Method and apparatus for connected mode measurement enhancement in global navigation satellite system operation

Abstract

Various solutions for connected mode measurement enhancements in global navigation satellite system (GNSS) operations are described. A device can connect to a serving cell associated with a first non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) satellite to operate in a connected mode. The device can also receive, from the serving cell, a configuration of one or more neighboring cells associated with a second NGSO satellite. The serving cell and the one or more neighboring cells operate within a same frequency band. The device can then perform, based on the configuration, inter-frequency measurements of the one or more neighboring cells if at least one condition is satisfied.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing This invention is part of a non-provisional application claiming priority interest, US Application No. 63 / 595782, filed on November 3, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention generally relates to mobile communications, and more specifically, to enhancements to connectivity mode measurements in the operation of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Background Technology

[0003] Unless otherwise stated, the methods described in this section are not prior art to the claims listed below, nor are they considered prior art simply because they are included in this section.

[0004] In Release 17 of the Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), non-terrestrial network (NTN) was introduced as a terminal-satellite direct communication technology based on the new radio (NR) interface. With the convergence of satellite networks and terrestrial cellular networks (e.g., 5G networks), NTN can provide ubiquitous coverage unrestricted by terrain and topography. As NTN continues to evolve in the 5G-Advanced phase, it has become an important component of the 3GPP Release 18 work plan. Currently, NTN can include two working groups: Internet-of-Things (IoT) NTN and New Radio (NR) NTN. IoT NTN focuses on supporting satellite IoT services for low-complexity enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC) and narrowband Internet-of-Things (NB-IoT) user equipment (UE). NR NTN uses the 5G NR framework to enable direct connectivity between satellites and smartphones to provide voice and data services.

[0005] 3GPP Release 18 supports connectivity mode measurements for IoT NTN. However, in global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) such as non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite systems, significant latency and Doppler shift can cause serving satellites and neighboring satellites operating in the same frequency band to be detected as satellites in different frequency bands at the user equipment (UE). Therefore, for co-frequency measurements of neighboring cells associated with different NGSO satellites in NTN / NGSO, the UE may not be able to simultaneously measure cells on both the serving satellite and neighboring satellites. Furthermore, with GNSS measurement gaps configured, measurement behavior is undefined or ambiguous. According to the current 3GPP Release 18 standard, even after (re)acquiring GNSS positioning results, all radiolink monitoring (RLM) or radio resource management (RRM) measurements must be paused during GNSS measurement gaps. Since the network-configurable GNSS measurement gap can be as long as 30 seconds, the UE may be unnecessarily blocked from performing RLM / RRM measurements for extended periods, which is detrimental to overall system efficiency.

[0006] Therefore, appropriate solutions are needed to address these issues. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The following abstract is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be restrictive. That is, the abstract aims to introduce the concepts, key points, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Detailed descriptions will follow. Therefore, the following abstract is not intended to identify the essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor to determine its scope.

[0008] One objective of this disclosure is to propose schemes, concepts, designs, systems, methods, and apparatus related to enhanced connectivity mode measurements in the operation of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). It is believed that by implementing one or more of the schemes proposed herein, the aforementioned problems can be avoided or mitigated.

[0009] In one aspect, a method may involve equipment connecting to a serving cell associated with a first non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite to operate in a connected mode. The method may also involve the equipment receiving from the serving cell a configuration of one or more neighboring cells associated with a second NGSO satellite, wherein the serving cell and the one or more neighboring cells operate in the same frequency band. The method may further involve the equipment performing co-frequency measurements on the one or more neighboring cells based on the configuration, provided at least one condition is met.

[0010] In one aspect, an apparatus may include a transceiver that wirelessly communicates with one or more cells during operation. The apparatus may also include a processor communicatively connected to the transceiver. During operation, the processor may perform operations including connecting via the transceiver to a serving cell associated with a first NGSO satellite for operation in a connected mode. The processor may also perform operations including receiving via the transceiver a configuration of one or more neighboring cells associated with a second NGSO satellite from the serving cell, wherein the serving cell and the one or more neighboring cells operate in the same frequency band. The processor may further perform operations including performing co-frequency measurements on the one or more neighboring cells based on the configuration via the transceiver, provided at least one condition is met.

[0011] It is worth noting that although the description herein may be made in the context of certain wireless access technologies, networks, and network topologies (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, 5G, New Radio (NR), Internet of Things (IoT) and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), B5G, and 6G), the proposed concepts, schemes, and any variations or derivatives thereof can be implemented in other types of wireless access technologies, networks, and network topologies. Therefore, the scope of the invention is not limited to the examples described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this invention. The drawings depict embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. It is understood that, in order to clearly illustrate the concepts of the invention, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some components shown may be depicted at a scale greater than that in the actual embodiments.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of Doppler frequency shift in an NTN system.

[0014] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram illustrating example scenarios of communication environments in which the various solutions and schemes of this disclosure can be implemented.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of co-frequency cross-satellite measurement according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of early termination of GNSS measurement gaps according to an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a block diagram describing an example communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a flowchart describing an example process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0019] This document discloses detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matter. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are merely illustrative of the claimed subject matter, which can be implemented in various forms. The invention can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations set forth herein. Rather, these various exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided so that the description of the invention is comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the following description, details of well-known features and technologies may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0020] Overview Embodiments of the present invention relate to various techniques, methods, schemes, and / or solutions related to connectivity mode measurement enhancement in the operation of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). According to the present invention, multiple possible solutions can be implemented individually or in combination. That is, although these possible solutions may be described individually below, two or more of these possible solutions may be implemented in one combination or another.

[0021] In this disclosure, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) refers to a network that utilizes radio frequency (RF) and information processing resources carried by high-, medium-, and low-Earth orbit satellites (i.e., non-geosynchronous orbit NGSO satellites) or other high-altitude communication platforms to provide communication services to user equipment (UE). Depending on the payload capabilities of the satellite, there are two typical scenarios: transparent payload and regenerative payload. In transparent payload mode, the satellite does not process the signals and waveforms in the communication service; it only acts as an RF amplifier to forward data. In regenerative payload mode, in addition to RF amplification, the satellite also possesses processing capabilities such as modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, switching, and routing.

[0022] In NTN systems (e.g., IoT NTN systems), due to significant latency and Doppler shift, serving satellites and neighboring satellites operating in the same frequency band may be detected by the UE as satellites operating in different frequency bands. Figure 1 As shown. Therefore, for co-frequency measurements of neighboring cells associated with different NGSO satellites in NTN NGSO, the UE may not be able to simultaneously measure cells on the serving satellite and neighboring satellites. Therefore, the UE may need a new design for co-frequency cross-satellite neighboring cell measurements. Furthermore, with GNSS measurement gaps configured, the measurement behavior is undefined or ambiguous. According to the current 3GPP Release 18 standard, even after (re)acquiring GNSS positioning results, all Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) / Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements must be paused during GNSS measurement gaps. Since the network-configurable GNSS measurement gap can be as long as 31 seconds, the UE may be unnecessarily blocked from performing RLM / RRM measurements for extended periods, which is detrimental to overall system efficiency.

[0023] In view of the above, this disclosure is motivated by, but not limited to, the IoT NTN scenario, and proposes a variety of schemes related to enhancing connection mode measurement in GNSS operation. Figure 2Example scenario 200 of a communication environment is illustrated, in which various solutions and schemes of this disclosure can be implemented. Scenario 200 involves UE 210 wirelessly communicating with network 220 (e.g., a wireless network including NTN and terrestrial network TN) through terrestrial network node 222 (e.g., evolved Node-B (eNB), Next Generation Node-B (gNB), transmission / reception point (TRP) or gateway) and / or non-terrestrial network node 224 (e.g., NGSO satellite). For example, terrestrial network node 222 and non-terrestrial network node 224 can form an NTN serving cell to wirelessly communicate with UE 210. Alternatively, non-terrestrial network node 224 can form an NTN serving cell independently to wirelessly communicate with UE 210 without the participation of terrestrial network node 222. In some implementations, UE 210 can be an Internet of Things (IoT) device, such as a narrowband IoT NB-IoT UE or an enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC) UE (e.g., a bandwidth-constrained low-complexity (BL) UE or a coverage-enhanced CE UE). As described below, in this communication environment, UE 210, network 220, ground network node 222, and / or non-ground network node 224 can implement the various schemes related to connectivity mode measurement enhancement in GNSS operation as described in this disclosure. It is worth noting that although the various proposed schemes may be described separately below, in practice, some or all of the proposed schemes may be used in combination or implemented. Of course, each proposed scheme can also be used or implemented individually.

[0024] Generally, Internet of Things (IoT) systems are mainly divided into NB-IoT and eMTC based on differences in system bandwidth and coverage. Typically, NB-IoT uses a bandwidth of approximately 200 kHz, supporting low-bandwidth data transmission at rates below 100 kilobits per second (Kbps). In contrast, eMTC technology typically uses a 1.4 MHz bandwidth, with a maximum data transmission rate of 1 megabit per second (Mbps).

[0025] According to the first scheme proposed in this disclosure, the UE (e.g., an NB-IoT UE in connected mode) can perform co-frequency cross-satellite measurements in a "best-effort manner" as used in NB-IoT inter-frequency measurements by applying latency requirement conditions. Figure 3An example scenario 300 of co-frequency cross-satellite measurement according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated. Scenario 300 describes a UE 310 (e.g., an NB-IoT UE) connected to a serving cell consisting of serving satellites 322 (denoted as SAT#1) and configured to perform co-frequency measurements on neighboring cells consisting of adjacent satellites 324 (denoted as SAT#2). For example, the UE 310 may receive a configuration of the neighboring cells from the serving cell, including identification information such as the frequency information of the neighboring cells (e.g., Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number ARFCN). Both the serving satellite 322 and the neighboring satellites 324 can be NGSO satellites, configured to transmit or broadcast reference signals, such as a narrowband primary synchronization signal (NPSS) and / or a narrowband secondary synchronization signal (NSSS), which the UE 310 can detect or monitor for measurement. Figure 3 As shown, to address the Doppler frequency shift issue in NTN systems, UE 310 can perform co-frequency cross-satellite measurements by applying the delay requirement conditions used in inter-frequency measurements.

[0026] Specifically, the UE can measure the timing of MO (denoted as MO) for co-frequency detection of different NGSO satellites. detect_intra_interSat In this process, co-frequency measurements are performed on adjacent cells, where MO detect_intra_interSat The timing of the measurement includes NPSS or NSSS. More specifically, the UE may perform co-frequency cross-satellite neighboring cell measurements when at least one of the following conditions is met: (i) the measurement timing is associated with a resource where the device is not scheduled to transmit or receive data; (ii) the measurement timing is associated with a resource where the device does not need to perform narrowband physical downlink control channel (NPDCCH) monitoring; (iii) the measurement timing is associated with a resource occurring during discontinuous reception of DRX inactivity; and (iv) the length between the measurement timings is at least one time period (e.g., at least 200 milliseconds for cell search, or at least 50 milliseconds for cell measurement). Furthermore, the UE may perform measurements within the identification period T. identify_intra_interSat Within, new detectable co-frequency cells are identified on different NGSO satellites, among which, T identify_intra_interSat Defined as having the same period as the inter-frequency cell identification period.

[0027] In some implementations, it is assumed that the UE can identify the period T. identify_intra The system identifies new detectable co-frequency cells. In Case 1-1, when the UE performs co-frequency monitoring on a geostationary orbit GSO or serving NGSO satellite, the identification period T... identify_intra = T detect_intra + T measure_intra Among them, when DRX is not used, T detect_intra For 1400 milliseconds, T measure_intraThe identification period is 800 milliseconds based on NRS measurements and 1600 milliseconds based on NSSS measurements. In cases 1-2, when the UE monitors multiple carriers on a geostationary orbit GSO or serving NGSO satellite, the identification period T is... identify_intra = T detect + T measure , among which, T detect = T detect_intra + N freq * T detect_inter And T measure = T measure_intra + N freq * T measure_inter N freq To determine the number of different frequency carriers that need to be measured based on the measurement capability, T detect_inter and T measure_inter The definition is the same as that in inter-frequency neighboring cell measurements.

[0028] In some implementations, the identification period can be determined differently in the following cases. For case 2-1, for non-geosynchronous orbit NGSO, when the user equipment (UE) only monitors the same frequency on adjacent NGSO satellites, the identification period T is... identify_intra = T identify_intra_interSat = T detect_intra_interSat +T measure_intra_interSat For scenario 2-2, for NGSO, when the user equipment (UE) is monitoring the same frequency on both the serving NGSO satellite and neighboring NGSO satellites, the identification period T... identify_intra = T detect_intra_interSat + T measure_intra_interSat+ X intra , where X intra Equals 0 (if the user equipment (UE) is not performing co-frequency measurements on the serving satellite), otherwise equals T. identify_intra (As in case 1-1). For cases 2-3, for NGSO, when the user equipment (UE) monitors multiple carriers on both the serving NGSO satellite and neighboring NGSO satellites, the identification period T... identify_intra_interSat = T detect_intra_interSat + T measure_intra_interSat + X intra +X inter , where X inter equal , To identify the period of a new detectable inter-frequency cell on carrier i, N freq The number of inter-frequency layers monitored for User Equipment (UE).

[0029] In some implementations, Milliseconds, where N = 70, T a,iMeasurement timing (MO) for co-frequency detection on different NGSO satellites detect_intra_interSat The interval between available measurement samples (e.g., 40 milliseconds ≤ T) can be used in the measurement. a,i ≤ 5000 milliseconds). In some implementations, T measure_intra_interSat The physical layer NRSRP measurement period on detected co-frequency cells is defined as follows: Milliseconds, where M = 60 is used for NRS-based Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements, M = 40 is used for NSSS-based RRM measurements, and T b,i For measurement timing (MO) of different NGSO satellites for co-frequency measurements measure_intra_interSat The interval between available measurement samples (e.g., for NRS-based measurements, 20 milliseconds ≤ T) can be used. b,i ≤ 5000 milliseconds, or 40 milliseconds ≤ T based on NSSS measurements. b,i ≤5000 milliseconds).

[0030] According to the second aspect of this disclosure, if a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurement gap is configured / triggered (e.g., via a Medium Access Control (MAC) element CE), a User Equipment (UE) (e.g., a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE in connected mode) is allowed to execute a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure to indicate early termination of the GNSS measurement gap. That is, the UE can suspend all Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) / Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements during the GNSS measurement gap until it executes the RACH procedure as an early termination of the GNSS measurement gap. Typically, RLM / RRM measurements are suspended during the GNSS measurement gap so that the UE can perform GNSS measurements to (re)acquire GNSS positioning results. Once GNSS positioning results are (re)acquired before the end of the GNSS measurement gap, the UE can execute the RACH procedure to indicate early termination of the GNSS measurement gap. After the RACH procedure, if the interval between two measurement samples is no greater than 5000 milliseconds, the UE can resume RLM / RRM measurements; if the interval between two measurement samples is greater than 5000 milliseconds, the UE can restart RLM / RRM measurements.

[0031] In some implementations, the RACH process may include sending a random access preamble (i.e., Msg1) or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) (i.e., Msg3) scheduled by a random access response (i.e., Msg2) as an early termination of the GNSS measurement gap.

[0032] Figure 4A scenario 400 of early termination of a GNSS measurement gap according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated exemplarily. Scenario 400 involves a user equipment UE 410 (e.g., a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) user equipment UE) operating in RRC_CONNECTED mode, wirelessly communicating with a network node 420 of a wireless network (e.g., a non-terrestrial network NTN), employing an enhancement to connected-mode measurements under GNSS operation using the second scheme of this disclosure. In step 401, the user equipment UE 410 reports to the network node 420 the length of time (denoted as gnss-PositionFixDuration) required for the user equipment UE to (re)acquire GNSS positioning results. For example, this length of time can be reported via an RRC message (such as an RRC connection establishment completion message). In step 402, the user equipment UE 410 receives a GNSS measurement command MAC control element CE from the network node 420, indicating the length of the GNSS measurement gap (denoted as L). GNSS_meas_gap In step 403, User Equipment 410 suspends all RLM / RRM measurements during the GNSS measurement gap. In step 404, User Equipment 410 performs GNSS measurements during the GNSS measurement gap to (re)acquire GNSS positioning results. In step 405, after (re)acquiring GNSS positioning results, User Equipment 410 executes the RACH process to indicate early termination of the GNSS measurement gap by sending Msg1 or Msg3 to Network Node 420. In step 406, User Equipment 410 may resume or restart RLM / RRM measurements based on the interval between two measurement samples. If the interval between two measurement samples is no greater than 5000 milliseconds, User Equipment 410 may resume RLM / RRM measurements. Otherwise, if the interval between two measurement samples is greater than 5000 milliseconds, User Equipment 410 may restart RLM / RRM measurements.

[0033] Illustrative Examples Figure 5 An example communication system 300 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is illustrated, the system including an example communication device 510 and an example network device 520. The communication device 510 and the network device 520 can perform various functions to implement the schemes, techniques, processes and methods described herein for enhancing connectivity mode measurements in GNSS operations, including the scenarios / schemes described above and the process 500 described below.

[0034] Communication device 510 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a user equipment (UE), such as a portable or mobile device, wearable device, wireless communication device, or computing device. For example, communication device 510 may be implemented in a smartphone, smartwatch, personal digital assistant, electronic control unit (ECU) in a vehicle, digital camera, or computing device such as a tablet, laptop, or notebook computer. Communication device 510 may also be part of a machine-type device, which may be an Internet of Things (IoT), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Bluetooth BL, or consumer electronics CE user equipment (UE), such as a fixed or stationary device, home device, roadside unit (RSU), wired communication device, or computing device. For example, communication device 510 may be implemented in a smart thermostat, smart refrigerator, smart door lock, wireless speaker, or home control center. Alternatively, communication device 510 may be implemented in the form of one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processors, or one or more Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) processors. Communication device 510 may include... Figure 5 At least some of the components shown, such as processor 512. Communication device 510 may also include one or more other components unrelated to the proposed solutions of this disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device), therefore, for simplicity and brevity, Figure 5 These components are not shown in the document, nor are they described below.

[0035] Network device 520 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a non-geosynchronous orbit (NGSO) satellite, a cell with or without base station (BS) functionality, a router, or an NTN gateway. For example, network device 520 may be implemented in an NGSO satellite within a 4G / 5G, NR, Internet of Things (IoT), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), or Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) network. Alternatively, network device 520 may be implemented as one or more IC chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more RISC or CISC processors. Network device 520 may include... Figure 5 At least some components are shown, such as processor 522. Network device 520 may also include one or more other components unrelated to the present disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device), therefore, for simplicity and brevity, these components are not listed. Figure 5 It is shown in the text and is not described in the following text.

[0036] In one aspect, processors 512 and 522 may be implemented as one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more Complex Instruction Set Computer (CISC) processors. That is, although the singular term "processor" is used herein to refer to processors 512 and 522, each of processors 512 and 522 may include multiple processors, or in other implementations may include a single processor, according to the present disclosure. In another aspect, each of processors 512 and 522 may be implemented in hardware (and optionally firmware), with electronic components including, but not limited to, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more transformers, configured and arranged to achieve a specific purpose according to the present disclosure. In other words, in at least some implementations, each of processors 512 and 522 is a dedicated machine specifically designed, arranged, and configured to perform a specific task, including enhancements to connectivity mode measurements in GNSS operations performed in devices (e.g., represented by communication device 510) and non-earth network nodes (e.g., represented by network device 520).

[0037] In some implementations, communication device 510 may further include a transceiver 516 coupled to processor 512 and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, transceiver 516 may be capable of wireless communication with wireless networks of different types of User Equipment (UE) and / or different Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In some implementations, transceiver 516 may be equipped with multiple antenna ports (not shown), such as four antenna ports. That is, transceiver 516 may be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication. In some implementations, network device 520 may also include a transceiver 526 coupled to processor 522. Transceiver 526 may include a transceiver capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some implementations, transceiver 526 may be capable of wireless communication with different types of UEs or terrestrial network nodes of different RATs (e.g., eNB / gNB / TRP). In some implementations, transceiver 526 may be equipped with multiple antenna ports (not shown), such as four antenna ports. In other words, transceiver 526 can be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas for MIMO wireless communication.

[0038] In some implementations, the communication device 510 may further include a memory 514 coupled to the processor 512 and capable of being accessed and storing data by the processor 512. In some implementations, the network device 520 may further include a memory 524 coupled to the processor 522 and capable of being accessed and storing data by the processor 522. Each of the memories 514 and 524 may include a random access memory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), thyristor RAM (T-RAM), and / or zero-capacitance RAM (Z-RAM). Alternatively, each of the memories 514 and 524 may include a read-only memory (ROM), such as a mask ROM, programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), and / or electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM). Alternatively, each of the memories 514 and 524 may include a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), such as flash memory, solid-state memory, ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), and / or phase-change memory.

[0039] Both communication device 510 and network device 520 can be communication entities capable of communicating with each other according to various proposed schemes of this disclosure. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, in conjunction with process 600, the capabilities of communication device 510 as a user equipment (UE) and network device 520 as a non-earth network node are described below.

[0040] Example Process Figure 6 An example flow 600 according to an implementation of this disclosure is shown. Flow 600 can be an example implementation of the aforementioned scenario / scheme, whether partial or complete, for enhancements to uplink transmission extensions in GNSS operations. Flow 600 can represent one aspect of the functional implementation of communication device 510. Flow 600 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions shown by blocks 610 to 630. Although shown as discrete blocks, the individual blocks of flow 600 can be divided into more blocks, merged into fewer blocks, or omitted, depending on the desired implementation. Furthermore, the blocks of flow 600 can be arranged according to... Figure 6 The process can be executed in the order shown, or in a different order. Process 600 can be implemented by communication device 510 or any suitable UE or machine type device. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 600 is described below in the context of communication device 510 as a user equipment (UE). Process 600 may begin at block 610.

[0041] In block 610, process 600 may involve the processor 512 of communication device 510 connecting via transceiver 516 to the serving cell associated with the first NGSO satellite to operate in a connected mode (e.g., RRC_CONNECTED mode). Process 600 can proceed from block 610 to block 620.

[0042] In block 620, process 600 may involve processor 512 receiving configurations of one or more neighboring cells associated with the second NGSO satellite from the serving cell via transceiver 516, wherein the serving cell and the one or more neighboring cells operate in the same frequency band. Process 600 may proceed from block 620 to block 630.

[0043] In block 630, process 600 may involve processor 512 performing co-frequency measurements on one or more neighboring cells based on the configuration, via transceiver 516, provided that at least one condition is met.

[0044] In some implementations, co-frequency measurements of one or more adjacent cells can be performed at measurement timings (MOs) on different NGSO satellites used for co-frequency detection.

[0045] In some implementations, the measurement timing can be the timing of either the narrowband primary synchronization signal (NPSS) or the narrowband secondary synchronization signal (NSSS).

[0046] In some implementations, the at least one condition may include at least one of the following: (i) the measurement timing is associated with a resource where the device is not scheduled to transmit or receive data; (ii) the measurement timing is associated with a resource where the device does not need to perform narrowband physical downlink control channel (NPDCCH) monitoring; (iii) the measurement timing is associated with a resource that occurs during discontinuous reception of DRX inactivity; and (iv) the length between the measurement timings is at least one time period.

[0047] In some implementations, the time period is 200 milliseconds when the co-frequency measurement is used for cell search, or 50 milliseconds when the co-frequency measurement is used for cell measurement.

[0048] In some implementations, the step of performing the co-frequency measurement may include identifying detectable co-frequency cells on the second NGSO satellite during the identification period for inter-frequency cells.

[0049] In some implementations, process 600 may also involve processor 512 receiving a MAC control element CE (e.g., a GNSS measurement command MAC CE) from the serving cell via transceiver 516, wherein the MAC CE indicates that a GNSS measurement gap has been triggered and that all radio link monitoring (RLM) or radio resource management (RRM) measurements have been suspended during the GNSS measurement gap until the device performs a random access channel (RACH) procedure.

[0050] In some implementations, process 600 may also involve processor 512 performing GNSS measurements via transceiver 516 during the GNSS measurement gap to (re)acquire GNSS positioning results, wherein the RACH process is executed before (re)acquiring the GNSS positioning results before the end of the GNSS measurement gap to indicate early termination of the GNSS measurement.

[0051] In some implementations, the RACH process may include sending a random access preamble or sending a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) scheduled by a random access response.

[0052] In some implementations, process 600 may also involve processor 512 resuming Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) or Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements after the RACH process if the interval between two measurement samples is no greater than 5000 milliseconds, or restarting RLM or RRM measurements after the RACH process if the interval between two measurement samples is greater than 5000 milliseconds.

[0053] Additional Notes The topics described herein sometimes illustrate different components contained within or connected to other components. However, it should be understood that the multiple architectures depicted are merely examples, and many other architectures that implement the same functionality can actually be implemented. Conceptually, any arrangement of components that implement the same functionality is effectively “associated” to enable the desired functionality. Therefore, regardless of architecture or intermediate components, any two components combined in this document to achieve a particular function can be considered “associated” with each other to enable the desired functionality. Similarly, any two components so associating can also be considered “operationally connected” or “operationally coupled” to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components so associating can also be considered “operationally connected” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operationally coupled components include, but are not limited to, physically mating and / or physically interacting components and / or wirelessly interacting components and / or logically interacting and / or logically interactive components.

[0054] Furthermore, regarding any plural and / or singular terms used herein, those skilled in the art can, in light of context and / or application, convert them from plural to singular and / or from singular to plural where appropriate. For clarity, various singular / plural reciprocities may be explicitly stated herein.

[0055] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that, generally, the terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., the body of the appended claims), are generally meant as “open-ended” terms; for example, the term “comprising” should be interpreted as “comprising but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “comprising” should be interpreted as “comprising but not limited to,” and so on. Those skilled in the art will also understand that if a specific number is intentionally listed in the appended claims, such intention will be explicitly listed in the claims, and the absence of such listing will not indicate such intention. For example, to aid understanding, the appended claims may include the use of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more.” However, the use of such phrases should not be construed as implying that the introduction of the indefinite article "a" or "an" limits any particular patent application containing such an introduced patent application listing to an implementation containing only one such listing, even when the same patent application listing contains the introductory phrase "a or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an," for example, "a and / or one" should be interpreted as meaning "at least one" or "one or more," this also applies to the use of definite articles used to introduce patent application listings. Furthermore, even when a specific number of introduced patent application listings are explicitly listed, those skilled in the art will recognize that such listing should be interpreted as meaning at least the number listed; for example, in the absence of other modifiers, an unobscured listing of "two listings" means at least two listings or two or more listings. Furthermore, when using a convention similar to "at least one of A, B, and C," those skilled in the art will understand the meaning of this convention, which generally means such interpretation (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" will include, but is not limited to, systems having A alone, having B alone, having C alone, having A and B together, having A and C together, having B and C together, and / or having A, B, and C together). Those skilled in the art will also understand that any transitional words and / or phrases that actually indicate two or more options, whether in the specification, the claims, or the drawings, should be understood to mean that the possibility of including one, any one, or both of those options is considered.For example, the phrase “A or B” would be understood as containing the possibility of “A” or “B” or “A and B”.

[0056] As can be seen from the foregoing, it is understood that various embodiments of the invention have been described herein for illustrative purposes, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, and the true scope and spirit are determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: The device's processor connects to the service cell associated with the first non-geosynchronous orbit NGSO satellite to operate in connected mode; The processor receives configurations from the serving cell for one or more neighboring cells associated with the second NGSO satellite, wherein... The serving cell and the one or more adjacent cells operate in the same frequency band; as well as The processor performs co-frequency measurements on one or more neighboring cells based on the configuration, provided that at least one condition is met.

2. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The co-frequency measurement of the one or more adjacent cells is performed during the measurement timing (MO) for co-frequency detection on different NGSO satellites.

3. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The measurement timing includes the narrowband primary synchronization signal NPSS or the narrowband secondary synchronization signal NSSS.

4. The method as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The at least one condition includes at least one of the following: The timing of this measurement is associated with resources for which the device is not scheduled to send or receive data; The timing of this measurement is related to the fact that the device does not need to perform narrowband physical downlink control channel (NPDCCH) monitoring. The timing of this measurement is associated with resources occurring during periods of discontinuous DRX inactivity; and The length between these measurement opportunities is at least one time period.

5. The method as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The time period is 200 milliseconds when the co-frequency measurement is used for cell search, or 50 milliseconds when the co-frequency measurement is used for cell measurement.

6. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The step of performing the co-frequency measurement includes identifying detectable co-frequency cells on the second NGSO satellite during the identification period for inter-frequency cells.

7. The method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Further includes: The processor receives a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) from the serving cell, wherein the MAC CE indicates that a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurement gap has been triggered. as well as The processor suspends all Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) or Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements during the GNSS measurement interval until the device executes the Random Access Channel (RACH) process.

8. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Further includes: The processor performs GNSS measurements during the GNSS measurement gap to obtain GNSS positioning results, wherein when the GNSS positioning results are obtained before the end of the GNSS measurement gap, the RACH process is executed to indicate the early termination of the GNSS measurement.

9. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The RACH process includes: Send random access preamble; or Send the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) scheduled by the random access response.

10. The method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Further includes: The processor can resume the RLM or RRM measurement after the RACH process, provided that the interval between two measurement samples is no more than 5000 milliseconds. or The processor will restart the RLM or RRM measurement after the RACH process if the interval between two measurement samples is greater than 5000 milliseconds.

11. An apparatus, further comprising: A transceiver that communicates wirelessly with one or more cells during operation; as well as A processor, communicatively connected to the transceiver, enables the processor to perform operations during operation including: This transceiver connects to the serving cell associated with the first non-geosynchronous orbit NGSO satellite to operate in connected mode; The transceiver receives configurations from the serving cell for one or more neighboring cells associated with the second NGSO satellite, wherein the serving cell and the one or more neighboring cells operate in the same frequency band; and Using this transceiver, co-frequency measurements can be performed on one or more neighboring cells based on this configuration, provided at least one condition is met.

12. The device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, The co-frequency measurement of the one or more adjacent cells is performed during the measurement timing (MO) for co-frequency detection on different NGSO satellites.

13. The device as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, The measurement timing includes the narrowband primary synchronization signal NPSS or the narrowband secondary synchronization signal NSSS.

14. The device as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that, The at least one condition includes at least one of the following: The timing of this measurement is associated with resources for which the device is not scheduled to send or receive data; The timing of this measurement is related to the fact that the device does not need to perform narrowband physical downlink control channel (NPDCCH) monitoring. The timing of this measurement is associated with resources occurring during periods of discontinuous DRX inactivity; and The length between these measurement opportunities is at least one time period.

15. The device as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that, The time period is 200 milliseconds when the co-frequency measurement is used for cell search, or 50 milliseconds when the co-frequency measurement is used for cell measurement.

16. The device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, The step of performing the co-frequency measurement includes identifying detectable co-frequency cells on the second NGSO satellite during the identification period for inter-frequency cells.

17. The device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, During operation, the processor further performs the following operations: The transceiver receives a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element (CE) from the serving cell, wherein the MAC CE indicates that a GNSS measurement gap has been triggered; and All Radio Link Monitoring (RLM) or Radio Resource Management (RRM) measurements are suspended during this GNSS measurement gap until the device performs the Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure.

18. The device as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that, During operation, the processor further performs the following operations: The transceiver performs GNSS measurements during the GNSS measurement gap to obtain GNSS positioning results. When the GNSS positioning results are obtained before the end of the GNSS measurement gap, the RACH process is executed to indicate the early termination of the GNSS measurement.

19. The device as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that, The RACH process includes: Send random access preamble; or Send the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) scheduled by the random access response.

20. The device as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that, During operation, the processor further performs the following operations: If the interval between two measurement samples is no greater than 5000 milliseconds, resume the RLM or RRM measurement after the RACH process; or If the interval between two measurement samples is greater than 5000 milliseconds, restart the RLM or RRM measurement after the RACH process.

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