Communication method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2026095875-A1
Application number	US-202519411345-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 7, 2025
Priority date	Jun 30, 2023
Publication date	Apr 2, 2026
Grant date	—

Abstract

This application relates to a communication method and apparatus. A terminal device may receive first information from a first cell, to obtain non-terrestrial network (NTN) assistance information of a first satellite and NTN assistance information of a second satellite. When the first information is received, the first satellite corresponds to the first cell, and a cell identity corresponding to the second satellite is the same as a cell identity of the first cell. Further, when the terminal device re-synchronizes with the first cell or before the terminal device re-synchronizes with the first cell, the terminal device restarts a timer. Start time of the timer is start time of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite, and duration of the timer is validity duration of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite.

First claim

1 . A communication method, comprising:
receiving first information from a first cell, wherein the first information comprises non-terrestrial network (NTN) assistance information of a first satellite and NTN assistance information of a second satellite, the first satellite corresponds to the first cell, and a cell identity corresponding to the second satellite is the same as a cell identity of the first cell; re-synchronizing with the first cell; and starting a timer in accordance with epoch time of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite, with duration of the timer set to validity duration of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite, wherein the timer is started upon any one of the following:
time at which the first satellite stops serving the first cell;
time after time at which the first satellite stops serving the first cell, at an interval of preset time; or
time at which the second satellite starts to serve the first cell.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein time of re-synchronizing with the first cell is any one of the following:
the time at which the first satellite stops serving the first cell; the time after the time at which the first satellite stops serving the first cell, at the interval of the preset time; or the time at which the second satellite starts to serve the first cell, wherein the terminal device is located in the first cell.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving second information from the first cell, wherein the second information indicates the time at which the terminal device re-synchronizes with the first cell.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving third information from the first cell, wherein the third information indicates the time at which a terminal device restarts the timer.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the second information or the third information further indicates that the first cell supports satellite switch without cell identity change.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein after receiving the first information and before re-synchronizing with the first cell, the method further comprises:
starting a second timer in accordance with epoch time of the NTN assistance information of the first satellite, with duration of the second timer set to validity duration of the NTN assistance information of the first satellite, wherein the secod timer is same as the timer or different from the timer.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the NTN assistance information of the first satellite comprises ephemeris information of the first satellite, the epoch time of the NTN assistance information of the first satellite, and the validity duration of the NTN assistance information of the first satellite; and
the NTN assistance information of the second satellite comprises ephemeris information of the second satellite, the epoch time of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite, and the validity duration of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first satellite serves the first cell when the first information is received; and the second satellite serves the first cell during resynchronization with the first cell or after resynchronization with the first cell.

9 . A communication apparatus, wherein the communication apparatus comprises at least one processor, the at least one processor is configured to perform:
receiving first information from a first cell, wherein the first information comprises non-terrestrial network (NTN) assistance information of a first satellite and NTN assistance information of a second satellite, the first satellite corresponds to the first cell, and a cell identity corresponding to the second satellite is the same as a cell identity of the first cell;
re-synchronizing with the first cell; and
starting a timer in accordance with epoch time of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite, with duration of the timer set to validity duration of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite, wherein
the timer is started upon any one of the following:
time at which the first satellite stops serving the first cell;
time after time at which the first satellite stops serving the first cell, at an interval of preset time; or
time at which the second satellite starts to serve the first cell.

10 . The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein time of re-synchronizing with the first cell is any one of the following:
the time at which the first satellite stops serving the first cell; the time after the time at which the first satellite stops serving the first cell, at the interval of the preset time; or the time at which the second satellite starts to serve the first cell, wherein the terminal device is located in the first cell.

11 . The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform:
receiving second information from the first cell, wherein the second information indicates the time at which the terminal device re-synchronizes with the first cell.

12 . The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform:
receiving third information from the first cell, wherein the third information indicates the time at which a terminal device restarts the timer.

13 . The communication apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the second information or the third information further indicates that the first cell supports satellite switch without cell identity change.

14 . The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein after receiving the first information and before re-synchronizing with the first cell, the at least one processor is configured to perform:
starting a second timer in accordance with epoch time of the NTN assistance information of the first satellite, with duration of the second timer set to validity duration of the NTN assistance information of the first satellite, wherein the second timer is same as the timer or different from the timer.

15 . The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the NTN assistance information of the first satellite comprises ephemeris information of the first satellite, the epoch time of the NTN assistance information of the first satellite, and the validity duration of the NTN assistance information of the first satellite; and
the NTN assistance information of the second satellite comprises ephemeris information of the second satellite, the epoch time of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite, and the validity duration of the NTN assistance information of the second satellite.

16 . The communication apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first satellite serves the first cell when the first information is received; and the second satellite serves the first cell during resynchronization with the first cell or after resynchronization with the first cell.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions; and when the computer instructions are executed, the computer is enabled to perform:
receiving first information from a first cell, wherein the first information comprises non-terrestrial network NTN assistance information of a first satellite and NTN assistance informa

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fan Liangliang
• Xu Haibo
• Xue Lixia

Classifications

• H04W84/06

  Airborne or Satellite Networks (space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185) · CPC title

• H04W56/001 Primary

  Synchronization between nodes · CPC title

• H04W36/083

  wherein at least one of the access points is a moving node · CPC title

• H04W36/00835

  Determination of neighbour cell lists · CPC title

• H04W56/00

  Synchronisation arrangements · CPC title