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

Abstract

The embodiments of the present disclosure relate to communication methods, a communication device, a communication system, a storage medium and a program product. A communication method can be executed by a terminal, and the method comprises: on the basis of first information, selecting from a plurality of candidate radio access networks (RANs) a first RAN, wherein the first RAN is used for terminal access, and the first information is broadcast by cells of the plurality of candidate RANs. The first information comprises at least one of the following: first indication information, indicating a tracking area identifier covered by the cell broadcast; second indication information, indicating a cell identifier; and third indication information, indicating a base station identifier corresponding to a cell. In the present disclosure, by means of the first information, the terminal can identify a PLMN to which the plurality of candidate RANs belong, so as to select an appropriate RAN on the basis of the first information for access, thereby improving service reliability in network sharing scenarios.

Description

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

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0002] Network sharing is a method of sharing network resources among operators. Network sharing enables operators to maximize network deployment and overall network quality. A network sharing architecture should allow multiple operators to share the resources of a single network according to an agreed resource allocation scheme. Summary of the Invention

[0003] For network sharing, how a terminal can identify multiple access networks and select one is a problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0004] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is proposed, executed by a terminal, the method comprising: selecting a first RAN from a plurality of candidate access networks RANs according to first information, wherein the first RAN is used for terminal access; the first information is broadcast by cells of the plurality of candidate RANs, the first information comprising at least one of the following: first indication information indicating a tracking area identifier covered by the cell broadcast; second indication information indicating the cell identifier; and third indication information indicating a base station identifier corresponding to the cell.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication method is provided, performed by an access network device, the method comprising: broadcasting first information, the first information being used by a terminal to select a first RAN from a plurality of candidate RANs, the first RAN being used for terminal access; the access network device being an access network device deployed in a plurality of candidate RANs; the first information comprising at least one of the following: first indication information indicating a tracking area identifier of a cell broadcast coverage of the candidate RAN; second indication information indicating a cell identifier of the candidate RAN; and third indication information indicating a base station identifier corresponding to a cell of the candidate RAN.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a terminal is provided, comprising: a transceiver module configured to select a first RAN from a plurality of candidate access networks RANs based on first information, wherein the first RAN is used for terminal access; the first information is broadcast by cells of the plurality of candidate RANs, the first information including at least one of the following: first indication information indicating a tracking area identifier covered by the cell broadcast; second indication information indicating the cell identifier; and third indication information indicating a base station identifier corresponding to the cell.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, an access gateway device is provided, comprising: a transceiver module configured to broadcast first information, the first information being used by a terminal to select a first RAN from a plurality of candidate RANs, the first RAN being used for terminal access; the access network device being deployed in one of the plurality of candidate RANs; the first information comprising at least one of the following: first indication information indicating a tracking area identifier of the cell broadcast coverage of the candidate RAN; second indication information indicating a cell identifier of the candidate RAN; and third indication information indicating a base station identifier corresponding to the cell of the candidate RAN.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising: one or more processors; wherein the communication device is configured to perform a communication method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system is provided, including a terminal and an access network device; the terminal is configured to implement the communication method as described in the first aspect; and the access network device is configured to implement the communication method as described in the second aspect.

[0011] According to a seventh 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 a communication method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0012] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method of the first or second aspect.

[0013] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program is provided that includes code, which, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method of the first or second aspect.

[0014] According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, a chip or chip system is provided, the chip or chip system including processing circuitry configured to perform a communication method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0015] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal can identify the PLMN to which multiple candidate RANs belong through the first information, and then select the appropriate RAN for access based on the first information, thereby improving the service reliability in network sharing scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings required for the description of the embodiments are introduced below. The following drawings are only some embodiments of this disclosure and do not impose specific limitations on the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 1B illustrates a 5G MOCN network sharing architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 1C illustrates an indirect network sharing structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 1D is a schematic diagram of the overlapping area between the coverage area of ​​the RAN of the HPLMN and the coverage area of ​​the shared RAN, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 2B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figures 3A to 3C are another interactive schematic diagram of the communication method according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a chip structure provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0027] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product.

[0028] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by a terminal, the method comprising: selecting a first RAN from a plurality of candidate access networks RANs according to first information, wherein the first RAN is used for terminal access; the first information is broadcast by cells of the plurality of candidate RANs, the first information comprising at least one of the following: first indication information indicating a tracking area identifier covered by the cell broadcast; second indication information indicating the cell identifier; and third indication information indicating a base station identifier corresponding to the cell.

[0029] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the terminal can identify the PLMN to which multiple candidate RANs belong through the first information, and then select the appropriate RAN for access based on the first information, thereby improving the service reliability in network sharing scenarios.

[0030] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, before selecting a first RAN from multiple candidate access network RANs based on the first information, the method further includes: receiving multiple PLMN information broadcast by the multiple candidate RANs, wherein the multiple PLMN information all indicate a first PLMN, and the first PLMN is the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal.

[0031] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the plurality of candidate RANs includes at least: the RAN of a first PLMN; the RAN of a second PLMN; wherein the RAN of the second PLMN is shared by the first PLMN.

[0032] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: determining the PLMN to which the plurality of candidate RANs belong based on the first information.

[0033] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, selecting a first RAN from a plurality of candidate access network RANs based on the first information includes: selecting a first RAN from the plurality of candidate RANs based on the first information and second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate a RAN selection strategy when the plurality of candidate RANs broadcast the same PLMN information.

[0034] In conjunction with some embodiments of the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second information indicates at least one of the following: when multiple candidate RANs include terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a terrestrial access network is preferentially selected as the first RAN; when multiple candidate RANs include multiple terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the priority of the terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the terrestrial access network of other PLMNs; when multiple candidate RANs include multiple non-terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a non-terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the access priority of the non-terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the non-terrestrial access network of other PLMNs; wherein the first PLMN is the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal, and the other PLMNs are PLMNs other than the first PLMN.

[0035] Secondly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication method executed by an access network device. The method includes: broadcasting first information, the first information being used by a terminal to select a first RAN from a plurality of candidate RANs, the first RAN being used for terminal access; the access network device being an access network device deployed in a plurality of candidate RANs; the first information including at least one of the following: first indication information, indicating the tracking area identifier of the cell broadcast coverage of the candidate RAN; second indication information, indicating the cell identifier of the candidate RAN; and third indication information, indicating the base station identifier corresponding to the cell of the candidate RAN.

[0036] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the method further includes: broadcasting PLMN information, wherein the PLMN information indicates only a first PLMN, the first PLMN being a PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal.

[0037] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the plurality of candidate RANs includes at least: the RAN of a first PLMN; the RAN of a second PLMN; wherein the RAN of the second PLMN is shared by the first PLMN.

[0038] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to determine the PLMN to which the candidate RAN belongs.

[0039] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first RAN is also selected by the terminal based on the first information and the second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate the RAN selection strategy when the plurality of candidate RANs broadcast the same PLMN information.

[0040] In conjunction with some embodiments of the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second information indicates at least one of the following: when multiple candidate RANs include terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a terrestrial access network is preferentially selected as the first RAN; when multiple candidate RANs include multiple terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the priority of the terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the terrestrial access network of other PLMNs; when multiple candidate RANs include multiple non-terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a non-terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the access priority of the non-terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the non-terrestrial access network of other PLMNs; wherein the first PLMN is the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal, and the other PLMNs are PLMNs other than the first PLMN.

[0041] Thirdly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a terminal, including: a processing module configured to select a first RAN from a plurality of candidate access networks (RANs) according to first information, wherein the first RAN is used for terminal access; the first information is broadcast by cells of the plurality of candidate RANs, and the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information indicating a tracking area identifier covered by the cell broadcast; second indication information indicating the cell identifier; and third indication information indicating the base station identifier corresponding to the cell.

[0042] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the terminal further includes: a transceiver module configured to receive multiple PLMN information broadcast by the multiple candidate RANs, wherein the multiple PLMN information all indicate a first PLMN, the first PLMN being the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal.

[0043] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the plurality of candidate RANs includes at least: the RAN of a first PLMN; the RAN of a second PLMN; wherein the RAN of the second PLMN is shared by the first PLMN.

[0044] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the processing module is further configured to: determine the PLMN to which the plurality of candidate RANs belong based on the first information.

[0045] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the processing module is further configured to: select a first RAN from the plurality of candidate RANs based on the first information and the second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate a RAN selection strategy when the plurality of candidate RANs broadcast the same PLMN information.

[0046] In conjunction with some embodiments of the third aspect, in some embodiments, the second information indicates at least one of the following: when multiple candidate RANs include terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a terrestrial access network is preferentially selected as the first RAN; when multiple candidate RANs include multiple terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the priority of the terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the terrestrial access network of other PLMNs; when multiple candidate RANs include multiple non-terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a non-terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the access priority of the non-terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the non-terrestrial access network of other PLMNs; wherein the first PLMN is the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal, and the other PLMNs are PLMNs other than the first PLMN.

[0047] Fourthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide an access network device, including: a transceiver module configured to broadcast first information, the first information being used by a terminal to select a first RAN from a plurality of candidate RANs, the first RAN being used for terminal access; the access network device being an access network device deployed in a plurality of candidate RANs; the first information including at least one of the following: first indication information, indicating the tracking area identifier of the cell broadcast coverage of the candidate RAN; second indication information, indicating the cell identifier of the candidate RAN; third indication information, indicating the base station identifier corresponding to the cell of the candidate RAN.

[0048] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the transceiver module is further configured to: broadcast PLMN information, wherein the PLMN information indicates only a first PLMN, the first PLMN being the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal.

[0049] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the plurality of candidate RANs includes at least: the RAN of a first PLMN; the RAN of a second PLMN; wherein the RAN of the second PLMN is shared by the first PLMN.

[0050] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to determine the PLMN to which the candidate RAN belongs.

[0051] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the first RAN is also selected by the terminal based on the first information and the second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate the RAN selection strategy when the plurality of candidate RANs broadcast the same PLMN information.

[0052] In conjunction with some embodiments of the fourth aspect, in some embodiments, the second information indicates at least one of the following: when multiple candidate RANs include terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a terrestrial access network is preferentially selected as the first RAN; when multiple candidate RANs include multiple terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the priority of the terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the terrestrial access network of other PLMNs; when multiple candidate RANs include multiple non-terrestrial access networks, a candidate RAN belonging to a non-terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the access priority of the non-terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the non-terrestrial access network of other PLMNs; wherein the first PLMN is the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal, and the other PLMNs are PLMNs other than the first PLMN.

[0053] Fifthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication device, including: one or more processors; wherein the communication device is used to perform a communication method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0054] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a communication system, including: a terminal and an access network device; the terminal is configured to implement the communication method as described in the first aspect; and the access network device is configured to implement the communication method as described in the second aspect.

[0055] In a seventh aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform a communication method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0056] Eighthly, embodiments of this disclosure provide a program product that, when executed by a communication device, causes the communication device to perform a communication method as described in the first or second aspect.

[0057] In a ninth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform the methods described in an optional implementation of the first or second aspect.

[0058] In a tenth aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide a chip or chip system. The chip or chip system includes processing circuitry configured to perform the method described according to an optional implementation of the first or second aspect above.

[0059] It is understood that the aforementioned communication devices, communication systems, storage media, program products, computer programs, chips, or chip systems are all used to execute the methods proposed in the embodiments of this disclosure. Therefore, the beneficial effects they can achieve can be referred to the beneficial effects in the corresponding methods, and will not be repeated here.

[0060] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product. In some embodiments, the terms "communication method," "information transmission method," "access method," and "access network selection method" can be used interchangeably, as can the terms "communication system," "information transmission system," "access system," and "access network selection system."

[0061] 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.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] In this embodiment of the disclosure, unless otherwise stated, elements expressed in the singular form, such as "a," "an," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "the," "this," etc., can mean "one and only one," or "one or more," "at least one," etc. For example, when using articles such as "a," "an," "the," etc. in translation, the noun following the article can be understood as either a singular expression or a plural expression.

[0065] In the embodiments disclosed herein, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0066] In some embodiments, the terms “at least one of”, “one or more”, “a plurality of”, “multiple”, etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] The prefixes "first," "second," etc., used in the embodiments of this disclosure are merely for distinguishing different descriptive objects and do not impose restrictions on the position, order, priority, quantity, or content of the descriptive objects. The description of the descriptive objects is found in the claims or the context of the embodiments, and the use of prefixes should not constitute unnecessary restrictions. For example, if the descriptive object is a "field," the ordinal numbers preceding "field" in "first field" and "second field" do not restrict the position or order of the "fields." "First" and "second" do not restrict whether the "fields" they modify are in the same message, nor do they restrict the order of "first field" and "second field." Similarly, if the descriptive object is a "level," the ordinal numbers preceding "level" in "first level" and "second level" do not restrict the priority between "levels." Furthermore, the number of descriptive objects is not limited by ordinal numbers and can be one or more. For example, in "first device," the number of "devices" can be one or more. Furthermore, the objects modified by different prefixes can be the same or different. For example, if the object being described is "device", then "first device" and "second device" can be the same device or different devices, and their types can be the same or different. Similarly, if the object being described is "information", then "first information" and "second information" can be the same information or different information, and their content can be the same or different.

[0070] In some embodiments, “including A,” “containing A,” “for indicating A,” and “carrying A” can be interpreted as directly carrying A or indirectly indicating A.

[0071] In some embodiments, the terms “in response to…”, “in response to determining…”, “in the case of…”, “when…”, “if…”, “if…”, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0072] 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”.

[0073] 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.

[0074] In some embodiments, "network" can be interpreted as devices included in a network (e.g., access network devices, core network devices, etc.).

[0075] In some embodiments, the terms "network devices", "access network device (AN device)", "radio access network device (RAN device)", "base station (BS)", "radio base station", "fixed station", "node", "access network node", "access point", "transmission point (TP)", "reception point (RP)", "transmission / reception point (TRP)", "panel", "antenna panel", "antenna array", "cell", "macro cell", "small cell", "femtocell", "pico cell", "sector", "cell group", "serving cell", "carrier", "component carrier", and "bandwidth part (BWP)" can be used interchangeably.

[0076] 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.

[0077] 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.

[0078] 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.

[0079] In some embodiments, the acquisition of data, information, etc., may comply with the laws and regulations of the country where the location is situated.

[0080] In some embodiments, data, information, etc., may be obtained with the user's consent.

[0081] 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.

[0082] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of an architecture of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 includes: a terminal 101 and a network device 102.

[0083] 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.

[0084] In some embodiments, network device 102 includes access network device and core network device.

[0085] In some implementations, access network equipment may be nodes or devices that connect terminals to a wireless network. Access network equipment may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: evolved NodeB (eNB), next-generation eNB (ng-eNB), next-generation NodeB (gNB), node B (NB), home node B (HNB), home evolved node B (HeNB), radio backhaul equipment, radio network controller (RNC), base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), base band unit (BBU), mobile switching center, base station in 6G communication system, open RAN, cloud RAN, base station in other communication systems, and access node in Wi-Fi system.

[0086] 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 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.

[0087] In some embodiments, the access network device may be composed of a centralized 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 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.

[0088] In some embodiments, the core network equipment may be a single device including a first network element, or it may be multiple devices or a group of devices, each including a first network element. 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).

[0089] 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 provided 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 provided in this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0090] 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. 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.

[0091] 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).

[0092] The terms and concepts involved in the embodiments of this disclosure are described below.

[0093] Network sharing architectures can include multi-operator core network (MOCN) network sharing architectures and indirect network sharing architectures.

[0094] Taking 5G networks as an example, Figure 1B shows the 5G MOCN network sharing architecture. As shown in Figure 1B, the 5GC of operator A, the 5GC of operator B, and the 5GC of operator C share the radio access network of operator X through the N2 or N3 interface. In other words, for the MOCN structure, multiple different core networks directly connect and share the same access network (RAN) to achieve network sharing.

[0095] Taking a 5G network as an example, Figure 1C illustrates an indirect network sharing structure. As shown in Figure 1C, the 5GC of operator A, the 5GC of operator B, and the 5GC of operator C share the RAN of operator X through the 5GC of operator X. Specifically, the 5GCs of operators A, B, and C can communicate with the 5GC of operator X via interfaces N8, N9, N12, or N16. In other words, for an indirect network sharing architecture, the core networks of participating operators (e.g., the 5GCs of operators A, B, and C) can indirectly share the access network of the hosting operator (e.g., the 5GC of operator X) through the core network of the hosting operator.

[0096] In some embodiments, the host operator’s access network may also be described as a shared RAN.

[0097] In some embodiments, the participating operator network may also be described as a home public land mobile network (HPLMN), an equivalent home public land mobile network (EHPLMN), etc.

[0098] In some embodiments, the host operator network may also be described as accessing a public land mobile network (VPLMN), etc.

[0099] In some embodiments, during network sharing, the shared RAN broadcasts multiple public land mobile network identities (PLMN IDs), including a PLMN ID representing the host operator and a PLMN ID representing a participating operator. The UE selects one of the broadcast PLMN IDs as its serving PLMN ID. The UE connects to the network based on the serving PLMN ID. For example, the UE initiates a registration process using a globally unique access and mobility management function identity (GUAMI) based on the serving PLMN ID. The network element serving the access and mobility management function (AMF) for the UE registers with the UDM using the GUAMI, enabling network elements (NFs) of the participating operator's network to locate the serving AMF located in the host operator's network.

[0100] In some embodiments, GUAMI includes: a Mobile Country Code (MCC), a Mobile Network Code (MNC), and an AMF Identifier (AMF ID). The MCC identifies the country or region. The MNC identifies a specific mobile network operator. The AMF ID uniquely identifies one or more AMF entities.

[0101] In some embodiments, the AMF ID includes: an AMF Region ID, an AMF Set ID, and an AMF Pointer. The AMF Region ID identifies the region managed by an AMF. The AMF Set ID uniquely identifies the set of AMFs within an AMF region. The AMF Pointer identifies one or more AMFs within the AMF set.

[0102] In some embodiments, the structure of GUAMI is as follows:

[0103] <guami> :＝ <mcc> <mnc><AMF Region ID><AMF Set ID><AMF Pointer>

[0104] In some embodiments, when a UE is located in an area without HPLMN coverage, network sharing enables the UE to access the HPLMN via a shared RAN. However, if the UE is located in an area where both the shared RAN and the HPLMN's RAN can be covered simultaneously, how the UE selects the appropriate RAN access is a problem that urgently needs to be solved. Another scenario is where the area where the UE is located cannot be covered by the HPLMN's TN access, but can be covered by both the HPLMN's NTN access and the shared TN access. In this case, how the UE selects the appropriate RAN access is also a problem that urgently needs to be solved.

[0105] In some embodiments, Figure 1D is a schematic diagram of the overlapping area between the coverage area of ​​the RAN of the HPLMN and the coverage area of ​​the shared RAN where the UE is located. As shown in Figure 1D, the RAN of the HPLMN is available in the area where the UE is located, and its coverage overlaps with the shared RAN of the host network that only broadcasts the same HPLMN ID. From the UE side, it receives the same HPLMN identifier from the broadcast information of the two RANs respectively. In this case, it cannot distinguish which RAN is the shared RAN and which RAN is the HPLMN. Therefore, the UE cannot select a suitable RAN for access from multiple RANs.

[0106] This disclosure provides a communication method, communication device, communication system, storage medium, and program product. A terminal selects a first RAN from multiple candidate RANs for access based on first information. The first information is broadcast by the cells of the multiple candidate RANs and includes at least one of the following: first indication information indicating the tracking area identifier covered by the cell broadcast, second indication information indicating the cell identifier, and third indication information indicating the base station identifier corresponding to the cell. Thus, the terminal can identify the PLMN to which the multiple candidate RANs belong through the first information, and subsequently select a suitable RAN for access based on the first information, improving service reliability in network sharing scenarios.

[0107] Figure 2A is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2A, the present disclosure relates to a communication method. Executed by a communication system 100, the communication method includes steps S2101 to S2105.

[0108] In this embodiment, the communication system includes a first PLMN (denoted as PLMN-1) and a second PLMN (denoted as PLMN-2), with PLMN-1 sharing RAN-2 of PLMN-2.

[0109] In some embodiments, PLMN1 is the PLMN subscribed to by the terminal user. For the terminal, PLMN-1 can be understood as the terminal's HPLMN, and PLMN-2 can be understood as the terminal's VPLMN.

[0110] In some embodiments, access network device 1 (e.g., gNB-1) is deployed in RAN-1 of PLMN-1, and access network device 2 (e.g., gNB-2) is deployed in RAN-2 of PLMN-2. In this case, multiple candidate RANs include RAN-1 and RAN-2.

[0111] In some embodiments, a core network device 1 (e.g., AMF-1) is deployed in the core network 1 of PLMN-1, and a core network device 2 (e.g., AMF-2) is deployed in the core network 2 of PLMN-2.

[0112] In some embodiments, the process of this embodiment can also be implemented by access network devices and core network devices of a 6G network or other networks. In one example, the access network device can be an eNB. In another example, the access network device can be an ng-eNB.

[0113] In some embodiments, there is an overlapping area between the coverage areas of gNB-1 and gNB-2, and the terminal is located in the overlapping area.

[0114] In step S2101, core network device 1 sends the second information.

[0115] In some embodiments, the terminal receives second information.

[0116] In some embodiments, the second information indicates a RAN selection policy. In some embodiments, the second information indicates a RAN selection policy when multiple candidate RANs broadcast the same PLMN information. In some embodiments, the second information indicates RAN priority. In some embodiments, the second information indicates the priority of RANs with different access types.

[0117] In some embodiments, the second information indicates an access network device selection policy. In some embodiments, the second information indicates an access network device selection policy when multiple candidate access network devices broadcast the same PLMN information. In some embodiments, the second information indicates the priority of access network devices. In some embodiments, the second information indicates the priority of access network devices of different access types.

[0118] In some embodiments, the RAN access type can be determined by the terminal based on the received broadcast information. In some embodiments, the RAN access type can be determined by information such as the frequency band (or frequency point) of the received broadcast information, Doppler shift, propagation delay, system information, and timing advance.

[0119] In one example, if the frequency at which the terminal receives broadcast information is 3400MHz, the base station sending the broadcast information can be identified as a 5G base station; if the frequency at which the terminal receives broadcast information is 1800MHz, the base station sending the broadcast information can be identified as a 4G base station. In another example, if the frequency band at which the terminal receives broadcast information is a traditional cellular band (such as Sub-6GHz, millimeter wave), the base station sending the broadcast information can be identified as a terrestrial base station. If the frequency band at which the terminal receives broadcast information is a satellite-dedicated band (such as L-band 1.5-2.1GHz, S-band 2-4GHz, Ka-band 26-40GHz), the base station sending the broadcast information can be identified as a satellite base station. In one example, the Doppler shift of the terrestrial base station is significantly smaller than that of the satellite base station. In another example, the propagation delay of the terrestrial base station is smaller than that of the satellite base station. In another example, if the PLMN ID carried in the system information is a terrestrial operator identifier, the base station is a terrestrial base station; if the system information carries a satellite network identifier, the base station is a satellite base station. In another example, the timing advance of the terrestrial base station is smaller than that of the satellite base station.

[0120] In some embodiments, RANs of different access types may include: shared access network, non-shared access network, terrestrial access network, non-terrestrial access network, shared terrestrial access network, shared non-terrestrial access network, non-shared terrestrial access network, non-shared non-terrestrial access network, access network belonging to HPLMN, access network belonging to VPLMN, terrestrial access network belonging to HPLMN, non-terrestrial access network belonging to HPLMN, terrestrial access network belonging to VPLMN, and non-terrestrial access network belonging to VPLMN.

[0121] In one example, if RAN-1 is a terrestrial access network and RAN-2 is a non-terrestrial access network, then RAN-1 can be a non-shared access network, an HPLMN access network, a terrestrial access network, a non-shared terrestrial access network, or an HPLMN terrestrial access network. RAN-2 can be a shared access network, a VPLMN access network, a non-terrestrial access network, a shared non-terrestrial access network, or a VPLMN non-terrestrial access network.

[0122] In some embodiments, the RAN selection strategy includes at least one of the following:

[0123] (1) When multiple candidate RANs include terrestrial access networks, the candidate RAN belonging to the terrestrial access network shall be selected as the first RAN.

[0124] (2) When multiple candidate RANs contain multiple terrestrial access networks, the candidate RAN belonging to the terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority; wherein, the priority of the terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the terrestrial access network of other PLMNs other than the first PLMN.

[0125] (3) When multiple candidate RANs contain multiple non-terrestrial access networks, the candidate RAN belonging to the non-terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority. Among them, the priority of the non-terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the non-terrestrial access network of other PLMNs.

[0126] (4) Select the candidate RAN with the highest priority as the first RAN;

[0127] (5) Prioritize selecting candidate RANs belonging to HPLMN as the first RAN;

[0128] (6) Based on the signal quality indicated by the signal measurement results, select the candidate RAN with the best signal quality as the first RAN;

[0129] (7) Multiple candidate RANs contain multiple RANs belonging to HPLMN. Select the candidate RAN with the highest priority from the multiple RANs belonging to HPLMN as the first RAN.

[0130] (8) Multiple candidate RANs include multiple RANs belonging to HPLMN. Select the candidate RAN with the best signal quality from multiple RANs belonging to HPLMN as the first RAN.

[0131] (9) Select the candidate RAN with the highest priority from the candidate RAN whose signal quality meets the first threshold and belongs to HPLMN as the first RAN;

[0132] (10) When the terminal is in an urban area, the candidate RAN belonging to the terrestrial access network shall be selected as the first RAN;

[0133] (11) When the terminal is in a remote area, the candidate RAN belonging to the non-terrestrial access network shall be selected as the first RAN;

[0134] (12) Prioritize the candidate RAN that the terminal has successfully accessed in the last time as the first RAN;

[0135] (13) Prioritize selecting the first RAN from the candidate RANs that the terminal has successfully accessed in the past.

[0136] In some embodiments, multiple RAN selection strategies can be combined when they do not conflict. In one example, RAN selection strategies (5) and (10) can be combined, meaning that when the terminal is in an urban area, the candidate RAN with the highest priority among the candidate RANs belonging to the terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN. In another example, RAN selection strategies (6) and (10) can be combined, meaning that when the terminal is in an urban area, the RAN with the best signal quality among the candidate RANs belonging to the terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN. In another example, RAN selection strategies (4) and (13) can be combined, meaning that the candidate RAN with the highest priority among the candidate RANs from which the terminal has historically successfully accessed is selected as the first RAN. In yet another example, (6) and (13) can be combined, meaning that the candidate RAN with the best signal quality among the candidate RANs from which the terminal has historically successfully accessed is selected as the first RAN.

[0137] In some embodiments, when there is only one RAN selection policy, the terminal determines the first RAN according to the RAN selection policy indicated by the second information. When there are multiple RAN selection policies, the terminal can determine a suitable policy from the multiple RAN selection policies indicated by the second information to select the first RAN.

[0138] In some embodiments, step S2101 can be omitted. In this case, the terminal can determine the RAN selection strategy based on the protocol, or it can determine the first RAN based on its own implementation.

[0139] In one example, the terminal selects the candidate RAN from the last successfully accessed RAN as the first RAN. In another example, the terminal selects the candidate RAN with the best signal quality from the historically successfully accessed candidate RANs as the first RAN.

[0140] In step S2102, gNB-1 broadcasts PLMN information and first information.

[0141] In some embodiments, the terminal receives PLMN information and first information broadcast by gNB-1.

[0142] In some embodiments, the PLMN information broadcast by gNB-1 indicates PLMN-1. In some embodiments, the PLMN information is PLMN-1ID.

[0143] In some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to determine the PLMN to which the candidate RAN (e.g., gNB-1) belongs. In some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to select a first RAN from multiple candidate RANs.

[0144] In some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to determine the PLMN to which the candidate access network device belongs. In some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to select a first access network device from multiple candidate access network devices. The first access network device is used by the terminal to access the first PLMN.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: first instruction information, second instruction information, and third instruction information.

[0146] In some embodiments, the first indication information indicates the tracking area (TA) covered by the gNB-1 broadcast. In some embodiments, the first indication information is TA identification information.

[0147] In some embodiments, the second indication information indicates the cell used for gNB-1 broadcasting. In some embodiments, the second indication information is cell identification information. In some embodiments, the second indication information is a cell global identifier (CGI). In some embodiments, the CGI includes at least one of the following: mobile country code (MCC), mobile network code (MNC), location area code (LAC), and cell identity (CI).

[0148] In some embodiments, MCC is used to identify a country, for example, country A is 460. In some embodiments, MNC is used to identify an operator, for example, mobile operator is 00. In some embodiments, LAC is used to identify a location area (such as a city or a group of base stations). In some embodiments, CI is used to identify a cell under a specific base station.

[0149] In some embodiments, the third indication information indicates gNB-1. In some embodiments, the third indication information is base station identification information.

[0150] In some embodiments, gNB-1 can broadcast PLMN information and first information separately, or it can broadcast them together in a system information block (SIB). In one example, gNB-1 broadcasts SIB1, which carries a PLMN ID list (plmn-IdentityList) and the first information. The PLMN ID list only contains the PLMN IDs that refer to PLMN-1.

[0151] In step S2103, gNB-2 broadcasts PLMN information and first information.

[0152] In some embodiments, the terminal receives PLMN information and first information broadcast by gNB-2.

[0153] In some embodiments, the PLMN information broadcast by gNB-2 indicates PLMN-1.

[0154] In some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to determine the PLMN to which the candidate RAN (e.g., gNB-1) belongs. In some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to select a first RAN from multiple candidate RANs.

[0155] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, second indication information, third indication information, and fourth indication information.

[0156] In some embodiments, the first indication information indicates the TA covered by gNB-2 broadcast. In some embodiments, the first indication information is TA identification information.

[0157] In some embodiments, the second indication information indicates the cell used for gNB-2 broadcasting. In some embodiments, the second indication information is cell identification information. In some embodiments, the second indication information is a cell global identifier (CGI). In some embodiments, the CGI includes at least one of the following: MCC, MNC, LAC, CI. In some embodiments, the CGI broadcast by gNB-2 is different from the CGI broadcast by gNB-1.

[0158] In some embodiments, the third indication information indicates gNB-2. In some embodiments, the third indication information is base station identification information.

[0159] In some embodiments, gNB-2 can broadcast PLMN information and first information separately, or it can broadcast them together in a system information block (SIB). In one example, gNB-2 broadcasts SIB1, which carries a PLMN ID list (plmn-IdentityList) and the first information. The PLMN ID list only contains the PLMN IDs referring to PLMN-1.

[0160] In step S2104, the terminal selects a first RAN from multiple candidate RANs based at least on the first information.

[0161] In some embodiments, the terminal selects a first access network device from a plurality of candidate access network devices based at least on first information.

[0162] In some embodiments, if the terminal does not receive the second information, the terminal selects the first RAN from multiple candidate RANs based solely on the first information.

[0163] In some embodiments, when the first information includes first indication information, since different base stations manage different TAs, the terminal can determine the PLMN to which gNB-1 belongs and the PLMN to which gNB-2 belongs based on the first indication information, thereby determining the PLMN to which multiple candidate RANs belong, and then the terminal can determine the first RAN from multiple candidate RANs based on its own implementation.

[0164] In some embodiments, when the first information includes the second indication information, since the cells of different base stations are different, the terminal can determine the PLMN to which gNB-1 belongs and the PLMN to which gNB-2 belongs based on the second indication information, thereby determining the PLMN to which multiple candidate RANs belong, and then the terminal can determine the first RAN from multiple candidate RANs based on its own implementation.

[0165] In some embodiments, when the first information includes third indication information, since the identifiers of different base stations are different, the terminal can determine the PLMN to which gNB-1 belongs and the PLMN to which gNB-2 belongs based on the third indication information, thereby determining the PLMN to which multiple candidate RANs belong, and then the terminal can determine the first RAN from multiple candidate RANs based on its own implementation.

[0166] In some embodiments, when the terminal receives the second information or the protocol specifies the second information, the terminal can determine the PLMN to which multiple candidate RANs belong based on the first information, and then determine the first RAN from the multiple candidate RANs according to the RAN selection strategy indicated by the second information.

[0167] In step S2105, the terminal accesses the core network device 1 of PLMN-1 through the first RAN.

[0168] In some embodiments, the terminal accesses the first PLMN through a first access network device.

[0169] In some embodiments, if the terminal selects RAN-1 as the first RAN, the terminal accesses PLMN-1 through gNB-1 deployed in RAN-1. If the terminal selects RAN-2 as the first RAN, the terminal accesses PLMN-1 through gNB-2 deployed in RAN-2.

[0170] In some embodiments, if the terminal selects access network device 1 as the first access network device, the terminal accesses PLMN-1 through access network device 1. If the terminal selects access network device 2 as the first access network device, the terminal accesses PLMN-1 through access network device 2.

[0171] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2101 to S2105. For example, step S2101 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment. For example, step S2102 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment. For example, step S2103 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment. For example, step S2104 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment. For example, step S2105 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment. For example, steps S2104 and S2105 may be combined as a standalone embodiment. For example, steps S2102, S2103, S2104, and S2105 may be combined as a standalone embodiment.

[0172] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0173] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal can identify the PLMN to which multiple candidate RANs belong through at least the first information, and then select a suitable RAN for access based on the first information, thereby improving the service reliability in network sharing scenarios.

[0174] Figure 2B is an interactive schematic diagram of a communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2B, the present disclosure relates to a communication method. Executed by a communication system 100, the communication method includes steps S2201 to S2204.

[0175] In this embodiment, the communication system includes a first PLMN (denoted as PLMN-1) and a second PLMN (denoted as PLMN-2), with PLMN-1 sharing RAN-2 of PLMN-2.

[0176] In some embodiments, PLMN1 is the PLMN subscribed to by the terminal user. For the terminal, PLMN-1 can be understood as the terminal's HPLMN, and PLMN-2 can be understood as the terminal's VPLMN.

[0177] In some embodiments, PLMN-1 has an access network device 1 (e.g., gNB-1) deployed in RAN-1. gNB-1 is deployed on a satellite and is a satellite-based base station. In some embodiments, PLMN-2 has an access network device 2 (e.g., gNB-2) deployed in RAN-2. gNB-2 is deployed on the ground and is a terrestrial base station. In this case, multiple candidate RANs include RAN-1 and RAN-2.

[0178] In some embodiments, a core network device 1 (e.g., AMF-1) is deployed in the core network 1 of PLMN-1, and a core network device 2 (e.g., AMF-2) is deployed in the core network 2 of PLMN-2.

[0179] In some embodiments, there is an overlapping area between the coverage areas of gNB-1 and gNB-2, and the terminal is located in the overlapping area.

[0180] In some embodiments, the process of this embodiment can also be implemented by access network devices and core network devices of a 6G network or other networks. In one example, the access network device can be an eNB. In another example, the access network device can be an ng-eNB.

[0181] In step S2201, gNB-1 broadcasts PLMN information and first information.

[0182] The alternative implementation of step S2201 can also be found in the alternative implementation of step S2102 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0183] In step S2202, gNB-2 broadcasts PLMN information and first information.

[0184] The alternative implementation of step S2202 can also be found in the alternative implementation of step S2103 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0185] In step S2203, the terminal selects a first RAN from multiple candidate RANs based at least on the first information.

[0186] The alternative implementation of step S2203 can also be found in the alternative implementation of step S2104 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0187] In step S2204, the terminal accesses the core network device 1 of PLMN-1 through the first RAN.

[0188] Optional implementations of step S2204 can also be found in optional implementations of step S2105 in Figure 2A and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0189] The communication method involved in the embodiments of this disclosure may include at least one of steps S2201 to S2204. For example, step S2201 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment. For example, step S2202 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment. For example, step S2203 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment. For example, step S2204 may be implemented as a standalone embodiment. For example, steps S2201, S2202, and S2203 may be combined as a standalone embodiment. For example, steps S2203 and S2204 may be combined as a standalone embodiment.

[0190] In some embodiments, the steps and their optional implementations in other embodiments described before or after this embodiment, as well as other related parts in the specification, can be referred to, and will not be repeated here.

[0191] In this embodiment of the present disclosure, the terminal can identify the PLMN to which multiple candidate RANs belong through at least the first information, and then select a suitable RAN for access based on the first information, thereby improving the service reliability in network sharing scenarios.

[0192] In some embodiments, "wireless access network", "access network", "access network device", etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0193] In some embodiments, "PLMN", "carrier network", etc. can be used interchangeably.

[0194] In some embodiments, the names of information, etc., are not limited to the names described in the embodiments, and 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.

[0195] In some embodiments, the terms "carrying", "including", "containing", "encapsulating", etc., may be used interchangeably.

[0196] In some embodiments, the terms "radio", "wireless", "radio access network (RAN)", "access network (AN)", and "RAN-based" may be used interchangeably.

[0197] In some embodiments, "get", "obtain", "get", "receive", "transmit", "bidirectional transmission", "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, autonomous implementation, and other meanings.

[0198] In some embodiments, the terms "send", "transmit", "report", "transfer", "request", "bidirectional transmission", "send and / or receive" may be used interchangeably.

[0199] In some embodiments, the terms "issue", "return", "feedback", "response", and "acknowledgement" can be used interchangeably.

[0200] 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 certain A, a certain A, any A, or first A, but are not limited thereto.

[0201] In some embodiments, if an arrow in the interaction diagram representing the sending of information, signaling, etc. from one subject to another passes through other subjects, it can be interpreted as the information being forwarded from one subject to another via other subjects, or it can be interpreted as the information being sent from one subject to another without passing through other subjects.

[0202] Figure 3A is another interactive schematic diagram of the communication method provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication method involved in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be applied to the communication system 100. As shown in Figure 3A, the communication method of the embodiment of the present disclosure includes step S3101.

[0203] In step S3101, the access network device broadcasts the first information.

[0204] The optional implementation of step S3101 can also be found in the optional implementation of step S2104 in Figure 2A, and other related parts in the embodiments involved in Figure 2A, which will not be repeated here.

[0205] In some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to determine the PLMN to which the candidate RAN belongs. In some embodiments, the first information is used by the terminal to select a first RAN from multiple candidate RANs. In some embodiments, the first RAN is used for terminal access. In some embodiments, the access network equipment is deployed in one of the multiple candidate RANs.

[0206] In some embodiments, the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information indicating the tracking area identifier of the cell broadcast coverage of the candidate RAN; second indication information indicating the cell identifier of the candidate RAN; and third indication information indicating the base station identifier corresponding to the cell of the candidate RAN.

[0207] In some embodiments, the plurality of candidate RANs includes at least: the RAN of a first PLMN and the RAN of a second PLMN. The RAN of the second PLMN is shared by the first PLMN.

[0208] In some embodiments, the terminal selects a first RAN from multiple candidate RANs based on first information and second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate the RAN selection strategy when multiple candidate RANs broadcast the same PLMN information.

[0209] In the following, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be described by way of specific implementation.

[0210] In some embodiments, the terminal device (UE) selects the RAN and PLMN based on first information, wherein the first information is broadcast by the RAN node and the RAN can be distinguished based on the first information.

[0211] In some embodiments, the first information includes one or more of a tracking area identifier, a cell identifier, and a RAN node identifier, wherein the tracking area identifier indicates the tracking area broadcast by the RAN node, the cell identifier indicates the cell used by the RAN node broadcast, and the RAN node identifier indicates the RAN node broadcasting the first information.

[0212] In some embodiments, when multiple RANs broadcast the same PLMN identifier to the UE, the UE selects the RAN and PLMN based on the first information.

[0213] In some embodiments, the UE selects a RAN and a PLMN based on the first information, which further includes: the UE selects a RAN and a PLMN based on a first selection strategy, wherein the first selection strategy indicates the priority of selecting a RAN and a PLMN based on the first information when the candidate PLMN identifiers are the same.

[0214] In some embodiments, the first selection strategy indicates that, if the candidate PLMNs have the same identifier, the RAN of the network corresponding to the candidate PLMN is selected for access first.

[0215] In some embodiments, the UE selects the RAN and PLMN based on the first information, and further includes the UE selecting the RAN and PLMN based on second information, wherein the second information indicates the RAN type broadcasting the first information.

[0216] In some embodiments, the UE further selects the RAN and PLMN according to a second selection strategy, wherein the second selection strategy indicates the priority of selecting the RAN and PLMN based on the first information and the second information when the candidate PLMN identifiers are the same.

[0217] In some embodiments, the second strategy indicates that when candidate PLMN identifiers are the same, TN access has a higher priority than NTN access; when RAN types are the same, the access priority of the RAN of the network corresponding to the candidate PLMN is higher than the access priority of the RAN of other networks, wherein whether the RAN belongs to the RAN of the network corresponding to the candidate PLMN is distinguished by the first information.

[0218] In some embodiments, the second strategy indicates that when candidate PLMNs have the same identifier, the access priority of the network corresponding to the candidate PLMN is higher than that of the RAN of other networks. When the RANs are all their own RANs, the TN access priority is higher than the NTN access priority.

[0219] Figure 3B illustrates an example where the UE receives broadcast messages from gNB-1 and gNB-2 at its location. These broadcast messages contain, and only contain, the HPLMN information of the UE's home network. gNB-1 is a base station in the home network, and gNB-2 is a base station in the shared network. Both gNB-1 and gNB-2 are 5G terrestrial cellular access (5G NR). The process by which the UE selects between the PLMN and RAN based on the PLMN policy and the first information is as follows:

[0220] In some embodiments, in step 1, the home network of the UE sends the first network selection policy (operator controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology) to the UE for storage.

[0221] In some embodiments, the first selection policy indicates that when the RAN broadcasts the same PLMN (HPLMN), the RAN of the network corresponding to the HPLMMN is preferentially selected as the UE's access; if the RAN corresponding to the HPLMMN is unavailable, the RAN of the shared network is selected as the UE's access.

[0222] In some embodiments, the first selection strategy includes the contents shown in Table 1:

[0223] Table 1

[0224] In some embodiments, in step 2, the UE is in a first location, and the area where the first location is located receives a broadcast message from gNB-1. This broadcast message contains accessible PLMN information (HPLMN), and also includes first information, including the cell identifier (CGI) and / or base station identifier (grobal RAN node ID) used to broadcast the message. The CGI includes information such as MCC, MNC, LAC, and CI. The MCC defines the country code of the cell, the MNC defines the operator code of the cell, the LAC defines the location area identifier of the cell, and the CI defines the identifier of the cell. The base station identifier also includes information such as MCC and MNC. In this step, both the CGI and the MNC indicated by the RAN node ID represent the UE's home operator.

[0225] In some embodiments, in step S2103, the area where the UE is located receives a broadcast message from gNB-2. The broadcast message contains the same PLMN information as in step 2 (HPLMN). In addition, the broadcast message also contains first information, including the cell identifier (CGI) and / or the base station identifier (grobal RAN node ID) used to broadcast the message. In this step, the MNC indicated by the CGI and RAN node ID are both identifiers of the hosting network.

[0226] In some embodiments, in step S2104, the UE selects the PLMN and RAN serving the UE based on the information (HPLMN, first information) carried in the broadcast message and in conjunction with a first selection strategy. According to the first selection strategy, the HPLMN is selected as the serving network, and the RAN (gNB-1) corresponding to the HPLMN is selected as the serving base station.

[0227] In some embodiments, in step S2105, the UE initiates network registration with the HPLMN via gNB-1.

[0228] The above embodiments enable network access in areas where both shared and home networks are available, avoiding the use of shared networks and prioritizing access via the home network.

[0229] Figure 3C illustrates an embodiment where the UE receives broadcast messages from gNB-1 and gNB-2 at its location. These broadcast messages contain, and only contain, the HPLMN information of the UE's home network. Here, gNB-1 is a base station in the UE's home network, gNB-2 is a base station in the shared network, gNB-1 is a base station in the NTN-NR access network, and gNB-2 is a 5G terrestrial cellular access network (5G NR). The process by which the UE selects the PLMN and RAN based on the PLMN policy and the first and second information is as follows:

[0230] In some embodiments, prior to step S2201, the UE's home network sends a second network selection policy (operator-controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology) to the UE for storage. In some embodiments, the second selection policy indicates that when the RAN broadcasts the same PLMN (HPLMN), if both NTN and TN access are available, TN access is preferred. Further, when the access types are the same, the RAN corresponding to the HPLMN is preferred as the UE's access point, wherein the access type can be determined by the UE based on received broadcast information.

[0231] In some embodiments, the second selection strategy includes the contents shown in Table 2 below:

[0232] Table 2

[0233] In some embodiments, in step S2201, the UE is in a first location, and the area where the first location is located receives a broadcast message from gNB-1. The broadcast message contains accessible PLMN information (HPLMN), and also includes first information, including the cell identifier (CGI) and / or base station identifier (grobal RAN node ID) used to broadcast the message. The CGI includes information such as MCC, MNC, LAC, and CI. The MCC defines the country code of the cell, the MNC defines the operator code of the cell, the LAC defines the location area identifier of the cell, and the CI defines the identifier of the cell. The base station identifier also includes information such as MCC and MNC. In this step, both the CGI and the MNC indicated by the RAN node ID are the UE's home operator.

[0234] In some embodiments, in step S2202, the area where the UE is located receives a broadcast message from gNB-2. The broadcast message contains the same PLMN information as in step 2 (HPLMN). In addition, the broadcast message also contains first information, including the cell identifier (CGI) and / or the base station identifier (grobal RAN node ID) used to broadcast the message. In this step, the MNC indicated by the CGI and RAN node ID are both identifiers of the hosting network.

[0235] In some embodiments, in step S2203, the UE selects the PLMN and RAN serving the UE based on the information carried in the broadcast message (HPLMN, first information) and the candidate access type (second information), combined with a second selection strategy. According to the second selection strategy, the HPLMN is selected as the serving network, and the RAN (gNB-2) of the hosting network is selected as the serving base station.

[0236] In some embodiments, in step S2204, the UE initiates network registration with the HPLMN via gNB-2.

[0237] The above embodiments enable the preferential use of TN access in areas where both the shared network and the home network are available, based on the network selection policy provided by the home operator. Furthermore, when the access types provided by the operator network and the shared network are the same, the access provided by the operator network is given priority. The above network selection policy can also be combined with the UE's location; for example, the UE may preferentially select TN access in urban areas and NTN access in remote areas.

[0238] This disclosure also proposes an apparatus (also referred to as a communication device, etc.) for implementing any of the above methods. For example, an apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by the terminal in any of the above methods. Furthermore, another apparatus is proposed that includes units or modules for implementing the steps performed by a network device (e.g., an access network device, a core network functional node, a core network device, etc.) in any of the above methods.

[0239] 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.

[0240] 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. In addition, it can also be hardware circuits designed for artificial intelligence, which can be understood as ASICs, such as Neural Network Processing Units (NPUs), Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), and Deep Learning Processing Units (DPUs).

[0241] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the communication device proposed in an embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 4, the communication device 4100 includes: a processing module 4101 and a transceiver module 4102.

[0242] In some embodiments, the communication device 4100 is a terminal, and the processing module 4101 is configured to: select a first RAN from a plurality of candidate access networks (RANs) according to first information, wherein the first RAN is used for terminal access; the first information is broadcast by cells of the plurality of candidate RANs, and the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information indicating the tracking area identifier covered by the cell broadcast; second indication information indicating the cell identifier; third indication information indicating the base station identifier corresponding to the cell; and fourth indication information indicating the PLMN information broadcast by the cell. In some embodiments, the processing module 4101 is further configured to: select a first RAN from a plurality of candidate RANs according to the first information and second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate a RAN selection strategy when multiple candidate RANs broadcast the same PLMN information.

[0243] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4102 is configured to receive multiple PLMN information broadcast by multiple candidate RANs, wherein the multiple PLMN information indicates a first PLMN, and the first PLMN is the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal. In some embodiments, the transceiver module is used to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the network device in any of the above methods (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, S2103, S2201, S2202, S2204, but not limited thereto), which will not be elaborated here.

[0244] In some embodiments, the communication device 4100 is an access network device, and the transceiver module 4102 is configured to: broadcast first information, the first information being used by the terminal to select a first RAN from a plurality of candidate RANs, the first RAN being used for terminal access; the access network device is deployed in one of the plurality of candidate RANs; the first information includes at least one of the following: first indication information, indicating the tracking area identifier of the cell broadcast coverage of the candidate RAN; second indication information, indicating the cell identifier of the candidate RAN; third indication information, indicating the base station identifier corresponding to the cell of the candidate RAN; fourth indication information, indicating the PLMN information broadcast by the cell of the candidate RAN. In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4101 may be configured to perform at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving performed by the terminal in any of the above methods (e.g., steps S2102, S2103, S2201, S2202, but not limited thereto), which will not be elaborated here.

[0245] In some embodiments, the transceiver module 4102 is further configured to broadcast PLMN information, wherein the PLMN information indicates a first PLMN, and the first PLMN is a PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal.

[0246] In some embodiments, the transceiver module described above may include a transmitting module and / or a receiving module. The transmitting module and the receiving module may be separate or integrated together. Optionally, the transceiver module described above may be interchangeable with a transceiver.

[0247] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The communication device 5100 may be a terminal, an access network device, or a chip, chip system, or processor that supports the terminal or access network device in implementing any of the above methods. The communication device 5100 can be used to implement the methods described in the above method embodiments, and for details, please refer to the description in the above method embodiments.

[0248] As shown in Figure 5, the communication device 5100 includes one or more processors 5101. The processor 5101 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 5100 can be used to execute any of the above methods. Optionally, one or more processors 5101 can be used to invoke instructions to cause the communication device 5100 to execute any of the above methods.

[0249] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more transceivers 5102. When the communication device 5100 includes one or more transceivers 5102, the transceiver 5102 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above method (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, S2103, S2201, S2202, S2204, but not limited thereto), and the processor 5101 performs at least one of the other steps. In optional embodiments, the transceiver 5102 may include a receiver and / or a transmitter, which may be separate or integrated. Optionally, the terms transceiver, transceiver unit, transceiver, transceiver circuit, interface circuit, interface, etc., can be used interchangeably; the terms transmitter, transmitting unit, transmitter, transmitting circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably; and the terms receiver, receiving unit, receiver, receiving circuit, etc., can be used interchangeably.

[0250] In some embodiments, the communication device 5100 further includes one or more memories 5103 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 5103 may be located outside the communication device 5100. In optional embodiments, the communication device 5100 may include one or more interface circuits 5104. Optionally, the interface circuits 5104 are connected to the memories 5103 and can be used to receive data from the memories 5103 or other devices, and to send data to the memories 5103 or other devices. For example, the interface circuits 5104 can read data stored in the memories 5103 and send the data to the processor 5101.

[0251] The communication device 5100 described in the above embodiments may be a network device or a terminal, but the scope of the communication device 5100 described in this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the structure of the communication device 5100 may not be limited by FIG. 5. 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.

[0252] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a chip provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. When the communication device 6100 can be a chip or a chip system, the schematic diagram of the chip 6100 shown in Figure 6 can be referred to, but is not limited thereto.

[0253] Chip 6100 includes one or more processors 6101. Chip 6100 is used to perform any of the above methods.

[0254] In some embodiments, chip 6100 further includes one or more interface circuits 6102. Optionally, terms such as interface circuit, interface, and transceiver pin can be used interchangeably. In some embodiments, chip 6100 further includes one or more memories 6103 for storing data. Optionally, all or part of the memories 6103 may be located outside chip 6100. Optionally, interface circuit 6102 is connected to memory 6103, and interface circuit 6102 can be used to receive data from memory 6103 or other devices, and interface circuit 6102 can be used to send data to memory 6103 or other devices. For example, interface circuit 6102 can read data stored in memory 6103 and send the data to processor 6101.

[0255] In some embodiments, the interface circuit 6102 performs at least one of the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method (e.g., steps S2101, S2102, S2103, S2201, S2202, and S2204, but not limited thereto). The interface circuit 6102 performing the communication steps such as sending and / or receiving in the above-described method refers, for example, to the interface circuit 6102 performing data interaction between the processor 6101, the chip 6100, the memory 6103, or the transceiver device. In some embodiments, the processor 6101 performs at least one of the other steps.

[0256] 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.

[0257] This disclosure also proposes a storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device 5100, cause the communication device 5100 to perform any of the methods described above. 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.

[0258] This disclosure also proposes a program product that, when executed by a communication device 5100, causes the communication device 5100 to perform any of the above methods. Optionally, the program product is a computer program product.

[0259] This disclosure also proposes a computer program that, when run on a computer, causes the computer to perform any of the above methods.

[0260] Other embodiments of the invention will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention that follow the general principles of the invention and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the following claims.

[0261] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise structure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.< / mnc> < / mcc> < / guami>

Claims

1. A communication method, executed by a terminal, the method comprising: Based on the first information, a first RAN is selected from multiple candidate access network RANs, wherein the first RAN is used for terminal access; the first information is broadcast by the cells of the multiple candidate RANs, and the first information includes at least one of the following: The first indication information indicates the tracking area identifier of the cell broadcast coverage; The second indication information indicates the cell identifier; The third indication information indicates the base station identifier corresponding to the cell.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before selecting a first RAN from multiple candidate access network RANs based on the first information, the method further includes: The system receives multiple PLMN information broadcast by the multiple candidate RANs, wherein each of the multiple PLMN information indicates a first PLMN, which is the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The plurality of candidate RANs includes at least: The first PLMN's RAN; The second PLMN's RAN; The RAN of the second PLMN is shared by the first PLMN.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The method further includes: The PLMN to which the plurality of candidate RANs belong is determined based on the first information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The step of selecting a first RAN from multiple candidate access network RANs based on the first information includes: Based on the first information and the second information, a first RAN is selected from the plurality of candidate RANs, wherein the second information is used to indicate the RAN selection strategy when the plurality of candidate RANs broadcast the same PLMN information.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The second information indicates at least one of the following: When the multiple candidate RANs include a terrestrial access network, the candidate RAN belonging to the terrestrial access network shall be selected as the first RAN. When the multiple candidate RANs include multiple terrestrial access networks, the candidate RAN belonging to the terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the terrestrial access network of the first PLMN has a higher priority than the terrestrial access network of other PLMNs. When the multiple candidate RANs include multiple non-terrestrial access networks, the candidate RAN belonging to the non-terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the access priority of the non-terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the non-terrestrial access network of other PLMNs. Wherein, the first PLMN is the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal, and the other PLMNs are PLMNs other than the first PLMN.

7. A communication method, performed by an access network device, the method comprising: Broadcast first information, which is used by the terminal to select a first RAN from multiple candidate RANs, and the first RAN is used for terminal access; The access network device is an access network device deployed in multiple candidate RANs; the first information includes at least one of the following: The first indication information indicates the tracking area identifier of the cell broadcast coverage of the candidate RAN; The second indication information indicates the cell identifier of the candidate RAN; The third indication information indicates the base station identifier corresponding to the cell of the candidate RAN.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The method further includes: Broadcast PLMN information, wherein the PLMN information only indicates the first PLMN, which is the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein, The plurality of candidate RANs includes at least: The first PLMN's RAN; The second PLMN's RAN; The RAN of the second PLMN is shared by the first PLMN.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein, The first information is used by the terminal to determine the PLMN to which the candidate RAN belongs.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein, The first RAN is also selected by the terminal based on the first information and the second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate the RAN selection strategy when the multiple candidate RANs broadcast the same PLMN information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The second information indicates at least one of the following: When the multiple candidate RANs include a terrestrial access network, the candidate RAN belonging to the terrestrial access network shall be selected as the first RAN. When the multiple candidate RANs include multiple terrestrial access networks, the candidate RAN belonging to the terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the terrestrial access network of the first PLMN has a higher priority than the terrestrial access network of other PLMNs. When the multiple candidate RANs include multiple non-terrestrial access networks, the candidate RAN belonging to the non-terrestrial access network is selected as the first RAN according to priority, wherein the access priority of the non-terrestrial access network of the first PLMN is higher than the priority of the non-terrestrial access network of other PLMNs. Wherein, the first PLMN is the PLMN subscribed to by the user of the terminal, and the other PLMNs are PLMNs other than the first PLMN.

13. A communication method applied to a communication system, the communication system comprising a terminal and an access network device, the method comprising: Access network devices broadcast first information; The terminal selects a first RAN from multiple candidate access networks based on the first information, wherein the first RAN is used for terminal access. The first information includes at least one of the following: The first indication information indicates the tracking area identifier of the cell broadcast coverage of the candidate RAN; The second indication information indicates the cell identifier of the candidate RAN; The third indication information indicates the base station identifier corresponding to the cell of the candidate RAN.

14. A communication device configured to implement the communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, 7 to 12.

15. A communication system comprising a terminal and an access network device; the terminal being configured to implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, and the access network device being configured to implement the communication method as described in any one of claims 7 to 12.

16. A storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on a communication device, cause the communication device to perform a communication method as described in any one of 1 to 6, 7 to 12.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the communication method as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, 7 to 12.

Images