Information receiving method and apparatus, information sending method and apparatus, communication device and storage medium

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the technical field of communications, and specifically relates to an information receiving method and apparatus, an information sending method and apparatus, a communication device and a storage medium. The information receiving method comprises: determining a muting configuration for a satellite to send a positioning reference signal (PRS), and an effective area where the muting configuration is associated with ephemeris information of the satellite; and, on the basis of the muting configuration, receiving in the effective area the PRS sent by the satellite. In the present disclosure, in the process of a terminal receiving PRSs sent by a plurality of satellites, on the basis of a muting configuration, at least one of the plurality of satellites can stop, in an effective area, sending a PRS in some resources used for sending PRSs, thereby reducing the impact on other satellites sending PRSs, helping to improve the reception quality of the terminal for the PRSs sent by the plurality of satellites, and further ensuring the accuracy of positioning performed by the terminal on the basis of the PRSs sent by the plurality of satellites.

Description

Information receiving and sending methods and apparatus, communication equipment and storage media Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and more specifically, to information receiving methods, information sending methods, information receiving devices, information sending devices, communication equipment, and storage media. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of communication technology, NTN (Non-terrestrial Network) was proposed. In non-terrestrial networks, wireless resources can be provided by aerial devices (such as satellites, drones, etc.). Aerial devices have a relatively large coverage area and can form larger cells. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The embodiments of this disclosure propose information receiving and sending methods and apparatus, communication devices and storage media to solve the positioning accuracy problems in NTN scenarios in related technologies.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, an information receiving method is proposed, executed by a terminal, the method comprising: determining a silent configuration for a satellite transmitting a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS), and an effective region in which the silent configuration is associated with ephemeris information of the satellite; and receiving the PRS transmitted by the satellite in the effective region according to the silent configuration.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, an information transmission method is proposed, executed by a network device, the method comprising: instructing a terminal to a silent configuration for a satellite to transmit PRS, and an effective region associated with the silent configuration and the ephemeris information of the satellite; wherein the effective region is used by the terminal to receive the PRS transmitted by the satellite according to the silent configuration.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, an information receiving apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising: a processing module configured to determine a silent configuration for a satellite transmitting a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS), and an effective region in which the silent configuration is associated with ephemeris information of the satellite; and a receiving module configured to receive the PRS transmitted by the satellite in the effective region according to the silent configuration.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, an information transmission apparatus is provided, the apparatus comprising: a transmission module configured to instruct a terminal on a silent configuration for transmitting PRS from a satellite, and an effective region associated with the silent configuration and ephemeris information of the satellite; wherein the effective region is used by the terminal to receive the PRS transmitted by the satellite according to the silent configuration.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, the communication device being used to perform the information receiving method described in the first aspect, and / or the information sending method described in the second aspect.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the terminal is configured to perform the information receiving method described in the first aspect.

[0010] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, a network device is provided, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the network device is configured to perform the information transmission method described in the second aspect.

[0011] According to an eighth 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 information receiving method described in the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the information sending method described in the second aspect.

[0012] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a storage medium is provided that stores instructions, which, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the information receiving method described in the first aspect and / or the information sending method described in the second aspect.

[0013] According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, a program product is provided that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the information receiving method described in the first aspect and / or the information sending method described in the second aspect.

[0014] According to embodiments of this disclosure, during the process of receiving PRS transmitted by multiple satellites, at least one of the multiple satellites can stop transmitting PRS in a portion of the resources used for transmitting PRS in the effective area based on silent configuration, thereby reducing the impact on PRS transmission by other satellites. This is beneficial to improving the reception quality of PRS transmitted by multiple satellites and thus ensuring the accuracy of positioning based on PRS transmitted by multiple satellites. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort. Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of determining a TA according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 1C is a schematic diagram of transmission delay according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 1D is a resource schematic diagram of a positioning reference signal according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of an information receiving method according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3A is a resource schematic diagram of a PRS according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3B is a schematic diagram of a silent configuration according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 3C is a schematic diagram of another silent configuration according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram of an information receiving device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of an information sending device according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 6A is a structural schematic diagram of a communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of the chip structure proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The embodiments of this disclosure provide methods and apparatus for receiving and sending information, communication devices, and storage media.

[0017] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure propose an information receiving method executed by a terminal, the method comprising: determining a silent configuration for a satellite transmitting a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS), and an effective region in which the silent configuration is associated with the ephemeris information of the satellite; and receiving the PRS transmitted by the satellite in the effective region according to the silent configuration.

[0018] In the above embodiments, during the process of receiving PRS transmitted by multiple satellites, at least one of the multiple satellites can stop transmitting PRS in a portion of the resources used for transmitting PRS in the effective area based on silent configuration, thereby reducing the impact on PRS transmission by other satellites. This is beneficial to improving the reception quality of PRS transmitted by multiple satellites and thus ensuring the accuracy of the terminal's positioning based on PRS transmitted by multiple satellites.

[0019] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the PRS resources used for the satellite to transmit PRS are periodic resources; and / or, a resource set is included in a single period of the satellite transmitting PRS, the resource set containing at least one PRS resource.

[0020] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the silence configuration includes at least one of the following: first indication information for indicating a silence period in a plurality of periods in which the satellite transmits PRS; and second indication information for indicating whether each resource in the resource set is silent.

[0021] In the above embodiments, the network device can indicate the silent state of the PRS through different indication information, which is beneficial to ensure the flexibility of the network device in indicating the silence of the PRS.

[0022] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining at least one transmission configuration for the satellite to transmit PRS; wherein the silent configuration is used to indicate a first transmission configuration to be enabled in the at least one transmission configuration, or to indicate a second transmission configuration to be disabled in the at least one transmission configuration.

[0023] In the above embodiments, the network device can enable or disable the overall indication for silent configuration, which helps to improve the efficiency of the network device in indicating PRS silence.

[0024] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the effective region includes at least one of the following: a location-effective region; a time-effective region.

[0025] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving ephemeris information of a satellite corresponding to the serving cell in the serving cell, and / or receiving ephemeris information of a satellite corresponding to a neighboring cell in the serving cell.

[0026] In the above embodiments, the terminal can receive ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the neighboring cell in the serving cell, so that the terminal can perform corresponding operations as soon as possible based on the ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the neighboring cell after switching to the neighboring cell.

[0027] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure propose an information transmission method executed by a network device, the method comprising: instructing a terminal to a silent configuration for a satellite to transmit PRS, and an effective region associated with the silent configuration and the ephemeris information of the satellite; wherein the effective region is used by the terminal to receive the PRS transmitted by the satellite according to the silent configuration.

[0028] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the PRS resources used for the satellite to transmit PRS are periodic resources; and / or, a resource set is included in a single period of the satellite transmitting PRS, the resource set containing at least one PRS resource.

[0029] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the silence configuration includes at least one of the following: first indication information for indicating a silence period in a plurality of periods during which the satellite transmits PRS; and second indication information for indicating whether each resource in the resource set is silent.

[0030] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: instructing the terminal to transmit at least one transmission configuration for the satellite to transmit PRS; wherein the silent configuration is used to indicate a first transmission configuration to be enabled in the at least one transmission configuration, or to indicate a second transmission configuration to be disabled in the at least one transmission configuration.

[0031] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the effective region includes at least one of the following: a location-effective region; a time-effective region.

[0032] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: sending ephemeris information of a satellite corresponding to the serving cell to the terminal in the serving cell, and / or sending ephemeris information of a satellite corresponding to a neighboring cell to the terminal in the serving cell.

[0033] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an information receiving device, the device comprising: a processing module configured to determine a silent configuration for satellite-transmitted Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) and an effective region in which the silent configuration is associated with the ephemeris information of the satellite; and a receiving module configured to receive the PRS transmitted by the satellite in the effective region according to the silent configuration.

[0034] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an information transmission apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a transmission module configured to instruct a terminal on a silent configuration for transmitting PRS from a satellite, and an effective region associated with the silent configuration and ephemeris information of the satellite; wherein the effective region is used by the terminal to receive the PRS transmitted by the satellite according to the silent configuration.

[0035] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device for performing the information receiving method according to any one of the first aspect and optional embodiments of the first aspect, and / or the information sending method according to any one of the second aspect and optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0036] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal comprising: one or more processors; wherein the terminal is configured to perform the information receiving method described in any one of the first aspects and optional embodiments thereof.

[0037] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a network device comprising: one or more processors; wherein the network device is configured to perform the information transmission method described in any one of the second aspect and optional embodiments thereof.

[0038] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system including a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the information receiving method of any one of the first aspects and optional embodiments of the first aspect, and the network device is configured to implement the information sending method of any one of the second aspects and optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0039] Ninthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform the information receiving method of any one of the first aspect and optional embodiments of the first aspect, and / or the information sending method of any one of the second aspect and optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0040] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform the information receiving method according to any one of the first aspect and optional embodiments of the first aspect, and / or the information sending method according to any one of the second aspect and optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0041] In the eleventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the information receiving method according to any one of the first aspect and the optional embodiments of the first aspect, and / or the information sending method according to any one of the second aspect and the optional embodiments of the second aspect.

[0042] It is understood that the aforementioned information receiving and sending devices, communication equipment, communication systems, storage media, program products, and computer programs are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0043] This disclosure provides methods and apparatus for receiving and transmitting information, communication devices, and storage media. In some embodiments, the terms "information receiving and transmitting method" and "information processing method" and "communication method" can be used interchangeably; the terms "information receiving and transmitting apparatus" and "information processing apparatus" and "communication apparatus" can be used interchangeably; and the terms "information processing system" and "communication system" can be used interchangeably.

[0044] 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.

[0045] In each of the disclosed embodiments, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions of the embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments based on their inherent logical relationships.

[0046] 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.

[0047] In the embodiments of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular, such as “a,” “an,” “the,” “the,” “the,” “the,” “the,” “the,” “this,” etc., may mean “one and only one,” or “one or more,” “at least one,” etc.

[0048] For example, when using articles such as "a", "an", and "the" in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular or a plural form.

[0049] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0050] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0051] 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 B); in some embodiments, B (execute B regardless of A); in some embodiments, execution is selected from A and B (A and B are selectively executed); in some embodiments, A and B (both A and B are executed). The same applies when there are more branches such as A, B, C, etc.

[0052] In some embodiments, the notation "A or B" may include the following technical solutions, depending on the situation: in some embodiments, A (execution of A regardless of B); in some embodiments, B (execution of B regardless of A); 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, C, etc.

[0053] The prefixes such as "first" and "second" in the embodiments of this disclosure are only for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not constitute restrictions on the position, order, priority, number or content of the descriptive objects. For the description of the descriptive objects, please refer to the description in the claims or the context of the embodiments. The use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions.

[0054] For example, if the descriptive object is "field," then 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 "level," then 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; there can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. In addition, objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the descriptive object 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 descriptive object 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.

[0055] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0056] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0057] 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”.

[0058] In some embodiments, devices, etc., can be interpreted as physical or virtual, and their names are not limited to the names recorded in the embodiments. Terms such as “device”, “equipment”, “circuit”, “network element”, “node”, “function”, “unit”, “section”, “system”, “network”, “chip”, “chip system”, “entity”, and “subject” can be used interchangeably.

[0059] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0065] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0066] 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.

[0067] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes a terminal 101 and a network device 102, wherein the network device includes at least one of the following: a satellite, an access network device, and a core network device.

[0069] In some embodiments, terminal 101 includes, but is not limited to, 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.

[0070] In some embodiments, the access network device is, for example, a node or device that connects a terminal to a wireless network. The access network device may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following in a 5G communication system: evolved Node B (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul device, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in a 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in a Wi-Fi system.

[0071] In some embodiments, a core network device may be a single device comprising one or more network elements, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each comprising all or part of the aforementioned one or more network elements. Network elements may be virtual or physical. The core network may include, for example, at least one of an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G Core Network (5GCN), or a Next Generation Core (NGC).

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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), 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).

[0077] In some embodiments, within an NTN (Non-terrestrial Network), a terminal can communicate with network devices via satellite. Communication methods may include transparent transmission mode, regeneration mode, etc. The link between the terminal and the satellite can be called a service link, and the link between the satellite and the network devices can be called a feeder link.

[0078] In some embodiments, communication between the terminal and the network device needs to be synchronized, such as uplink synchronization and downlink synchronization.

[0079] For example, a terminal can perform uplink synchronization by sending a PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) signal (e.g., a random access preamble).

[0080] Similar to downlink synchronization, the PRACH signals transmitted by the terminal are mainly affected by high-speed moving satellites, including Doppler frequency offset in the service link and feeder link.

[0081] Unlike downlink signals, network devices need to provide services to multiple terminals, so they need to ensure orthogonality between different terminals. This requires that signals sent by terminals located in different locations and experiencing different transmission delays arrive at the network device at the same time. Otherwise, the network device may not be able to demodulate the correct PRACH signal or distinguish PRACH signals from different terminals from the received PRACH signals.

[0082] Therefore, the key to uplink synchronization lies in how to handle large frequency offsets in the PARCH signal and ensure that the PARCH signals sent by terminals at different locations arrive at the base station at the same time (e.g., within at least the same CP (Cyclic Prefix) range).

[0083] In some embodiments, uplink synchronization may include at least one of the following: uplink frequency synchronization and uplink time synchronization.

[0084] For example, for uplink frequency synchronization, the terminal can obtain its own position by relying on its own positioning capabilities (such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System)) on the one hand, and obtain satellite ephemeris information from information broadcast by network devices (such as system information and paging messages) on the other hand, and then calculate the Doppler frequency shift of the service link, thereby pre-compensating the transmitted PRACH signal.

[0085] For example, for uplink time synchronization, the terminal can perform TA (Timing Advance) pre-compensation on the transmitted PRACH. For example, the magnitude of the TA pre-compensation by the terminal is related to the uplink time synchronization reference point set by the network device.

[0086] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating a determination of TA according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0087] As shown in Figure 1B, when the reference point for uplink time synchronization is a network device (e.g., a base station), the terminal needs to compensate for the total round-trip time of the service link and the feeder link corresponding to the total TA.

[0088] When the uplink time synchronization reference point is a satellite, the total TA that the terminal needs to compensate only corresponds to the round-trip time of the service link.

[0089] For service links, since the terminal's location cannot be reported to the network device before network security is established, the network device cannot compensate for the service link without obtaining the terminal's location or verifying whether the reported location is reliable. Therefore, the TA of the service link is generally compensated by the terminal. For example, the terminal obtains its own location based on its own positioning capabilities (e.g., based on GNSS) and obtains the satellite ephemeris information based on the broadcast information of the network device, and then calculates the service link delay and compensates for it.

[0090] For feeder links, if this portion of the time synchronization (TA) is estimated and compensated by the network equipment, then the time synchronization reference point, i.e., the alignment point of uplink and downlink frames, is located at the satellite. When the satellite moves, the network equipment needs to handle time-varying feeder link transmission delays, making transmission scheduling more complex and placing higher demands on the network equipment's capabilities than traditional terrestrial communication systems. If this portion of the TA is estimated and compensated by the terminal, then the time synchronization reference point, i.e., the alignment point of uplink and downlink frames, is located at the network equipment and does not change with satellite movement. The network equipment does not need to handle time-varying feeder link transmission delays, and the capability requirements for the network equipment are similar to those of traditional terrestrial communication systems.

[0091] For example, a network device can designate a point as the uplink time synchronization reference point, which can be located on a satellite or on a ground-based network device. It should be noted that when the network device sets the uplink time synchronization reference point on a satellite, the common time synchronization (TA) is equal to 0.

[0092] For example, network devices can estimate the transmission delay of a feeder link and then broadcast a common TA to the terminal, which can then perform pre-compensation based on the common TA.

[0093] In some embodiments, after the terminal sends a PRACH, the network device can estimate the residual timing deviation based on the arrival time of the PRACH, and then feed it back to the terminal through the TA command in the RAR (Random Access Response). This is a TA closed-loop control indication information.

[0094] After receiving the RAR, the terminal can add the TA value indicated by the TA command to its own estimated (e.g., based on positioning capabilities) open-loop TA value to obtain the complete TA value.

[0095] For example, the TA value (T) in NTN TA It can be expressed as a combination of open-loop TA and closed-loop TA, for example, the calculation formula is as follows:

[0096] T TA =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +N TA,offset )×T c ,in:

[0097] N TA The value is 0 before initial access, and can be updated subsequently based on TA commands issued by the network device;

[0098] N TA,UE-specific It is the service link TA calculated by the terminal based on the satellite ephemeris information broadcast by the network device and the terminal's own location;

[0099] N TA,common It is the feeder link TA calculated by the terminal based on the public TA parameter information broadcast by the network device;

[0100] N TA,offset It is a fixed offset value, the definition of which can be the same in the ground network;

[0101] T c It is a time unit (e.g., the time unit in 5G NR), and its definition can be the same as that in terrestrial communication networks.

[0102] Due to N TA N TA,offset Similar to the ground network, therefore, in order to calculate T TA It is necessary to determine the calculation of N. TA,UE-specific and N TA,common The required information includes, for example, the terminal's own location, satellite ephemeris information, and common timing advance parameters.

[0103] Based on the preceding embodiments, N TA,UE-specificThe terminal needs to calculate its own location, which requires the terminal to have positioning capabilities to calculate its own location. For example, the terminal has a GNSS module, so that the terminal's location can be determined based on the GNSS module.

[0104] However, considering the diversity of terminals, some low-cost terminals do not include a GNSS module. Without positioning capabilities, the terminal cannot determine its own location and therefore cannot determine N. TA,UE-specific This will lead to the calculated T TA There is a significant deviation, making it difficult to compensate appropriately and easily causing time slot interference.

[0105] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram illustrating a transmission delay according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0106] Because the time distance between the satellite and the terminal in NTN is relatively large, the transmission delay can even be greater than one subframe. As shown in Figure 1C, the maximum transmission delay is two subframes (where n represents the nth subframe, n+1 represents the (n+1)th subframe, and so on). In this case, if the terminal is based on T... TA Compensation is performed, but N cannot be determined due to the lack of positioning capability. TA,UE-specific This results in a large deviation in the calculated time slot interference, making it difficult to eliminate the inter-slot interference in the compensation results.

[0107] In the presence of time slot interference, network devices may be unable to demodulate the correct PRACH signal, or may be unable to distinguish PRACH signals from different terminals from the received PRACH signals.

[0108] To address the aforementioned issues, in some embodiments, the terminal can calculate its location based on a cellular positioning algorithm, and then determine the TA value based on the terminal's location.

[0109] For example, cellular positioning algorithms can be applied to systems that do not use N-based positioning. TA,UE-specific Determined T TA The terminal performing the compensation calculates the position of the terminal.

[0110] For example, the terminal does not use N-based... TA,UE-specific Determined T TA The reasons for compensation may include at least one of the following: the terminal lacks positioning capability (e.g., no GNSS module, or the GNSS module is unavailable), or the network device instructs the terminal not to use N-based positioning. TA,UE-specific Determined T TA To determine N, compensation is performed, network equipment instructs the terminal, or predefined rules stipulate that the terminal should not use its positioning capabilities. TA,UE-specific The network device instructs the terminal or predefined rules stipulate that the terminal does not use the terminal GNSS module.

[0111] The following embodiments mainly use the example of a terminal without positioning capability to illustrate the technical solution of this disclosure.

[0112] For example, the timing advance TA value can be determined based on the terminal's location, which can be T. TA For example, the terminal can first calculate N based on the terminal's location and satellite ephemeris information. TA,UE-specific Then based on formula T TA =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +N TA,offset )×T c Calculate T TA The meaning of each parameter in the formula can be found in the previous example, and will not be repeated here.

[0113] For example, cellular positioning algorithms are suitable for calculating the location of terminals that lack positioning capabilities.

[0114] For example, when a terminal lacks positioning capabilities, its location can be calculated using a cellular positioning algorithm, and then the TA value can be determined based on the calculated location.

[0115] In some embodiments, the terminal can perform compensation based on the TA value during the process of accessing the network device.

[0116] For example, a terminal can perform compensation based on the TA value during the random access process, such as when initiating random access in an NTN.

[0117] In some embodiments, the terminal may report capability information to the network device, which indicates whether the terminal has positioning capabilities.

[0118] For terminals without positioning capabilities, the inability to calculate their location based on their own capabilities leads to significant deviations in the calculated Time Interval (TA), making accurate compensation difficult and resulting in inter-slot interference during access. According to embodiments of this disclosure, terminals without positioning capabilities can calculate their location using a cellular positioning algorithm. Since this algorithm does not require the terminal to have positioning capabilities, it facilitates the terminal's calculation of its own location and the determination of the TA value based on that location. The determined TA value can then be used for random access by terminals without positioning capabilities, helping to alleviate the inter-slot interference problem that arises when terminals without positioning capabilities attempt random access, especially when accurate compensation is difficult.

[0119] The following examples illustrate how the terminal performs compensation based on TA (also known as pre-compensation).

[0120] For example, during the initial access process, the terminal can send a preamble for random access to the network device. This preamble can also be called the random access message Msg1. During this process, T... TA N in TA,offset It equals 0.

[0121] The terminal can determine its own location, and then determine N based on the terminal's location and the satellite's ephemeris information. TA,UE-specific And obtain N from system information (e.g., SIB19) sent by network devices. TA,common Therefore, it can be based on formula T TA =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +N TA,offset )×T c Calculate T TA and based on T TA Compensation is performed during the process of sending the preamble.

[0122] For example, during the initial access process, the network device can send a RAR to the terminal. The RAR carries a TA command, which can instruct N... TA,offset .

[0123] The terminal can determine its own location, and then determine N based on the terminal's location and the satellite's ephemeris information. TA,UE-specific And obtain N from system information (e.g., SIB19) sent by network devices. TA,common Therefore, it can be based on formula T TA =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +N TA,offset )×T c Calculate T TA and based on T TA Compensation is performed during the process of sending the random access message Msgs3.

[0124] The following examples illustrate how a terminal calculates its own location.

[0125] In some embodiments, the cellular positioning algorithm includes an algorithm for calculating the location based on the reception results (e.g., measurement results) of a reference signal.

[0126] In some embodiments, the cellular positioning algorithm may include at least one of the following: TDOA (Time Difference of Arrival), AOA (Angle of Arrival), and RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator).

[0127] For example, based on the TDOA algorithm, the terminal's location is an unknown point. The terminal can receive reference signals sent by multiple TPRs (Transmission Reception Points). By measuring the reference signals, the time difference between the three TPRs and the terminal's location can be obtained, thereby determining the distance difference between the terminal and different TPRs. Based on the distance difference and the location of the three TPRs, two curves can be obtained. The location where the two curves intersect is the terminal's location.

[0128] For example, a TRP can be located at a ground base station or at a satellite. When the TRP is located at a ground base station, multiple TRPs can be configured on a single base station. However, when the TRP is located at a satellite, multiple TRPs cannot be configured on a single satellite; only one TRP can be configured on a single satellite (therefore, the TRP transmitting a reference signal can also be called the satellite transmitting a reference signal). Thus, multiple satellites need to transmit reference signals separately to achieve positioning. For example, the reference signal can be called a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS).

[0129] Figure 1D is a resource schematic diagram of a positioning reference signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0130] As shown in 1D, a cell is a resource element (RE). The first resource occupied by the PRS transmitted by the first satellite and the second resource occupied by the PRS transmitted by the second satellite can be set in different resource elements in a comb-level reuse manner.

[0131] For example, the first resource and the second resource correspond to multiple symbols in the frequency domain (e.g., two symbols as shown in 1D), and multiple REs in the frequency domain. Specifically, in the frequency domain, the REs corresponding to the first resource and the REs corresponding to the second resource are interleaved, and in the time domain, the REs corresponding to the first resource and the REs corresponding to the second resource are also interleaved.

[0132] However, the relationship between satellites and terminals is more complex than that between base stations and terminals. Since multiple TRPs (Transmission Points) within a base station can be located at the same base station, the distances from different TRPs to the terminal are relatively similar, and the channel environment differences are also small. Therefore, the interference between PRS (Pulse Signal Receipts) emitted by different TRPs is relatively small. However, because satellites are constantly moving in the air, and different satellites may occupy different orbits, the distances from different satellites to the terminal vary significantly, and the channel environment differences are also large. Therefore, the interference between PRS emitted by different satellites is relatively large. This affects the terminal's reception of the PRS; for example, the SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio) of the received PRS will decrease, leading to a reduction in the accuracy of the terminal's positioning based on the PRS.

[0133] Figure 2 is an interactive schematic diagram of an information receiving method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0134] In some embodiments, the information receiving method may be executed by the terminal.

[0135] As shown in Figure 2, the information receiving method may include the following steps:

[0136] In step S201, the terminal can determine the muting configuration for satellite PRS transmission.

[0137] In some embodiments, for a signal, silence means that the signal transmitter stops transmitting the signal.

[0138] For example, in the case of PRS in this embodiment, silence means that the terminal satellite stops transmitting PRS.

[0139] For example, a silent configuration can instruct a satellite to stop transmitting PRS (e.g., on which resources the satellite stops transmitting PRS).

[0140] For example, silent configuration may be indicated by network devices (such as base stations or core networks) or determined based on protocol agreements, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0141] In some embodiments, in step S201, the terminal may also determine the effective area associated with the silent configuration and the ephemeris information of the satellite.

[0142] In some embodiments, satellite ephemeris information can be used for information such as satellite position and velocity. For example, the ephemeris format may include the following two:

[0143] The first ephemeris format indicates the satellite's position and velocity state vector. In a geocentric coordinate system, the position coordinate components X, Y, Z and the velocity coordinate components VX, VY, VZ are indicated to the terminal. This format requires a 17-byte payload, with the specific indication information as follows:

[0144] For the location, 78 bits are required, and the unit is m (meter); the range of the location is determined by the GEO (Geostationary Orbit) scenario, for example, the range is -42200km to +42200km; the quantization step size of the location is 1.3m;

[0145] For speed, 54 bits are required, in m / s (meters per second); the speed range is determined by the LEO (Low Earth Orbit) -600 scenario, for example, the range is -8000m / s to +8000m / s; the speed quantization step size is 0.06m / s.

[0146] It should be noted that although the satellite position and velocity broadcast by network devices are only instantaneous values, the terminal can deduce the satellite's position and velocity for the next period of time based on specific algorithms, such as Kepler's laws, given the effective time of the current satellite position and velocity.

[0147] The first ephemeris format indicates ephemeris information in the format of orbital parameters. This format requires a 21-byte payload, with the specific information as follows:

[0148] The semi-major axis α requires 33 bits and is measured in meters (m); its range is [6500, 43000] km; the quantization step size is 4.249 × 10⁻⁶. -3 m;

[0149] The eccentricity e requires 20 bits, has a range of ≤0.015, and a quantization step size of 1.431×10. -8 m;

[0150] The argument ω at the pericenter requires 28 bits, is in rad, and ranges from [0, 2π]. The quantization step size is 2.341 × 10⁻⁶. -8 m;

[0151] The ascending node longitude Ω requires 28 bits, is in rad, and ranges from [0, 2π]. The quantization step size is 2.341 × 10⁻⁶. -8 m;

[0152] The orbital inclination angle *i* requires 27 bits, is in rad, and ranges from -π / 2 to π / 2. The quantization step size is 2.341 × 10⁻⁶. -8 m;

[0153] The average near angle M requires 28 bits, is in rad, and ranges from [0, 2π]. The quantization step size is 2.341 × 10⁻⁶. -8 m;

[0154] Given the effective time of the above ephemeris information, the terminal can deduce the corresponding satellite position and velocity based on the orbital parameters.

[0155] It should be noted that, due to various disturbances to satellites, the derivation of satellite position and velocity based on the two ephemeris formats mentioned above is only valid for a certain period of time. Therefore, the terminal needs to obtain new ephemeris information within the valid duration of the satellite ephemeris to ensure that the terminal can accurately compensate for the transmission delay of the service link portion.

[0156] In step S202, the terminal receives PRS transmitted by the satellite in the effective region according to the silent configuration.

[0157] In some embodiments, after receiving ephemeris information, the terminal can determine the effective area associated with the ephemeris information and the silent configuration, and then the terminal can receive PRS sent by the satellite in the effective area according to the silent configuration.

[0158] For example, the terminal can determine the PRS transmission configuration, which may indicate the resources used to transmit the PRS. This transmission configuration, also known as the PRS config, can be provided by the LMF (Location Management Function).

[0159] Based on silent configuration, the satellite can stop transmitting PRS in a portion of the resources used for transmitting PRS, and thus the terminal can stop receiving PRS in a portion of the resources used for transmitting PRS based on silent configuration.

[0160] In some embodiments, the effective region includes at least one of the following:

[0161] Location effective (also known as enable) range;

[0162] Time-effective area.

[0163] Taking the effective area including the location effective area as an example, the satellite's position can be represented by coordinates {X,Y,Z}, and the location effective area can be from {X1,Y1,Z1} to {X2,Y2,Z2}. Based on this, the terminal can determine that the silent configuration takes effect within the interval from the satellite's movement from position {X1,Y1,Z1} to position {X2,Y2,Z2}. Then, it can receive the PRS sent by the satellite based on the silent configuration when the satellite is within this interval.

[0164] It should be noted that the terminal can also determine the failure (or disable) interval associated with the silent configuration and ephemeris information. For example, the failure interval is from {X2,Y2,Z2} to {X3,Y3,Z3}. Based on this, the terminal can determine that the silent configuration fails within the interval when the satellite moves from position {X2,Y2,Z2} to position {X3,Y3,Z3}. Then, it can receive the PRS sent by the satellite based on the silent configuration when the satellite's position is outside this interval.

[0165] Taking the effective area including the time effective area as an example, for instance, if the effective time of the ephemeris information is [T1, T2], the time effective area associated with the silent configuration and the ephemeris information can be within the effective time of the ephemeris information, for example, [T1, T1+t0]. Based on this, the terminal can determine that the silent configuration is effective from T1 to T1+t0, and can then receive the PRS sent by the satellite based on the silent configuration when the time is within this interval.

[0166] It should be noted that the terminal can also determine the failure (or disable) interval associated with the silent configuration and ephemeris information. For example, the failure interval is [T1+t0, T1+t1]. Based on this, the terminal can determine that the silent configuration fails within the time period [T1+t0, T1+t1]. Then, it can receive PRS transmitted by the satellite based on the silent configuration when the time is outside this interval.

[0167] According to embodiments of this disclosure, during the process of receiving PRS transmitted by multiple satellites, at least one of the multiple satellites can stop transmitting PRS in a portion of the resources used for transmitting PRS in the effective area based on silent configuration, thereby reducing the impact on PRS transmission by other satellites. This is beneficial to improving the reception quality of PRS transmitted by multiple satellites and thus ensuring the accuracy of positioning based on PRS transmitted by multiple satellites.

[0168] It should be noted that outside the effective area, the terminal only needs to receive PRS according to the PRS transmission configuration, and the terminal does not expect the satellite to remain silent in transmitting PRS.

[0169] In some embodiments, the resources occupied by PRS transmitted by the satellite are reused at the combination level with the resources occupied by PRS transmitted by other satellites.

[0170] For example, the first resource occupied by the PRS transmitted by the first satellite and the second resource occupied by the PRS transmitted by the second satellite are combined and reused at the same level, as shown in Figure 1D. It can be seen that the first resource and the second resource are adjacent, so the PRS transmitted by the first satellite and the PRS transmitted by the second satellite are more likely to interfere with each other.

[0171] Therefore, in this scenario, the first satellite can transmit PRS based on its corresponding silent configuration, and / or the second satellite can transmit PRS based on its corresponding silent configuration. That is, at least one of the first and second satellites can suspend PRS transmission within the effective region based on its silent configuration, thereby effectively reducing interference between the PRS transmitted by the two satellites.

[0172] It should be noted that for multiple satellites whose PRS resources are not reused at the combined level, PRS can be sent based on silent configuration or not based on silent configuration (e.g., only based on transmission configuration), and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0173] In some embodiments, the PRS resources used for transmitting PRS by the satellite are periodic resources.

[0174] In some embodiments, a resource set is included in a single cycle of PRS transmission by the satellite, the resource set containing at least one PRS resource.

[0175] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of a PRS resource according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0176] As shown in Figure 3A, a satellite can transmit PRS in 8 time units during one PRS transmission cycle. Therefore, the resource set in one cycle contains 8 PRS resources. For example, the time unit can be a frame, subframe, time slot, symbol, etc., and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0177] Figure 3A shows the satellite transmitting PRS in 4 cycles, but the satellite in this embodiment is not limited to transmitting PRS in 4 cycles, and can also transmit PRS in other numbers of cycles.

[0178] In some embodiments, silent configuration includes at least one of the following:

[0179] The first indication information is used to indicate a silent period in a plurality of cycles in which the satellite transmits PRS;

[0180] The second indication information is used to indicate whether each resource in the resource set is silent.

[0181] Figure 3B is a schematic diagram illustrating a silent configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0182] In some embodiments, the silence configuration may include first indication information, which may indicate a silence period in a plurality of cycles in which the satellite transmits PRS.

[0183] For example, the first indication information may include the signaling dl-prs-MutingBitRepetitionFactor, in which the information element (IE) NR-MutingPattern may indicate a silent period in multiple cycles during which the satellite transmits PRS.

[0184] For example, NR-MutingPattern can be indicated in the form of a bitmap. NR-MutingPattern can occupy 4 bits, with one bit corresponding to one period. For example, a bit value of 0 (or 1) can indicate that the corresponding period is a silent period, while a bit value of 1 (or 0) can indicate that the corresponding period is not a silent period.

[0185] For example, as shown in Figure 3B, the bit value of NR-MutingPattern is 1011, which indicates that the second of the four periods is a silent period. Based on this, the terminal can determine that the satellite stops transmitting PRS on all PRS resources in the second period.

[0186] Figure 3C is a schematic diagram illustrating another silent configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0187] In some embodiments, the silence configuration may include second indication information, which indicates whether each resource (also referred to as an instance) in the resource set is silent. Specifically, the satellite stops transmitting PRS on silent PRS resources and transmits PRS on non-silent PRS resources.

[0188] For example, the second indication information can occupy 8 bits, with one bit corresponding to one resource in the resource set. For example, a bit value of 0 (or 1) can indicate that the corresponding resource is silent, while a bit value of 1 (or 0) can indicate that the corresponding resource is not silent.

[0189] For example, as shown in Figure 3C, the bit value of the second indication information is 111010111, which indicates that among the eight resources included in the resource set, the third and fifth resources are silent, while the other resources are not silent. Therefore, in each cycle of the resource set, the terminal can determine that the third and fifth resources are silent, while the other resources are not silent, thus determining that in each cycle, the satellite stops transmitting PRS on the third and fifth resources.

[0190] It should be noted that the embodiments shown in Figure 3B and Figure 3C can be implemented independently or in combination, and this disclosure does not limit them.

[0191] For example, dl-prs-MutingBitRepetitionFactor can be included in the signaling NR-DL-PRS-ResourceSet, and NR-DL-PRS-ResourceSet can be as follows:

[0192] NR-DL-PRS-ResourceSet::=SEQUENCE{

[0193] DL-PRS-MutingOption1::=SEQUENCE{

[0194] dl-prs-MutingBitRepetitionFactor

[0195] ENUMERATED{n1,n2,n4,n8,...}OPTIONAL,--NeedOP

[0196] nr-option1-muting NR-MutingPattern,

[0197] ...

[0198] }

[0199] DL-PRS-MutingOption2::=SEQUENCE{

[0200] nr-option2-muting NR-MutingPattern,

[0201] ...

[0202] }

[0203] NR-MutingPattern::=CHOICE{

[0204] po2 BIT STRING(SIZE(2)),

[0205] po4 BIT STRING(SIZE(4)),

[0206] po6 BIT STRING(SIZE(6)),

[0207] po8 BIT STRING(SIZE(8)),

[0208] po16 BIT STRING(SIZE(16)),

[0209] po32 BIT STRING(SIZE(32)),

[0210] ...

[0211] }

[0212] For example, the NR-MutingPattern corresponding to nr-option1-muting can be used as the first indication information as shown in Figure 3B, and the NR-MutingPattern corresponding to nr-option2-muting can be used as the second indication information as shown in Figure 3C.

[0213] In some embodiments, the terminal determines at least one transmission configuration for satellite PRS transmission.

[0214] For example, a satellite can have multiple transmission configurations, and the satellite can transmit PRS based on different transmission configurations. The transmission configuration can be provided by the LMF or determined based on protocol agreements; this disclosure does not limit this.

[0215] For example, a silent configuration is used to indicate that a first transmission configuration is enabled in the at least one transmission configuration, or to indicate that a second transmission configuration is disabled in the at least one transmission configuration. That is, for satellite transmission of PRS, the transmission resources indicated by the transmission configuration can be silenced based on the previous embodiments (e.g., the examples shown in Figures 3B and 3C), or the second transmission configuration can be completely disabled based on this embodiment (equivalent to silencing all resources indicated by the transmission configuration), and the transmission resources of the PRS can be adjusted to be determined according to the first transmission configuration.

[0216] It should be noted that the first transmission configuration and the second transmission configuration are not specific transmission configurations, but rather different transmission configurations within at least one transmission configuration. For example, the second transmission configuration could be a transmission configuration currently being used by the satellite. For example, the transmission resources indicated by the second transmission configuration may differ from those indicated by the first transmission configuration. For example, the transmission resources indicated by the first transmission configuration may be more sparse than those indicated by the second transmission configuration.

[0217] In some embodiments, the terminal may receive ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the serving cell in the serving cell, and / or receive ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the neighboring cell in the serving cell.

[0218] For example, in NTN, the coverage area of ​​a satellite can form a cell, so a cell can correspond to a satellite.

[0219] For example, when a terminal is in a serving cell, it can receive ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the serving cell, as well as ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to a neighboring cell. For example, the ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the serving cell and / or the ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to a neighboring cell can be indicated by RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, SIB (System Information Block), DCI (Downlink Control Information), etc., and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0220] The terminal determines the silent configuration for PRS transmission by the satellite, and the effective area associated with the silent configuration and the satellite's ephemeris information. This can include the terminal determining a first silent configuration for PRS transmission by the satellite corresponding to the serving cell, and the effective area associated with the first silent configuration and the ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the serving cell. It can also include the terminal determining a second silent configuration for PRS transmission by the satellite corresponding to a neighboring cell, and the effective area associated with the second silent configuration and the ephemeris information of the neighboring corresponding satellite. This allows the terminal to directly use the second silent configuration to receive PRS in the neighboring cell after a handover.

[0221] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S201 to S202. For example, step S201 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, step S202 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, and step S201+S202 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment, but is not limited thereto.

[0222] In some embodiments, steps S201 and S202 may be performed in an alternate order or simultaneously.

[0223] In some embodiments, step S201 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0224] In some embodiments, step S202 is optional, and one or more of these steps may be omitted or substituted in different embodiments.

[0225] In some embodiments, other optional implementations described before or after the specification corresponding to FIG2 may be referred to.

[0226] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments. Terms such as "information", "message", "signal", "signaling", "report", "configuration", "indication", "instruction", "command", "channel", "parameter", "domain", "field", "symbol", "symbol", "codebook", "codeword", "codepoint", "bit", "data", "program", and "chip" can be used interchangeably.

[0227] In some embodiments, the terms “downlink control information (DCI),” “downlink (DL) assignment,” “DL DCI,” “uplink (UL) grant,” and “UL DCI” can be used interchangeably.

[0228] In some embodiments, terms such as "physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)" and "DL data" can be used interchangeably, as can terms such as "physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)" and "UL data".

[0229] 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.”

[0230] In some embodiments, the terms "component carrier (CC)," "cell," "frequency carrier," and "carrier frequency" can be used interchangeably.

[0231] In some embodiments, the terms “frame”, “radio frame”, “subframe”, “slot”, “sub-slot”, “mini-slot”, “symbol”, “symbol”, and “transmission time interval (TTI)” can be used interchangeably.

[0232] In some embodiments, “get,” “obtain,” “receive,” “transmit,” “bidirectional transmission,” and “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably and can be interpreted as receiving from other entities, obtaining from protocols, obtaining from higher layers, obtaining through self-processing, or autonomous implementation, among other meanings.

[0233] In some embodiments, terms such as “send,” “transmit,” “report,” “distribute,” “transfer,” “bidirectional transmission,” “send and / or receive” can be used interchangeably.

[0234] In some embodiments, terms such as "certain," "preset," "default," "set," "indicated," "a certain," "any," and "first" can be used interchangeably. "Certain A," "preset A," "default A," "set A," "indicated A," "a certain A," "any A," and "first A" can be interpreted as A pre-defined in a protocol or the like, or as A obtained through setting, configuration, or instruction, or as specific A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0235] Corresponding to the aforementioned embodiments of the information receiving method and information sending method, this disclosure also provides embodiments of the information receiving device and the information sending device.

[0236] Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an information receiving device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the information receiving device may be disposed in and / or applied to a terminal. As shown in Figure 4, the information receiving device includes: a processing module 401 and a receiving module 402.

[0237] In some embodiments, the processing module is configured to determine a silent configuration for satellite-transmitted Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) and an effective region in which the silent configuration is associated with the satellite's ephemeris information; the receiving module is configured to receive the PRS transmitted by the satellite in the effective region according to the silent configuration.

[0238] In some embodiments, the PRS resources used for the satellite to transmit PRS are periodic resources; and / or, a resource set is included in a single period of the satellite transmitting PRS, the resource set containing at least one PRS resource.

[0239] In some embodiments, the silence configuration includes at least one of the following: a first indication information for indicating a silence period in a plurality of periods in which the satellite transmits PRS; and a second indication information for indicating whether each resource in the resource set is silent.

[0240] In some embodiments, the processing module is further configured to determine at least one transmission configuration for the satellite to transmit PRS; wherein the silent configuration is used to indicate that a first transmission configuration is enabled in the at least one transmission configuration, or to indicate that a second transmission configuration is deenabled in the at least one transmission configuration.

[0241] In some embodiments, the effective region includes at least one of the following: a location-effective region; a time-effective region.

[0242] In some embodiments, the receiving module is further configured to receive ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the serving cell in the serving cell, and / or to receive ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to a neighboring cell in the serving cell.

[0243] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an information transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the information transmission device can be configured and / or applied to a network device. As shown in Figure 5, the information transmission device includes: a transmission module 501.

[0244] In some embodiments, the transmitting module is configured to instruct the terminal on a silent configuration for the satellite to transmit PRS, and an effective region associated with the silent configuration and the ephemeris information of the satellite; wherein the effective region is used by the terminal to receive the PRS transmitted by the satellite according to the silent configuration.

[0245] In some embodiments, the PRS resources used for the satellite to transmit PRS are periodic resources; and / or, a resource set is included in a single period of the satellite transmitting PRS, the resource set containing at least one PRS resource.

[0246] In some embodiments, the silence configuration includes at least one of the following: first indication information for indicating a silence period in a plurality of periods during which the satellite transmits PRS; and second indication information for indicating whether each resource in the resource set is silent.

[0247] In some embodiments, the receiving module is further configured to instruct the terminal at least one transmission configuration for transmitting PRS from the satellite; wherein the silent configuration is used to instruct a first transmission configuration to be enabled in the at least one transmission configuration, or to instruct a second transmission configuration to be disabled in the at least one transmission configuration.

[0248] In some embodiments, the effective region includes at least one of the following: a location-effective region; a time-effective region.

[0249] In some embodiments, the receiving module is further configured to send ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the serving cell to the terminal in the serving cell, and / or send ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to a neighboring cell to the terminal in the serving cell.

[0250] For the device embodiments, since they basically correspond to the method embodiments, the relevant parts can be referred to in the description of the method embodiments. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The modules described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as modules may or may not be physical modules; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network modules. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0251] This disclosure also provides an apparatus for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is provided that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Alternatively, another apparatus is provided 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.

[0252] 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.

[0253] 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).

[0254] 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.

[0255] As shown in Figure 6A, the communication device 6100 includes one or more processors 6101. The processor 6101 can be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor, such as a baseband processor or a central processing unit (CPU). The baseband processor can be used to process communication protocols and communication data, while the CPU can 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 can be used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 6101 can be used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 6100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0256] 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 (e.g., steps S201, S202, but not limited thereto) in the above method, such as sending and / or receiving, while the processor 6101 performs at least one of other steps (e.g., steps S201, S202, 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, sending unit, transmitter, sending circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0257] In some embodiments, the communication device 6100 further includes one or more memories 6103 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6103 may be located outside the communication device 6100. In optional embodiments, the communication device 6100 may include one or more interface circuits 6104. Optionally, the interface circuits 6104 are connected to the memories 6103 and can be used to receive data from the memories 6103 or other devices, and to send data to the memories 6103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 6104 can read data stored in the memories 6103 and send that data to the processor 6101.

[0258] 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 and programs; (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.

[0259] 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.

[0260] Chip 6200 includes one or more processors 6201. Chip 6200 is used to perform any of the methods described above.

[0261] 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. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6203 may be located outside chip 6200. Optionally, interface circuit 6202 is connected to memory 6203, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to receive data from memory 6203 or other devices, and interface circuit 6202 can be used to send data to memory 6203 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 6202 can read data stored in memory 6203 and send the data to processor 6201.

[0262] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 6202 performs at least one of the communication steps (e.g., steps S201, S202, but not limited thereto) in the above-described method, such as sending and / or receiving. For example, the interface circuit 6202 performing the communication steps (e.g., sending and / or receiving) in the above-described method means that the interface circuit 6202 performs data 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 S201, S202, but not limited thereto).

[0263] 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.

[0264] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on the communication device 6100, cause the communication device 6100 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.

[0265] This disclosure also provides a program product that, when executed by the communication device 6100, causes the communication device 6100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0266] 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. An information receiving method, characterized in that, The method, executed by a terminal, includes: Determine the silent configuration for satellite-transmitted Positioning Reference Signal (PRS), and the effective area where the silent configuration is associated with the satellite's ephemeris information; In the effective region, the PRS transmitted by the satellite is received according to the silent configuration.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The PRS resources used for transmitting PRS by the satellite are periodic resources; and / or, A resource set is included in a single cycle of PRS transmission by the satellite, and the resource set contains at least one PRS resource.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, Silent configurations include at least one of the following: The first indication information is used to indicate a silent period in a plurality of cycles in which the satellite transmits PRS; The second indication information is used to indicate whether each resource in the resource set is silent.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Determine at least one transmission configuration for the satellite to transmit PRS; The silent configuration is used to indicate that a first transmission configuration is enabled in the at least one transmission configuration, or to indicate that a second transmission configuration is deenabled in the at least one transmission configuration.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The effective region includes at least one of the following: Location effective area; Time-effective area.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The method further includes: The serving cell receives ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the serving cell, and / or the serving cell receives ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the neighboring cell.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The resources occupied by the PRS transmitted by the satellite are reused at the combination level with the resources occupied by the PRS transmitted by other satellites.

8. A method for sending information, characterized in that, Performed by a network device, the method includes: The silent configuration for instructing the terminal to send PRS to the satellite, and the effective area of ​​the silent configuration associated with the ephemeris information of the satellite; The effective area is used by the terminal to receive PRS sent by the satellite according to the silent configuration.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The PRS resources used for transmitting PRS by the satellite are periodic resources; and / or, A resource set is included in a single cycle of PRS transmission by the satellite, and the resource set contains at least one PRS resource.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, Silent configurations include at least one of the following: The first indication information is used to indicate a silent period in a plurality of cycles in which the satellite transmits PRS; The second indication information is used to indicate whether each resource in the resource set is silent.

11. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The method further includes: Instruct the terminal to send at least one transmission configuration for the satellite to transmit PRS; The silent configuration is used to indicate that a first transmission configuration is enabled in the at least one transmission configuration, or to indicate that a second transmission configuration is deenabled in the at least one transmission configuration.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that, The effective region includes at least one of the following: Location effective area; Time-effective area.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that, The method further includes: The serving cell sends ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the serving cell to the terminal, and / or the serving cell sends ephemeris information of the satellite corresponding to the neighboring cell to the terminal.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that, The resources occupied by the PRS transmitted by the satellite are reused at the combination level with the resources occupied by the PRS transmitted by other satellites.

15. An information receiving device, characterized in that, The device includes: The processing module is configured to determine the silent configuration of the satellite transmitting Positioning Reference Signal (PRS), and the effective area of ​​the silent configuration associated with the satellite's ephemeris information. The receiving module is configured to receive PRS transmitted by the satellite in the effective region according to the silent configuration.

16. An information transmitting device, characterized in that, The device includes: The transmitting module is configured to instruct the terminal on a silent configuration for transmitting PRS from the satellite, and the effective area of ​​the silent configuration associated with the ephemeris information of the satellite. The effective area is used by the terminal to receive PRS sent by the satellite according to the silent configuration.

17. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device is used to perform the information receiving method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and / or the information sending method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

18. A communication system, characterized in that, The device includes a terminal and a network device, wherein the terminal is configured to implement the information receiving method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and the network device is configured to implement the information sending method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

19. A storage medium storing instructions, characterized in that, When the instruction is executed on the communication device, the communication device performs the information receiving method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and / or the information sending method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

20. A program product, characterized in that, When the above-mentioned program product is executed by a communication device, the communication device performs the information receiving method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and / or the information sending method according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

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