Improved uplink operation

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to improved uplink operation. A method of communication, comprising: ensuring the orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device, determining whether the terminal device is a radio resource control connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node being at least partially included in a satellite or relayed by a satellite, and if the terminal device is the radio resource control, estimating a link loss based at least in part on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type antenna, determining an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss, determining whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmit antenna, wherein the transmit antenna is the first type antenna or the second type antenna, and if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmit antenna, attempting a transmission to the access node using the transmit antenna.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The following exemplary embodiments relate to wireless communications. Background Art

[0002] Wireless communications can connect to a variety of devices in a variety of environments. As technology develops, enhanced operations may use more of a device's resources than before. Therefore, in order to use resources more intelligently, it may be necessary to improve the operations performed in wireless communications. Summary of the invention

[0003] The scope of protection sought for the various embodiments is defined by the independent claims. Exemplary embodiments and features described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims, if any, are to be construed as useful examples for understanding the various embodiments of the invention.

[0004] According to a first aspect, a device is provided, comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the device to: ensure the orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device, determine whether the terminal device is a radio resource control, the radio resource control is connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node is at least partially included in a satellite or relayed by the satellite, and if the terminal device is a radio resource control, estimate a link loss at least partially based on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type antenna, determine an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss, determine whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmitting antenna, wherein the transmitting antenna is a first type antenna or a second type antenna, and if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmitting antenna, attempt transmission to the access node using the transmitting antenna.

[0005] According to a second aspect, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for ensuring the orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device, determining whether the terminal device is a radio resource control, which is connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node is at least partially included in a satellite or relayed by the satellite, and if so, estimating a link loss at least partially based on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type antenna, determining an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss, determining whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmitting antenna, wherein the transmitting antenna is a first type antenna or a second type antenna, and if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmitting antenna, attempting a transmission to the access node using the transmitting antenna.

[0006] According to a third aspect, a method is provided, comprising: ensuring the orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device, determining whether the terminal device is a radio resource control, the radio resource control being connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node being at least partially included in a satellite or relayed by the satellite, and if the terminal device is a radio resource control, estimating a link loss based at least partially on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type antenna, determining an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss, determining whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmitting antenna, wherein the transmitting antenna is a first type antenna or a second type antenna, and if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmitting antenna, attempting transmission to the access node using the transmitting antenna.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect, a computer program is provided, comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following: ensuring the orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device, determining whether the terminal device is a radio resource control, the radio resource control being connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node being at least partially included in a satellite or relayed by the satellite, and if the terminal device is a radio resource control, estimating a link loss based at least in part on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type antenna, determining an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss, determining whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmitting antenna, wherein the transmitting antenna is a first type antenna or a second type antenna, and if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmitting antenna, attempting transmission to the access node using the transmitting antenna.

[0008] According to a fifth aspect, a computer program product is provided, comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following operations: ensuring the orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device, determining whether the terminal device is a radio resource control, the radio resource control being connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node being at least partially included in a satellite or relayed by the satellite, and if the terminal device is a radio resource control, estimating a link loss based at least in part on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type antenna, determining an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss, determining whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmitting antenna, wherein the transmitting antenna is a first type antenna or a second type antenna, and if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmitting antenna, attempting transmission to the access node using the transmitting antenna.

[0009] According to a sixth aspect, a computer program is provided, comprising instructions stored thereon, the instructions being used to perform at least the following items: ensuring the orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device, determining whether the terminal device is a radio resource control, the radio resource control being connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node being at least partially included in a satellite or relayed by the satellite, and if the terminal device is a radio resource control, estimating a link loss based at least in part on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type antenna, determining an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss, determining whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmitting antenna, wherein the transmitting antenna is a first type antenna or a second type antenna, and if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmitting antenna, attempting transmission to the access node using the transmitting antenna.

[0010] According to a seventh aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least the following items: ensuring the orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device, determining whether the terminal device is a radio resource control, the radio resource control being connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node being at least partially included in a satellite or relayed by the satellite, and if the terminal device is a radio resource control, estimating a link loss based at least in part on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type antenna, determining an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss, determining whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmitting antenna, wherein the transmitting antenna is a first type antenna or a second type antenna, and if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmitting antenna, attempting transmission to the access node using the transmitting antenna.

[0011] According to an eighth aspect, a non-volatile computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions being used to perform at least the following items: ensuring the orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device, determining whether the terminal device is a radio resource control, the radio resource control being connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node being at least partially included in a satellite or relayed by the satellite, and if the terminal device is a radio resource control, estimating a link loss based at least in part on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type antenna, determining an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss, determining whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmitting antenna, wherein the transmitting antenna is a first type antenna or a second type antenna, and if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmitting antenna, attempting transmission to the access node using the transmitting antenna. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 An exemplary embodiment of a radio access network is shown.

[0014] Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of a terminal device utilizing a non-terrestrial network is shown.

[0015] Figure 3A An exemplary embodiment of a satellite having a fixed coverage area is shown.

[0016] Figure 3B An exemplary embodiment of an earth moving beam is shown.

[0017] Figure 4 An exemplary embodiment of a terminal device operating in a non-terrestrial network is shown.

[0018] Figure 5A An exemplary embodiment of a first type of antenna is shown.

[0019] Figure 5B An exemplary embodiment of a second type of antenna is shown.

[0020] Figure 6 A flow chart according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0021] Figure 7 An exemplary embodiment is shown in which a terminal device determines when to initiate an uplink transmission.

[0022] Figures 8A to 8G An exemplary embodiment of a radio architecture comprised in a terminal device is shown.

[0023] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 A graph describing an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0024] Fig.11 An exemplary embodiment of an apparatus is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following embodiments are exemplary. Although the specification may refer to "an", "one" or "some" embodiments in multiple places in the text, this does not necessarily mean that each reference refers to the same (multiple) embodiments, or that the particular feature only applies to a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

[0026] In this application, the term "circuitry" refers to all of the following: (a) pure hardware circuit implementations, such as implementations in analog and / or digital circuitry alone, and (b) combinations of circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as, as applicable: (i) a combination of (multiple) processors or (ii) a portion of (multiple) processors / software including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable the device to perform various functions, and (c) circuits that require software or firmware to operate, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions of (multiple) microprocessors, even if the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term in this application. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" would also cover implementations of only a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuitry" would also cover, for example, if applicable to the specific element, a baseband integrated circuit or application processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other network device. The above-described embodiments of circuit systems may also be considered as embodiments of providing means for performing embodiments of methods or processes described in this disclosure.

[0027] The techniques and methods described herein can be implemented in various ways. For example, these techniques can be implemented in hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or a combination thereof. For hardware implementation, the (multiple) devices of the embodiment can be implemented in one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), graphics processing units (GPUs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof. For firmware or software, the functions described herein can be performed by a module of at least one chipset (e.g., a process, a function, etc.). The software code can be stored in a memory unit and executed by a processor. The memory unit can be implemented within a processor or outside a processor. In the latter case, it can be coupled to the processor via any suitable communication method. In addition, the components of the system described herein can be rearranged and / or supplemented by additional components to facilitate the implementation of various aspects of its description, etc., and they are not limited to the precise configurations set forth in a given figure, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0028] The embodiments described herein may be implemented in a communication system, such as in at least one of the following: a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) or any other second generation cellular communication system, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS 3G) based on basic Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, a system based on the IEEE 802.11 specification, a system based on the IEEE 802.15 specification, and / or a fifth generation (5G) mobile or cellular communication system. However, the embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, but those skilled in the art may apply the solutions to other communication systems provided with the necessary properties.

[0029] As used herein, the term "determining" (and its grammatical variations) may include, among others: calculating, computing, processing, deriving, measuring, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, a database, or another data structure), ascertaining, etc. Furthermore, "determining" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), obtaining, etc. Furthermore, "determining" may include resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, etc.

[0030] Figure 1 Depicted is an example of a simplified system architecture showing some elements and functional entities, all of which are logical units whose implementation may differ from what is shown. Figure 1 The connections shown in the figure are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It is clear to those skilled in the art that the system may also include other Figure 1 Other functions and structures than those shown. Figure 1 The example of FIG. 1 shows a portion of an exemplary radio access network.

[0031] Figure 1 It is shown that terminal devices 100 and 102 are configured to be wirelessly connected to an access node (such as (e / g)NodeB) 104 providing a cell on one or more communication channels in the cell. Access node 104 may also be referred to as a node. The physical link from the terminal device to the (e / g)NodeB is called an uplink or reverse link, and the physical link from the (e / g)NodeB to the terminal device is called a downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g)NodeB or its functions can be implemented by using any node, host, server or access point suitable for such purpose. It should be noted that, although one cell is discussed in the present exemplary embodiment for simplicity of explanation, in some exemplary embodiments, one access node may provide multiple cells.

[0032] The communication system may include more than one (e / g)NodeB, in which case the (e / g)NodeBs may also be configured to communicate with each other via wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links may be used for signaling purposes. (e / g)NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system coupled thereto. (e / g)NodeB may also be referred to as a base station, an access point, or any other type of interface device, including a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. (e / g)NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. A connection to an antenna unit is provided from the transceiver of the (e / g)NodeB, which establishes a bidirectional radio link to a user equipment. The antenna unit may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. (e / g)NodeB is further connected to a core network 110 (CN or next generation core NGC). Depending on the system, the counterpart on the CN side may be a service gateway (S-GW, routing and forwarding user data packets), a packet data network gateway (P-GW) (for providing a connection of a terminal device (UE) to an external packet data network), or a mobile management entity (MME), etc.

[0033] The terminal device (also referred to as UE, user equipment, user terminal, user device, etc.) shows a type of device to which resources on the air interface are allocated and assigned, so any features described herein using the terminal device can be implemented using the corresponding device, such as a relay node. An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay (self-return relay) toward a base station. Another example of such a relay node is a layer 2 relay. Such a relay node may include a terminal device portion and a distributed unit (DU) portion. For example, a CU (centralized unit) may coordinate DU operations via an F1AP interface.

[0034] A terminal device may refer to a portable computing device, including wireless mobile communication devices with or without a subscriber identity module (SIM) or embedded SIM (eSIM) operation, including but not limited to the following types of devices: workstations (mobile phones), smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, devices using wireless modems (alarm or measurement devices, etc.), laptops and / or touch screen computers, tablets, game consoles, notebook computers, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that a user device may also be an exclusive or almost exclusive uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips to a network. A terminal device may also be a device with the ability to operate in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, which is a scenario that provides objects with the ability to transmit data over a network without the need for human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. The terminal device may also use the cloud. In some applications, the terminal device may include a small portable device (such as a watch, headset, or glasses) with a radio component, and the calculation is performed in the cloud. The terminal device (or in some embodiments, a layer 3 relay node) is configured to perform one or more user device functions.

[0035] Various techniques described in this article can also be applied to Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) (systems where cooperating computing elements control physical entities). CPS can implement and utilize a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects in different locations. Mobile Cyber-Physical Systems, where the physical system in question has inherent mobility, are a subcategory of Cyber-Physical Systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0036] Furthermore, although the apparatus has been depicted as a single entity, different units, processors and / or memory units may be implemented (not all of which are shown in FIG. Figure 1 ).

[0037] 5G enables the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, many more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites that cooperate with smaller base stations and adopt various radio technologies depending on service requirements, use cases and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different ways of data sharing and various forms of machine-type applications, such as (massive) machine-type communications (mMTC), including vehicle safety, different sensors and real-time control. 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, namely below 6GHz, centimeter wave (cmWave) and millimeter wave (mmWave), and can also be integrated with existing traditional radio access technologies (such as LTE). At least in the early stages, the integration with LTE can be implemented as a system in which macro coverage is provided by LTE and 5G radio interface access comes from small cells by aggregation to LTE. In other words, 5G plans to support both inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (inter-radio interface operability, such as sub-6GHz with cmWave, sub-6GHz with cmWave and mmWave). One of the concepts considered for use in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnets (network instances) can be created within the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0038] The current architecture in LTE networks is fully distributed in the radio and fully centralized in the core network. Low-latency applications and services in 5G may require content to be close to the radio, which may give rise to local breakthroughs and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analytics and knowledge generation to occur at the data source. This approach requires the use of resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. It also enables the storage and processing of content close to the cellular subscriber, thereby speeding up response time. Edge computing covers a wide range of technologies such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data collection, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer self-organizing networks and processing, and can also be categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / grid computing, dew computing, mobile edge computing, thin clouds (cloudlets), distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things (massive connectivity and / or latency-critical), critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analytics, time-critical, healthcare applications).

[0039] The communication system can also communicate with other networks, such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet 112, and / or utilize services provided by them. The communication network can also support the use of cloud services, for example, at least a portion of the core network operations can be performed as a cloud service (this is in the Figure 1 114). The communication system may also include a central control entity or the like, providing facilities for networks of different operators to cooperate, for example, in spectrum sharing.

[0040] Edge cloud can be introduced into the radio access network (RAN) by leveraging network function virtualization (NFV) and software defined networking (SDN). Using edge cloud may mean that access node operations are at least partially performed in a server, host or node, which is operatively coupled to a remote radio head or a base station including radio components. Node operations may also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes or hosts. The application of cloud RAN architecture enables RAN real-time functions to be performed on the RAN side (in the distributed unit DU 104) and non-real-time functions to be performed in a centralized manner (in the centralized unit CU 108).

[0041] It should also be understood that the distribution of labor between core network operations and base station operations may be different from LTE or even non-existent. Some other technologies that may be used include big data and all-IP, which may change the way networks are built and managed. 5G (or New Radio NR) networks are designed to support multiple hierarchical structures, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and the base station or 5G-Node B (gNB). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0042] 5G can also make use of satellite communications to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, for example by providing backhaul. Possible use cases include providing service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or for passengers in vehicles, and / or ensuring service availability for critical communications and / or future rail / maritime / aeronautical communications. Satellite communications can make use of geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite systems, as well as low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, such as giant constellations (systems with hundreds of (nano) satellites deployed). Each satellite 106 in the constellation can cover several satellite-enabled network entities that create ground cells. The ground cell can be created by a ground relay node 104 or by a gNB located on the ground or in a satellite, or part of the gNB can be on the satellite, such as a DU, and part of the gNB can be on the ground, such as a CU. Additionally or alternatively, a high altitude platform station HAPS system can be utilized. HAPS can be understood as a radio station located on an object at an altitude of 20 to 50 kilometers and located at a fixed point relative to the earth. For example, broadband access could be provided via HAPS using lightweight solar-powered aircraft and airships operating continuously for several months at an altitude of 20 to 25 kilometers.

[0043] It should be noted that the depicted system is an example of a part of a radio access system, and the system may include multiple (e / g)NodeBs, a terminal device may access multiple radio cells, and the system may also include other devices, such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one of the (e / g)NodeBs may be a home (e / g)NodeB. In addition, in a geographical area of ​​the radio communication system, a plurality of different kinds of radio cells as well as a plurality of radio cells may be provided. The radio cells may be macro cells (or umbrella cells), which are large cells, typically having a diameter of up to tens of kilometers, or smaller cells, such as micro cells, femto cells or pico cells. Figure 1 The (e / g)NodeB of a cell can provide any type of these cells. The cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network including multiple cells. In some exemplary embodiments, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one or more cells, so multiple (e / g)NodeBs are required to provide such a network structure.

[0044] In order to meet the need to improve the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB is introduced. A network that can use "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB can include a home (e / g) NodeB gateway, or HNB-GW (H(e / g)NodeB) in addition to the home (e / g) NodeB. Figure 1). An HNB gateway (HNB-GW) that can be installed in an operator's network can aggregate traffic from a large number of HNBs back to the core network.

[0045] If a non-terrestrial network NTN is utilized and the access nodes (such as gNBs) are at least partially located on or relayed by satellites (such as LEO satellites), extreme operational link losses may occur more easily than in terrestrial networks. In NTNs, the transmit power levels of the access nodes may be significantly better than the transmit power levels available to the terminal devices (such as mobile phones). Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of a terminal device that utilizes NTN and is therefore susceptible to extreme operating link losses is shown in . In this exemplary embodiment, the access node 210 (i.e., gNB) is at least partially located on a LEO satellite. The terminal device 220 in this exemplary embodiment corresponds to power class 3 of the 3GPP specification, but other types of terminal devices may also be used. In this exemplary embodiment, the transmit power level of the access node 210 and its antenna gain are both better than the transmit power level of the terminal device 220. In this exemplary embodiment, the terminal device still has to reach the sky, for example 500 to 1600km. This distance may be far beyond the ground cells that may range from tens of km to a maximum of 100km. However, compared to the much larger antennas of the satellite, the output power of the terminal device 210 is limited to 23dBm and has a significantly lower antenna gain. Figure 2 The arrow 215 in shows the power of a downlink DL signal transmitted by the access node 210, and the arrow 225 shows an uplink UL signal transmitted by the transmitter TX of the terminal device 220 and its power.

[0046] Figure 3A An exemplary embodiment of an NTN is shown in which the coverage area provided by a satellite 310, which at least partially includes an access node, remains at the same geographical location over an extended period of time and is therefore a fixed coverage area. As shown by coverage areas 312, 314 and 316, the beams and cells provided by the access nodes included in the satellite 310 can change their shape and distance to the satellite relative to the elevation angle. Therefore, the terminal equipment has to deal with large distances on the horizon. In this exemplary embodiment, the satellite 310 moves at a speed of 7.5 km / s. Considering a travel distance of 3854 km at this rate, for example, continuous coverage will cause the terminal equipment to perform a satellite switch every 8.5 minutes.

[0047] Figure 3BAn exemplary embodiment of an NTN with an earth-moving beam is shown. In this exemplary embodiment, there are satellites 320 and 330 that each at least partially include an access node. The coverage areas 325 and 335 provided by satellites 320 and 330 have a constant size, so the beams and cells within the coverage area will pass through the surface of the earth at the speed of the satellite. In this exemplary embodiment, the terminal device will perform switching for each cell and each satellite. In this exemplary embodiment, satellites 320 and 330 move at a speed of 7.5km / s and have a cell size of 50 to 90km. Therefore, the terminal device will perform switching of a beam and / or cell every 6.5 to 12 seconds. In this exemplary embodiment, the interval between satellite switching can be substantially once every 1 minute.

[0048] Since a terminal device, such as the one that can be used in the above exemplary embodiments, may have, for example, a transmit power of 23 dBm and an antenna gain of 0 dBi, the antenna gain may not be sufficient, for example, taking into account the gain of possible access nodes. Therefore, due to the different antenna gains and transmit power capabilities of the satellite and the terminal device, which may be a handheld device, the uplink and downlink budgets may be significantly different. Therefore, a terminal device that observes good downlink radio conditions may attempt an uplink transmission, which has a very limited probability of being received by the satellite. This may cause unnecessary consumption of battery capacity. For example, in the case of an earth mobile cell, as well as in any other radio system, it is beneficial to receive uplink transmissions of terminal devices to ensure continuous service continuity and good mobility performance.

[0049] Therefore, it is desirable to obtain higher antenna gain for terminal devices without requiring very large antenna elements, such as a dish antenna or the like, which may include additional active elements to further increase the gain. However, terminal devices operating in an NTN environment may have the ability to evaluate and determine the path loss to the satellite as part of the uplink power control process. An example of determining the path loss is, for example, the following method:

[0050] Determine your own location, which is the location of the terminal device, and the satellite location. Then derive the distance d from the terminal device to the satellite based on the location. Next, determine the frequency f at which the system operates and calculate the free space path loss using the following equation.

[0051]

[0052] Next, use the maximum transmit output power of the terminal device, plus the antenna gain of the terminal device minus the free space path loss, which will be the input power to the satellite. Finally, calculate the satellite antenna gain using the following equation.

[0053] UL power at satellite=P MAX +G TX_Device +G RX_SAT -Free Space Pathloss

[0054] Terminal equipment operating in an NTN environment has the capability to assess and determine the path loss to the satellite as part of the uplink power control process, enabling the terminal equipment to transmit to the satellite at the appropriate time and duration, provided the terminal equipment has an antenna system that allows for such radiated propagation. Figure 4 An exemplary embodiment of such a scenario is shown. Figure 4 4, a terminal device 410 is connected to an NTN including a satellite 420. The satellite 420 at least partially includes an access node, such as a gNB. The duration t1 to t4 shows a time span during which the terminal device 410 can communicate with the access node included in the satellite 420. However, the time span 440 increases the possibility of loss due to the additional distance and may prohibit the terminal device 410 from sending UL data at a high enough output power to maintain a radio link to the access node included in the satellite 420. In addition, severe weather conditions may further increase the time span 440. On the other hand, the time span 430 shows the optimal time to communicate with the access node included in the access node 420.

[0055] For the purpose of NTN communication, the terminal device may be able to use two different types of antennas. The terminal device may have a link antenna for data transmission within partial coverage of the hemisphere, such as time span 430, and another antenna (monitoring antenna) may be used for receiving, for example, during time span 440. In some exemplary embodiments, the monitoring antenna may be used only to receive DL transmissions from access nodes included in satellites. For example, the monitoring antenna may be used to search and measure neighboring cells and / or satellites, and to obtain system information from the target cell. This may help reduce the delay in setting up a new connection to the target cell and make relevant neighboring cell measurements available when needed.

[0056] Figure 5A An exemplary embodiment of a first type of antenna which may be a link antenna is shown. Figure 5B A second type of antenna is shown which may be a monitoring antenna. Figure 5A As shown in , the link antenna may have its gain direction straight up and may have various 3dB widths ranging from 45 degrees to 60 degrees, for example. Examples of link antennas include Vivaldi antennas, Yagi-Uda antennas, triangular patch antennas, and patch antennas.

[0057] like Figure 5BAs shown in , the monitoring antenna may have its best gain omnidirectionally at 45 degrees, but at the expense of upward gain. Examples of monitoring antennas include Vpol blade antennas and patch antennas.

[0058] While the link antenna thus has a higher gain in a single direction, the monitoring antenna may provide its maximum gain at a fixed elevation angle designed to match the link antenna's gain drop-off at all azimuth angles. This enables the monitoring antenna to detect cells from any azimuth direction before the link antenna does so. The monitoring antenna thus has a higher gain over the range of elevation angles where the new satellite will appear, for example between 30 and 60 degrees, but may have a lower gain straight up, in which case the link antenna may be utilized instead and may be preferred over an omnidirectional antenna. The terminal device may be able to determine which antenna to use for which purpose. This may be accomplished using one or more algorithms that control the selection and purpose of the antennas. The one or more algorithms may include determining the orientation of the terminal device using a digital gyroscope selected, for example, by an auxiliary panel. The monitoring antenna may be used to receive basic information broadcast from satellites, such as primary and secondary synchronization signals, system information. These satellites may be located in the same Figure 4 440 in the time span 440. While the terminal device may not have enough power to transmit at a high enough power to reach the satellite in these areas, the DL transmissions of the satellite gNB are of high enough power that the terminal device can receive the DL. Using the monitoring antenna to track the DL of the satellite, the terminal device will know when the satellite is within the range of the path loss that the link antenna will use to provide appropriate communication quality and payload.

[0059] A terminal device that is connectable to the NTN and can choose between at least a link antenna and a monitoring antenna can thus utilize the link antenna for uplink communications. Figure 6 A flow chart according to an exemplary embodiment is shown, in which a terminal device uses a link antenna for uplink communication. In S1, the orientation of at least two different types of antennas is ensured. This can be performed in any suitable manner, for example in the following manner:

[0060] Mechanically: The antenna can be implemented so that the gyroscopic fixture benefits from the force of gravity, thus pointing the antenna in a desired direction.

[0061] • Electrically: The antenna can be implemented so that the electrically controlled gyroscopic fixture that positions the antenna receives information from the controller circuitry that reads the vertical alignment and adjusts the antenna into position.

[0062] • Predetermination using implementation design: Where the terminal device comprises a display and is mounted on a structure (such as in a ship or vehicle), then the orientation may be predetermined and obtained from the implementation design.

[0063] User interaction: The user can position the antenna, for example if the antenna is part of an aperture, such as the back of a laptop monitor, it will lock into place when oriented straight up. Alternatively, the antenna can be integrated into the housing of the end device (such as a mobile phone) and the user is indicated on the display by a gyroscope chip when the antenna is locked into the proper position.

[0064] Antenna power reading and beam steering: Using the signals received from the satellite, beam steering of the phased array patch antenna can be performed.

[0065] The manner in which the orientation of the antenna is ensured may depend on how the antenna design achieves directional alignment of the antenna for directional gain purposes. In addition, the orientation of the angular coverage may be ensured so that the link antenna and the monitoring antenna overlap at the boundary between their operating areas with optimal directional gain. This may be included in one or more algorithms for determining path loss and positioning of the antennas in order to correctly calculate when to switch antennas and when to use the link antenna to perform a TX uplink.

[0066] Once the positioning is determined, next in S2, it is determined whether the terminal device is connected to the radio resource control RRC of the cell required to perform data transmission. If the terminal device is not connected to the RRC of the cell, the terminal device continues to search and connect to the appropriate cell in S3. The search can be performed using a link antenna and / or a monitoring antenna. It should be noted that since the antenna is divided into two different radiation modes, the range is extended by concentrating the energy of the antenna on a smaller surface compared to solutions using, for example, omnidirectional antennas. Optionally, in some exemplary embodiments, if the knowledge about the terminal device and the satellite position indicates that the distance is too large, the search can be temporarily disabled. The knowledge about the location of the terminal device and the satellite ephemeris is shown in S9. In addition, the terminal device can determine whether to initiate an RRC connection establishment.

[0067] If the terminal device is in the RRC connected state, the terminal device then estimates the link loss based on the downlink reception measurements, as shown in S4. In addition, the estimated link loss may be supplemented and / or confirmed using knowledge of the location of the terminal device and satellite ephemeris as shown in S9. This may be beneficial, for example, if a sanity check is to be performed.

[0068] The terminal device may receive downlink measurements using either the link antenna or the monitoring antenna. The selection may be made based on the position of the satellite relative to the terminal device.

[0069] Having two spatially separated antennas may be beneficial when estimating link loss because the terminal device may have knowledge of searching for a suitable cell, the knowledge being that the monitoring antenna has better antenna gain at low orbital angles than the link antenna, so detection is most likely to occur at a low orbital angle that includes the maximum duration of the satellite pass. In addition, the terminal device may have knowledge of the cross gain delta between the monitoring antenna and the link antenna, which may be determined by design and included in one or more algorithms used to select the antenna. For example, the monitoring antenna may be used at a low elevation angle until a certain point, after which the terminal device switches to the link antenna. The link antenna may then be used until another point, after which the terminal device may switch back to the monitoring antenna. In this example, the gains at the switching points of the two antennas may be very similar. In this example, the gains of the antennas are included in the calibration of the radiated performance, and the switching between the antennas is performed after the link antenna begins to show a higher reference signal received power RSRP level than the monitoring antenna, and the satellite has been tracked on consecutive RX time slots to be approaching rather than descending. Alternatively, or in combination, the terminal device may calculate the elevation angle using information about the satellite positions and the positioning of the terminal device, and then apply this information to perform antenna switching. This can allow the terminal device to determine when the link antenna will be used for TX operation by evaluating the increase in received power on the monitoring antenna relative to the link antenna. In the example where TX is allowed using the monitoring antenna, the RX link loss estimate combined with the link antenna results can reveal that TX is possible even on the monitoring antenna. This can occur within a short window when the loss conditions are low enough.

[0070] Next, in S5, the terminal device may determine the required uplink budget and proceed to evaluate whether the uplink budget exceeds the capabilities of the terminal device. It should be noted that the TX link attempt may be a device-specific threshold established by the manufacturer, which may be considered a threshold for the transmit antenna. The threshold may be antenna-specific, and if the transmit antenna is a link antenna, it may have a different threshold than if the transmit antenna is a monitoring antenna. Thus, there may be two thresholds, one for each antenna. The uplink budget may be estimated based on estimated link loss, available uplink transmit power, transmit capabilities (such as power class), and / or which antenna is used for downlink monitoring and which antenna will be used for uplink transmissions. When evaluating the uplink budget, the antenna gains of both antennas should be considered when determining whether the antenna has sufficient available power to transmit to the satellite.

[0071] If the estimated uplink budget is greater than the transmission link attempt, then in S8, the terminal device can continue to perform the transmission process. For example, the transmission can be according to 3GPP procedures and can include requesting scheduling authorization to send a buffer status report. If the estimated uplink budget does not exceed the TX link attempt, then in S7, the terminal device can re-evaluate the link loss at a later time point to determine when to attempt transmission. The TX inactive time, in other words the transmission inactive time (which is the time until the terminal device re-evaluates the link loss), can be based on an estimate of when the link loss has decreased by X dB, allowing the TX link attempt threshold to be confirmed. As shown in S9, such an estimate can be based on knowledge of the location of the terminal device and the access node. For example, the transmission inactive time can be the time during which the terminal device determines, based on its location and the ephemeris of the satellite, when the satellite has moved close enough to the terminal device such that the link loss is reduced sufficiently for a successful transmission.

[0072] As described above, the TX link attempt can be a device-specific threshold. However, the threshold may attempt to determine what uplink budget level the terminal device can adapt to, in other words, at what link budget level communication with the satellite becomes feasible, and thus can reflect not only the path loss but also the satellite antenna gain. In some exemplary embodiments, when the terminal device is communicating with satellites of a particular constellation, the terminal device can apply a learning loop to adjust the TX link attempt. For example, if it is determined that the uplink budget is greater than X times the TX link budget, but all X or Y < X subsequent transmission attempts fail, then the terminal device can increase the TX link attempt value by some dB to ensure a connection attempt under better signaling conditions. In a similar manner, if Z connection attempts result in a successful transmission, the terminal device can reduce the TX link attempt. This may help ensure that the UE is not always too conservative or too aggressive.

[0073] It should be noted that at some point in time, the satellite will leave the area where the link antenna provides the best connection. At this time, it may be necessary to stop data transmission or switch to the monitoring antenna to continue transmission.

[0074] Alternatively, the terminal device may switch to the monitoring antenna and start searching for the next satellite. In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device is allowed to use the monitoring antenna to search for the next satellite before the link antenna may no longer be used for the connection with the current satellite. However, in two exemplary embodiments, the terminal device may perform all the exemplary embodiments of the above flow charts. Depending on the satellite constellation, it may maintain the RRC connection. In some exemplary embodiments, the monitoring antenna may be activated based on the ephemeris of multiple satellites so that the monitoring antenna can search for the next cell. It should also be noted that in some exemplary embodiments, the monitoring antenna may be used to search, measure and / or obtain system information of neighboring cells simultaneously or partially simultaneously, wherein the link antenna is used to communicate with the RRC of the connected cell. It should be noted that when the monitoring antenna is being used to search, measure and / or obtain system information of neighboring cells, the link antenna may also be in an RRC idle or RRC inactive state instead of an RRC connected state.

[0075] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device may attempt to optimize the uplink transmission time to further save energy. To this end, the terminal device may consider the following aspects:

[0076] The previously estimated window of uplink transmission opportunities, i.e. the duration for which sufficient uplink budget is available. This can be based on estimates from the RX monitoring antenna, and / or path loss estimates based on the terminal device's location and satellite ephemeris.

[0077] • A device specific mapping of uplink transmit power (eg in dBm or W) to the instantaneous power consumption from the energy source W. The terminal device may also take into account the available energy remaining in the source, eg the battery status.

[0078] The amount of data to be sent, which can be obtained from the buffer status of the terminal device based on higher layer information including the application layer. It can also be considered whether the data is delay critical. Delay tolerant data can include, for example, sensors reporting temperature, approximate location of packets or video / images once an hour.

[0079] After obtaining the above metrics, the terminal device can initiate the following process: First, the terminal device can use the previously estimated uplink transmission opportunity window to estimate the required transmit power and achievable throughput for each segment of the window, where uplink transmission is feasible. These segments can be subframes, radio frames, or any other time measurement chosen by the terminal device. Next, using a device-specific mapping of uplink transmit power to instantaneous power consumption from an energy source, the terminal device can estimate the energy required to transmit in each segment. The uplink coding rate may have a small impact on the overall energy consumption, which is mainly determined by the uplink transmit power. Finally, the terminal device can obtain the amount of data to be sent. If the terminal device determines that the data is not delay-critical, it can initiate a search across segments to determine the most energy-efficient (multiple) time periods to send. Energy consumption can be understood as a function of the following aspects:

[0080] The number of segments used for the transmission. This may depend on the modulation and coding scheme and the resource allocation, but the terminal device may use an average data rate per segment value, for example based on past allocations.

[0081] · Uplink transmission power consumption per segment.

[0082] Thereafter, in this exemplary embodiment, the terminal device may initiate transmission of the data in the identified (multiple) segments. It should be noted that the transmission of uplink data transmission is a network-controlled process, but in this exemplary embodiment, the terminal device may at least initiate a buffer status report BSR at an appropriate time, and the network may have resources available to issue a scheduling authorization. Table 1 below provides an example of a terminal device's estimate of the number of segments required and the associated energy consumption, depending on which segment the uplink transmission is initiated in. Prior to the actual uplink transmission, the terminal device may also include the energy required for the 4-step uplink scheduling process (i.e., sending a scheduling request for the BSR and the transmission of the BSR).

[0083] Paragraph 1 #Segment for transmission energy 1 3 (paragraphs 1, 2, 3) 4+4+2＝10 2 3 (segments 2, 3, 4) 4+2+3＝9 3 2 (Paragraphs 3 and 4) 2+3＝5 4 The transmission could not be completed due to insufficient link budget Unavailable

[0084] Table 1

[0085] An advantage of the exemplary embodiments described above is additional energy saving, which can be achieved because the terminal device has knowledge about its uplink data and power amplifier performance. Therefore, it can determine, for example, whether it is most energy efficient to transmit at 23dBm for 1s or at 20dBm for 2s for a given implementation of the terminal device. Figure 7It shows how a terminal device can use estimated link gain or path loss in combination with knowledge about transmit power consumption to determine when to initiate an uplink transmission. 710 shows a threshold for insufficient link budget for uplink communication. It is important to note that the link gain can be inversely proportional to the required uplink transmit power. Portion 720 shows the uplink transmit power sufficient for communication. Area 730 shows the time window in which the terminal device will attempt to complete the transmission of a large message. 750 shows that if the terminal device delays initiating the transmission of a large message, it may not be able to complete it or will consume too much energy to send the message. 740 shows the optimal transmission time for a small message. 760 shows that the terminal device can estimate the link gain based on its position and satellite ephemeris.

[0086] The radio architecture of the terminal device that can switch between at least two antennas of different types used in the above exemplary embodiments can be designed in a variety of ways. Various designs may include trade-offs in size, cost, complexity, and current. Figures 8A to 8G Exemplary embodiments of a radio architecture included in a terminal device are shown in FIG. In these exemplary embodiments, there is at least one transmitter 840, at least one receiver 850, at least one first type of antenna (such as a link antenna 810), and at least one second type of antenna (which may be a monitoring antenna 820 or a sector monitoring antenna). It should be noted that in some other exemplary embodiments, there may also be other types of antennas.

[0087] Figures 8A to 8G The exemplary embodiment shown in is able to switch between two types of antennas. This can be performed in an optimized manner by using one or more algorithms described above. Thus, the trigger for switching between the two types of antennas can be a link loss estimate and optionally also knowledge of the ephemeris of the access node and the location of the terminal device.

[0088] Fig. 8A An exemplary embodiment is shown in which there is an implementation of a time division duplex TDD variant with antennas selectable by two switches. Alternatively, an x-bar can be used. It should be noted that in addition to the configurability of the receiver path, transmissions can also be routed to the monitoring antenna. This can be performed, for example, when it is determined that there is a desired gain for extended coverage.

[0089] Figure 8B An exemplary embodiment is shown in which there is an implementation of a frequency division duplex FDD variant with a switch for a monitoring antenna. In addition to the configurability of the receive path, transmissions can also be routed to the monitoring antenna. This can be performed, for example, when it is determined that there is a desired gain for extended coverage.

[0090] Figure 8CAn exemplary embodiment is shown where there is an implementation of a time division duplex TDD variant. In this exemplary embodiment, there is one switch forming the transmit path, while the receiver supports two switches. This allows the receiver path to operate when the transmit timeslot is active. This may require the antenna and implementation design to have sufficient isolation, and monitoring to play a role during the transmit timeslot. It is important to note that the switch in the transmitter path can be replaced by a duplex filter to form an FDD variant.

[0091] Fig.8D Shows Figure 8C A further development of the exemplary embodiment shown in . In this exemplary embodiment, the implementation is further divided into 4 separate sectorized antennas. This may have the advantage of potentially higher directional gain, but at the expense of switching losses and the speed at which the terminal device can directionally monitor. If the terminal device knows the direction, there may not be any time penalties, so the gain advantage can be obtained without trade-offs. The switches in the transmitter path can be replaced by duplex filters to form an FDD variant.

[0092] Fig. 8E An exemplary embodiment of a TDD implementation is shown. In this exemplary embodiment, there is a separate transceiver that can be used for receiver monitoring, which can use its own antenna path to implement its functions. This implementation design may trade off performance improvements with the cost of complexity, design size, and cost. The switches in the transmitter path can be replaced by duplex filters to form an FDD variant.

[0093] Fig.8F An exemplary embodiment is shown, further improvement Fig.8D An exemplary embodiment is shown in FIG. In this exemplary embodiment, there are four separate sectorized monitoring antennas with their own dedicated receivers. The switches in the transmitter path can be replaced by duplex filters to form an FDD variant.

[0094] Figure 8G Shown by combining Figure 8B and 8D This allows for separate directional gains, for example 5 directions, which enables the transmitter to utilize sectorized antennas if these sectorized antennas are implemented with unusual gain levels (such as 20dBi). Note that replacing the duplexer with a switch allows TDD operation.

[0095] In general, the above exemplary embodiments may be implemented by having a switchable antenna structure for a terminal device in an NTN. The switchable antenna structure may switch between a link antenna and a monitoring antenna. In some exemplary embodiments, the implementation may allow transmission at any angle, while in some other exemplary embodiments, the implementation only allows reception operations that exceed the angle operation of the link antenna. As described above, antenna orientation is ensured and path loss is continuously estimated based on the transmission link capability. One or more algorithms may be used to determine when the strength is sufficient to reach an access node included in a satellite and then allow the link antenna to be used. As described above, various radio architectures may be utilized to adjust the selection of the antenna to be used. In some exemplary embodiments, there may be a second receiver chain using a monitoring antenna. This may have advantages in cell search and switching because the next satellite information may be received in parallel.

[0096] The benefit achieved by the above-described exemplary embodiments is the integration of existing antenna approaches with the environment served by the antenna, while taking into account the predictability of the location of the satellites of the communication system. Since this location changes over time, the present invention combines the selection of antennas, operating modes, and hardware designs in a way that allows the design to gain advantages in terms of link stability and power savings.

[0097] Fig. 9 The benefit of projecting directional gain onto a path loss curve versus satellite distance in an exemplary embodiment is shown. Graph 902 shows an omnidirectional antenna. It can be seen that the omnidirectional antenna has less gain than when the link antenna and the monitoring antenna are used, as shown in graph 904. Line 915 shows the best case path loss, while line 925 shows a higher path loss. Area 920 shows when the TX uplink can reach the satellite, and area 910 shows when it cannot. Area 930 shows when only signals are received, and area 940 illustrates when there is also a transmission from a terminal device. In Fig.10 In an exemplary embodiment of , TX is on one or more monitoring antennas until the path loss exceeds the range of TX power. The best case path loss is shown by 1015, and higher path losses are shown by 1025. Region 1030 shows when TX is on one or more monitoring antennas, and region 1040 shows when the link antenna is used. Region 1010 shows when TX is off on one or more monitoring antennas.

[0098] Since the antenna is limited in angular operation to achieve higher gain links, such as Fig. 8A , 8B As described in the radio architecture of 8D, it is possible to support monitoring of transmitters on antennas. Fig.10 An example of how this would be performed is shown.

[0099] As described in the above exemplary embodiments, the terminal device can utilize available knowledge about its own position on the earth and the current positioning and trajectory of one or more satellites. This can be achieved, for example, by using the global navigation satellite system GNSS capability, enabling the terminal device to determine its own position on the earth. In addition, the terminal device is expected to have satellite ephemeris data, which defines satellite constellation parameters including satellite positions and trajectories at any given time. Through the knowledge of the location of the terminal device and the location and movement of the satellites, the terminal device can determine when to activate the monitoring antenna in order to receive system information from future neighboring cells. It should be noted that the above exemplary embodiments can be applicable to various carrier frequencies and bandwidths. Therefore, the exemplary embodiments are also applicable to, for example, ultra-wideband applications. Although the carrier frequency and bandwidth used in a specific implementation may affect the type of antenna used in the implementation, the above exemplary embodiments are applicable to various types of antennas and can therefore be utilized with various carrier frequencies and bandwidths.

[0100] Fig.11 An apparatus 1100 according to an example embodiment is shown, which may be an apparatus such as a terminal device or included in a terminal device. The apparatus 1100 includes a processor 1110. The processor 1110 interprets computer program instructions and processes data. The processor 1110 may include one or more programmable processors. The processor 1110 may include programmable hardware with embedded firmware, and may alternatively or additionally include one or more application specific integrated circuits ASICs.

[0101] The processor 1110 is coupled to the memory 1120. The processor is configured to read data from the memory 1120 and write data to the memory 1120. The memory 1120 may include one or more memory units. The memory unit may be volatile or non-volatile. It should be noted that in some example embodiments, there may be one or more units of non-volatile memory and one or more units of volatile memory, or alternatively, one or more units of non-volatile memory, or alternatively, one or more units of volatile memory. The volatile memory may be, for example, RAM, DRAM, or SDRAM. The non-volatile memory may be, for example, ROM, PROM, EEPROM, flash memory, optical memory, or magnetic memory. In general, the memory may be referred to as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The memory 1120 stores computer-readable instructions executed by the processor 1110. For example, the non-volatile memory stores computer-readable instructions, and the processor 1110 executes the instructions using the volatile memory for temporarily storing data and / or instructions.

[0102] The computer readable instructions may have been pre-stored to the memory 1120, or alternatively or additionally, they may be received by the device via an electromagnetic carrier signal and / or may be copied from a physical entity (such as a computer program product). Execution of the computer readable instructions causes the device 1100 to perform the functions described above.

[0103] In the context of this document, "memory" or "computer-readable medium" may be any non-transitory medium or component that can contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer.

[0104] The device 1100 also includes or is connected to an input unit 1130. The input unit 1130 includes one or more interfaces for receiving user input. The one or more interfaces may include, for example, one or more motion and / or orientation sensors, one or more cameras, one or more accelerometers, one or more microphones, one or more buttons, and one or more touch detection units. In addition, the input unit 1130 may include an interface to which an external device may be connected.

[0105] The device 1100 also includes an output unit 1140. The output unit includes or is connected to one or more displays capable of presenting visual content, such as a light emitting diode LED display, a liquid crystal display LCD, and a liquid crystal on silicon LCoS display. The output unit 1140 also includes one or more audio outputs. The one or more audio outputs can be, for example, a speaker or a set of headphones.

[0106] The device 1100 may also include a connection unit 1150. The connection unit 1150 enables a wired and / or wireless connection to an external network. The connection unit 1150 may include one or more antennas and one or more receivers, which may be integrated into the device 1100 or the device 1100 may be connected to them. The connection unit 1150 may include an integrated circuit or a set of integrated circuits that provide wireless communication capabilities for the device 1100. Alternatively, the wireless connection may be a hardwired application-specific integrated circuit ASIC.

[0107] It should be noted that the device 1100 may also include Fig.11 Various components are not shown in the figure. The various components can be hardware components and / or software components.

[0108] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the examples according to the accompanying drawings, it is clear that the present invention is not limited thereto, but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, all words and expressions should be interpreted broadly and they are intended to illustrate rather than limit the embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that, with the advancement of technology, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. In addition, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the described embodiments can, but need not, be combined with other embodiments in various ways.

Claims

1. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory comprising computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: ensuring an orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device; determining whether the terminal device is a radio resource control connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node being at least partially comprised in a satellite or relayed by the satellite, and if it is determined that the terminal device is connected to the cell by the radio resource control: estimating link loss based at least in part on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type of antenna; determining an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss; determining whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmit antenna, wherein the transmit antenna is the first type antenna or the second type antenna; attempting transmission to the access node using the transmit antenna if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmit antenna; as well as If the uplink budget is not greater than the threshold for the transmit antenna, a transmit inactive time is calculated and a receive monitoring state is maintained for a duration of the transmit inactive time.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if it is determined that the terminal device is not connected to the radio resource of the cell, the apparatus is further caused to search for any suitable cell using the first type antenna.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the uplink budget is further determined based on available transmit power, a power level, and a selection of one of the first type of antenna and the second type of antenna.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus can also obtain the position of the terminal device and the ephemeris of the satellite.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the apparatus is further caused to activate the first type antenna based on the obtained position of the terminal device and the ephemeris of the satellite or the ephemeris of the satellite and the ephemeris of at least one other satellite.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the apparatus is further caused to verify the estimated link loss based on the obtained position of the terminal device and the ephemeris of the satellite.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the terminal device comprises at least one switch, and the at least one switch switches a transmission and / or reception path between the first type antenna and the second type antenna.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the terminal device comprises a plurality of receivers having respective receive paths connecting the receivers to the first type of antenna or the second type of antenna.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the terminal device further comprises a plurality of first type antennas.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus is further configured to optimize uplink transmission based on energy required for one or more segments of a transmission window.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus is further configured to use the first type of antenna to search, measure and / or obtain system information for one or more neighboring cells, and at least partially simultaneously configured to use the second type of antenna to communicate with the radio resource connection of a connected cell.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus is included in the terminal device.

13. A method of communication, include: ensuring an orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device; determining whether the terminal device is a radio resource control connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node being at least partially comprised in a satellite or relayed by the satellite, and if it is determined that the terminal device is connected to the cell by the radio resource control: estimating link loss based at least in part on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type of antenna; determining an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss; determining whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmit antenna, wherein the transmit antenna is the first type antenna or the second type antenna; attempting transmission to the access node using the transmit antenna if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmit antenna; as well as If the uplink budget is not greater than the threshold for the transmit antenna, a transmit inactive time is calculated and a receive monitoring state is maintained for a duration of the transmit inactive time.

14. A computer program product comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the following: ensuring an orientation of a first type antenna and a second type antenna, wherein the first type antenna and the second type antenna are included in a terminal device; determining whether the terminal device is a radio resource control connected to a cell provided by an access node, the access node being at least partially comprised in a satellite or relayed by the satellite, and if it is determined that the terminal device is connected to the cell by the radio resource control: estimating link loss based at least in part on downlink reception measurements obtained using the first type of antenna; determining an uplink budget based on the estimated link loss; determining whether the uplink budget is greater than a threshold for a transmit antenna, wherein the transmit antenna is the first type antenna or the second type antenna; attempting transmission to the access node using the transmit antenna if the uplink budget is greater than the threshold for the transmit antenna; as well as If the uplink budget is not greater than the threshold for the transmit antenna, a transmit inactive time is calculated and a receive monitoring state is maintained for a duration of the transmit inactive time.

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