the device making a corresponding action under certain objective circumstances. They do not necessarily limit the time, nor do they require the device to make a judgment action when implementing it, nor do they mean that there must be other limitations.

[0085] In some embodiments, the terms “greater than,” “greater than or equal to,” “not less than,” “more than,” “more than or equal to,” “not less than,” “higher than,” “higher than or equal to,” “not lower than,” and “above” can be used interchangeably, as can the terms “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not greater than,” “less than,” “less than or equal to,” “not more than,” “lower than,” “lower than or equal to,” “not higher than,” and “below”.

[0086] In some embodiments, devices, etc., may be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as “device,” “equipment,” “circuit,” “network element,” “network function,” “network device,” “function,” “node,” “unit,” “section,” “system,” “network,” “chip,” “chip system,” “entity,” and “subject” are interchangeable.

[0087] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0088] In some embodiments, the terms "access network device (AN device)," "radio access network device (RAN device)," "base station (BS)," "radio base station," "fixed station," "node," "access point," "transmission point (TP)," "reception point (RP)," "transmission / reception point (TRP)," "panel," "antenna panel," "antenna array," "cell," "macro cell," "small cell," "femto cell," "pico cell," "sector," "cell group," "serving cell," "carrier," "component carrier," and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0089] In some embodiments, the terms "terminal", "terminal device", "user equipment (UE)", "user terminal", "mobile station (MS)", "mobile terminal (MT)", "subscriber station", "mobile unit", "subscriber unit", "wireless unit", "remote unit", "mobile device", "wireless device", "wireless communication device", "remote device", "mobile subscriber station", "access terminal", "mobile terminal", "wireless terminal", "remote terminal", "handset", "user agent", "mobile client", and "client" can be used interchangeably.

[0090] In some embodiments, access network devices, core network devices, or network devices can be replaced by terminals. For example, embodiments of this disclosure can also be applied to structures where communication between access network devices, core network devices, or network devices and terminals is replaced by communication between multiple terminals (e.g., device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), etc.). In this case, the structure can also be configured such that the terminal has all or part of the functions of the access network device. Furthermore, terms such as "uplink" and "downlink" can be replaced with terms corresponding to communication between terminals (e.g., "sidelink"). For example, uplink channel, downlink channel, etc., can be replaced with sidelink channel, and uplink link, downlink, etc., can be replaced with sidelink link.

[0091] In some embodiments, the terminal may be replaced by an access network device, a core network device, or a network device. In this case, the access network device, core network device, or network device may also be configured to have all or some of the functions of the terminal.

[0092] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0093] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0094] Furthermore, each element, each row, or each column in the table of this disclosure can be implemented as an independent embodiment, and any combination of any element, any row, or any column can also be implemented as an independent embodiment.

[0095] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 may include a terminal 101 and a network device 102.

[0096] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, for example, at least one of the following: mobile phone, wearable device, Internet of Things device, car with communication function, smart car, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver function, virtual reality (VR) terminal device, augmented reality (AR) terminal device, wireless terminal device in industrial control, wireless terminal device in self-driving, wireless terminal device in remote medical surgery, wireless terminal device in smart grid, wireless terminal device in transportation safety, wireless terminal device in smart city, and wireless terminal device in smart home, but is not limited thereto.

[0097] In some embodiments, network device 102 may include at least one of access network device and core network device.

[0098] In some embodiments, the access network device may be a node or device that connects terminal 101 to a wireless network. The access network device may include at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), wireless backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system, but is not limited thereto.

[0099] In some embodiments, the access network device is a base station. Optionally, the base station may be, for example, a macro base station, a micro base station (also called a small station), a relay station, an access point, a 5 / 6G base station or a future base station, a satellite, a Transmitting and Receiving Point (TRP), a Transmitting Point (TP), a mobile switching center, or other equipment that performs base station functions in a communication system, etc., and this disclosure does not specifically limit this type of device. For ease of description, in all embodiments of this disclosure, the apparatus that provides wireless communication functions for terminal devices is collectively referred to as a network device or a base station.

[0100] In some embodiments, the access network equipment may include satellite and / or terrestrial base stations.

[0101] In some embodiments, the core network equipment can be a single device, including a first network element, a second network element, etc., or it can be multiple devices or a group of devices, each including all or part of the first network element, the second network element, etc. Network elements can be virtual or physical. The core network includes, for example, at least one of the following: Evolved Packet Core (EPC), 5G / 6G Core Network (5G CN / 6G CN), and Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0102] In some embodiments, the technical solutions of this disclosure can be applied to the Open RAN architecture. In this case, the interfaces between or within access network devices involved in the embodiments of this disclosure can be transformed into internal interfaces of Open RAN. The processes and information interactions between these internal interfaces can be implemented by software or programs.

[0103] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU may also be called a control unit. The CU-DU structure can separate the protocol layer of the access network device. Some of the protocol layer functions are centrally controlled by the CU, while the remaining part or all of the protocol layer functions are distributed in the DU and centrally controlled by the CU. However, this is not the only possibility.

[0104] It is understood that the communication system described in this disclosure is for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of this disclosure, and does not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of system architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions proposed in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0105] The following embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100 shown in FIG1A, or to some of the main bodies, but are not limited thereto. The main bodies shown in FIG1A are illustrative. The communication system may include all or some of the main bodies in FIG1A, or it may include other main bodies outside of FIG1A. The number and form of each main body are arbitrary. Each main body may be physical or virtual. The connection relationship between the main bodies is illustrative. The main bodies may not be connected or may be connected. The connection can be in any way, it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection, it can be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0106] The embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LTE-Beyond (LTE-B), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4th generation mobile communication system (4G), 5th generation mobile communication system (5G), 5G new radio (NR), 6th generation mobile communication system (6G), Future Radio Access (FRA), New-Radio Access Technology (RAT), New Radio (NR), New radio access (NX), Future generation radio access (FX), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), CDMA2000, Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), and IEEE 802.20, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), Bluetooth (a registered trademark), Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) networks, Device-to-Device (D2D) systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) systems, systems utilizing other communication methods, and next-generation systems built upon them, etc. Furthermore, multiple systems can be combined (e.g., a combination of LTE or LTE-A with 5G).

[0107] Non-terrestrial Network (NTN) is an important technology introduced in 5G (5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology), which provides wireless resources via satellite (or drones) instead of terrestrial base stations. In some embodiments, NTN is shown in Figure 1B.

[0108] In some embodiments, the signal processing can be categorized into transparent transmission mode and regeneration mode, depending on the satellite's signal processing method. In transparent transmission mode, the satellite acts only as a signal relay. The NTN ground station transmits the gNB signal to the satellite, which then converts the signal to its satellite frequency band before transmitting it to the UE. Aside from frequency conversion and signal amplification, the satellite does not demodulate the gNB signal, functioning similarly to a repeater. In regeneration mode, the satellite possesses some or all base station functions. After the NTN ground station transmits the gNB signal to the satellite, the satellite first demodulates and decodes the signal before re-encoding and modulating it (this process is called regeneration), and then transmits the regenerated signal through its satellite frequency band.

[0109] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this disclosure, some related technologies involved in the embodiments of this disclosure will be described below.

[0110] Carrier aggregation (CA) is a key technology introduced in TE-Advanced (LTE-A) and later applied to NR systems. It aims to increase the transmission bandwidth of the system by aggregating multiple component carriers (CCs), thereby improving data transmission rate and system capacity.

[0111] Carrier aggregation defines the following cells:

[0112] Primary Cell (PCell): Operates on the primary CC and is used for initial connection establishment and connection re-establishment processes.

[0113] Secondary Cell (SCell): Operating on the secondary CC, once an RRC connection is established, the secondary cell can provide the UE with additional radio resources, increasing data transmission bandwidth and rate. Secondary cells are flexibly configurable and can be dynamically added and / or deleted.

[0114] Serving Cell: A UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state has only one serving cell, PCell, if CA is not configured; if CA is configured, the serving cell set consists of PCell and one or more SCells.

[0115] Dual Connectivity (DC) is a key technology in 5G networks designed to improve user experience and network performance.

[0116] In 5G networks, dual connectivity mainly has the following architectures:

[0117] EN-DC (E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity): The UE is simultaneously connected to a 4G LTE base station (as the primary base station) and a 5G NR base station (as the secondary base station).

[0118] NR-DC (NR-NR Dual Connectivity): The UE connects to two 5G NR base stations simultaneously, typically used for collaborative operation of high-frequency and low-frequency bands.

[0119] NE-DC (NR-E-UTRA Dual Connectivity): The UE connects to a 5G NR base station (as the primary base station) and a 4G LTE base station (as the secondary base station).

[0120] The MN (Master Node) is the primary base station in dual connectivity, responsible for managing control plane and part of the user plane data. The MCG (Master Cell Group) is a group of cells managed by the MN, including PCells and possible SCells; the PCell is the master cell of the MCG. The SN (Secondary Node) is the secondary base station in dual connectivity, primarily responsible for user plane data transmission. The SCG (Secondary Cell Group) is a group of cells managed by the SN, including primary and secondary cells (PSCells) and possible SCells; the PSCell is the master cell of the SCG.

[0121] In satellite communication systems, satellite handover is a crucial mechanism for ensuring communication continuity. Based on the connection method between the satellite and the user equipment (UE) during the handover process, satellite handover can be categorized into hard handover and soft handover.

[0122] Traditional satellite handover requires an RRC reconfiguration process (reconfigurationWithSync), which involves updating keys and resetting configurations at the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. For satellite handover (including hard and soft handover), the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) introduced satellite switch with resynchronization for quasi-Earth fixed scenarios. In this feature, the source and target satellite cells share the same SSB frequency and PCI, eliminating the need for an RRC-based handover procedure to synchronize the UE to the target satellite, thus reducing service interruption time and signaling overhead. The source satellite refers to the satellite providing service to the UE before the handover (e.g., satellite switch with resynchronization), and the target satellite refers to the satellite providing service to the UE after the handover (e.g., satellite switch with resynchronization). An example of satellite switch with resynchronization is shown in Figure 1C.

[0123] The parameters for satellite handover with resynchronization can be configured via system information (e.g., System Information Block (SIB) 19), which includes SatSwitchWithReSync and t-Service. SatSwitchWithReSync is used to provide the target satellite parameters required to perform satellite handover with resynchronization.

[0124] As shown in Figure 1D, in SatSwitchWithReSync: ntn-config contains target satellite auxiliary information (e.g., ephemeris information, Timing Advance, TA, etc.); t-ServiceStart indicates the time information when the target satellite will serve the same area as the service satellite (source satellite); ssb-TimeOffset indicates the time offset between the SSBs sent by the target satellite and the service satellite (source satellite).

[0125] For hard handover, the UE starts synchronizing to the target satellite after the t-Service broadcast by the serving cell; for soft handover, the UE can start synchronizing to the target satellite before the t-Service, but it is not required that the UE connect to two satellites at the same time.

[0126] For hard handover, after disconnecting from the source satellite (the satellite that provided service to the UE before the handover), the UE can connect to the target satellite (the satellite that provides service to the UE after the handover, i.e., the satellite from which it switched) and / or synchronize with the target satellite. The source and target satellites can provide service to the same cell (e.g., having the same PCI). After receiving SIB19 broadcast via NTN, the UE can stop transmitting to the source satellite at t-Service (disconnect from the source satellite) and begin synchronization with the target satellite at or after t-Service.

[0127] For soft handover, the UE can connect to and / or synchronize with the target satellite before disconnecting from the source satellite. After receiving SIB19 broadcast via NTN, the UE can synchronize with the target satellite during the time period from t-ServiceStart to t-Service, meaning the UE can begin synchronization with the target satellite at any time after t-ServiceStart and before t-Service. Therefore, the UE can complete synchronization with the target satellite before disconnecting from the source satellite.

[0128] In multi-orbit satellite CA or DC scenarios, high-speed satellite movement leads to the replacement of SCells and PSCells. In traditional CA or DC, SCell replacement requires the base station to delete the old SCell and add the new one through an RRC reconfiguration process. PSCell replacement requires the base station to send an RRC reconfiguration message with `reconfigurationWithSync`, involving SCG key updates and PDCP parameter resets. These operations either increase signaling overhead or service interruption time. Currently, while satellite handover mechanisms with resynchronization reduce RRC handover operations, current research only discusses single-connectivity scenarios and not CA or DC scenarios. Therefore, enhancements to satellite handover with resynchronization only apply to PCell handover. For SCell and PSCell replacement in NTN, enhancements to reduce signaling overhead and service interruption time need to be studied.

[0129] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2A, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0130] Step S2101: The network device sends first information to the terminal. The first information is used to instruct the network device to configure the SCell for the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points.

[0131] In some embodiments, the terminal receives first information sent by a network device, such as first information sent via NTN.

[0132] In some embodiments, the first information may include indication information indicating that the SCell configured by the network device for the terminal supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points; or, the presence of information (or fields) in the first information for satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) and / or synchronization indicates that the SCell configured by the network device for the terminal supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points. For example, the presence of at least one of the following fields in the first information indicates that the SCell configured by the network device for the terminal supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points: satSwitchWithResync; ntn-config; t-ServiceStart; ssb-TimeOffset; t-Service. Satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points can be described as satellite handover with resynchronization. Information (or fields) for satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) and / or synchronization can be described as satellite handover configuration with resynchronization.

[0133] In some embodiments, the first information includes information for satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) and / or synchronization.

[0134] In some embodiments, the name of the first information is not limited, and it may be, for example, "configuration information", "SCell configuration", "satellite handover configuration", "satellite handover configuration with resynchronization", etc.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first information may include at least one of the following:

[0136] The first configuration provides target satellite parameters for satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) and / or synchronization;

[0137] The second configuration provides information on when the service satellite stops providing service to the cell.

[0138] Optionally, the first configuration is the satSwitchWithResync configuration. Optionally, the first configuration may include some or all of the parameters in the satSwitchWithResync configuration.

[0139] Optionally, the second configuration is the t-Service configuration.

[0140] Optionally, the first configuration (e.g., the satSwitchWithResync configuration) includes at least one of the following:

[0141] Satellite information of the target satellite (e.g., configured by ntn-config);

[0142] Time information for the target satellite and the serving satellite serving the same area (e.g., configured by t-ServiceStart);

[0143] The time offset between SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the service satellite (e.g., configured by ssb-TimeOffset).

[0144] In some embodiments, the first information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0145] Satellite information of the target satellite in SCell;

[0146] Time information of the area served by SCell's target satellite and SCell's service satellite (e.g., time information of the area served by SCell's target satellite and SCell's service satellite);

[0147] The time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the service satellite of SCell;

[0148] Information on the time when SCell's serving satellites ceased providing services to SCell.

[0149] Optionally, the target satellite's satellite information includes target satellite parameters for satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) and / or synchronization, such as target satellite auxiliary information (e.g., configured by ntn-config). The target satellite's satellite information may include parameters configured by ntn-config, such as the target satellite's ephemeris information, common TA, etc. Optionally, the time information of the target satellite and the SCell's serving satellite serving the same area may be configured by t-ServiceStart, and may include the time when the target satellite begins serving the same area as the SCell's serving satellite. Optionally, the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the SCell's serving satellite may be configured by ssb-TimeOffset. Optionally, the time information of the SCell's serving satellite ceasing service for the SCell may be configured by t-Service, and may include the time when the SCell's serving satellite ceases service for the SCell. The serving satellite of an SCell can be described as the satellite currently serving the SCell (the current serving satellite), or the satellite before the SCell undergoes a satellite handover (e.g., a satellite handover with resynchronization), or the source satellite, etc. The target satellite of an SCell can be described as the satellite that will soon serve the SCell, or the satellite after the SCell undergoes a satellite handover (e.g., a satellite handover with resynchronization), or the satellite from which the SCell is switched, etc.

[0150] Optionally, the first information includes at least one of the aforementioned information for use in synchronizing with the target satellite of SCell. For example, a terminal can synchronize with the SCell's target satellite based on the satellite information of the target satellite (e.g., including ephemeris information, common TA, etc.), the time information of the target satellite and the SCell's serving satellite serving the same area (e.g., indicated by t-ServiceStart), and the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the SCell's serving satellite. Alternatively, the terminal can synchronize with the SCell's target satellite based on the satellite information of the target satellite (e.g., including ephemeris information, common TA, etc.), the time information of the SCell's serving satellite ceasing to serve the SCell (e.g., indicated by t-Service), and the time offset between the target satellite and the SCell's serving satellite.

[0151] Optionally, if the first information includes at least one of the above information, then it indicates that the configured SCell supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points.

[0152] Optionally, the first information includes at least one of the following fields: ntn-config; t-ServiceStart; ssb-TimeOffset; t-Service.

[0153] In some embodiments, the first information is included in an RRC reconfiguration message used by the network device to configure the SCell for the terminal; that is, the first information is included in an RRC reconfiguration message used to configure the SCell. Optionally, the first information is included in the SCellConfig field of the RRC reconfiguration message, which is used by the network device to configure the SCell for the terminal. In other words, when configuring the SCell for the terminal, the network device introduces the first information (e.g., satellite handover configuration with resynchronization) into the SCell configuration. The configured SCell supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization). Therefore, when the conditions for satellite handover of the SCell are met, the terminal can autonomously synchronize with the target satellite of the SCell and complete the satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points. This eliminates the need to delete the old SCell and add a new SCell through an additional RRC reconfiguration message, thereby reducing signaling overhead and minimizing data interruptions during the handover process.

[0154] Step S2102: When the conditions for satellite handover of SCell are met, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of SCell.

[0155] In some embodiments, when the conditions for SCell satellite handover are met, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the SCell according to the first information. This disclosure does not limit the conditions for SCell satellite handover.

[0156] Optionally, the terminal synchronizes with the SCell's target satellite between the time when the target satellite begins to serve the same area as the SCell's serving satellite (e.g., indicated by t-ServiceStart) and the time when the SCell's serving satellite ceases to serve the SCell (e.g., indicated by t-Service). This synchronization is achieved, for example, based on the target satellite's satellite information (e.g., including ephemeris information, common TA, etc.), the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the SCell's serving satellite, etc. For example, for soft handover, the terminal can synchronize with the SCell's target satellite within the time period from t-ServiceStart to t-Service. Specifically, it can begin synchronization at any time after t-ServiceStart and before t-Service, or it can begin synchronization after t-ServiceStart, or it can begin synchronization before t-Service, or it can complete synchronization before t-Service. Therefore, the terminal can complete synchronization with the target satellite before disconnecting from the current serving satellite (source satellite).

[0157] Optionally, if the first information includes first time information, the terminal synchronizes with the SCell's target satellite between the time when the SCell's target satellite begins to serve the same area as the SCell's serving satellite and the time when the SCell's serving satellite ceases to serve the SCell. The first time information is used to indicate that the SCell's target satellite and the SCell's serving satellite serve the same area; for example, the first time information is the time information (e.g., t-ServiceStart) of the SCell's target satellite and the SCell's serving satellite serving the same area. If the first information includes the time information (e.g., t-ServiceStart) of the SCell's target satellite and the SCell's serving satellite serving the same area, or if the first information includes t-ServiceStart configuration, or if t-ServiceStart is configured in the first information, the terminal synchronizes with the SCell's target satellite between the time when the SCell's target satellite begins to serve the same area as the SCell's serving satellite (e.g., indicated by t-ServiceStart) and the time when the SCell's serving satellite ceases to serve the SCell (e.g., indicated by t-Service).

[0158] Optionally, after the SCell's serving satellite ceases service to the SCell (e.g., as indicated by t-Service), the terminal synchronizes with the SCell's target satellite. This synchronization is achieved, for example, based on the target satellite's information (e.g., including ephemeris information, common TA, etc.) and the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the SCell's serving satellite. For instance, in the case of a hard handover, the terminal can begin synchronizing with the SCell's target satellite after t-Service. Therefore, the terminal needs to disconnect from the current serving satellite (source satellite) before synchronizing with the target satellite.

[0159] Optionally, if the first information does not include the second time information, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of SCell after the time when the serving satellite of SCell ceases to serve SCell. The second time information is used to indicate that the target satellite of SCell and the serving satellite of SCell serve the same area. For example, the second time information is the time information of the target satellite of SCell and the serving satellite of SCell serving the same area (e.g., t-ServiceStart). If the first information does not include the time information of the target satellite of SCell and the serving satellite of SCell serving the same area (e.g., t-ServiceStart), or the first information does not include t-ServiceStart configuration, or the first information does not configure t-ServiceStart, or the first information configures t-Service but does not configure t-ServiceStart, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of SCell after the time when the serving satellite of SCell ceases to serve SCell (e.g., indicated by t-Service).

[0160] Optionally, the hard satellite handover behavior on the SCell includes: after the moment when the serving satellite of the SCell stops serving the SCell (e.g., indicated by t-Service), the terminal's RRC layer notifies the MAC entity where the SCell is located (e.g., the MCG MAC entity or the SCG MAC entity) that uplink synchronization is lost due to the satellite handover, and stops uplink transmission on the SCell.

[0161] In the above embodiments, for hard handover, after the SCell's serving satellite stops serving the SCell, the terminal's RRC layer promptly notifies the MAC entity where the SCell is located that uplink synchronization is lost due to satellite handover, and stops uplink transmission on the SCell, thereby quickly stopping uplink transmission and re-establishing synchronization with the target satellite.

[0162] Optionally, the hard satellite handover behavior on SCell includes: after synchronization with the target satellite of SCell is completed, the terminal's RRC layer notifies the MAC entity where SCell is located (e.g., MCG MAC entity or SCG MAC entity) to resume uplink transmission on SCell.

[0163] In the above embodiments, for hard handover, the MAC entity where the SCell resides is notified through the RRC layer to resume uplink transmission, ensuring that the terminal can quickly resume communication on the SCell after completing synchronization with the target satellite, thereby achieving seamless handover. This reduces communication interruption time during the handover process and improves the user experience.

[0164] After the satellite handover is completed, the aforementioned target satellite will serve as the new service satellite for SCell.

[0165] In the above embodiments, for multi-orbit satellite CA or DC scenarios, a SCell replacement process is provided without using RRC reconfiguration messages. When configuring a SCell for a terminal, the network device configures the SCell to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization). Therefore, when the conditions for SCell satellite handover are met, the terminal can autonomously synchronize with the target satellite of the SCell and complete the satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points. It is not necessary to delete the old SCell and add the new SCell through additional RRC reconfiguration messages to complete the SCell replacement, thereby reducing signaling overhead and reducing data interruption during the replacement process.

[0166] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to those described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signaling", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", and "data" can be used interchangeably.

[0167] In some embodiments, terms such as “moment,” “point in time,” “time,” and “time location” can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as “duration,” “segment,” “time window,” “window,” and “time.”

[0168] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)," "cell," "frequency carrier," and "carrier frequency" can be used interchangeably.

[0169] In some embodiments, "acquire," "get," "obtain," "receive," "transmit," "bidirectional transmission," and "send and / or receive" can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, acquiring from protocols, acquiring from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation. Protocols include, for example, at least one of the 3GPP protocol, Wi-Fi protocol, and audio and / or video protocols.

[0170] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0171] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2102. For example, step S2101 may be implemented as a separate embodiment, and step S2102 may be implemented as a separate embodiment, but are not limited thereto.

[0172] In some embodiments, step S2102 is optional and may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0173] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0174] Figure 2B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2B, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0175] Step S2201: The network device sends first information to the terminal. The first information is used to instruct the network device to configure the PSCell of the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points.

[0176] In some embodiments, the terminal receives first information sent by a network device, such as first information sent via NTN.

[0177] In some embodiments, the first information may include indication information indicating that the PSCell configured by the network device for the terminal supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points; or, the presence of information (or fields) in the first information for satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) and / or synchronization indicates that the PSCell configured by the network device for the terminal supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points. For example, the presence of at least one of the following fields in the first information indicates that the PSCell configured by the network device for the terminal supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points: satSwitchWithResync; ntn-config; t-ServiceStart; ssb-TimeOffset; t-Service. Satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points can be described as satellite handover with resynchronization. Information (or fields) for satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) and / or synchronization can be described as satellite handover configuration with resynchronization.

[0178] In some embodiments, the first information includes information for satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) and / or synchronization.

[0179] In some embodiments, the name of the first information is not limited, and it may be, for example, "configuration information", "PSCell configuration", "satellite handover configuration", "satellite handover configuration with resynchronization", etc.

[0180] In some embodiments, the first information may include at least one of the following:

[0181] The first configuration provides target satellite parameters for satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) and / or synchronization;

[0182] The second configuration provides information on when the service satellite stops providing service to the cell.

[0183] Optionally, the first configuration is the satSwitchWithResync configuration. Optionally, the first configuration may include some or all of the parameters in the satSwitchWithResync configuration.

[0184] Optionally, the second configuration is the t-Service configuration.

[0185] Optionally, the first configuration (e.g., the satSwitchWithResync configuration) includes at least one of the following:

[0186] Satellite information of the target satellite (e.g., configured by ntn-config);

[0187] Time information for the target satellite and the serving satellite serving the same area (e.g., configured by t-ServiceStart);

[0188] The time offset between SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the service satellite (e.g., configured by ssb-TimeOffset).

[0189] In some embodiments, the first information may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following:

[0190] Satellite information of the target satellite in PSCell;

[0191] Time information of the area served by PSCell's target satellite and PSCell's service satellite (e.g., time information of the area served by PSCell's target satellite and PSCell's service satellite in the same area);

[0192] Time offset between the SSBs sent by the target satellite and the service satellite of PSCell;

[0193] Information on the time when PSCell's serving satellites ceased service to PSCell.

[0194] Optionally, the target satellite's satellite information includes target satellite parameters for satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) and / or synchronization, such as target satellite auxiliary information (e.g., configured by ntn-config). The target satellite's satellite information may include parameters configured by ntn-config, such as the target satellite's ephemeris information, common TA, etc. Optionally, the time information of the target satellite and the serving satellite of PSCell serving the same area may be configured by t-ServiceStart, and may include the time when the target satellite begins serving the same area as the serving satellite. Optionally, the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the serving satellite of PSCell may be configured by ssb-TimeOffset. Optionally, the time information of the serving satellite of PSCell ceasing to serve PSCell may be configured by t-Service, and may include the time when the serving satellite ceases to serve PSCell. The serving satellite of a PSCell can be described as the satellite currently serving the PSCell (the current serving satellite), or the satellite before the PSCell undergoes a satellite handover (e.g., a satellite handover with resynchronization), or the source satellite, etc. The target satellite of a PSCell can be described as the satellite that will soon serve the PSCell, or the satellite after the PSCell undergoes a satellite handover (e.g., a satellite handover with resynchronization), or the satellite from which the PSCell is switched, etc.

[0195] Optionally, the first information includes at least one of the aforementioned information for synchronization with the target satellite of PSCell. For example, the terminal can synchronize with the target satellite of PSCell based on the satellite information of the target satellite (e.g., including ephemeris information, public TA, etc.), the time information of the target satellite and the serving satellite of PSCell serving the same area (e.g., indicated by t-ServiceStart), and the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the serving satellite of PSCell. Alternatively, the terminal can synchronize with the target satellite based on the satellite information of the target satellite (e.g., including ephemeris information, public TA, etc.), the time information of the serving satellite of PSCell ceasing to serve PSCell (e.g., indicated by t-Service), and the time offset between the target satellite and the serving satellite of PSCell. The terminal can synchronize with the target satellite of PSCell based on the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the serving satellite of PSCell, or the terminal can synchronize with the target satellite of PSCell based on the satellite information of the target satellite of PSCell (e.g., including ephemeris information, public TA, etc.), the time information of the target satellite and the serving satellite of PSCell serving the same area (e.g., indicated by t-ServiceStart), the time information of the serving satellite of PSCell ceasing to serve PSCell (e.g., indicated by t-Service), and the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the serving satellite of PSCell.

[0196] Optionally, if the first information includes at least one of the above information, then it indicates that the configured PSCell supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points.

[0197] Optionally, the first information includes at least one of the following fields: ntn-config; t-ServiceStart; ssb-TimeOffset; t-Service.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first information is included in an RRC reconfiguration message, which is used by the network device to configure the PSCell for the terminal. That is, the first information is included in the RRC reconfiguration message used to configure the PSCell. Optionally, the first information is included in the SpCellConfig field of the RRC reconfiguration message, which is used by the network device to configure the PSCell for the terminal. In other words, when configuring the PSCell for the terminal, the network device introduces the first information (e.g., satellite handover configuration with resynchronization) into the PSCell configuration. The configured PSCell supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization). Therefore, when the conditions for satellite handover of the PSCell are met, the terminal can autonomously synchronize with the target satellite of the PSCell and complete the satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points, without needing to complete the PSCell replacement through an additional RRC reconfiguration message, thereby reducing signaling overhead and minimizing data interruptions during the replacement process.

[0199] Step S2202: When the conditions for satellite handover of PSCell are met, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of PSCell.

[0200] In some embodiments, when the conditions for satellite handover of the PSCell are met, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the PSCell according to the first information. This disclosure does not limit the conditions for satellite handover of the PSCell.

[0201] Optionally, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the PSCell between the time when the target satellite of the PSCell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the PSCell (e.g., indicated by t-ServiceStart) and the time when the serving satellite of the PSCell ceases to serve the PSCell (e.g., indicated by t-Service). This synchronization is achieved, for example, based on the satellite information of the target satellite (e.g., including ephemeris information, common TA, etc.), the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the serving satellite of the PSCell, etc. For example, for soft handover, the terminal can synchronize with the target satellite of the PSCell within the time period from t-ServiceStart to t-Service. Specifically, it can start synchronization with the target satellite of the PSCell at any time after t-ServiceStart and before t-Service, or it can start synchronization after t-ServiceStart, or it can start synchronization before t-Service, or it can complete synchronization with the target satellite of the PSCell before t-Service. Therefore, the terminal can complete synchronization with the target satellite before disconnecting from the current serving satellite (source satellite).

[0202] Optionally, if the first information includes first time information, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of PSCell between the time when the target satellite of PSCell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of PSCell and the time when the serving satellite of PSCell stops serving PSCell. The first time information is used to indicate that the target satellite of PSCell serves the same area as the serving satellite of PSCell. For example, the first time information is the time information of the target satellite of PSCell serving the same area as the serving satellite of PSCell (e.g., t-ServiceStart). If the first information includes the time information of the target satellite of PSCell serving the same area as the serving satellite of PSCell (e.g., t-ServiceStart), or the first information includes t-ServiceStart configuration, or t-ServiceStart is configured in the first information, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of PSCell between the time when the target satellite of PSCell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of PSCell (e.g., indicated by t-ServiceStart) and the time when the serving satellite of PSCell stops serving PSCell (e.g., indicated by t-Service).

[0203] Optionally, after the PSCell's serving satellite ceases service to the PSCell (e.g., as indicated by t-Service), the terminal synchronizes with the PSCell's target satellite. This synchronization is achieved, for example, based on the target satellite's satellite information (e.g., including ephemeris information, common TA, etc.) and the time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the PSCell's serving satellite. For instance, in the case of a hard handover, the terminal can begin synchronizing with the PSCell's target satellite after t-Service. Therefore, the terminal needs to disconnect from the current serving satellite (source satellite) before synchronizing with the target satellite.

[0204] Optionally, if the first information does not include the second time information, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the PSCell after the time when the serving satellite of the PSCell stops serving the PSCell. The second time information is used to indicate that the target satellite of the PSCell and the serving satellite of the PSCell serve the same area. For example, the second time information is the time information of the target satellite of the PSCell and the serving satellite of the PSCell serving the same area (e.g., t-ServiceStart). If the first information does not include the time information of the target satellite of the PSCell and the serving satellite of the PSCell serving the same area (e.g., t-ServiceStart), or the first information does not include t-ServiceStart configuration, or the first information does not configure t-ServiceStart, or the first information configures t-Service but does not configure t-ServiceStart, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the PSCell after the time when the serving satellite of the PSCell stops serving the PSCell (e.g., indicated by t-Service).

[0205] Optionally, the hard satellite handover behavior on PSCell includes: after the time when the serving satellite of PSCell stops serving PSCell (e.g., indicated by t-Service), the terminal's RRC layer notifies the MAC entity where PSCell is located (e.g., SCG MAC entity) that uplink synchronization is lost due to satellite handover, and stops uplink transmission on PSCell.

[0206] In the above embodiments, for hard handover, after the PSCell's serving satellite stops serving the PSCell, the terminal's RRC layer promptly notifies the MAC entity where the PSCell is located that uplink synchronization is lost due to satellite handover, and stops uplink transmission on the PSCell, thereby quickly stopping uplink transmission and re-establishing synchronization with the target satellite.

[0207] Optionally, the hard satellite handover behavior on PSCell includes: after synchronization with the target satellite of PSCell is completed, the terminal's RRC layer notifies the MAC entity where PSCell is located (e.g., the SCG MAC entity) to resume uplink transmission on PSCell.

[0208] In the above embodiments, for hard handover, the MAC entity where the PSCell resides is notified through the RRC layer to resume uplink transmission, ensuring that the terminal can quickly resume communication on the PSCell after completing synchronization with the target satellite, thereby achieving seamless handover. This reduces communication interruption time during the handover process and improves the user experience.

[0209] After the satellite switchover is completed, the aforementioned target satellite will serve as the new service satellite for PSCell.

[0210] In the above embodiments, for multi-orbit satellite CA or DC scenarios, a PSCell replacement process is provided without using RRC reconfiguration messages. When configuring a PSCell for a terminal, the network device configures the PSCell to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization). Therefore, when the conditions for satellite handover of the PSCell are met, the terminal can autonomously synchronize with the target satellite of the PSCell and complete the satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points, without needing to use additional RRC reconfiguration messages to complete the PSCell replacement, thereby reducing signaling overhead and reducing data interruption during the replacement process.

[0211] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2201 to S2202. For example, step S2201 may be implemented as a separate embodiment, and step S2202 may be implemented as a separate embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0212] In some embodiments, step S2202 is optional and may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0213] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0214] In some embodiments, the embodiments of FIG2A and FIG2B can be combined. For example, the first information is used to indicate that the SCell and / or PSCell configured by the network device for the terminal supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points.

[0215] Figure 3A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3A, the embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a communication method, which includes:

[0216] Step S3101: The network device sends first information to the terminal. The first information is used to instruct the network device to configure a first cell for the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points. The first cell includes SCell and / or PSCell.

[0217] In some embodiments, the terminal receives first information sent by a network device, such as first information sent via NTN.

[0218] In some embodiments, the first information is used to indicate that the network device configures a first cell for the terminal to support satellite handover in the case of PCI and SSB frequency points. The first cell includes at least one of the following: SCell and PSCell. Optionally, the first cell including SCell can be implemented as shown in the embodiment of FIG2A. Optionally, the first cell including PSCell can be implemented as shown in the embodiment of FIG2B.

[0219] In some embodiments, the first information may include at least one of the following:

[0220] The first configuration provides target satellite parameters for satellite handover (e.g., satellite handover with resynchronization) and / or synchronization;

[0221] The second configuration provides information on when the service satellite stops providing service to the cell.

[0222] Optionally, the first configuration is the satSwitchWithResync configuration. Optionally, the first configuration may include some or all of the parameters in the satSwitchWithResync configuration.

[0223] Optionally, the second configuration is the t-Service configuration.

[0224] Optionally, the first configuration (e.g., the satSwitchWithResync configuration) includes at least one of the following:

[0225] Satellite information of the target satellite (e.g., configured by ntn-config);

[0226] Time information for the target satellite and the serving satellite serving the same area (e.g., configured by t-ServiceStart);

[0227] The time offset between SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the service satellite (e.g., configured by ssb-TimeOffset).

[0228] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following:

[0229] Satellite information of the target satellite in the first cell;

[0230] Time information of the target satellite of the first cell and the service satellite of the first cell serving the same area (e.g., time information of the target satellite of the first cell serving the same area as the service satellite of the first cell);

[0231] Time offset between the target satellite and the serving satellite of the first cell;

[0232] Information on the time when the serving satellite for the first cell ceased to serve the first cell.

[0233] In some embodiments, if the first information includes at least one of the above information (or fields), it indicates that the configured first cell supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points.

[0234] In some embodiments, the first information is included in the SCellConfig field and / or SpCellConfig field of the RRC reconfiguration message.

[0235] Step S3102: When the conditions for satellite handover in the first cell are met, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the first cell.

[0236] In some embodiments, synchronizing the terminal with the target satellite of the first cell includes: between the moment when the target satellite of the first cell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell and the moment when the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the first cell.

[0237] Optionally, if the first information includes first time information, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the first cell between the time when the target satellite of the first cell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell and the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell. The first time information is used to indicate the time when the target satellite of the first cell and the serving satellite of the first cell serve the same area (e.g., t-ServiceStart). If the first information includes the time information when the target satellite of the first cell and the serving satellite of the first cell serve the same area (e.g., t-ServiceStart), or if the first information includes t-ServiceStart configuration, or if t-ServiceStart is configured in the first information, then the first information indicates a soft handover. Therefore, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the first cell between the time when the target satellite of the first cell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell and the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell. Thus, the terminal can complete synchronization with the target satellite before disconnecting from the current serving satellite (source satellite).

[0238] In some embodiments, synchronizing the terminal with the target satellite of the first cell includes: synchronizing the terminal with the target satellite of the first cell after the time when the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell.

[0239] Optionally, if the first information does not include the second time information, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the first cell after the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell. The second time information is used to indicate that the target satellite of the first cell and the serving satellite of the first cell serve the same area. For example, the second time information is the time information of the target satellite of the first cell and the serving satellite of the first cell serving the same area (e.g., t-ServiceStart). If the first information does not include the time information of the target satellite of the first cell and the serving satellite of the first cell serving the same area (e.g., t-ServiceStart), or the first information does not include t-ServiceStart configuration, or the first information does not configure t-ServiceStart, or the first information configures t-Service but does not configure t-ServiceStart, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite of the first cell after the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell. Thus, the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite after disconnecting from the current serving satellite (source satellite).

[0240] In some embodiments, after the time when the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell, the MAC entity where the first cell is located is notified through the RRC layer that uplink synchronization is lost due to satellite handover, and uplink transmission on the first cell is stopped.

[0241] In some embodiments, after synchronization with the target satellite of the first cell is completed, the MAC entity of the first cell is notified through the RRC layer to resume uplink transmission on the first cell.

[0242] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S3101 to S3102. For example, step S3101 may be implemented as a separate embodiment, and step S3102 may be implemented as a separate embodiment, but are not limited thereto.

[0243] In some embodiments, step S3102 is optional and may be omitted or replaced in different embodiments.

[0244] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0245] Figure 3B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 3B, the present disclosure relates to a communication method, which includes:

[0246] Step S3201: The network device sends first information to the terminal. The first information is used to instruct the network device to configure a first cell for the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points. The first cell includes SCell and / or PSCell.

[0247] For optional implementations of step S3201, please refer to the optional implementations of step S3101 in Figure 3A and other related parts of the specification.

[0248] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0249] This disclosure provides a SCell (or PSCell) replacement process that does not rely on RRC reconfiguration messages for TN / NTN and multi-orbit satellite CA / DC scenarios. By introducing satellite switch with resync feature on the SCell (or PSCell), signaling overhead is reduced and data interruptions during the replacement process are minimized.

[0250] In some embodiments, a satellite switch with resync configuration is introduced in the SCell (or PSCell) configuration, so that the terminal synchronizes with the target satellite when the conditions for satellite switching are met.

[0251] When configuring an SCell (or PSCell) for a UE, the network instructs the network to use satellite switch with resync information. This indicates that the configured SCell (or PSCell) supports satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points. Specifically, the satellite switch with resync information is configured via RRC dedicated signaling (RRC reconfiguration message). Specifically, the satSwitchWithResync configuration and t-service configuration are added to the ServingCellConfigCommon field within SCellConfig (the field used to configure the SCell) and SpCellConfig (the field used to configure the PSCell).

[0252] SatSwitchWithReSync contains satellite auxiliary information for the SCell (or PSCell) target satellite (e.g., configured by ntn-config), time information for when the SCell (or PSCell) target satellite will serve the same area as the serving satellite (source satellite) (e.g., configured by t-ServiceStart), and time offset between the SSBs sent by the SCell (or PSCell) target satellite and the serving satellite (source satellite) (e.g., configured by ssb-TimeOffset).

[0253] Optionally, an example of the SCellConfig field can be found in Figure 4A. Optionally, an example of the SpCellConfig field can be found in Figure 4B. Optionally, an example of the ReconfigurationWithSync field within the SpCellConfig field can be found in Figure 4C. Optionally, an example of the ServingCellConfigCommon field can be found in Figure 4D (partial content of the field is omitted).

[0254] For a SCell (or PSCell) configured with satSwitchWithResync, if t-serviceStart (i.e., soft switch) is configured, the UE can start synchronizing to the target satellite for the SCell (or PSCell) after t-serviceStart and before t-Service; otherwise, if only t-service (i.e., hard switch) is configured, the UE will start synchronizing to the target satellite for the SCell (or PSCell) after t-Service.

[0255] The behavior of hard satellite handover on a SCell (or PSCell): After t-service, the UE's RRC layer notifies the MAC entity (e.g., MCG MAC entity or SCG MAC entity) where the SCell (or PSCell) is located that uplink synchronization has been lost due to satellite handover, and stops uplink transmission on the SCell (or PSCell). After the target satellite synchronization on the SCell (or PSCell) is completed, the UE's RRC layer notifies the MAC entity (e.g., MCG MAC entity or SCG MAC entity) where the SCell (or PSCell) is located to resume uplink transmission on the SCell (or PSCell).

[0256] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0257] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0258] It should be understood that the division of units or modules in the above device is only a logical functional division. In actual implementation, they can be fully or partially integrated into a single physical entity, or they can be physically separated. Furthermore, the units or modules in the device can be implemented by a processor calling software: for example, the device includes a processor connected to a memory containing instructions. The processor calls the instructions stored in the memory to implement any of the above methods or to implement the functions of the units or modules in the above device. The processor can be, for example, a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or a microprocessor, and the memory can be internal or external to the device. Alternatively, the units or modules in the device can be implemented in the form of hardware circuits. The functionality of some or all of the units or modules can be achieved through the design of these hardware circuits, which can be understood as one or more processors. For example, in one implementation, the hardware circuit is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The functionality of some or all of the units or modules is achieved through the design of the logical relationships between the components within the circuit. In another implementation, the hardware circuit can be implemented using a programmable logic device (PLD). Taking a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) as an example, it can include a large number of logic gates. The connection relationships between the logic gates are configured through configuration files, thereby achieving the functionality of some or all of the units or modules. All units or modules of the above device can be implemented entirely through processor-called software, entirely through hardware circuits, or partially through processor-called software with the remaining parts implemented through hardware circuits.

[0259] In this embodiment, the processor is a circuit with signal processing capabilities. In one implementation, the processor can be a circuit with instruction read and execute capabilities, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU) (which can be understood as a microprocessor), or a digital signal processor (DSP). In another implementation, the processor can implement certain functions through the logical relationships of hardware circuits. The logical relationships of the aforementioned hardware circuits are fixed or reconfigurable. For example, the processor is a hardware circuit implemented using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a programmable logic device (PLD), such as an FPGA. In a reconfigurable hardware circuit, the process of the processor loading a configuration document and configuring the hardware circuit can be understood as the process of the processor loading instructions to implement the functions of some or all of the above units or modules. Furthermore, it can also be a hardware circuit designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as an ASIC, such as a Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU), a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), or a Deep Learning Processing Unit (DPU).

[0260] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of the terminal structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Terminal 5100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5A, terminal 5100 may include at least one of a transceiver module 5101, a processing module 5102, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module is used to receive first information sent by a network device, the first information being used to instruct the network device to configure a first cell for the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points, the first cell including at least one of the following: a secondary cell (SCell) and a primary-secondary cell (PSCell). Optionally, the transceiver module is used to execute at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2201, S3101, S3201, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to execute at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2102, S2202, S3102, but not limited thereto) performed by the terminal in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0261] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of the network device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The network device 5200 is used to perform any of the above methods. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 5B, the network device 5200 may include at least one of a transceiver module 5201, a processing module 5202, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver module is used to send first information to a terminal, the first information being used to instruct the network device to configure a first cell for the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points, the first cell including at least one of the following: a secondary cell (SCell) and a primary-secondary cell (PSCell). Optionally, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S2101, S2201, S3101, S3201, but not limited thereto) performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here. Optionally, the processing module is used to perform at least one of the other steps performed by the network device in any of the above methods, which will not be elaborated here.

[0262] In some embodiments, the transceiver module may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the transceiver module may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0263] In some embodiments, the processing module may be a single module or may include multiple sub-modules. Optionally, the multiple sub-modules may each perform all or part of the steps required by the processing module.

[0264] In some embodiments, the processing module can be replaced by the processor, and the transceiver module can be replaced by the transceiver.

[0265] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device 6100 proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device 6100 can be a network device (e.g., access network device, core network device, etc.), a terminal (e.g., user equipment, etc.), a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the network device in implementing any of the above methods, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 6100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments; for details, please refer to the descriptions in the above method embodiments.

[0266] As shown in Figure 6A, the communication device 6100 is used to execute any of the above methods. In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 includes one or more processors 6101. The processor 6101 may be a general-purpose processor or a special-purpose processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit. The baseband processor may be used to process communication protocols and communication data, and the central processing unit may be used to control communication devices (e.g., base stations, baseband chips, terminal devices, terminal device chips, DUs or CUs, etc.), execute programs, and process program data. Optionally, the communication device 6100 is used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 6101 are used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 6100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0267] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more transceivers 6102. When the communication device 6100 includes one or more transceivers 6102, the transceiver 6102 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S2101, S2201, S3101, S3201, but not limited thereto), and the processor 6101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2102, S2202, S3102, but not limited thereto). In optional embodiments, the transceiver may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0268] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more memories 6103 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, one or more processors 6101 are used to invoke instructions stored in the memory 6103 to cause the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, all or part of the memory 6103 may also be located outside the communication device 6100. In an optional embodiment, the communication device 6100 may include one or more interface circuits 6104. Optionally, the interface circuit 6104 is connected to the memory 6103 and can be used to receive data and / or instructions from the memory 6103 or other devices, and can be used to send data and / or instructions to the memory 6103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuit 6104 can read data and / or instructions stored in the memory 6103 and send the data and / or instructions to the processor 6101.

[0269] The communication device 6100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 6100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 6100 may not be limited by FIG. 6A. The communication device may be a standalone device or a part of a larger device. For example, the communication device may be: (1) a standalone integrated circuit IC, or chip, or chip system or subsystem; (2) a collection of one or more ICs, optionally, the IC collection may also include storage components for storing data, programs and / or instructions; (3) an ASIC, such as a modem; (4) a module that can be embedded in other devices; (5) a receiver, terminal device, smart terminal device, cellular phone, wireless device, handheld device, mobile unit, vehicle device, network device, cloud device, artificial intelligence device, etc.; (6) others, etc.

[0270] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the structure of chip 6200 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. For cases where the communication device 6100 can be a chip or a chip system, please refer to the schematic diagram of chip 6200 shown in Figure 6B, but it is not limited thereto.

[0271] Chip 6200 includes one or more processors 6201. Chip 6200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0272] In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more interface circuits 6202. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 6200 further includes one or more memories 6203 for storing data and / or instructions. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6203 may be located outside of chip 6200. Optionally, interface circuit 6202 is connected to memory 6203, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to receive data and / or instructions from memory 6203 or other devices, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to send data and / or instructions to memory 6203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 6202 can read data and / or instructions stored in memory 6203 and send the data and / or instructions to processor 6201.

[0273] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 6202 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method (e.g., steps S2101, S2201, S3101, and S3201, but not limited thereto). For example, the interface circuit 6202 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method means that the interface circuit 6202 performs data and / or instruction interaction between the processor 6201, the chip 6200, the memory 6203, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 6201 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S2102, S2202, and S3102, but not limited thereto).

[0274] The modules and / or devices described in the various embodiments, such as virtual devices, physical devices, and chips, can be combined or separated arbitrarily as needed. Optionally, some or all steps can also be performed collaboratively by multiple modules and / or devices, which is not limited here.

[0275] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the storage medium is an electronic storage medium. Optionally, the storage medium is a computer-readable storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a storage medium readable by other devices. Optionally, the storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium, but not limited thereto; it may also be a temporary storage medium.

[0276] This disclosure also proposes a program product, including a program and / or instructions, which, when executed by a communication device, cause the communication device to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product. Optionally, the program product is stored on the storage medium.

[0277] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

Claims

1. A communication method, characterized in that, The method, executed by a terminal, includes: The network device receives first information sent by the network device, the first information being used to instruct the network device to configure a first cell for the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) and Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) frequency point, the first cell including at least one of the following: a secondary cell and a primary-secondary cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one of the following: Satellite information of the target satellite in the first cell; The time information of the target satellite of the first cell and the service satellite of the first cell serving the same area; The time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the serving satellite of the first cell; Information on the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceased to serve the first cell.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The first information is contained in the SCellConfig field and / or SpCellConfig field of the Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration message.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The method further includes: If the conditions for satellite handover in the first cell are met, synchronization is performed with the target satellite of the first cell.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The synchronization with the target satellite of the first cell includes: Synchronization with the target satellite of the first cell occurs between the time when the target satellite of the first cell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell and the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell; or... After the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell, it synchronizes with the target satellite of the first cell.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The synchronization with the target satellite of the first cell between the time when the target satellite of the first cell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell and the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell includes: If the first information includes first time information, the target satellite of the first cell is synchronized with the target satellite of the first cell between the time when the target satellite of the first cell begins to serve the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell and the time when the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell. The first time information is used to indicate that the target satellite of the first cell serves the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell.

7. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of synchronizing with the target satellite of the first cell after the serving satellite of the first cell ceases to serve the first cell includes: If the first information does not include the second time information, after the time when the serving satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell, it is synchronized with the target satellite of the first cell. The second time information is used to indicate that the target satellite of the first cell serves the same area as the serving satellite of the first cell.

8. The method according to any one of claims 4-7, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the service satellite of the first cell stops serving the first cell, the media access control (MAC) entity of the first cell is notified through the RRC layer that uplink synchronization is lost due to satellite handover, and uplink transmission on the first cell is stopped.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: Once synchronization with the target satellite of the first cell is completed, the MAC entity of the first cell is notified through the RRC layer to resume uplink transmission on the first cell.

10. A communication method, characterized in that, Performed by a network device, the method includes: Send first information to the terminal, the first information being used to instruct the network device to configure a first cell for the terminal to support satellite handover without changing the PCI and SSB frequency points, the first cell including at least one of the following: a secondary cell, a primary and secondary cell.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first information includes at least one of the following: Satellite information of the target satellite in the first cell; The time information of the target satellite of the first cell and the service satellite of the first cell serving the same area; The time offset between the SSBs transmitted by the target satellite and the serving satellite of the first cell; Information on the time when the serving satellite of the first cell ceased to serve the first cell.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, The first information is contained in the SCellConfig field and / or SpCellConfig field in the RRC reconfiguration message.

13. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to perform the communication method according to any one of claims 1-9 and 10-12.

14. A communication system, characterized in that, The device includes a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 1-9, and the network device is configured to implement the communication method of any one of claims 10-12.

15. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the communication method as described in any one of claims 1-9 and 10-12.

16. A program product comprising at least one of a program and instructions, characterized in that, When at least one of the programs or instructions is executed by the communication device, it implements the steps of the communication method according to any one of claims 1-9 and 10-12.

Images