Method and apparatus for controlling network devices providing network services for a plurality of over-the-air areas

A method for sending control information applied to a first network device among a plurality of network devices, comprising:

• receiving control information sent by a control device, wherein the control information is configured to instruct the first network device to operate or stop operating within a time grid, and the control information is configured to instruct, for the time grid, each network device in a set of network devices corresponding to the time grid to operate, and each network device in any other set of network devices not corresponding to the time grid to stop operating, wherein, each set of network devices provides network service for an over-the-air area corresponding to an altitude level region or an altitude value range;
• and
• performing an operation corresponding to the control information, and sending the control information to a terminal device located in an over-the-air area corresponding to a set of network devices including the first network device;
• wherein, the set of network devices including the first network device is determined for the corresponding the over-the-air area by performing steps of:
• determining first received power or second received power for each respective network device of the plurality of network devices, the first received power being received power of a terminal device located in the corresponding over-the-air area with respect to the respective network device, the second received power being received power at any location within a coverage area of network service provided by the respective network device and being determined according to a space propagation loss model between the respective network device and a terminal device at any location in the corresponding over-the-air area and a distance between the respective network device and the terminal device, wherein the first received power or the second received power includes received power of at least one of the following signals:
• a reference signal, a synchronization signal, and a channel state reference signal;
• determining a set of candidate network devices, wherein the first received power or the second received power for each of the set of candidate network devices is greater than a preset power threshold;
• determining a coverage area of network service provided by each network device in the set of candidate network devices;
• deleting a second network device from the set of candidate network devices to obtain a reduced set of network devices if a coverage area of a network service provided by a first network device in the set of candidate network devices includes a coverage area of a network service provided by the second network device, wherein the first network device and the second network device are two different network devices in the set of candidate network devices;
• and
• determining the set of network devices corresponding to the over-the-air area from the reduced set of network devices.

A method for sending data applied to a terminal device, comprising:

• receiving control information sent by a network device, wherein the control information is configured to instruct the network device to operate or stop operating within each time grid, and the control information is configured to instruct, for each time grid, each network device in a set of network devices corresponding to the time grid to operate, and each network device in another set of network devices not corresponding to the time grid to stop operating, wherein, each of the set of network devices and the another set of networks comprises a plurality of network devices that provides network service for an over-the-air area, and the over-the-air area is corresponds to an altitude level region or an altitude value range;
• determining an over the air area in which the terminal device is located;
• and
• sending, within a time grid corresponding to the over the air area, data to one or more network devices that provide network services for the over-the-air area in which the terminal device is located according to the control information;
• wherein, each set of network devices is determined for a corresponding over-the-air area by performing steps of:
• determining first received power or second received power for each respective network device of a plurality of network devices, the first received power being received power of a terminal device located in the corresponding over-the-air area with respect to the respective network device, the second received power being received power at any location within a coverage area of network service provided by the respective network device and being determined according to a space propagation loss model between the respective network device and a terminal device at any location in the corresponding over-the-air area and a distance between the respective network device and the terminal device, wherein the first received power or the second received power includes received power of at least one of the following signals:
• a reference signal, a synchronization signal, and a channel state reference signal;
• determining a set of candidate network devices, wherein the first received power or the second received power for each of the set of candidate network devices is greater than a preset power threshold;
• and
• determining a coverage area of network service provided by each network device in the set of candidate network devices;
• deleting a second network device from the set of candidate network devices to obtain a reduced set of network devices if a coverage area of a network service provided by a first network device in the set of candidate network devices includes a coverage area of a network service provided by the second network device, wherein the first network device and the second network device are two different network devices in the set of candidate network devices;
• and
• determining the set of network devices corresponding to the over-the-air area from the reduced set of network devices.