CN115515194A

CN115515194A - Switching method, device and equipment

Info

Publication number: CN115515194A
Application number: CN202110691614.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 翁玮文; 曹蕾; 何继伟; 邓伟
Original assignee: China Mobile Communications Group Co Ltd; China Mobile Communications Ltd Research Institute
Current assignee: China Mobile Communications Group Co Ltd; China Mobile Communications Ltd Research Institute
Priority date: 2021-06-22
Filing date: 2021-06-22
Publication date: 2022-12-23

Abstract

The invention provides a switching method, a switching device and switching equipment, and relates to the technical field of communication. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring a first time delay under a target wave beam and switching related information of a first satellite; the target wave beam is a wave beam corresponding to a connected or to-be-connected cell, and the first satellite is a satellite for switching; determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the switching related information under the condition that the signal intensity of a currently connected cell is smaller than a preset threshold and the first satellite meets the switching condition; and sending a switching request according to the first target satellite frequency point. The scheme of the invention can reduce the signaling interaction between the user equipment and the satellite and improve the switching efficiency.

Description

Switching method, device and equipment

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of communications technologies, and in particular, to a handover method, apparatus, and device.

Background

At present, compared with the traditional terrestrial mobile communication network, the moving speed of the medium and low earth orbit satellite is always in a motion relative to the given user position, and the moving speed is very fast. Taking a low earth satellite as an example, assuming that it has a period of 2 hours around the earth, the coverage time of the low earth satellite in a certain area is about 20 minutes, and the satellite has a plurality of beams, each beam representing a cell, and the coverage time is shorter.

Therefore, the handover of satellite communication is very different from the terrestrial mobile communication network, and how to accelerate the handover according to the characteristics of the satellite network becomes one of the issues that needs attention.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a switching method, a switching device and switching equipment so as to avoid the influence of intermodulation interference.

To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a handover method, executed by a user equipment, including:

acquiring a first time delay under a target beam and switching related information of a first satellite; the target wave beam is a wave beam corresponding to a connected or to-be-connected cell, and the first satellite is a satellite for switching;

under the condition that the signal intensity of a cell connected currently is smaller than a preset threshold value and the first satellite meets a switching condition, determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the switching related information;

and sending a switching request according to the first target satellite frequency point.

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

Optionally, the acquiring the first time delay under the target beam and the handover related information of the first satellite includes:

sending the current position information of the user equipment to a second satellite, wherein the second satellite is a currently connected or to-be-connected satellite;

and receiving the first time delay and the switching related information transmitted by the second satellite.

determining a first time delay under the target beam according to beam information in satellite broadcast messages;

determining the first satellite according to ephemeris information and the first time delay;

sending the current position information of the user equipment and the identity information of the first satellite to a second satellite, wherein the second satellite is a currently connected or to-be-connected satellite;

receiving all beam information of the first satellite transmitted by the second satellite;

and obtaining the switching related information according to all the beam information of the first satellite.

Optionally, the first delay is a duration between a first time and a second time;

the first time is the current time, and the second time is the time when the coverage area of the user equipment is at the edge position of the coverage area of the target beam.

Optionally, the user equipment coverage area is determined by current location information and reference location information of the user equipment.

Optionally, the first satellite is a satellite whose beam coverage area covers the user equipment coverage area at the second time.

Optionally, the beam indicated by the beam information is a beam of a satellite currently connected with the user equipment; or, the beam with the largest delay.

Optionally, the switching condition is that the second time delay is greater than a difference between the first time delay and a preset offset, and the current position of the user equipment is in a coverage area of the first satellite.

Optionally, the determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the handover related information includes:

measuring based on the switching related information, and selecting a first target satellite frequency point;

and the first target satellite frequency point has a signal greater than the preset threshold value, and the duration is greater than the preset duration.

Optionally, the method further comprises:

sending a measurement request to a third satellite under the condition that the signal intensity of a cell connected currently is smaller than a preset threshold value but the first satellite does not meet the switching condition, wherein the third satellite is the currently connected satellite;

receiving a measurement request sent by the third satellite, wherein the measurement request carries satellite information to be measured;

determining a second target satellite frequency point according to the satellite information to be measured;

and sending a switching request according to the second target satellite frequency point.

Optionally, the determining a second target satellite frequency point according to the satellite information to be measured includes:

measuring based on the satellite information to be measured, and selecting a second target satellite frequency point;

and the satellite corresponding to the second target satellite frequency point meets the switching condition, the second target satellite frequency point is provided with a signal greater than the preset threshold value, and the duration is greater than the preset duration.

Optionally, the handover request carries a measurement report.

To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a handover method, executed by a satellite, including:

receiving current position information of user equipment;

according to the current position information, one of the following steps is executed:

transmitting a first time delay under a target beam and switching related information of a first satellite; the target wave beam is a wave beam corresponding to a connected or to-be-connected cell, and the first satellite is a satellite for switching; or,

transmitting all beam information of the first satellite.

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

the first time is a current time, and the second time is a time when the coverage area of the user equipment is at an edge position of the coverage area of the target beam.

To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a switching device, including:

the acquisition module is used for acquiring a first time delay under a target beam and switching related information of a first satellite; the target wave beam is a wave beam corresponding to a connected or to-be-connected cell, and the first satellite is a satellite for switching;

the first processing module is used for determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the switching related information under the condition that the signal intensity of a cell connected currently is smaller than a preset threshold value and the first satellite meets the switching condition;

and the second processing module is used for sending a switching request according to the first target satellite frequency point.

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

Optionally, the obtaining module includes:

a first sending submodule, configured to send current location information of the user equipment to a second satellite, where the second satellite is a currently connected or to-be-connected satellite;

and the first receiving submodule is used for receiving the first time delay and the switching related information sent by the second satellite.

Optionally, the obtaining module includes:

the first determining submodule is used for determining a first time delay under the target beam according to beam information in a satellite broadcast message;

the second determining submodule is used for determining the first satellite according to the ephemeris information and the first time delay;

a second sending submodule, configured to send current location information of the user equipment and identity information of the first satellite to a second satellite, where the second satellite is a currently connected or to-be-connected satellite;

the second receiving submodule is used for receiving all beam information of the first satellite, which is sent by the second satellite;

and the first processing submodule is used for obtaining the switching related information according to all the beam information of the first satellite.

Optionally, the handover condition is that the second time delay is greater than a difference between the first time delay and a preset offset, and the current location of the user equipment is in a coverage area of the first satellite.

Optionally, the second processing module is further configured to:

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises:

the measurement request module is used for sending a measurement request application to a third satellite under the condition that the signal intensity of the currently connected cell is smaller than a preset threshold value but the first satellite does not meet the switching condition, wherein the third satellite is a currently connected satellite;

a measurement receiving module, configured to receive a measurement request sent by the third satellite, where the measurement request carries satellite information to be measured;

the measurement determining module is used for determining a second target satellite frequency point according to the satellite information to be measured;

and the measurement switching module is used for sending a switching request according to the second target satellite frequency point.

Optionally, the measurement determination module is further configured to:

Optionally, the handover request carries a measurement report.

the receiving module is used for receiving the current position information of the user equipment;

a third processing module, configured to execute one of the following steps according to the current location information:

transmitting all beam information of the first satellite.

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a user equipment, including a processor configured to:

determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the switching related information under the condition that the signal intensity of a currently connected cell is smaller than a preset threshold and the first satellite meets the switching condition;

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

Optionally, the user equipment further comprises a transceiver, the transceiver being configured to:

Optionally, the processor is further configured to determine a first delay under the target beam according to beam information in a satellite broadcast message;

the processor is further configured to determine the first satellite according to ephemeris information and the first time delay;

the transceiver is further configured to send current location information of the user equipment and identity information of the first satellite to a second satellite, where the second satellite is a currently connected or to-be-connected satellite;

the transceiver is further used for receiving all beam information of the first satellite transmitted by the second satellite;

the processor is further configured to obtain the handover-related information based on all beam information of the first satellite.

Optionally, the processor is also used for

Optionally, the transceiver is further configured to:

the processor is further configured to:

Optionally, the processor is further configured to:

Optionally, the handover request carries a measurement report.

To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a satellite, including: a transceiver and a processor, wherein the transceiver is connected to the processor,

the transceiver is used for receiving the current position information of the user equipment;

the processor is configured to perform one of the following steps according to the current location information:

transmitting all beam information of the first satellite.

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a user equipment, including: a transceiver, a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored on the memory and executable on the processor; the processor, when executing the program or instructions, implements the handover method as described above.

To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a satellite, including: a transceiver, a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored on the memory and executable on the processor; the processor, when executing the program or instructions, implements the handover method as described above.

To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a readable storage medium on which a program or instructions are stored, which when executed by a processor implement the steps in the handover method as described above.

The technical scheme of the invention has the following beneficial effects:

in the method of the embodiment of the present invention, the user equipment may acquire the first delay under the corresponding beam (i.e., the target beam) and acquire the handover related information of the first satellite (i.e., the satellite for handover) for the connected cell (e.g., the initial access cell or the cell accessed after handover) or the cell to be connected (e.g., the cell initially prepared for access). And then, under the conditions that the signal intensity of a cell currently connected with the user equipment is smaller than a preset threshold value and the first satellite meets the switching condition, further determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the acquired switching related information, so that a switching request is sent, signaling interaction between the user equipment and the satellite can be reduced by completing switching of satellite communication, and the switching efficiency is improved.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a handover method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a delay according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a satellite beam coverage area;

FIG. 6 is a third exemplary illustration of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a second flowchart of a handover method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a second block diagram of a switching device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 11 is a block diagram of a user equipment of an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 12 is a block diagram of a satellite according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

To make the technical problems, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the following detailed description is given with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

It should be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

In various embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the sequence numbers of the following processes do not mean the execution sequence, and the execution sequence of each process should be determined by its function and inherent logic, and should not constitute any limitation to the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

Additionally, the terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably herein.

In the embodiments provided herein, it should be understood that "B corresponding to a" means that B is associated with a from which B can be determined. It should also be understood that determining B from a does not mean determining B from a alone, but may also be determined from a and/or other information.

As shown in fig. 1, a handover method according to an embodiment of the present invention is executed by a user equipment, and includes:

step 101, acquiring a first time delay under a target beam and switching related information of a first satellite; the target wave beam is a wave beam corresponding to a connected or to-be-connected cell, and the first satellite is a satellite for switching;

102, determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the switching related information under the condition that the signal intensity of a currently connected cell is smaller than a preset threshold and the first satellite meets the switching condition;

and 103, sending a switching request according to the first target satellite frequency point.

According to the above steps, the ue may obtain the first delay time under the corresponding beam (i.e. the target beam) and obtain the handover related information of the first satellite (i.e. the satellite for handover) for the connected cell (e.g. the initial access cell or the access cell after handover) or the cell to be connected (e.g. the cell to be initially prepared for access). And then, under the condition that the signal intensity of the cell currently connected with the user equipment is smaller than a preset threshold value and the first satellite meets the switching condition, further determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the acquired switching related information, so that a switching request is sent, signaling interaction between the user equipment and the satellite can be reduced by completing switching of satellite communication, and the switching efficiency is improved.

The first time delay is a time length from the current time when the user equipment is in the target beam coverage area. The handover condition is configured based on the first delay to ensure seamless engagement of the data communication.

And the first satellite is the next available satellite for handoff to the currently connected or to-be-connected satellite.

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

That is, any one of frequency point information, beam information, and cell information of a satellite available for handover is acquired. Of course, the handover-related information for the first satellite may include, but is not limited to, the above information.

It should be appreciated that in this embodiment, the obtained first delay and the handover-related information of the first satellite may be determined by the satellite, and the user equipment requests the satellite directly; or may be determined autonomously by the user equipment.

Therefore, in an aspect, optionally, the acquiring the first time delay under the target beam and the handover related information of the first satellite includes:

Here, the user equipment sends the current position information to the second satellite, and the second satellite feeds back the corresponding first time delay and the handover related information of the first satellite to the user equipment according to the current position information.

For example, the second satellite is a currently to-be-connected satellite, and as shown in fig. 2, the user equipment initiates an RRC connection, and carries current location information of the user equipment in a connection message. After the connection is successfully established, the satellite feeds back the first time delay and switching related information of the satellite available for switching next time.

Of course, the second satellite is a currently connected satellite, and for example, after a handover, the user equipment may also send current location information of the user equipment after connecting to a new satellite cell, and the new satellite cell feeds back the first time delay and handover related information of a next satellite available for handover.

On the other hand, optionally, the acquiring the first time delay under the target beam and the handover related information of the first satellite includes:

Here, the user equipment receives the satellite broadcast message, determines a first time delay by using beam information in the satellite broadcast message, then determines a satellite available for next handover by combining the first time delay and ephemeris information, and then sends current position information of the user equipment and identity information of the satellite available for next handover to the second satellite, so as to receive all beam information of the satellite available for next handover, which is correspondingly fed back by the second satellite, and finally obtains handover related information of the satellite available for next handover from all beam information of the satellite available for next handover.

For example, the second satellite is a currently-to-be-connected satellite, and as shown in fig. 3, the user equipment determines the first time delay by using the beam information in the acquired satellite broadcast message; determining a satellite available for switching next time according to the ephemeris information and the first time delay; user equipment initiates RRC connection, and current position information of the user equipment and identity information of a satellite available for switching next time are carried in connection information; after the connection is successfully established, the satellite feeds back all corresponding beam information based on the identity information of the first satellite; the user equipment determines handover-related information in conjunction with the full beam information of the satellite for which handover is next available.

Similarly, the second satellite may be a currently connected satellite, for example, after a handover, after the user equipment connects to a new satellite cell, the second satellite may also send current location information of the user equipment and identity information of a satellite for next handover determined autonomously, the new satellite cell feeds back difference beam information of the satellite for next handover, and then determines handover related information of the satellite for next handover.

It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the satellite determines or the user equipment determines the first time delay in the same manner.

As shown in fig. 4, it is assumed that the user equipment is currently connected to the cell of the satellite a beam 1, and the current time is T1, the first time is T1. The user equipment or the satellite determines that the time when the coverage area of the user equipment is at the edge position of the coverage area of the beam 1 of the satellite A is T2 and the second time is T2 according to the track of the satellite A, the beam direction and the coverage area of the user equipment. Therefore, the first time delay T _next ＝T2-T1。

Here, the reference location information may be location information of the user equipment at the last handover. If the access is the initial access, the current position information of the reference position information field is consistent.

Specifically, the coverage area of the user equipment is determined based on the current location information and the reference location information, and may be a circular area with the current location of the user equipment as a center and R as a radius, where R = Max [ L, d [ ] _const ]Wherein, L = M (1 + β), M is a distance between the current location of the ue and the reference location, β is a preset parameter, 0<β≤1，d _const Is a preset radius value.

That is, the next available satellite for handover is the satellite whose beam coverage area covers the user equipment coverage area at the second time.

For example, as shown in fig. 5, at time T2, the coverage area of the user equipment is located at the edge of the coverage area of beam 1 of satellite a, at this time, the coverage area of beam 2 of satellite a covers the coverage area of the user equipment, and the coverage area of beam 3 of satellite b covers the coverage area of the user equipment, and then both satellite a and satellite b are satellites available for next handover.

However, it should be understood that there may be more than one beam of the satellite, and that as the satellite is next available for handover, the beams may not all be used for handover, such as beam 1 of satellite a, and as the mobile satellite a moves, the coverage area of beam 1 no longer covers the coverage area of the ue; also, as with beam 4 of satellite b, the coverage area of beam 4 does not encompass the ue coverage area. Therefore, in the handover-related information of the first satellite, the beam indicated by the beam information is a beam whose coverage area covers the coverage area of the user equipment at the second time.

Of course, in the case that there are a plurality of satellites available for switching next time, if another beam of the satellite currently connected or to be connected to the user equipment has a coverage area covering the coverage area of the user equipment at the second time, it is preferable that the first satellite and the satellite currently connected or to be connected to the user equipment are the same satellite; and if the same satellite does not have the matched beam, selecting the satellite corresponding to the beam with the maximum time delay.

Correspondingly, in the handover-related information of the first satellite, the beam indicated by the beam information is the beam of the satellite currently connected with the user equipment; or, the beam with the largest delay.

That is to say, the acquired beam information of the first satellite acquires the information of the beam a of the satellite currently connected or to be connected with the user equipment when the coverage area of another beam (such as the beam a) of the satellite currently connected or to be connected with the user equipment covers the coverage area of the user equipment at the second moment; and when the coverage area of the satellite which is connected or to be connected with the user equipment does not have the beam covers the coverage area of the user equipment at the second moment, selecting the beam information of the beam with the largest time delay.

Wherein the time delay T on which the beam selection is based _next ' is the time length from T2 when the user equipment can be in the coverage area of the corresponding beam, and the calculation mode and T are _next Similarly, T _next ' = T3-T2, T3 being the moment when the user equipment coverage area is at the edge position of the corresponding beam coverage area.

In addition, in this embodiment, when the signal strength of the currently connected cell is smaller than the preset threshold and there is a handover requirement, considering effective handover of communications, optionally, the handover condition is that the second delay is larger than a difference between the first delay and a preset offset, and the current location of the ue is in the coverage area of the first satellite.

Here, the second time delay T _current Starting from the current moment with the switching requirement, the time length that the user equipment can be in the coverage area of the corresponding beam, the calculation mode and the T _next Similarly, T _current T5-T4, T4 being the current time, T5 being the time when the user equipment coverage area is at the edge position of the corresponding beam coverage area. Presetting an offset T _offset Is pre-configured or defined.

In this embodiment, whether the first satellite meets the handover condition is determined by the ue performing comprehensive judgment according to the current location, the first time delay, the second time delay, ephemeris information, and the like.

Optionally, determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the handover related information under the condition that the signal intensity of the currently connected cell is smaller than a preset threshold and the first satellite meets the handover condition includes:

The user equipment measures according to the switching related information of the first satellite meeting the switching condition, wherein the first target satellite frequency point has a signal larger than a preset threshold value, and the duration is longer than a preset duration. The user equipment may then initiate a handover request from the first target satellite frequency point. That is, the handover is initiated after the measurement result meets the requirement, and the handover process is accelerated so as to ensure seamless connection of data communication.

For example, as shown in fig. 6, the ue finds that the signal of the current cell (the currently connected cell) is continuously smaller than the preset threshold, and T _current >T _next -T _offset And after the current position is in the coverage area of the satellite for switching, measuring according to the acquired switching related information of the satellite for switching, and determining a satellite frequency point (a first target satellite frequency point) which has a signal greater than a preset threshold and has a duration greater than a preset duration. The user equipment initiates a handover request. The satellite 1 (the satellite corresponding to the current cell) performs handover preparation work, and issues a handover instruction after the preparation work is completed. The user equipment accesses satellite 2 (the satellite corresponding to the new cell) according to the handover command. After the handover is successful, the first time delay of the new target beam and at least one of frequency point information, beam information and cell information of a satellite available for handover next time can be obtained based on the above contents.

In addition, when the signal strength of the currently connected cell is less than the preset threshold, the first satellite may not meet the handover condition, so in this embodiment, optionally, the method further includes:

Here, the satellite information to be measured includes at least one of the following information of the measurement satellite: frequency point information; beam information; cell information.

Therefore, when the signal intensity of the cell currently connected with the user equipment is smaller than the preset threshold value and the switching requirement is met, the first satellite can not meet the switching condition, the satellite information needing to be measured is applied to the currently connected satellite to determine a second target satellite frequency point, then the second target satellite frequency point sends a switching request to complete switching, switching under abnormal conditions is avoided, and seamless connection of data communication is guaranteed.

and the satellite corresponding to the second target satellite frequency point meets the switching condition, the second target satellite frequency point has a signal greater than the preset threshold value, and the duration is greater than the preset duration.

The user equipment measures according to satellite information to be measured, and on the second target satellite frequency point, a signal greater than a preset threshold value is provided, and the duration is greater than a preset duration, wherein the satellite corresponding to the second target satellite frequency point meets the switching condition. The user equipment may then initiate a handover request at the second target satellite frequency point. Here, the handover is initiated after the measurement result meets the requirement, and the handover process is accelerated so as to ensure seamless connection of data communication.

For example, as shown in fig. 7, when the signal strength of the cell to which the ue is currently connected is less than the preset threshold and there is a handover requirement, the handover condition, i.e. T, cannot be satisfied for the first satellite _current <T _next -T _offset And/or the current position is not under the coverage area of a satellite available for handover, actively sends a measurement request application to satellite 1 (the currently connected satellite) requesting the satellite to provide measured satellite information depending on the current position of the user equipment. The satellite 1 feeds back satellite information to be measured in the measurement request. The user equipment measures according to the satellite information needing to be measured and determines that the satellite information is larger than a preset thresholdThe value of the satellite frequency point, and the duration of the satellite frequency point is longer than the preset duration (the second target satellite frequency point). The user equipment initiates a handover request to the satellite 1. The satellite 1 performs a switching preparation and issues a switching command after the preparation is completed. The user equipment accesses satellite 2 (the satellite for the new cell) according to the handover command. After the switching is successful, the first time delay of the new target beam and at least one of the frequency point information, the beam information and the cell information of the satellite available for switching next time can be obtained based on the above contents.

Optionally, in this embodiment, the handover request carries a measurement report.

Here, the measurement report corresponds to a measurement report within a pre-configured time period for the satellite to perform an adaptive handover preparation.

To sum up, the method of the embodiment of the invention accelerates the switching process, ensures the seamless connection of data communication, can reduce the signaling interaction between the user equipment and the satellite, and improves the switching efficiency.

As shown in fig. 8, a handover method according to an embodiment of the present invention is executed by a satellite, and includes:

step 801, receiving current position information of user equipment;

step 802, according to the current position information, executing one of the following steps:

transmitting all beam information of the first satellite.

According to the method, based on the current position information of the user equipment, the first time delay under the target wave beam and the switching related information of the first satellite or all wave beam information of the first satellite are provided for the user equipment, so that the user equipment can further determine the frequency point of the first target satellite according to the acquired switching related information under the condition that the signal intensity of the currently connected cell is smaller than the preset threshold and the first satellite meets the switching condition, thereby sending the switching request, completing the switching of satellite communication, reducing the signaling interaction between the user equipment and the satellite and improving the switching efficiency.

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

It should be noted that, the implementation manner of the satellites (such as the first satellite, the second satellite, and the third satellite) in the handover method embodiment executed by the user equipment may also be implemented by the satellite according to the embodiment of the present invention, and details are not described herein again.

As shown in fig. 9, a switching apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:

an obtaining module 910, configured to obtain a first time delay under a target beam and handover related information of a first satellite; the target wave beam is a wave beam corresponding to a connected or to-be-connected cell, and the first satellite is a satellite for switching;

a first processing module 920, configured to determine a first target satellite frequency point according to the handover related information when the signal strength of the currently connected cell is smaller than a preset threshold and the first satellite meets a handover condition;

a second processing module 930, configured to send a handover request according to the first target satellite frequency point.

The apparatus may obtain a first delay time under a corresponding beam (i.e., a target beam) for a connected cell (e.g., an initial access cell or an access cell after handover) or a cell to be connected (e.g., a cell to be initially prepared for access), and obtain handover-related information of a first satellite (i.e., a satellite for handover). And then, under the condition that the signal intensity of the cell currently connected with the user equipment is smaller than a preset threshold value and the first satellite meets the switching condition, further determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the acquired switching related information, so that a switching request is sent, signaling interaction between the user equipment and the satellite can be reduced by completing switching of satellite communication, and the switching efficiency is improved.

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

Optionally, the obtaining module includes:

the second receiving submodule is used for receiving all beam information of the first satellite, which is transmitted by the second satellite;

Optionally, the second processing module is further configured to:

Optionally, the apparatus further comprises:

Optionally, the measurement determination module is further configured to:

Optionally, the handover request carries a measurement report.

It should be noted that, the apparatus applies the above handover method executed by the ue, and the implementation manner of the method embodiment is applicable to the apparatus, and the same technical effect can be achieved.

As shown in fig. 10, an embodiment of the present invention provides a switching apparatus, including:

a receiving module 1010, configured to receive current location information of a user equipment;

a third processing module 1020, configured to execute one of the following steps according to the current location information:

transmitting all beam information of the first satellite.

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

It should be noted that, the apparatus applies the above-mentioned handover method performed by the satellite, and the implementation manner of the above-mentioned method embodiment is applicable to the apparatus, and the same technical effect can be achieved.

The user equipment of the embodiment of the invention comprises a processor, wherein the processor is used for:

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

Optionally, the user equipment further comprises a transceiver for:

Optionally, the processor is further configured to determine a first time delay under the target beam according to beam information in a satellite broadcast message;

Optionally, the processor is also used for

Optionally, the transceiver is further configured to:

sending a measurement request to a third satellite under the condition that the signal intensity of a currently connected cell is smaller than a preset threshold value but the first satellite does not meet a switching condition, wherein the third satellite is a currently connected satellite;

the processor is further configured to:

Optionally, the processor is further configured to:

Optionally, the handover request carries a measurement report.

The ue of this embodiment may acquire, for a connected cell (e.g., an initial access cell or an access cell after handover) or a cell to be connected (e.g., a cell initially prepared for access), a first delay under a corresponding beam (i.e., a target beam), and acquire handover-related information of a first satellite (i.e., a satellite available for handover). And then, under the conditions that the signal intensity of a cell currently connected with the user equipment is smaller than a preset threshold value and the first satellite meets the switching condition, further determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the acquired switching related information, so that a switching request is sent, signaling interaction between the user equipment and the satellite can be reduced by completing switching of satellite communication, and the switching efficiency is improved.

A satellite of an embodiment of the present invention includes: a transceiver and a processor, wherein the transceiver is connected to the processor,

transmitting all beam information of the first satellite.

Optionally, the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

A user equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 11, includes a transceiver 1110, a processor 1100, a memory 1120, and a program or instructions stored in the memory 1120 and executable on the processor 1100; the processor 1100 implements the handover method performed by the user equipment as described above when executing the program or instructions.

The transceiver 1110 is used for receiving and transmitting data under the control of the processor 1100.

Where, in fig. 11, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, with one or more processors, represented by the processor 1100, and various circuits, represented by the memory 1120, being linked together. The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits such as peripherals, voltage regulators, power management circuits, and the like, which are well known in the art, and therefore, will not be described any further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 1110 may be a number of elements including a transmitter and a receiver that provide a means for communicating with various other apparatus over a transmission medium. For different user devices, the user interface 1130 may also be an interface capable of interfacing with a desired device, including but not limited to a keypad, display, speaker, microphone, joystick, etc.

The processor 1100 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 1120 may store data used by the processor 1100 in performing operations.

A satellite according to another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 12, includes a transceiver 1210, a processor 1200, a memory 1220, and a program or instructions stored in the memory 1220 and operable on the processor 1200; the processor 1200, when executing the program or instructions, implements the handoff method performed by the satellite described above.

The transceiver 1210 for receiving and transmitting data under the control of the processor 1200.

Where in fig. 12, the bus architecture may include any number of interconnected buses and bridges, with various circuits of one or more processors represented by processor 1200 and memory represented by memory 1220 being linked together. The bus architecture may also link together various other circuits such as peripherals, voltage regulators, power management circuits, and the like, which are well known in the art, and therefore, will not be described any further herein. The bus interface provides an interface. The transceiver 1210 may be a number of elements including a transmitter and receiver that provide a means for communicating with various other apparatus over a transmission medium. The processor 1200 is responsible for managing the bus architecture and general processing, and the memory 1220 may store data used by the processor 1200 in performing operations.

The readable storage medium of the embodiment of the present invention stores a program or an instruction thereon, and when the program or the instruction is executed by a processor, the steps in the handover method described above are implemented, and the same technical effect can be achieved.

Wherein the processor is the processor in the user equipment or the satellite described in the above embodiments. The readable storage medium includes a computer readable storage medium, such as a Read-Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk.

It is further noted that the user devices described in this specification include, but are not limited to, smart phones, tablets, etc., and many of the features described are referred to as modules, in order to more particularly emphasize their implementation independence.

In embodiments of the present invention, modules may be implemented in software for execution by various types of processors. An identified module of executable code may, for instance, comprise one or more physical or logical blocks of computer instructions which may, for instance, be constructed as an object, procedure, or function. Nevertheless, the executables of an identified module need not be physically located together, but may comprise disparate instructions stored in different bits which, when joined logically together, comprise the module and achieve the stated purpose for the module.

Indeed, a module of executable code may be a single instruction, or many instructions, and may even be distributed over several different code segments, among different programs, and across several memory devices. Likewise, operational data may be identified within the modules and may be embodied in any suitable form and organized within any suitable type of data structure. The operational data may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed over different locations including over different storage devices, and may exist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system or network.

When a module can be implemented by software, considering the level of existing hardware technology, a module implemented by software may build a corresponding hardware circuit to implement a corresponding function, without considering cost, and the hardware circuit may include a conventional Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) circuit or a gate array and an existing semiconductor such as a logic chip, a transistor, or other discrete components. A module may also be implemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices or the like.

The exemplary embodiments described above are described with reference to the drawings, and many different forms and embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and teaching of the invention, therefore, the invention is not to be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of elements may be exaggerated for clarity. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Unless otherwise indicated, a range of values, when stated, includes the upper and lower limits of the range, and any subranges therebetween.

While the foregoing is directed to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A handover method, performed by a user equipment, comprising:

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first time delay in the target beam and the handoff-related information of the first satellite comprises:

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first time delay in the target beam and the handoff-related information of the first satellite comprises:

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first delay is a length of time between a first time and a second time;

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the UE coverage area is determined by current location information and reference location information of the UE.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first satellite is a satellite whose beam coverage area covers the user equipment coverage area at the second time.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the beam indicated by the beam information is a beam of a satellite currently connected to the user equipment; or, the beam with the largest delay.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the handover condition is that the second time delay is greater than a difference between the first time delay and a preset offset, and the current location of the UE is in a coverage area of the first satellite.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the handover-related information comprises:

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the determining a second target satellite frequency point according to the satellite information to be measured comprises:

13. The method according to claim 10 or 12, wherein the handover request carries a measurement report.

14. A handoff method, performed by a satellite, comprising:

receiving current position information of user equipment;

transmitting all beam information of the first satellite.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the handover-related information comprises at least one of:

frequency point information;

beam information;

cell information.

16. A switching device, comprising:

the first processing module is used for determining a first target satellite frequency point according to the switching related information under the condition that the signal intensity of a currently connected cell is smaller than a preset threshold and the first satellite meets the switching condition;

17. A switching device, comprising:

transmitting all beam information of the first satellite.

18. A user device, comprising a processor configured to:

19. A satellite, comprising: a transceiver and a processor, wherein the transceiver is connected to the processor,

transmitting all beam information of the first satellite.

20. A user equipment, comprising: a transceiver, a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored on the memory and executable on the processor; characterized in that the processor, when executing the program or instructions, implements the handover method according to any of claims 1-13.

21. A satellite, comprising: a transceiver, a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored on the memory and executable on the processor; characterized in that the processor, when executing the program or instructions, implements the handover method according to claim 14 or 15.

22. A readable storage medium on which a program or instructions are stored, which program or instructions, when executed by a processor, implement the handover method of any one of claims 1-13, or the handover method of claim 14 or 15.