Communication device and method for signalling in non-terrestrial networks

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to communication devices and methods for signaling in non-terrestrial networks. The present application relates to devices and components including apparatuses, systems, and methods for ephemeris signaling in wireless networks.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63 / 229,997, filed August 5, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Background Technology

[0003] With the development of wireless networks, networks have expanded to serve more and more remote areas. One approach proposed for extending wireless network service to more and more remote areas is to utilize non-terrestrial networks. Specifically, satellites can be used within the network to provide Radio Access Network (RAN) services. However, using satellites in a network presents several challenges. Attached Figure Description

[0004] Figure 1 The network layout is shown according to some implementation schemes.

[0005] Figure 2 The operational flow / algorithm structure according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0006] Figure 3 Signaling diagrams according to some implementation schemes are shown.

[0007] Figure 4 Another operational flow / algorithm structure according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0008] Figure 5 Another operational flow / algorithm structure according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0009] Figure 6 User equipment according to some implementation schemes is shown.

[0010] Figure 7 Network devices according to some implementation schemes are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0011] The following detailed description relates to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals may be used in different drawings to identify the same or similar elements. In the following description, specific details, such as particular structures, architectures, interfaces, and techniques, are set forth for illustrative and non-limiting purposes to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of the various embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various aspects of the various embodiments may be practiced in other examples departing from these specific details. In some cases, descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods have been omitted so as not to obscure the description of the various embodiments with unnecessary detail. For the purposes of this document, the phrases “A / B” and “A or B” refer to (A), (B), or (A and B).

[0012] The following is a glossary of terms that may be used in this disclosure.

[0013] As used herein, the term "circuit" refers to a portion of or includes said hardware component configured to provide the described functionality. Hardware components may include electronic circuitry, logic circuitry, processors (shared, dedicated, or grouped) or memories (shared, dedicated, or grouped), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable devices (FPDs) (e.g., field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), complex PLDs (CPLDs), high-capacity PLDs (HCPLDs), structured ASICs, or programmable system-on-a-chip (SoCs)), or digital signal processors (DSPs). In some embodiments, a circuit may execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least some of the said functionality. The term "circuit" may also refer to a combination of one or more hardware elements and program code for performing the functionality (or a combination of circuits used in an electrical or electronic system). In these embodiments, the combination of hardware elements and program code may be referred to as a particular type of circuit.

[0014] As used herein, the term "processor circuit" means, is part of, or includes the following: a circuit capable of sequentially and automatically performing a series of arithmetic or logical operations or recording, storing, or transmitting digital data. The term "processor circuit" may also refer to an application processor, baseband processor, central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit, single-core processor, dual-core processor, triple-core processor, quad-core processor, or any other device capable of executing or otherwise operating computer-executable instructions (such as program code, software modules, and / or functional procedures).

[0015] As used herein, the term "interface circuit" refers to, is part of, or includes a circuit that enables the exchange of information between two or more components or devices. The term "interface circuit" can refer to one or more hardware interfaces, such as buses, I / O interfaces, peripheral component interfaces, and network interface cards.

[0016] As used herein, the term "user equipment" or "UE" refers to a device having radio communication capabilities that allow a user to access network resources within a communication network. The term "user equipment" or "UE" may be considered synonymous with and may be referred to as a client, mobile phone, mobile device, mobile terminal, user terminal, mobile unit, mobile station, mobile user, subscriber, user, remote station, access agent, user agent, receiver, radio equipment, reconfigurable radio equipment, or reconfigurable mobile device. Furthermore, the term "user equipment" or "UE" can include any type of wireless / wired device or any computing device that includes a wireless communication interface.

[0017] As used herein, the term "computer system" means any type of interconnected electronic device, computer device, or component thereof. Additionally, the term "computer system" or "system" may refer to the various components of a computer that are communicatively coupled to each other. Furthermore, the term "computer system" or "system" may refer to multiple computer devices or multiple computing systems that are communicatively coupled to each other and configured to share computing resources or network resources.

[0018] As used herein, the term "resource" refers to physical or virtual devices, physical or virtual components within a computing environment, or physical or virtual components within a particular device, such as computer equipment, mechanical equipment, memory space, processor / CPU time, processor / CPU utilization, processor and accelerator load, hardware time or utilization, power supply, input / output operations, port or network sockets, channel / link allocation, throughput, memory utilization, storage, network, database, and application or workload units. "Hardware resource" can refer to computing, storage, or networking resources provided by physical hardware components. "Virtualized resource" can refer to computing, storage, or networking resources provided by virtualized infrastructure to applications, devices, or systems. The terms "network resource" or "communication resource" can refer to resources accessible by a computer device / system via a communication network. The term "system resource" can refer to any kind of shared entity providing a service and can include computing or network resources. System resources can be considered as a coherent set of functions, network data objects, or services accessible through a server, wherein such system resources reside on a single host or multiple hosts and are clearly identifiable.

[0019] As used herein, the term "channel" refers to any tangible or intangible transmission medium used for transmitting data or data streams. The term "channel" may be synonymous or equivalent with "communication channel," "data communication channel," "transmission channel," "data transmission channel," "access channel," "data access channel," "link," "data link," "carrier," "radio frequency carrier," or any other similar term indicating a path or medium through which data is transmitted. Additionally, as used herein, the term "link" refers to a connection between two devices used for transmitting and receiving information.

[0020] As used in this article, the terms "instantiate" and "instantiate" refer to the creation of an instance. "Instance" also refers to the concrete occurrence of an object, which may occur, for example, during the execution of program code.

[0021] The term "connection" can mean that two or more elements at a common communication protocol layer have an established signaling relationship with each other through a communication channel, link, interface, or reference point.

[0022] As used herein, the term "network element" refers to physical or virtualized equipment or infrastructure used to provide wired or wireless communication network services. The term "network element" may be considered synonymous with or referred to as a networked computer, network hardware, network equipment, network node, or virtualized network function.

[0023] The term "information element" refers to a structural element that contains one or more fields. The term "field" refers to the individual content of an information element, or the data element that contains that content. An information element may include one or more additional information elements.

[0024] Figure 1 An exemplary network arrangement 100 according to some embodiments is shown. Specifically, network arrangement 100 may employ one or more non-terrestrial components and may therefore be referred to as a non-terrestrial network (NTN). For clarity and brevity, network arrangement 100 is a simplified version showing a single representation of each element. It should be understood that one or more elements of each may be present in embodiments of network arrangement 100.

[0025] Network deployment 100 may include base station 102. Base station 102 may be combined with other components within network deployment 100 to provide radio access network (RAN) services to the UE. Base station 102 may include Node B. For example, base station 102 may include next-generation Node B (gNB), evolved Node B (eNB), or another type of Node B.

[0026] Network deployment 100 may also include a core network (CN) 104. For example, CN 104 may include a 5th generation core network (5GC). CN 104 may be coupled to base station 102 via fiber optic or wireless backhaul. CN 104 may provide functions to UEs connected to base station 102, such as subscriber profile information, subscriber location, service authentication, and / or handover functions for voice and data sessions.

[0027] Network deployment 100 may also include UE 106. UE 106 may be configured to establish a connection with the WAN and provide WAN services to users of UE 106. For example, UE 106 may be configured to establish a wireless connection with a part of the WAN, such as base station 102.

[0028] Network deployment 100 may also include NTN equipment 108. For example, NTN equipment 108 may include geostationary satellites (such as geosynchronous (GEO) Earth orbit satellites or high-altitude platform stations (HAPS)), quasi-geostationary satellites (such as non-geostationary Earth orbit (NGEO) satellites with steerable beams), or geomobile satellites (such as NGEOs with fixed or unsteerable beams). NTN equipment 108 may advance along heading 112 during operation.

[0029] NTN device 108 facilitates a wireless connection between base station 102 and UE 106 by relaying signals between the two network devices. These signals can be relayed via a first service link between NTN device 108 and base station 102 and a second service link between NTN device 108 and UE 106. Base station 102 or UE 106 can benefit from having ephemeris information about the location or heading 112 of NTN device 108 to establish and maintain these service links.

[0030] Network deployment 100 can support fixed, quasi-fixed, and mobile satellite service links. Fixed satellite service links can be achieved by providing beams that continuously cover the same geographic area (e.g., in the case of GEO satellites and HAP). Quasi-fixed satellite service links can be achieved by providing beams that cover one geographic area for a limited time period and a different geographic area for another time period (e.g., in the case of NGEO satellites generating maneuverable beams). Mobile satellite service links can be achieved by providing beams that leave a trail on the Earth's surface (e.g., in the case of NGEO satellites generating fixed or unmaneuverable beams).

[0031] Network deployment 100 may also include an NTN control center 110. The NTN control center 110 may store ephemeris information about the location or heading of one or more NTN devices within the NTN device constellation. As an example, the NTN control center 110 may store information about the location or heading of NTN device 108 in the illustrated embodiment.

[0032] Signaling can become complex over long distances between ground components of the network deployment (e.g., NTN device 108) and non-ground components of the network deployment 100 (e.g., base station 102 and UE 106). The implementation describes timing relationship enhancements and uplink time / frequency synchronization that can be used in the network deployment 100.

[0033] The enhanced timing relationship may be related to the introduction of additional time offsets to compensate for the large propagation delay in NTN.

[0034] In some implementations, UE 106 can use K_offset to determine various timing relationships. The K_offset transmitted in the system information may be referred to as the cell-specific K_offset. This K_offset can be updated to a UE-specific K_offset after initial access via control signaling (such as, for example, Radio Resource Control (RRC) reconfiguration or Medium Access Control (MAC) control element (CE)). If UE 106 is not provided with a K_offset value other than the K_offset value signaled in the system information, the K_offset value signaled in the system information can be used for all timing relationships enhanced based on the K_offset.

[0035] The K_offset transmitted in the system information can be used to determine the transmission timing of the following: PUSCH for Random Access Response (RAR) / Rollback RAR grant scheduling; message three (Msg3) retransmission scheduled via DCI format 0_0 with Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) scrambled by Temporary Cell (TC) - Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI); Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) - Acknowledgment (ACK) on PUCCH for contention resolution against PDSCH scheduled via DCI format 1_0, where the CRC is scrambled by TC-RNTI; or HARQ-ACK on PUCCH corresponding to message B (MsgB) scheduled via DCI format 1_0, where the CRC is scrambled by MsgB-RNTI.

[0036] In some implementations, base station 102 may update K_offset for better scheduling purposes. Without knowing the UE's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) location, base station 102 may not know the UE-specific timing advance (TA). Therefore, UE 106 may report information about the UE-specific TA to base station 102 to allow base station 102 to correctly update the UE-specific K_offset.

[0037] In some implementations, the reporting content from UE 106 may be based on the assumption that UE 106 will use its full TA. The full TA can be converted from x milliseconds to X time slots. The current UE-specific K_offset can be Y time slots, which can be converted to y milliseconds. If no UE-specific K_offset is configured, a cell-specific K_offset can be used.

[0038] In some embodiments, UE 106 may send a UE-specific K_offset report based on the difference between the UE-specific K_offset and the TA. For example, given thresholds a and b, if a ≤ Y - X ≤ b, then UE 106 may determine that a UE-specific K_offset update is not required. In this case, UE 106 may generate a report and send it to base station 102, the report indicating that a UE-specific K_offset update is not required, or the report may include an update set amount equal to zero slots. Alternatively, UE 106 may not transmit a report at all.

[0039] If Y – X > b, then UE 106 may determine that a UE-specific K_offset update is required. In this case, UE 106 may report that a reduction in the UE-specific K_offset is needed.

[0040] In the first option, reporting a need to reduce the UE-specific K_offset may include transmitting a report with an indicator to reduce the UE-specific K_offset by one level, which in some embodiments may be one slot. The indicator may be a one-bit indicator.

[0041] In the second option, reporting a need to reduce the UE-specific K_offset may include transmitting a report with a differential UE-specific K_offset value. The K_offset value may provide a decreasing number of slots, which may depend on the value Y - X (or be proportional to it). For example, the report may include a two-bit indicator to indicate that the current K_offset will be reduced by 1, 2, 3, or 4 slots.

[0042] In the third option, reporting a need to reduce the UE-specific K_offset may include transmitting a report with an indication of the actual UE-specific K_offset. In some embodiments, the indication may use A bits, where A is an integer.

[0043] If Y – X < a, then UE 106 may determine that an increase in the UE-specific K_offset is required.

[0044] In the first option, reporting a need to increase the UE-specific K_offset may include transmitting a report with an indicator to increase the UE-specific K_offset by one level, which in some embodiments may be one slot. The indicator may be a one-bit indicator.

[0045] In the second option, reporting a need to increase the UE-specific K_offset may include transmitting a report with a differential UE-specific K_offset value. The K_offset value may provide an increasing number of slots, which may depend on the value Y - X (or be inversely proportional to it). For example, the report may include a two-bit indicator to indicate that the current K_offset will be increased by 1, 2, 3, or 4 slots.

[0046] In the third option, reporting the need to add a UE-specific K_offset may include transmitting a report with an indication of the actual UE-specific K_offset. In some implementations, this indication may use the A bit, where A is an integer.

[0047] While the above implementation describes comparing TA with K_offset in time slots (e.g., X and Y), other implementations may compare TA with K_offset in milliseconds (e.g., x and y).

[0048] The values ​​of thresholds a and b can depend on the subcarrier spacing (SCS). For example, the larger the SCS, the larger a and b are. In some implementations, these values ​​can be predefined or configured via RRC or system information (e.g., SIB). These values ​​can depend on the track type of NTN device 108, such as GOE, LEO, etc.

[0049] In some implementations, UE report content may be based on the UE complete TA or the UE-specific TA. TA reports may have coarse-grained content for one or more time slots.

[0050] In some implementations, the difference between the updated TA and the previous TA can be used to determine whether a UE-specific K_offset needs to be updated.

[0051] TA old Consider it as the TA when UE 106 receives the UE-specific K_offset and then TA new Consider it as the current TA value. If |TA new -TA old If |≤c, then UE 106 can determine that no UE-specific K_offset update is needed. In this case, UE 106 can generate a report and send it to base station 102, indicating that no UE-specific K_offset update is needed, or the report may include an update set equal to zero timeslot. Alternatively, UE 106 may not transmit a report at all.

[0052] If |TA new -TA old If |>c, then UE 106 can determine that a UE-specific K_offset update is needed. In this case, UE 106 can report that the UE-specific K_offset needs to be decreased or increased.

[0053] In the first option, reporting a reduction or increase in the UE-specific K_offset may include transmitting a report with an indicator to reduce or increase the UE-specific K_offset by one level, which in some embodiments may be a time slot. The indicator may be a one-bit indicator.

[0054] In the second option, reporting the reduction or increase of UE-specific K_offset may include transmitting reports with differential UE-specific K_offset values. The K_offset value can provide a time slot with an increment or decrement, which may depend on |TA. new -TA old | (or proportional to it). For example, the report may include two indicators to indicate that the current K_offset will increase or decrease by 1, 2, 3, or 4 slots.

[0055] In the third option, reporting the need to increase or decrease the UE-specific K_offset may include transmitting a report with an indication of the actual UE-specific K_offset. In some implementations, this indication may use the A bit, where A is an integer.

[0056] In some implementations, if |TA new -TA old If |>c, then UE 106 can report the updated TA value. The updated TA value report can be coarse-grained, such as one or more time slots. The reported value can be a differential TA value, such as |TA new -TA old The value of |; or it can be the actual TA value, such as TA. new .

[0057] In some implementations, the value of c can be based on the subcarrier spacing; for example, the larger the SCS, the larger c.

[0058] In some implementations, the value of c can be predefined or configured via RRC signaling or system information signaling (e.g., SIB).

[0059] In some implementations, the value of c may be based on the track of the NTN device 108 (e.g., GEO, LEO, etc.).

[0060] Some implementations can provide event-triggered or periodic reports to indicate when a UE-specific K_offset needs to be updated. For example, an event-triggered report could be based on the UE detecting: YX > b; YX < a; or |TA new -TA old |>c. In some implementations, as mentioned above, reports may be transmitted only when it is necessary to increase or decrease the UE-specific K_offset. If it is determined that the UE-specific K_offset value does not need to be changed, no report may be sent.

[0061] Periodic reporting can be accomplished by providing UE 106 with the authorization to report the need for UE-specific K_offset updates.

[0062] The following are additional aspects of the K_offset report.

[0063] Based on the signaling that updates K_offset after initial access, the updated K_offset is likely UE-specific. The value of the UE-specific K_offset may be greater than the UE's full timing advance (TA) in order to enable ad-hoc scheduling.

[0064] A UE's complete TA consists of the UE-specific TA, the broadcast common TA, and the TA command received from the gNB. The UE-specific TA depends on the distance between the UE and the serving satellites, which is calculated by the UE based on its GNSS position and the serving satellite ephemeris. It's important to note that the gNB cannot autonomously derive the UE-specific TA without knowing the UE's GNSS position. If the UE does not report information about its UE-specific TA to the gNB, the gNB cannot know whether or how to update the UE-specific K_offset.

[0065] In some cases, the UE may report information about UE-specific TA pre-compensation. The exact content and frequency of the UE reporting information about UE-specific TA pre-compensation may not yet be determined.

[0066] The options for the exact content that the UE reports to the gNB may include UE-specific TA, full TA, UE location, the difference between UE-specific K_offset and cell-specific K_offset.

[0067] The purpose of the UE reporting to the gNB is to facilitate the gNB in ​​deriving a UE-specific K_offset for uplink scheduling adaptation. Since it is assumed that the K_offset has time-slot granularity, the UE's report does not need to be of small granularity. This saves signaling overhead on the UE report. In this sense, it is preferable for the UE to directly report the proposed UE-specific K_offset.

[0068] Reporting the difference value can further reduce signaling overhead. Specifically, the UE can compare its current UE-specific K_offset (or current cell-specific K_offset if not configured) with its full TA. If the difference exceeds a certain range, the UE knows the need to update its UE-specific K_offset. Otherwise, the UE does not need to update its UE-specific K_offset. Instead of reporting the preferred UE-specific K_offset, the UE can report the difference between its preferred UE-specific K_offset and the current UE-specific K_offset. This can further reduce the signaling overhead of UE reporting.

[0069] Therefore, in some implementations, for the purpose of uplink scheduling adaptation, the UE may report a suggested UE-specific K_offset.

[0070] UE reporting frequency can be event-triggered. For example, the UE will only report to the gNB when it detects that a UE-specific K_offset update is needed. This can significantly reduce the signaling required for UE reporting. The transmission of differentiated UE-specific K_offsets can be performed via higher-layer signaling. Therefore, for uplink scheduling adaptation purposes, some implementations at least support event-triggered UE reporting.

[0071] Figure 2 An operational flow / algorithm structure 200 according to some implementation schemes is shown. The operational flow / algorithm structure 200 may be executed or implemented by a UE such as, for example, UE 106 or UE 600; or by components such as baseband processor 604A.

[0072] The operation flow / algorithm structure 200 may be included at 204, connected to the NTN. This may involve a typical cell connection process.

[0073] The operation flow / algorithm structure 200 may also include receiving a UE-specific K_offset at 208. The UE-specific K_offset can be received from the base station and control signaling.

[0074] The operation flow / algorithm structure 200 may also include calculating TA at 212. TA(T) can be applied by the UE when it is in RRC idle / inactive and RRC connected states. TA It can be defined as follows:

[0075] T TA =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +N TA,offset )xT C . Formula 1

[0076] N TA The PRACH is defined as 0 and updated based on the TA command field in the msg2 / msgB and MAC CE TA commands. TA,UE-specific It is a self-estimated TA used to pre-compensate for the service link delay between UE 106 and NTN device 108. TA,UE-specific The GNSS location can be calculated by UE 106 based on the GNSS positions of the two devices. Base station 102 can broadcast satellite ephemeris information, allowing UE 106 to derive the GNSS position. TA,common It is the common TA for network control between NTN device 108 and a timing reference point located on NTN device 108, a ground-based base station 102 (or gateway), or any location on the feeder link between NTN device 108 and base station 102. TA,commonThis can include any timing offsets that the network deems necessary. TA,offset This can be a fixed offset used to calculate timing advance. T C The basic unit of time is 0.5 nanoseconds.

[0077] The operation flow / algorithm structure 200 may also include, at 216, detecting the need to update the UE-specific K_offset. This determination may be based on the difference between the UE-specific K_offset and TA, or based on TA. new and TA old The difference between them.

[0078] The operation flow / algorithm structure 200 may also include, at 216, a notification to the base station that the UE-specific K_offset needs to be updated. This notification may be a report including an indication to increase or decrease the UE-specific K_offset, or it may include an indication of the differential TA value or the actual TA value.

[0079] The base station can issue notifications based on event-triggered reports or periodic reports.

[0080] The operation flow / algorithm structure 200 may also include receiving an updated UE-specific K_offset at 220. The UE can then use the updated offset to determine the transmission time.

[0081] Some implementations discuss the use of cell-specific K_offsets in the context of updating K_offsets after initial access. In some cases, when the UE is in RRC idle state, the K_offset value signaled in the system information can always be used in the initial access procedure, such as PUSCH scheduled with RAR / back-off RAR grants, Msg3 retransmissions scheduled via DCI format 0_0 (where the CRC is scrambled by TC-RNTI), etc.

[0082] If the CRC of DCI format 1_0 is scrambled by C-RNTI, there may be no ambiguity between the gNB and the UE regarding the updated value of K_offset. Therefore, when determining the transmission timing of HARQ-ACK on PUCCH to Msg4 / MsgB (where the CRC is scrambled by C-RNTI) scheduled via DCI format 1_0, it may not be necessary to apply the cell-specific K_offset. Therefore, if UE 104 is provided with a K_offset value beyond the system information, this K_offset value can be used for the transmission timing of HARQ-ACK on PUCCH to Msg4 / MsgB (where the CRC is scrambled by C-RNTI) scheduled via DCI format 1_0.

[0083] Some implementations address the question of whether cell-specific K_offset values ​​are always used to determine uplink transmission timing scheduled via the fallback DCI format. The primary motivation for using only cell-specific K_offset values ​​for fallback DCI during K_offset value updates is to avoid ambiguity in the K_offset. This ensures the UE is always reachable. However, if higher-layer signaling associated with K_offset updates (e.g., MAC CE or RRC reconfiguration) is considered, the activation time is fixed and unambiguous. Therefore, due to its efficiency, it may be desirable to apply K_offset values ​​not signaled in the system information to transmission timing associated with the fallback DCI format. Thus, according to some implementations, if the UE is provided with a K_offset value beyond that in the system information, that K_offset value can be used for transmission timing scheduled via the fallback DCI format.

[0084] Some implementations may additionally / alternatively include another offset for scheduling purposes. This offset may be referred to as K_mac. If the downlink and uplink frame timings are aligned at base station 102, K_mac may not be required for UE actions and assumptions in the uplink / downlink configuration indicated by the MAC CE command in the PDSCH. If the downlink and uplink frame timings are not aligned at base station 102, K_mac may be required for UE actions and assumptions in the downlink configuration indicated by the MAC CE command in the PDSCH, and may not be required for UE actions and assumptions in the uplink configuration indicated by the MAC CE command in the PDSCH.

[0085] Base station 102 may provide UE 106 with an indication of the K_mac value. If base station 102 does not provide this indication, UE 106 may assume that k_mac is equal to zero.

[0086] The following implementation schemes provide enhancements to K_mac signaling.

[0087] The activation time of the downlink configuration from the MAC CE command may depend on the scheduling offset K_mac, which is different from K_offset. The k_mac value may be provided by the network. The MAC CE activation time may be based on K_mac, which may be assumed to be in PUCCH slots.

[0088] K_mac can be used to estimate the UE-gNB RTT, and it is set to either the ra-ResponseWindow offset or the msgB-ResponseWindow offset. This means that the k_mac value needs to be known before the UE's initial access. Therefore, the system information naturally includes K_mac.

[0089] On the other hand, the K_mac used to determine the MAC CE activation time is in PUCCH slots. It should be noted that the PUCCH parameter set may depend on the UE. In other words, the k_mac carried in the system information may not be aligned with the parameter set of the PUCCH that the UE depends on. One approach is to carry the k_mac in the system information as an absolute time (e.g., ms). Another approach is to carry the K_mac in the system information in units of a given subcarrier interval within a given frequency range. For example, if the carrier frequency is below 7.125 GHz, the K_mac is in slots with a subcarrier interval of 15 kHz, and if the carrier frequency is above 7.125 GHz, the K_mac is in slots with a subcarrier interval of 120 kHz.

[0090] In some implementations, the scheduling offset K_mac is carried in the system information in milliseconds or in time slots for a given subcarrier interval within the frequency range.

[0091] K_mac can be used to determine the MAC CE activation time as follows. If UE 106 is provided with a K_mac value, then when the UE transmits a PUCCH with HARQ-ACK information in the uplink slot n corresponding to the PDSCH carrying the MAC CE command on the downlink configuration, it should start from the slot. The first time slot thereafter applies the UE actions and assumptions for the downlink configuration, where μ is the SCS configuration of the PUCCH. It should be noted that K_mac is assumed to be in PUCCH time slots; however, this may change in other implementations.

[0092] K_mac can be used to determine the RAR window offset, as shown below. The start of ra-ResponseWindow and msgB-ResponseWindow may be delayed due to the estimated UE-gNB round-trip time (RTT). The estimated UE-gNB RTT may be equal to the sum of the UE's TA and K_mac. In some cases, the UE may not assume that the UE-gNB RTT is equal to the TA calculated for Msg1 / MsgA.

[0093] k_mac can be transmitted in the system information. However, the k_mac carried in the system information may not be aligned with the parameter set of the PUCCH that the UE depends on. Therefore, signaling options can be provided.

[0094] In the first signaling option, the K_mac carried in the system information can be in absolute time units (e.g., milliseconds).

[0095] In the second signaling option, the K_mac carried in the system information can be in units of fixed subcarrier spacing within a given frequency range. For example, K_mac can be in units of 15kHz SCS time slots within frequency range 1 (FR1), while K_mac can be in units of 120kHz SCS time slots within frequency range 2 (FR2).

[0096] For either the first or second signaling option, UE 106 may overwrite the K_mac received in the system information with the appropriate slot number based on the SCS of its PUCCH.

[0097] The RAR window offset defines the delay at which the ra-ResponseWindow and msgB-ResponseWindow begin. The RAR window for both 2-step and 4-step RACH can be equal to an estimate of the UE-gNBRTT, which can be the sum of K_mac and the UE's TA (e.g., given by Equation 1). The estimate of the gNB-satellite RTT can be equal to N. TA,common ×T c The sum of K_mac.

[0098] In some cases, when the network does not provide the K_mac value to the UE 106, the UE may assume that K_mac is equal to zero.

[0099] In some implementations, N can be used when estimating UE-gNB RTT. TA Setting it to zero aligns with PRACH transmissions. Since no TA command is available when the UE estimates the RAR window offset, it is natural to assume N. TA It is zero.

[0100] In some implementation schemes, N TA,offset The value can be broadcast (e.g., in the Serving Cell Configuration Common IE) or can be a default value for a given frequency range (e.g., defined in the TS).

[0101] The TA applied by the NR NTN UE in RRC_IDLE / INACTIVE or RRC_CONNECTED states may depend on the UE's self-estimated TA (N) of the serving link. TA,UE-specific The common TA(N) of the network indication TA,common ).

[0102] Some implementations describe whether to broadcast a common TA drift rate and a common TA drift change rate from the network. These common TA drift rates and common TA drift change rates can be used to determine the common TA used both during and after initial access.

[0103] If the time gap between two adjacent common TA broadcasts is large, the actual common TA value may drift significantly. Consider an example with a common TA drift rate of 20 μs / s and a time gap of 160 ms between two common TA broadcasts. Then, the actual common TA offset is 3.2 μs, which is greater than the CP length of SCS = 30 kHz.

[0104] In the first option, a common TA drift rate and / or a common TA drift change rate are broadcast, causing the UE to adjust its common TA based on these drift parameters. This option provides a better approximation of the common TA applied by the UE to the actual common TA at the cost of signaling overhead.

[0105] In the second option, neither the common TA drift rate nor the common TA drift change rate is broadcast. The common TA used by the UE is not updated between two adjacent common TA receptions. In this option, the common TA used by the UE may not match the actual common TA value. This requires the network to continuously adjust its DL-UL timing gap. In this option, feeder link timing drift is transparent to the UE.

[0106] The first option faces the challenge that the UE's uplink timing error already includes DL synchronization error, clock drift / jitter, UE GNSS error, and satellite position projection error. If the feeder link timing error is additionally included in the UE's total uplink timing error, the UE implementation complexity increases because other timing errors need to be compressed to meet the overall uplink timing error budget. The second option faces the challenge that the time deviation between the uplink and downlink at the gNB is large and varies over time, which leads to the complexity of the gNB implementation.

[0107] Whether to indicate common TA drift parameters can be based on the network implementation. For example, if the timing reference point is on a satellite, the network does not need to broadcast common TA drift parameters. If the timing reference point is on a gNB and it is considered beneficial for the UE to pre-compensate for feeder link drift, the network may broadcast common TA drift parameters.

[0108] When a common TA drift parameter is not received, the UE does not adjust its common TA between two adjacent common TA receptions. When a common TA drift parameter is received, the UE needs to pre-compensate for the drifted common TA in its uplink transmission. However, the common TA timing error (i.e., the gap between the common TA applied by the UE and the actual common TA) should not be included in the UE's overall uplink timing error budget.

[0109] Therefore, the implementation scheme describes an indication of how the network implementation determines the common TA drift parameters. If no common TA drift parameters are indicated, the UE assumes no common TA drift. If common TA drift parameters are indicated, the UE pre-compensates for the drifted common TA. Common TA timing errors are not included in the UE's uplink timing error budget. The common TA drift parameters include at least the common TA drift rate. The higher-order derivative of the common TA drift is FFS.

[0110] Some implementations describe signaling enhancements for ephemeris tables on broadcastable NTN devices to facilitate signal timing enhancement. Ephemeris tables can be transmitted in various formats, including, for example, satellite position and velocity state vectors (hereinafter referred to as "state vector format") and orbital parameter formats. Specifications may support the use of both formats to transmit ephemeris tables.

[0111] The state vector format may include a first set of information, which includes position information provided in the Earth-centered Earth-fixed (ECEF) coordinate system in terms of X, Y, and Z values ​​(e.g., in meters (m)); and velocity information provided in the ECEF coordinate system in terms of X-direction velocity (VX), Y-direction velocity (VY), and Z-direction velocity (VZ) (e.g., in meters per second (m / s)).

[0112] The orbital parameter format may include a second set of information, which includes one or more of the following parameters: semi-major axis (α), in meters; eccentricity (e); periapsis angle (ω), in radians; inclination (i), in radians; ascending node longitude (Ω), in radians; and mean periapsis angle (M0) at epoch time (t0), in radians.

[0113] In some implementations, a pre-provided ephemeris based on orbital elements can be used as a reference, with only incremental corrections broadcast to reduce overhead.

[0114] The orbit propagator model can be defined at UE 106.

[0115] Some implementation schemes describe how to effectively provide satellite ephemeris tables by making information based on satellite type.

[0116] For the state vector format, different ranges and resolutions on (X,Y,Z) and (VX,VY,VZ) can be applied to different types of satellites. The satellite type can be based on the satellite's altitude range. For example, the first type could correspond to GEO, the second to MEO, the third to LEO, and the fourth to HAPS. Each of these types can be associated with a corresponding range / resolution. In some implementations, additional backup values ​​can be provided to enable future adaptation.

[0117] In some implementations, the broadcast information may include one or more bits indicating the satellite type. For example, some implementations may include two explicit / implicit bits to indicate the satellite type. Additionally / alternatively, the satellite type may be implicitly indicated based on the signaling range / resolution values ​​provided in the broadcast message. Different scaling factors may be used for different groups / types to signal the range and resolution values. Additional alternative values ​​may be used to enable future adaptation.

[0118] When broadcasting location information (X,Y,Z) in state vector format, the range and resolution of each value may depend on the satellite type.

[0119] For example, for some satellite types, the range of each X, Y, Z value may be reduced compared to other satellite types.

[0120] The resolution of X, Y, and Z may vary depending on the satellite type, depending on one of the following options.

[0121] In the first option, ephemeris tables can be transmitted with different payload sizes for different satellite types. For GEO satellites, the X, Y, and Z resolutions may be larger because the time / frequency errors may be relatively smaller due to the satellite's more static position. For LEO satellites, the X, Y, and Z resolutions may be smaller because the time / frequency errors may be relatively larger due to the rapid movement of the satellite.

[0122] In the second option, ephemeris tables can be transmitted with the same payload size for different satellite types. For GEO satellites, the resolution of X, Y, and Z may be smaller because more bits can be saved from the VX, VY, and VZ fields of the satellite ephemeris table due to slow satellite movement. For LEO satellites, the resolution of X, Y, and Z may be larger because more bits will be allocated to the VX, VY, and VZ fields of the satellite ephemeris table due to rapid satellite movement.

[0123] When broadcasting velocity information (VX, VY, VZ) in state vector format, the range and resolution of each value may depend on the satellite type.

[0124] For example, for some satellite types, the range of each VX, VY, VZ value may be reduced compared to other satellite types. For GEO satellites, the range can be set to [0, X], where X is smaller; the range can be [Y, Z], where Y and Z > X.

[0125] The resolution of VX, VY, and VZ may vary depending on the satellite type, depending on which option is selected below.

[0126] In the first option, ephemerides can be transmitted with different payload sizes for different satellite types. The resolutions of VX, VY, and VZ may be smaller for GEO satellites and larger for LEO satellites.

[0127] In the second option, ephemerides can be transmitted with the same payload size for different satellite types. The resolutions of VX, VY, and VZ may be larger for GEO satellites and smaller for LEO satellites.

[0128] In some embodiments, the speed value range of LEO may be large, while its position value range may be small (due to its relatively low altitude); and the speed value range of GEO may be small, while its position value range may be large (due to its relatively high altitude). For example, assume that the ephemeris payload size of LEO is X1 bits for speed and X2 bits for position, and assume that the ephemeris payload size of GEO is Y1 bits for speed and Y2 bits for position. Generally, X1 > Y1 and X2 < Y2. But X1 + X2 = Y1 + Y2. If a satellite has a smaller position value, it may have a larger speed value.

[0129] In some embodiments, establishing TA parameters may also depend on the satellite type. Specifically, the common TA and the common TA drift rate (including higher-order derivatives) may depend on the satellite type.

[0130] The value range of the common TA may be larger for GEO satellites and smaller for LEO satellites.

[0131] The value range of the common TA drift rate may be smaller for GEO satellites and larger for LEO satellites.

[0132] In some embodiments, broadcasting TA parameters can be based on one of the following options.

[0133] In the first option, for different satellite types, the same payload size can be used for the common TA and the common TA drift. For the common TA, a value range covering both GEO satellites and LEO satellites can be used. Similarly, for the common TA drift rate, a value range covering both GEO satellites and LEO satellites can be used.

[0134] In the second option, for different satellite types, the same payload size (with different resolutions) can be used for the common TA and the common TA drift. For the common TA, the value range for GEO satellites is large and the resolution is low, while the value range for LEO satellites is small and the resolution is high. For the common TA drift rate, the value range for GEO satellites is small and the resolution is high, while the value range for LEO satellites is large and the resolution is low.

[0135] In the third option, different payload sizes can be used on the common TA and common TA drift rate for different satellite types. For GEO satellites, more payload can be allocated to the common TA, while less payload can be allocated to the common TA drift rate. For LEO satellites, more payload can be allocated to the common TA drift rate, while less payload can be allocated to the common TA.

[0136] Some implementation schemes describe how to maintain open-loop and closed-loop TA.

[0137] When UE 106 receives a new serving satellite ephemeris table, it may need to adjust its TA. If UE 106 does not receive any TA command between two satellite ephemeris table reads, the TA adjustment amount (Δt) can be defined as follows:

[0138]

[0139] Where D2(t) is the distance between UE 106 and satellite (e.g., NTN device 108) based on nova ephemeris information at uplink transmission time t, D1(t) is the distance between UE 106 and satellite (e.g., NTN device 108) based on old ephemeris information at uplink transmission time t, and c is the speed of light.

[0140] If UE 106 receives one or more TA commands between two satellite ephemeris reads, the TA adjustment amount (Δt) can be defined as follows:

[0141]

[0142] Where ∑ i Δt i This is the sum of all TA commands received between two satellite ephemeris reads.

[0143] A similar approach can be applied to GNSS reception of the UE.

[0144] Figure 3 A sequence diagram 300 is shown, illustrating joint closed-loop and open-loop TA maintenance according to some implementation schemes. The diagram shows a first ephemeris read (ephemeris 1) and a second ephemeris read (ephemeris 2). Between the two ephemeris reads, the UE 106 may receive two TA commands, TA command 1 and TA command 2.

[0145] Following ephemeris table 1, UE 106 can adjust its TA (Target Adjustment) automatically, for example, in an open-loop manner. In some cases, the network may determine that the TA is inaccurate and may send TA commands 1 and 2. UE 106 can then update the TA based on the network commands, for example, in a closed-loop manner. Upon receiving ephemeris table 2, UE 106 may not want to rely solely on ephemeris table 2 to determine the TA in an open-loop manner, as it would subsequently disregard the effects of the network commands. Therefore, the TA adjustment amount (Δt) can be determined as described above.

[0146] Some implementations describe how to handle the UE without a new Type 2 HARQ-ACK codebook construction scheme. In some cases, enabling / disabling HARQ feedback for downlink transmission can be configured for the HARQ process via UE-specific RRC signaling. Disabling HARQ feedback for downlink transmission can be based on UE capabilities. For UEs without the capability to disable HARQ feedback, there may be no configuration to disable HARQ feedback. UE capabilities can also indicate the maximum number of HARQ processes disabled when feedback is disabled.

[0147] Activating / deactivating HARQ feedback can be done via MAC CE.

[0148] Figure 4 An operational flow / algorithm structure 400 according to some implementation schemes is shown. The operational flow / algorithm structure 400 may be executed or implemented by a UE such as, for example, UE 106 or UE 600; or by components such as baseband processor 604A.

[0149] The operation flow / algorithm structure 400 can be included at 404 and connected to NTN.

[0150] The operation flow / algorithm structure 400 may also include at 408 a report indicating the UE's ability to disable HARQ feedback.

[0151] If the UE does not have the capability to disable HARQ feedback, then there may not be a configuration to disable HARQ feedback.

[0152] If the UE does indeed have the capability to support HARQ feedback disabling, the operation flow / algorithm structure 400 may also include at 412 receiving the configuration associated with HARQ process and HARQ feedback disabling.

[0153] The operation process / algorithm structure 400 may also include at 416 receiving downlink data and configuring HARQ reports based on feedback.

[0154] Some implementations describe how to ensure that UE 106 correctly receives ephemeris information. For example, an implementation describes when UE 106 detects a trigger to read the ephemeris.

[0155] In some implementations, ephemeris readings may be triggered based on a validity timer set for ephemeris information.

[0156] In some implementations, ephemeris table triggering can be based on the number of TA commands received by the UE 106. For example, if an RRC-connected UE receives a certain number of TA commands within a certain duration T, the ephemeris table is likely outdated. Therefore, in some implementations, an ephemeris table read can be triggered if the number of TA commands received within T exceeds a threshold Thres. The duration T and the threshold can be configured and indicated in the RRC configuration message or SIB. The values ​​of T and Thres may depend on the satellite type, such as GEO, LEO, etc.

[0157] In some implementations, an ephemeris read can be triggered if the total number of TA adjustments within a certain time period T exceeds a threshold. For example, if ∑ i Δt i If the value (which is the sum of all TA commands received during duration T) is greater than a predetermined threshold, an ephemeris reading can be triggered.

[0158] Figure 5 An operational flow / algorithm structure 500 according to some implementation schemes is shown. The operational flow / algorithm structure 500 may be executed or implemented by a UE such as, for example, UE 106 or UE 600; or by components such as baseband processor 604A.

[0159] The operation flow / algorithm structure 500 can be included at 504 and connected to NTN.

[0160] The operation process / algorithm structure 500 may also include, at 508, receiving a certain number of TA commands (or receiving a cumulative TA adjustment amount greater than a threshold) within a certain time period.

[0161] The operation flow / algorithm structure 500 may also include updating the ephemeris at 512. The ephemeris can be updated even if the validity timer associated with the ephemeris has not yet expired.

[0162] Figure 6 A UE 600 according to some implementation schemes is shown. UE 600 may be similar to Figure 1 The UE 106 is essentially interchangeable with it.

[0163] UE 600 can be any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as, for example, a mobile phone, computer, tablet, industrial wireless sensor (e.g., microphone, carbon dioxide sensor, pressure sensor, humidity sensor, thermometer, motion sensor, accelerometer, laser scanner, fluid level sensor, stock sensor, voltmeter / ammeter, or actuator), video surveillance / monitoring device (e.g., camera or camcorder), wearable device (e.g., smartwatch), or Internet of Things device.

[0164] UE 600 may include a processor 604, RF interface circuitry 608, memory / storage device 612, user interface 616, sensor 620, drive circuitry 622, power management integrated circuit (PMIC) 624, antenna 626, and battery 628. The components of UE 600 may be implemented as integrated circuits (ICs), portions of integrated circuits, discrete electronic devices or other modules, logic components, hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof. Figure 6 The block diagram is intended to show a high-level view of some of the components of the UE 600. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the components shown may occur in other specific implementations.

[0165] The components of UE 600 can be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnects 632, which can represent any type of interface, input / output, bus (local, system, or extension), transmission line, trace, or optical connector, allowing various circuit components (on common or different chips or chipsets) to interact with each other.

[0166] Processor 604 may include processor circuitry such as baseband processor circuitry (BB) 604A, central processing unit circuitry (CPU) 604B, and graphics processing unit circuitry (GPU) 604C. Processor 604 may include any type of circuitry or processor circuitry that executes or otherwise operates computer-executable instructions (such as program code, software modules, or functional processes from memory / storage device 612) to cause UE 600 to perform the operations described herein.

[0167] In some implementations, the baseband processor circuitry 604A can access the communication protocol stack 636 in the memory / storage device 612 to communicate over a 3GPP-compliant network. Generally, the baseband processor circuitry 604A can access the communication protocol stack 636 to perform the following operations: user plane functions at the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, SDAP, and PDU layers; and control plane functions at the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, RRC, and NAS layers. In some implementations, PHY layer operations may additionally / optionally be performed by components of the RF interface circuitry 608.

[0168] The baseband processor circuit 604A can generate or process baseband signals or waveforms carrying information in a 3GPP-compliant network. In some implementations, the waveforms used for NR can be based on cyclic prefix OFDM (CP-OFDM) in the uplink or downlink, and Discrete Fourier Transform Extended OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM) in the uplink.

[0169] Memory / storage device 612 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, including instructions (e.g., communication protocol stack 636) that can be executed by one or more processors in processor 604 to cause UE 600 to perform the various operations described herein. Memory / storage device 612 includes any type of volatile or non-volatile memory that can be distributed throughout UE 600. In some embodiments, some memory / storage devices 612 may be located on processor 604 itself (e.g., L1 cache and L2 cache), while other memory / storage devices 612 may be located external to processor 604 but accessible via a memory interface. Memory / storage device 612 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, such as, but not limited to, dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory, or any other type of memory device technology.

[0170] RF interface circuitry 608 may include transceiver circuitry and a radio frequency front-end module (RFEM), which allows UE 600 to communicate with other devices via a radio access network. RF interface circuitry 608 may include various components arranged in the transmit or receive path. These components may include, for example, switches, mixers, amplifiers, filters, synthesizer circuitry, and control circuitry.

[0171] In the receiving path, the RFEM can receive the radiated signal from the air interface via antenna 626 and continue to filter and amplify the signal (using a low-noise amplifier). This signal can be provided to the receiver of the transceiver, which downconverts the RF signal into a baseband signal that is provided to the baseband processor of processor 604.

[0172] In the transmission path, the transceiver's transmitter upconverts the baseband signal received from the baseband processor and provides the RF signal to the RFEM. The RFEM amplifies the RF signal using a power amplifier before it is radiated across the air interface via antenna 626.

[0173] In various implementations, the RF interface circuit 608 can be configured to transmit / receive signals in a manner compatible with NR access technology.

[0174] Antenna 626 may include antenna elements to convert electrical signals into radio waves to travel through the air and to convert received radio waves back into electrical signals. These antenna elements may be arranged in one or more antenna panels. Antenna 626 may have omnidirectional, directional, or combinations thereof antenna panels to enable beamforming and multiple-input / multiple-output communication. Antenna 626 may include a microstrip antenna, a printed antenna fabricated on the surface of one or more printed circuit boards, a patch antenna, or a phased array antenna. Antenna 626 may have one or more panels designed for a specific frequency band (including bands in FR1 or FR2).

[0175] User interface circuitry 616 includes various input / output (I / O) devices designed to enable users to interact with UE 600. User interface 616 includes input device circuitry and output device circuitry. Input device circuitry includes any physical or virtual means for accepting input, particularly including one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., a reset button), a physical keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a touchpad, a touchscreen, a microphone, a scanner, a headset, etc. Output device circuitry includes any physical or virtual means for displaying information or otherwise conveying information (such as sensor readings, actuator positions, or other similar information). Output device circuitry may include any number or combination of audio or visual displays, particularly including one or more simple visual outputs / indicators (e.g., binary status indicators such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and multi-character visual outputs), or more complex outputs such as display devices or touchscreens (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs), LED displays, quantum dot displays, and projectors), wherein the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, etc., is generated or produced by the operation of UE 600.

[0176] Sensor 620 may include devices, modules, or subsystems designed to detect events or changes in their environment and transmit information about the detected events (sensor data) to other devices, modules, or subsystems. Examples of such sensors include: inertial measurement units including accelerometers, gyroscopes, or magnetometers; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) including triaxial accelerometers, triaxial gyroscopes, or magnetometers; level sensors; flow sensors; temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors); pressure sensors; barometric pressure sensors; gravimeters; altimeters; image capture devices (e.g., cameras or lensless aperture sensors); light detection and ranging sensors; proximity sensors (e.g., infrared radiation detectors, etc.); depth sensors; ambient light sensors; ultrasonic transceivers; and microphones or other similar audio capture devices.

[0177] The driving circuitry 622 may include software and hardware elements for operating specific devices embedded in, attached to, or otherwise communicatively coupled to the UE 600. The driving circuitry 622 may include various drivers that allow other components to interact with or control various input / output (I / O) devices that may exist within or be connected to the UE 600. For example, the driving circuitry 622 may include: a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device; a touchscreen driver for controlling and allowing access to a touchscreen interface; a sensor driver for acquiring sensor readings of sensor circuitry 620 and controlling and allowing access to sensor circuitry 620; a driver for acquiring actuator positions of electromechanical components or controlling and allowing access to electromechanical components; a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device; and an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0178] The PMIC 624 manages the power supplied to various components of the UE 600. Specifically, relative to the processor 604, the PMIC 624 controls power selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion.

[0179] In some implementations, the PMIC 624 may control or otherwise become part of various power-saving mechanisms of the UE 600, including DRX, as discussed herein.

[0180] Battery 628 can power UE 600, but in some examples, UE 600 may be mounted in a fixed location and may have a power source coupled to the mains. Battery 628 may be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery such as a zinc-air battery, an aluminum-air battery, a lithium-air battery, etc. In some specific implementations, such as in vehicle-based applications, battery 628 may be a typical lead-acid automotive battery.

[0181] Figure 7 A network device 700 according to some embodiments is shown. The network device 700 may be similar to... Figure 1 The base station 102 is basically interchangeable with it.

[0182] Network device 700 may include processor 704, RF interface circuitry 708 (if implemented as a base station), core network (CN) interface circuitry 712, memory / storage device circuitry 716, and antenna structure 726 (if implemented as a base station).

[0183] The components of network device 700 can be coupled to various other components via one or more interconnectors 728.

[0184] The processor 704, RF interface circuit 708, memory / storage device circuit 716 (including communication protocol stack 710), antenna structure 726, and interconnector 728 are similar to those in the reference citation. Figure 7 Similar named components are shown and described. If device 700 is implemented as a base station, communication protocol stack 710 may include an access layer. If network device 700 is implemented as an AMF 120 or PCF 122, communication protocol stack 710 may include a NAS layer.

[0185] The CN interface circuit 712 can provide connectivity to a core network (e.g., a 5GC using a 5G core network (5GC) compatible network interface protocol (such as Carrier Ethernet) or some other suitable protocol). Network connectivity can be provided to / from base station 700 via fiber optic or wireless backhaul. The CN interface circuit 712 may include one or more dedicated processors or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, the CN interface circuit 712 may include multiple controllers for providing connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols.

[0186] In some implementations, base station 700 may be coupled to transmit-receive point (TRP) using antenna structure 726, CN interface circuitry or other interface circuitry.

[0187] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0188] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, or methods as described in the Examples section below. For example, the baseband circuitry described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples below. As another example, circuitry associated with the UE, base station, or network element described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples shown in the Examples section below.

[0189] Example

[0190] Further exemplary implementations are provided in the following sections.

[0191] Example 1 includes a method comprising: receiving a user equipment (UE) specific offset value; calculating a timing advance (TA); determining, based on the TA, whether the UE specific offset value needs to be updated; and transmitting a report to a base station based on the determination that the UE specific offset value needs to be updated.

[0192] Example 2 includes the method according to Example 1 or some other embodiment herein, wherein determining whether an update is needed includes: comparing the difference between the UE-specific offset value and the TA with one or more predetermined thresholds.

[0193] Example 3 includes the method according to Example 2 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: detecting a condition based on the difference being greater than or equal to a first predetermined threshold of one or more predetermined thresholds and less than or equal to a second predetermined threshold of one or more predetermined thresholds; and determining, based on the detection of the condition, that the UE-specific offset value does not need to be updated.

[0194] Example 4 includes the method according to Example 2 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: detecting a condition based on the difference being greater than a first predetermined threshold of one or more predetermined thresholds; determining that the UE-specific offset value needs to be updated, wherein the report includes a request to reduce the UE-specific offset value by an increment, a reduction by an indication value, or a reduction to an indication value.

[0195] Example 5 includes the method according to Example 2 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: detecting a condition based on a first predetermined threshold among the one or more predetermined thresholds; determining that the UE-specific offset value needs to be updated, wherein the report includes a request to increment the UE-specific offset value, increase an indication value, or increase to an indication value.

[0196] Example 6 includes the method according to any one of Examples 2 to 5 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the one or more predetermined thresholds are signaled in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration or in a System Information Block (SIB) based on subcarrier spacing.

[0197] Example 7 includes the method according to Example 1 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the TA is a first number of time slots and the UE-specific offset is a second number of time slots; or the TA is a first number of milliseconds and the UE-specific offset is a second number of milliseconds.

[0198] Example 8 includes the method according to Example 1 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: receiving an update of a specific offset value for the UE.

[0199] Example 9 includes the method according to Example 1 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the TA is a first TA calculated when the UE-specific K_offset is received, and the method further includes: calculating a second TA with time slots after calculating the first TA; comparing the difference between the second TA and the first TA; and determining whether an update is needed based on the difference, wherein the first TA is a first number of time slots and the second TA is a second number of time slots.

[0200] Example 10 includes the method according to Example 9 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: detecting a condition based on the absolute value of the difference being less than or equal to a predetermined threshold; and determining, based on the detection of the condition, that the UE-specific offset value does not need to be updated.

[0201] Example 11 includes the method according to Example 9 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: detecting a condition based on the absolute value of the difference being greater than a predetermined threshold; and determining, based on the detection of the condition, that the UE-specific offset value needs to be updated, wherein the report is used to include a request to increase or decrease the UE-specific offset value by an increment, increase or decrease an indication value, or increase or decrease it to an indication value.

[0202] Example 12 includes the method according to Example 9 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: detecting a condition based on the absolute value of the difference being greater than a predetermined threshold; and determining, based on the detection of the condition, that a specific offset value of the UE needs to be updated, wherein the report is used to include an indication of the second TA or the difference.

[0203] Example 12.1 includes the method according to Example 12 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the indication is at the granularity of one or more time slots.

[0204] Example 13 includes the method according to Example 2 or 9 or some other embodiment of this document, the method further comprising: detecting a report trigger based on the difference; and transmitting the report based on the detection of the report trigger.

[0205] Example 14 includes a method comprising: receiving an indication in a system information message; determining a scheduling offset value based on the indication and a parameter set of the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH); and determining a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) activation time or a Random Access Response (RAR) window offset based on the scheduling offset value.

[0206] Example 15 includes the method according to Example 14 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the indication is the number of time slots of the reference parameter set or the number of milliseconds.

[0207] Example 16 includes a method for operating a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: determining a fixed offset based on a default value of a broadcast transmission or frequency range; determining a timing advance based on the fixed offset; estimating the UE-gNB round-trip time (RTT) based on the timing advance; and initiating a random access (RA) or message B (msgB) response window based on the estimated UE-gNB RTT.

[0208] Example 17 includes the method according to Example 16 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the timing advance is TTA and the timing advance is determined based on: T TA =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +N TA,offset )xT C ,

[0209] Where N TA N is zero TA,offset For a fixed offset, N TA,UE-specific For the UE-specific TA calculated by this UE, N TA,common For common offset, and T C The basic unit of time is 0.5 nanoseconds.

[0210] Example 18 includes a method comprising: generating a message to include an ephemeris associated with a non-terrestrial device (NTD) in a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the ephemeris having a range and resolution based on the type of the NTD; and broadcasting the message in the NTN.

[0211] Example 19 includes the method according to Example 18 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the ephemeris includes position and velocity state vectors.

[0212] Example 20 includes the method described according to Example 18 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the type is geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), low Earth orbit (LEO), or high altitude platform station (HAPS).

[0213] Example 21 includes the method according to Example 18 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the message includes an indication of this type.

[0214] Example 22 includes the method according to Example 18 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the type is implicitly indicated based on signaling range or resolution values.

[0215] Example 23 includes the method according to Example 18 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the NTD is a first NTD of a first type and the method further includes: generating the message or another message to include a second NTD of a second type, wherein the message or the other message includes a first payload size of the ephemeris of the first NTD and a second payload size of the ephemeris of the second NTD, wherein the first payload size is the same as or different from the second payload size.

[0216] Example 24 includes the method described according to Example 23 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the first type is a geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) type, the second type is an orbit type below the GEO type, and the resolution of the ephemeris of the first NTD is greater than the resolution of the ephemeris of the second NTD.

[0217] Example 25 includes the method according to Example 23 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the first type is a geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) type, the second type is an orbit type below the GEO type, the first payload size is the same as the second payload size, and: the position resolution of the ephemeris of the first NTD is less than the position resolution of the ephemeris of the second NTD; or the velocity resolution of the ephemeris of the first NTD is greater than the velocity resolution of the ephemeris of the second NTD.

[0218] Example 26 includes the method according to Example 23 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the first type is a geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) type, the second type is an orbit type below the GEO type, the first payload size is different from the second payload size, and: the position resolution of the ephemeris of the first NTD is greater than the position resolution of the ephemeris of the second NTD; or the velocity resolution of the ephemeris of the first NTD is less than the velocity resolution of the ephemeris of the second NTD.

[0219] Example 27 includes the method according to Example 18 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: generating the message based on the type to include a common timing advance (TA) or a common TA drift rate.

[0220] Example 28 includes a method comprising: determining whether a timing advance (TA) command is received between receiving a first ephemeris and receiving a second ephemeris; and adjusting the TA based on the second ephemeris based on whether the timing advance (TA) was received between receiving the first ephemeris and receiving the second ephemeris.

[0221] Example 29 includes the method according to Example 28 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: detecting a condition based on determining that no TA command was received between receiving the first ephemeris and receiving the second ephemeris; and adjusting the TA by an adjustment amount (Δt) based on the following formula based on detecting the condition: Where D2(t) is the distance between the UE and NTD based on the second ephemeris during uplink transmission time (t), D1(t) is the distance between the UE and NTD based on the first ephemeris during uplink transmission time (t), and c is the speed of light.

[0222] Example 30 includes the method according to Example 28 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: detecting a condition based on determining that one or more TA commands were received between receiving the first ephemeris and receiving the second ephemeris; and adjusting the TA by an adjustment amount (Δt) determined by the following formula based on detecting the condition: Where D2(t) is the distance between the UE and NTD based on the second ephemeris during uplink transmission time (t), D1(t) is the distance between the UE and NTD based on the first ephemeris during uplink transmission time (t), c is the speed of light, and ∑Δt i Sum the one or more TA commands received between the first ephemeris and the second ephemeris.

[0223] Example 31 includes a method of operating a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: generating a message to include an indication of whether the UE supports Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback disabled; and transmitting the message to a base station.

[0224] Example 32 includes the method according to Example 31 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the indication is used to indicate that the UE supports HARQ feedback disabling and the method further includes: receiving a configuration identifying one or more HARQ processes associated with HARQ feedback disabling.

[0225] Example 33 includes the method according to Example 32 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: detecting downlink data; and HARQ based on the configuration report corresponding to the downlink data.

[0226] Example 34 includes the method according to Example 31 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the indication is used to indicate that the UE supports HARQ feedback disabled and also indicates the maximum number of HARQ processes supported when feedback is disabled.

[0227] Example 35 includes a method of operating a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: acquiring a first ephemeris; receiving one or more timing advance (TA) commands within a certain time period; and acquiring the second ephemeris based on the receipt of the one or more TA commands.

[0228] Example 36 includes the method according to Example 35 or some other embodiment of this document, the method further comprising: detecting a condition based on determining that the one or more TA commands are greater than a threshold number of TA commands; and obtaining the second ephemeris based on detecting the condition.

[0229] Example 37 includes the method according to Example 36 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: receiving information in Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling or System Information signaling to configure the time period or the threshold TA command number.

[0230] Example 38 includes the method according to Example 36 or some other embodiment herein, wherein the time period or the threshold TA command number is based on the type of non-terrestrial equipment (NTN equipment) corresponding to the first ephemeris.

[0231] Example 39 includes the method according to Example 35 or some other embodiment herein, the method further comprising: detecting a condition based on determining that the cumulative TA adjustment from the one or more TA commands is greater than a threshold TA adjustment; and obtaining the second ephemeris based on detecting the condition.

[0232] Example 40 may include an apparatus comprising one or more elements for performing a method or process described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 39 or any other method or process described herein.

[0233] Example 41 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of the method or any other method or process described herein according to any one of Examples 1 to 39.

[0234] Example 42 may include an apparatus comprising one or more elements of a logic component, module, or circuit for performing a method or process described or associated with any of Examples 1 to 39 or any other method or process described herein.

[0235] Example 43 may include the methods, techniques or processes described or associated with any one of Examples 1 to 39 or any part or component thereof.

[0236] Example 44 may include an apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media, the one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique or process described or associated with any one or more of Examples 1 to 39 or a portion thereof.

[0237] Example 45 may include signals described or associated with any one of Examples 1 to 39 or any part or component thereof.

[0238] Example 46 may include datagrams, information elements, packets, frames, segments, PDUs, or messages described or associated with any one of Examples 1 to 39 or any part thereof or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0239] Example 47 may include a signal encoded with data as described or associated with any one of Examples 1 to 39 or a portion thereof or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0240] Example 48 may include signals encoded as datagrams, IEs, packets, frames, segments, PDUs, or messages as described or associated with any one of Examples 1 to 39 or any part thereof or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0241] Example 49 may include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors will cause the one or more processors to perform a method, technique or process described or associated with any one or a portion thereof according to Examples 1 to 39.

[0242] Embodiment 50 may include a computer program comprising instructions, wherein execution of the program by a processing element will cause the processing element to perform a method, technique, or process described or associated with any one or a portion thereof according to Embodiments 1 to 39.

[0243] Example 51 may include a signal in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0244] Example 52 may include a method for communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0245] Example 53 may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0246] Example 54 may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0247] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any of the examples above may be combined with any other example (or combination of examples). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. In light of the teachings above, modifications and variations are possible, or modifications and variations may be derived from practice of various embodiments.

[0248] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a user equipment (UE) to perform the following operations: Calculate the timing advance (TA); Detect report triggers based on the TA; and The report is transmitted to the base station based on the report trigger; The report trigger is a trigger that updates a specific offset value of the UE; and The instruction, when executed, also causes the UE to: Receive the specific offset value of the UE; The difference between the UE-specific offset value and the TA is compared with one or more predetermined thresholds; as well as The report trigger is detected based on a comparison of the difference with one or more predetermined thresholds.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1, wherein the TA is a first TA, and the instruction, when executed, further causes the UE to: The difference between the first TA and the second TA is compared with a first predetermined threshold; and The report trigger is detected by comparing the difference between the first TA and the second TA with the first predetermined threshold.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 2, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the UE to: The second TA is calculated before the first TA is calculated.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 2, wherein the difference between the first TA and the second TA is the absolute value of the first TA minus the second TA.

5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the report includes an indication of the TA having time-slot granularity.

6. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1, wherein the one or more predetermined thresholds are: based on subcarrier spacing, or signaled in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration, or signaled in a System Information Block (SIB).

7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1, wherein the report includes a request to reduce the UE-specific offset value by an increment, a reduction by an indication value, or a reduction to an indication value.

8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1, wherein the difference between the UE-specific offset value and the TA is greater than a first predetermined threshold among the one or more predetermined thresholds.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1, wherein the TA is a first number of time slots and the UE-specific offset is a second number of time slots; or the TA is a first number of milliseconds and the UE-specific offset is a second number of milliseconds.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the UE to: Receive updates to the specific offset values ​​of the UE.

11. A method to be implemented in a base station, the method comprising: Transmit UE-specific offset values ​​to the User Equipment (UE); Receive a report from the UE, the report being transmitted by the UE based on the detection of a report trigger, wherein the report trigger is detected by the UE based on comparing the difference between the UE-specific offset value and the calculated timing advance amount TA with one or more predetermined thresholds; as well as Based on the report, update the UE-specific offset value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the report includes an indication of the TA with time-slot granularity.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the report includes a request to reduce the UE-specific offset value by an increment, a reduction by an indication value, or a reduction to an indication value.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the TA is a first number of time slots and the UE-specific offset is a second number of time slots; or the TA is a first number of milliseconds and the UE-specific offset is a second number of milliseconds.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: The update of the specific offset value of the UE is transmitted to the UE.

16. An apparatus to be implemented in a base station, the apparatus comprising circuitry configured to perform the method according to any one of claims 11 to 15.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a base station to perform the method according to any one of claims 11 to 15.

18. A method to be implemented in a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Receive a specific offset value from the UE; Calculate the timing advance (TA); The difference between the UE-specific offset value and the TA is compared with one or more predetermined thresholds; A report trigger is detected based on a comparison of the difference with one or more predetermined thresholds, wherein the report trigger is a trigger that updates the specific offset value of the UE; as well as The report is transmitted to the base station based on the report trigger.

19. An apparatus to be implemented in a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising circuitry configured to perform the method of claim 18.

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