Waypoint-based flight declaration signaling

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. In some systems, a user equipment (UE), such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), can receive an approved flight plan including an approved flight plan zone. The UE can also receive a query from a network node including an indication of a subset of a plurality of approved flight plan zones and a request for a plurality of waypoints of the UE within the indicated subset of the plurality of approved flight plan zones. The UE can further determine, based on the received approved flight plan, a flight path including the plurality of waypoints of the UE for the indicated subset of the plurality of approved flight plan zones in response to receiving the query from the network node, and the UE can transmit a flight declaration message including the waypoints of the UE to the network node.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing

[0002] This patent application claims U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 937,259, entitled "Waypoint Based Flight Declaration Signaling," filed July 23, 2020, by Faccin et al., which has been assigned to the assignee of this application. Technical Field

[0003] The following generally pertains to wireless communication, particularly waypoint-based flight declaration signaling.

[0004] background

[0005] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, message sending and receiving, broadcasting, and so on. These systems can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple access systems include fourth-generation (4G) systems (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems) and fifth-generation (5G) systems, which may be referred to as NR systems. These systems can employ various technologies, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), or Discrete Fourier Transform Extended Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple access communication system may include one or more base stations or one or more network access nodes, each of which simultaneously supports communication from multiple communication devices, which may also be referred to as User Equipment (UE).

[0006] The wireless communication system enables communication between an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, a type of UE) and several components of the wireless communication system while the UAV is traveling within the entire service area of ​​one or more components of the system. UAVs may be assigned adjacent airspace blocks, which define the spatial volumes through which the UAV is permitted to operate for a corresponding time period as part of its flight authorization. However, volume-based flight claims may be incompatible with the flight path technology used by the UAV or the wireless communication system. Furthermore, without knowing the UAV's location within its assigned adjacent airspace block, sufficient separation and collision avoidance for other UAVs operating within the same airspace block may not be guaranteed.

[0007] Overview

[0008] The described technology relates to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses supporting waypoint-based flight claim signaling. A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (e.g., a UAV) is described. The method may include: receiving an approved flight plan comprising an approved flight plan area set; receiving a query from a network node, the query comprising an indication of a subset of the approved flight plan area set and a request for a set of waypoints for the UE within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set; in response to receiving the query from the network node, determining a flight path comprising the set of waypoints for the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plan; and transmitting a flight claim message comprising the determined set of waypoints to the network node.

[0009] An apparatus for wireless communication at a UE is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory coupled to the processor (e.g., operational ground, communication ground, functional ground, electronic ground, electrical ground, etc.), and instructions stored in the memory. These instructions may be executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: receive an approved flight plan including an approved flight plan area set; receive a query from a network node, the query including an indication of a subset of the approved flight plan area set and a request for a set of waypoints for the UE within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set; in response to receiving the query from the network node, determine a flight path including the set of waypoints for the UE for the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plan; and transmit a flight declaration message including the determined set of waypoints to the network node.

[0010] Another device for wireless communication at a UE is described. The device may include means for: receiving an approved flight plan including an approved flight plan area set; receiving a query from a network node, the query including an indication of a subset of the approved flight plan area set and a request for a set of waypoints for the UE within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set; in response to receiving the query from the network node, determining a flight path including the set of waypoints for the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plan; and transmitting a flight declaration message including the determined set of waypoints to the network node.

[0011] A non-transient computer-readable medium is described, storing code for wireless communication at a UE. The code may include instructions executable by a processor to: receive an approved flight plan comprising an approved flight plan area set; receive a query from a network node, the query comprising an indication of a subset of the approved flight plan area set and a request for a set of waypoints for the UE within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set; in response to receiving the query from the network node, determine a flight path comprising the set of waypoints for the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plan; and transmit a flight declaration message comprising the determined set of waypoints to the network node.

[0012] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, determining a flight path may include operations, features, devices, or instructions for calculating a set of waypoints based on the UE's trajectory, one or more factors external to the UE, or both.

[0013] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, the received query indication includes a minimum number, a maximum number, or both of waypoints in the flight statement message.

[0014] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, receiving a query from a network node may include operations, features, means, or instructions for receiving a query from a network node via RRC signaling.

[0015] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, receiving a query from a network node may include operations, features, means, or instructions for receiving a set of queries from a set of network nodes.

[0016] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, each waypoint in the set of waypoints includes the expected three-dimensional location of the UE corresponding to that waypoint within the corresponding flight plan area of ​​a subset of the set of approved flight plan areas.

[0017] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, each waypoint in the set of waypoints further includes a timestamp indicating the minimum expected entry time and the maximum expected exit time of the UE corresponding to the expected three-dimensional location of that waypoint.

[0018] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, the approved flight plan area set includes an adjacent flight plan area set.

[0019] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, each flight plan area in the set of contiguous flight plan areas includes a volume and a time period corresponding to the duration during which a UE is allowed to occupy that volume.

[0020] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, each of the approved flight plan areas in the set of approved flight plan areas includes one or both of a zone identifier or a zone number.

[0021] A method for wireless communication at a network node is described. The method may include: receiving a flight claim request from a UE; generating an approved flight plan for the UE based on the flight claim request, including an approved flight plan area set; determining a subset of network nodes based on a mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node in a subset of network nodes; and transmitting a subset of node flight plans, including the expected location of the UE within the approved flight plan area set, to the subset of network nodes.

[0022] An apparatus for wireless communication at a network node is described. The apparatus may include a processor, a memory coupled to the processor (e.g., operational ground, communication ground, functional ground, electronic ground, electrical ground, etc.), and instructions stored in the memory. These instructions may be executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: receive a flight declaration request from a UE; generate, based on the flight declaration request, an approved flight plan for the UE including an approved flight plan area set; determine the network node subset based on a mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node in the network node subset; and transmit the node subset flight plan, including the expected location of the UE within the approved flight plan area set, to the network node subset.

[0023] Another device for wireless communication at a network node is described. The device may include means for: receiving a flight claim request from a UE; generating an approved flight plan for the UE based on the flight claim request, including an approved flight plan area set; determining the network node subset based on a mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node in the network node subset; and transmitting the node subset flight plan, including the expected location of the UE within the approved flight plan area set, to the network node subset.

[0024] A non-transient computer-readable medium is described, storing code for wireless communication at network nodes. The code may include instructions executable by a processor to: receive a flight claim request from a UE; generate, based on the flight claim request, an approved flight plan for the UE comprising an approved flight plan area set; determine the network node subset based on a mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node in the network node subset; and transmit to the network node subset a node subset flight plan including the expected location of the UE within the approved flight plan area set.

[0025] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, determining a subset of nodes may include operations, features, means, or instructions for calculating the expected location of the UE within a subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the location and coverage area of ​​the network node subset.

[0026] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, the node subset flight plan includes the expected location of the UE within the coverage area of ​​the network node subset.

[0027] Some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein may further include operations, features, means or instructions for receiving UE information, including one or more of the UE identifier, UE registration area or UE location, from the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

[0028] Some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein may further include operations, features, means or instructions for transmitting an approved flight plan to a UE.

[0029] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, the approved flight plan area set includes an adjacent flight plan area set.

[0030] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, each flight plan area in the set of contiguous flight plan areas includes a volume and a time period corresponding to the duration during which a UE is allowed to occupy that volume.

[0031] In some examples of the methods, apparatus (devices) and non-transient computer-readable media described herein, each of the approved flight plan areas in the set of approved flight plan areas includes one or both of a zone identifier or a zone number. Brief description of the attached diagram

[0033] Figure 1 Examples of systems for supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling wireless communication are explained according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0034] Figure 2 Examples of systems supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling are described in accordance with various aspects of this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 3 Examples of systems supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling are described in accordance with various aspects of this disclosure.

[0036] Figure 4 An example of the process flow supporting waypoint-based flight statement signaling is explained in accordance with various aspects of this disclosure.

[0037] Figure 5 and 6 A block diagram of an apparatus supporting waypoint-based flight statement signaling is shown, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0038] Figure 7 A block diagram of a communication manager supporting waypoint-based flight statement signaling is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0039] Figure 8 A diagram of a system including equipment supporting waypoint-based flight statement signaling, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown.

[0040] Figure 9 and 10 A block diagram of an apparatus supporting waypoint-based flight statement signaling is shown, according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0041] Figure 11 A block diagram of a communication manager supporting waypoint-based flight statement signaling is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure.

[0042] Figure 12 A diagram of a system including equipment supporting waypoint-based flight statement signaling, according to various aspects of this disclosure, is shown.

[0043] Figures 13 to 20 A flowchart illustrating a method for supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown.

[0044] Detailed description

[0045] The wireless communication system enables communication between an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and several components of the wireless communication system as the UAV travels within the service area of ​​one or more components of the system. The UAV can be an example of a user equipment (UE) of the wireless communication system. The wireless communication system can support the establishment of communication between the UAV and network nodes of the system.

[0046] Knowing a UAV's flight plan can assist mobile network operators (MNOs) in supporting UAV communications. For example, knowing a UAV's flight plan can be used to assist handover by reducing the ping-pong effect, enabling the network to plan radio resource allocation more efficiently, or by avoiding dropped handovers. Handover planning can involve additional complexities for UAVs due to the increased number of cells they can potentially communicate with at high altitudes and the relative degrees of freedom they have to travel in any direction. Based on the UAV's known trajectory, additional opportunities may exist to enhance network configuration (such as resource scheduling, uplink and downlink power levels, quality of service, load balancing, etc.).

[0047] However, incompatibilities may exist between how flight plans or paths are characterized by wireless communication systems and by aviation standards or regulatory entities. For example, a wireless communication system might characterize a flight path based on three-dimensional waypoints and the corresponding time the UAV is expected to occupy at those waypoints. Conversely, aspects of aviation standards or regulatory entities might use a polygonal approach for flight planning, which involves defining the four-dimensional spatial volume that the UAV might occupy over a specific time period. These two flight path characteristics may not be directly translatable because they may contain different types of information and could lead to network inefficiencies.

[0048] According to various aspects of this disclosure, UAVs, components of wireless communication networks, or components of air traffic control networks can be configured to switch between polygon-based flight paths and waypoint-based flight paths for the entire flight path or one or more segments of the flight path, thereby facilitating communication between components of UAVs, wireless communication systems, and air traffic control systems.

[0049] For example, a network node may receive a flight declaration approval request from a UAV and forward it to Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System (UAS) traffic management (collectively referred to as UTM). The UTM can then generate an approved flight plan based on the flight declaration request, which may include one or more approved flight plan zones. Each zone includes one or more three-dimensional polygons (including three-dimensional measurements and coordinates) or four-dimensional polygons (including three-dimensional measurements and coordinates, and also including expected transition times for the polygons, such as expected timestamps of when to enter and exit the polygon). The UTM can return the approved flight path to the network node, which can then transmit the approved flight plan to the UAV. The network node can also determine its subset of network nodes based on a mapping between one or more approved flight plan zones and one or more of the locations of each network node in the subset, and the location of the UAV. The network node may have received this mapping from the UAV, or the network node may have subscribed to the mapping by a location reporting or management service of a mobile network. Subsequently, a network node may transmit a subset of node flight plans, including the expected location of the UAV within one or more approved flight plan areas, to a subset of network nodes, and may optionally include a reference time frame (e.g., the expected entry time and the expected exit time) regarding when the UAV is expected to enter an approved flight plan area. The UAV may receive queries from one or more network nodes in the subset of network nodes based on a mapping between one or more approved flight plan areas and the location of each network node in the subset. The query may include a request for one or more waypoints within the subset of one or more approved flight plan areas and explicitly includes an indication of the one or more approved flight plan areas involved in the request.

[0050] In response to a received query, the UAV can determine a flight path that includes one or more waypoints based on an approved flight plan received from a network node. The UAV can then respond to the query by sending a flight declaration message to the querying network node, which includes the determined waypoints corresponding to one or more approved flight plan areas included in the request by the network node.

[0051] The described technology involves determining waypoints along an approved UAV flight path, enabling the UAV to communicate one or more of its current and expected positions within one or more flight planning areas as it traverses one or more coverage areas of one or more network nodes. Waypoints can be four-dimensional waypoints, meaning they can include a three-dimensional coordinate position and a time dimension corresponding to the time the UAV will pass that position. This time can include a minimum expected entry time and a maximum expected exit time. These waypoints can be calculated by the UAV based on various factors, including the UAV's trajectory or one or more external factors such as ambient weather conditions, expected traffic, prevailing winds, expected ground speed versus actual ground speed, etc. The expected position of the UAV can be continuously updated by the UAV based on monitoring of its own status and progress or based on cooperation with one or more network nodes. This tracking and prediction of UAV positions facilitates efficient routing for traffic and collision avoidance technologies for UAVs and other types of aircraft.

[0052] The described technique further includes generating an approved flight plan for the UAV, which includes details related to the polygonal space or flight plan area that the UAV is permitted to traverse, as well as the time period during which the UAV can traverse the approved flight plan area. A subset of network nodes is determined based on a mapping between the approved flight plan for the UAV and the locations of network nodes within a defined neighborhood of the approved flight plan, such that communication between one or more network nodes and the UAV can be maintained throughout the UAV's journey along the approved flight plan. Once network nodes located at positions associated with the UAV's flight plan are identified, a subset of the node flight plan (as a subset of the approved flight plan associated with the node set based on node location) is transmitted to the relevant nodes. Network nodes in this subset can then begin querying the UAV to receive the waypoints discussed above, further facilitating the determination of the UAV's location and smooth, efficient switching between network nodes.

[0053] The aspects of this disclosure are initially described in the context of wireless communication systems. Additional aspects are described with reference to systems supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling. The aspects of this disclosure are further explained and described by means of and reference to apparatus diagrams, system diagrams, and flowcharts relating to waypoint-based flight declaration signaling.

[0054] Figure 1Examples of a wireless communication system 100 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure are described. The wireless communication system 100 may include one or more base stations 105, one or more UEs 115, and a core network 130. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may be a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network, an Advanced LTE (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, or a New Radio (NR) network. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may support enhanced broadband communication, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission-critical) communication, low latency communication, communication with low-cost and low-complexity devices, or any combination thereof. Components within the wireless communication system may be coupled to each other (e.g., operatively coupled, communicatively coupled, functionally coupled, electronically coupled, and / or electrically coupled).

[0055] Base station 105 can be distributed across a geographical area to form wireless communication system 100, and can be different types of devices or devices with different capabilities. Base station 105 and UE 115 can communicate wirelessly via one or more communication links 125. Each base station 105 can provide a coverage area 110, and UE 115 and base station 105 can establish one or more communication links 125 on the coverage area 110. Coverage area 110 can be an example of a geographical area over which base station 105 and UE 115 can support signal communication according to one or more radio access technologies.

[0056] Each UE 115 can be distributed throughout the coverage area 110 of the wireless communication system 100, and each UE 115 can be stationary or mobile, or stationary and mobile at different times. Each UE 115 can be a different type of device or a device with different capabilities. Figure 1 The document describes some example UE 115s. The UE 115 described herein can communicate with various types of devices, such as other UE 115s, base station 105, or network equipment (e.g., core network nodes, relay equipment, integrated access and backhaul (IAB) nodes, or other network equipment). Figure 1 As shown in the image.

[0057] Each base station 105 may communicate with the core network 130, or with each other, or both. For example, base station 105 may interface with the core network 130 via one or more backhaul links 120 (e.g., via S1, N2, N3, or other interfaces). Base stations 105 may communicate with each other directly (e.g., directly between base stations 105), indirectly (e.g., via the core network 130), or directly and indirectly on backhaul links 120 (e.g., via X2, Xn, or other interfaces). In some examples, backhaul link 120 may be or include one or more radio links.

[0058] One or more of the base stations 105 described herein may include, or may be referred to by those skilled in the art as, base transceiver station, radio base station, access point, radio transceiver, B node, evolved B node (eNB), next-generation B node or gigabit B node (any of which may be referred to as gNB), home B node, home evolved B node, or other suitable terms.

[0059] UE 115 may include or be referred to as a mobile device, wireless device, remote device, handheld device, or subscriber device, or any other suitable term, wherein "device" may also be referred to as a unit, station, terminal, or client, etc. In some examples, UE 115 may be a UAV or other type of air vehicle or drone. UE 115 may also include or be referred to as personal electronic devices, such as: cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), multimedia / entertainment devices (e.g., radios, MP3 players, or video devices), cameras, gaming devices, navigation / positioning devices (e.g., GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) devices based on, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System), BeiDou, GLONASS, or Galileo, or ground-based devices), tablet computers, laptop computers, personal computers, netbooks, smartbooks, personal computers, smart devices, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart clothing, smart glasses, virtual reality goggles, smart wristbands, smart jewelry (e.g., smart rings, smart bracelets)), drones, robots / robotic devices, vehicles, in-vehicle equipment, meters (e.g., parking timers, electricity meters, gas meters, water meters), monitors, air pumps, electrical appliances (e.g., kitchen appliances, washing machines, dryers), location tags, medical / healthcare devices, implants, sensors / actuators, displays, or any other suitable devices configured to communicate via wireless or wired media. In some examples, UE 115 may include or be referred to as a wireless local loop (WLL) station, Internet of Things (IoT) device, Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or machine-type communication (MTC) device, which can be implemented in various objects such as appliances or vehicles, meters, etc.

[0060] The UE 115 described herein can communicate with various types of devices, such as other UEs 115 that sometimes act as relays, as well as base station 105 and network equipment including macro eNBs or gNBs, small cell eNBs or gNBs, relay base stations, etc. Figure 1 As shown in the image.

[0061] UE 115 and base station 105 can wirelessly communicate with each other via one or more communication links 125 on one or more carriers. The term "carrier" can refer to a set of radio frequency spectrum resources having a defined physical layer structure for supporting communication link 125. For example, a carrier for communication link 125 may include a portion of the radio spectrum band (e.g., a bandwidth portion (BWP)) operating according to one or more physical layer channels for a given radio access technology (e.g., LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR). Each physical layer channel may carry acquisition signaling (e.g., synchronization signals, system information), control signaling coordinating carrier operation, user data, or other signaling. Wireless communication system 100 may support communication with UE 115 using carrier aggregation or multi-carrier operation. UE 115 may be configured to have multiple downlink component carriers and one or more uplink component carriers according to a carrier aggregation configuration. Carrier aggregation can be used in conjunction with both frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD) component carriers.

[0062] In some examples (e.g., in a carrier aggregation configuration), the carrier may also have acquisition signaling or control signaling to coordinate the operation of other carriers. The carrier may be associated with a frequency channel (e.g., an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (EARFCN)) and may be located according to a channel grid for discovery by UE 115. The carrier may operate in an autonomous mode in which initial acquisition and connection can be performed by UE 115 via that carrier, or in a non-autonomous mode in which the carrier may connect to carriers anchored using different carriers (e.g., different carriers of the same or different radio access technologies).

[0063] The communication link 125 shown in the wireless communication system 100 may include uplink transmission from UE 115 to base station 105, or downlink transmission from base station 105 to UE 115. The carrier may carry downlink or uplink communication (e.g., in FDD mode), or may be configured to carry both downlink and uplink communication (e.g., in TDD mode).

[0064] A carrier may be associated with a specific bandwidth of the radio frequency spectrum, and in some examples, the carrier bandwidth may be referred to as the carrier or the “system bandwidth” of the wireless communication system 100. For example, the carrier bandwidth may be one of several defined bandwidths (e.g., 1.4, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, or 80 MHz) of a carrier for a particular radio access technology. Devices of the wireless communication system 100 (e.g., base station 105, UE 115, or both) may have a hardware configuration that supports communication over a specific carrier bandwidth, or may be configurable to support communication over a single carrier bandwidth within a set of carrier bandwidths. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may include a base station 105 or UE 115 that supports simultaneous communication via carriers associated with multiple carrier bandwidths. In some examples, each served UE 115 may be configured to operate over a portion (e.g., a subband, BWP) or all of the carrier bandwidth.

[0065] The signal waveform transmitted on the carrier may include multiple subcarriers (e.g., using multi-carrier modulation (MCM) techniques, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or discrete Fourier transform extended OFDM (DFT-S-OFDM)). In a system employing MCM, a resource element may include a symbol period (e.g., the duration of a modulation symbol) and a subcarrier, where the symbol period and subcarrier spacing are inversely related. The number of bits carried by each resource element may depend on the modulation scheme (e.g., the order of the modulation scheme, the code rate of the modulation scheme, or both). Thus, the more resource elements the UE 115 receives and the higher the order of the modulation scheme, the higher the data rate the UE 115 can achieve. Wireless communication resources can refer to a combination of radio frequency spectrum resources, temporal resources, and spatial resources (e.g., spatial layers or beams), and using multiple spatial layers can further improve the data rate or data integrity of communication with the UE 115.

[0066] It can support one or more parameter designs for the carrier, where the parameter design can include the subcarrier spacing (Δ). f (and cyclic prefix). A carrier can be divided into one or more BWPs with the same or different parameter designs. In some examples, UE 115 can be configured with multiple BWPs. In some examples, a single BWP for a carrier can be active at a given time, and communication for UE 115 can be limited to one or more active BWPs.

[0067] The time interval of base station 105 or UE 115 can be expressed as a multiple of a basic time unit, such as the sampling period. T s =1 ( Δf max Nf ) seconds, of which Δf max This can represent the maximum supported subcarrier spacing, while Nf This can represent the maximum supported Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) size. The time interval of the communication resources can be organized according to radio frames, each with a specified duration (e.g., 10 milliseconds (ms)). Each radio frame can be identified by a System Frame Number (SFN) (e.g., ranging from 0 to 1023).

[0068] Each frame may include multiple consecutively numbered subframes or time slots, and each subframe or time slot may have the same duration. In some examples, a frame may (e.g., in the time domain) be divided into subframes, and each subframe may be further divided into several time slots. Alternatively, each frame may include a variable number of time slots, and the number of time slots may depend on the subcarrier spacing. Each time slot may include several symbol periods (e.g., depending on the length of the cyclic prefix added before each symbol period). In some wireless communication systems 100, time slots may be further divided into multiple mini-time slots containing one or more symbols. Excluding the cyclic prefix, each symbol period may contain one or more (e.g., Nf (Number) sampling periods. The duration of a symbol period can depend on the subcarrier spacing or the operating frequency band.

[0069] A subframe, time slot, mini-slot, or symbol can be the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communication system 100 (e.g., in the time domain) and can be referred to as a transmission time interval (TTI). In some examples, the duration of the TTI (e.g., the number of symbol periods in the TTI) can be variable. Additionally or alternatively, the smallest scheduling unit of the wireless communication system 100 can be dynamically selected (e.g., in bursts of shortened TTIs (sTTIs)).

[0070] Physical channels can be multiplexed on a carrier using various techniques. Physical control channels and physical data channels can be multiplexed on a downlink carrier, for example, using one or more of time-division multiplexing (TDM), frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), or hybrid TDM-FDM techniques. A control region (e.g., a control resource set (CORESET)) for physical control channels can be defined by the number of symbol periods and can extend across the system bandwidth or a subset of the system bandwidth of the carrier. One or more control regions (e.g., CORESET) can be configured for a UE 115 set. For example, one or more UEs 115 can monitor or search control regions for control information based on one or more search space sets, and each search space set can include one or more control channel candidates in one or more aggregation levels arranged in a cascaded manner. An aggregation level for control channel candidates can refer to the number of control channel resources (e.g., control channel elements (CCEs)) associated with coded information in a control information format having a given payload size. The search space set may include a common search space set configured to send control information to multiple UEs 115 and a UE-specific search space set configured to send control information to a specific UE 115.

[0071] Each base station 105 may provide communication coverage via one or more cells (e.g., macrocells, small cells, hotspots, or other types of cells, or any combination thereof). The term "cell" may refer to a logical communication entity used to communicate with base station 105 (e.g., on a carrier) and may be associated with an identifier used to distinguish adjacent cells (e.g., Physical Cell Identifier (PCID), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCID), or others). In some examples, a cell may also refer to a geographic coverage area 110 or a portion of geographic coverage area 110 (e.g., a sector) on which a logical communication entity operates. The extent of such cells may vary from smaller areas (e.g., structures, subsets of structures) to larger areas depending on various factors (such as the capabilities of base station 105). For example, a cell may be or include buildings, subsets of buildings, or external space between or overlapping geographic coverage areas 110, among other examples.

[0072] Macrocells typically cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and allow unrestricted access for UEs 115 that have service subscriptions with a network provider supporting the macrocell. Small cells may be associated with a lower-power base station 105 (compared to macrocells) and may operate in the same or different (e.g., licensed or unlicensed) frequency bands as macrocells. Small cells may provide unrestricted access to UEs 115 that have service subscriptions with a network provider, or may provide restricted access to UEs 115 associated with a small cell (e.g., UE 115 in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), or UE 115 associated with a user in a home or office). Base station 105 may support one or more cells and may also support communication on one or more cells using one or more component carriers.

[0073] In some examples, a carrier can support multiple cells and can be configured with different cells based on different protocol types that can provide access for different types of devices (e.g., MTC, Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)).

[0074] In some examples, base station 105 may be mobile, and thus provide communication coverage to mobile geographic coverage areas 110. In some examples, different geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may overlap, but the different geographic coverage areas 110 may be supported by the same base station 105. In other examples, overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies may be supported by different base stations 105. Wireless communication system 100 may include, for example, a heterogeneous network, in which different types of base stations 105 use the same or different radio access technologies to provide coverage to various geographic coverage areas 110.

[0075] The wireless communication system 100 can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, base stations 105 can have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different base stations 105 can be approximately time-aligned. For asynchronous operation, base stations 105 can have different frame timing, and transmissions from different base stations 105 may not be time-aligned in some examples. The techniques described herein can be used for both synchronous and asynchronous operation.

[0076] Some UEs 115 (such as MTC or IoT devices) can be low-cost or low-complexity devices and can provide automated communication between machines (e.g., via machine-to-machine (M2M) communication). M2M communication or MTC can refer to data communication technologies that allow devices to communicate with each other or with a base station 105 without human intervention. In some examples, M2M communication or MTC may include communication from devices that have integrated sensors or meters to measure or capture information and relay such information to a central server or application that uses the information or presents it to a person interacting with the application. Some UEs 115 may be designed to collect information or automate the behavior of machines or other devices. Examples of applications for MTC devices include: smart metering, inventory monitoring, water level monitoring, equipment monitoring, healthcare monitoring, wilderness survival monitoring, weather and geographic event monitoring, queue management and tracking, remote security sensing, physical access control, and transaction-based commercial toll collection. In one respect, the techniques disclosed herein are applicable to MTC or IoT UEs. MTC or IoT UE can include MTC / enhanced MTC (eMTC, also known as CAT-M, Cat M1) UE, NB-IoT (also known as CAT NB1) UE, and other types of UE. eMTC and NB-IoT can refer to future technologies that can evolve from these technologies or be based on these technologies. For example, eMTC can include FeMTC (further eMTC), eFeMTC (further enhanced eMTC), mMTC (massive MTC), etc., while NB-IoT can include eNB-IoT (enhanced NB-IoT), FeNB-IoT (further enhanced NB-IoT), etc.

[0077] Some UEs 115 can be configured to operate in reduced-power modes, such as half-duplex communication (e.g., a mode that supports unidirectional communication via transmission or reception but not simultaneous transmission and reception). In some examples, half-duplex communication can be performed at reduced peak rates. Other power-saving techniques for UEs 115 include entering a power-saving deep sleep mode when not engaged in active communication, operating on limited bandwidth (e.g., according to narrowband communication), or a combination of these techniques. For example, some UEs 115 can be configured to operate using a narrowband protocol type associated with a defined portion or range (e.g., a subcarrier or resource block (RB) set) within the carrier, within the carrier's guard band, or outside the carrier.

[0078] Wireless communication system 100 may be configured to support ultra-reliable communication or low latency communication, or various combinations thereof. For example, wireless communication system 100 may be configured to support ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) or mission-critical communication. UE 115 may be designed to support ultra-reliable, low latency, or mission-critical functions (e.g., mission-critical functions). Ultra-reliable communication may include private or group communication and may be supported by one or more mission-critical services, such as Mission-Critical Talk-to-Talk (MCPTT), Mission-Critical Video (MCVideo), or Mission-Critical Data (MCData). Support for mission-critical functions may include prioritization of services, and mission-critical services may be used for public safety or general commercial applications. The terms ultra-reliable, low latency, mission-critical, and ultra-reliable low latency are used interchangeably herein.

[0079] In some examples, UE 115 may also be able to communicate directly with other UE 115 on a device-to-device (D2D) communication link 135 (e.g., using a peer-to-peer (P2P) or D2D protocol). One or more UE 115s utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographic coverage area 110 of base station 105. Other UE 115s in such a group may be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of base station 105 or may be unable to receive transmissions from base station 105 for other reasons. In some examples, groups of UE 115s communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each UE 115 transmits to every other UE 115 in the group. In some examples, base station 105 facilitates the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication is performed between the individual UE 115s without involving base station 105.

[0080] In some systems, the D2D communication link 135 may be an example of a communication channel (such as a sidelink communication channel) between vehicles (e.g., UE 115). In some examples, vehicles may communicate using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2X) communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, or some combination of these communications. Vehicles may signal information related to traffic conditions, signal control, weather, safety, emergencies, or any other information relevant to the V2X system. In some examples, vehicles in a V2X system may communicate via vehicle-to-network (V2N) communication through one or more network nodes (e.g., base station 105) with roadside infrastructure (such as roadside units), or with the network, or with both.

[0081] Core network 130 provides user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. Core network 130 can be an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC). The EPC or 5GC may include at least one control plane entity (e.g., a Mobility Management Entity (MME), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF)) managing access and mobility, and at least one user plane entity (e.g., a Serving Gateway (S-GW), Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW), or User Plane Function (UPF)) routing packets or interconnecting to external networks. The control plane entity manages non-access stratum (NAS) functions, such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management of UE 115 served by base station 105 associated with core network 130. User IP packets can be delivered through the user plane entity, which provides IP address allocation and other functions. The user plane entity can connect to network operator IP service 150. Carrier IP services 150 may include access to the Internet, intranets, IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or packet-switched streaming services.

[0082] Some network devices (such as base station 105) may include sub-components, such as access network entity 140, which may be an example of an access node controller (ANC). Each access network entity 140 may communicate with each UE 115 through one or more other access network transport entities 145, which may be referred to as a radio headend, smart radio headend, or transmit / receive point (TRP). Each access network transport entity 145 may include one or more antenna panels. In some configurations, the various functions of each access network entity 140 or base station 105 may be distributed across various network devices (e.g., radio headends and ANCs) or combined into a single network device (e.g., base station 105).

[0083] Wireless communication system 100 can operate using one or more frequency bands, typically in the range of 300 MHz to 300 GHz. Generally, the 300 MHz to 3 GHz band is referred to as a UHF band or decimeter band because the wavelengths range from approximately 1 decimeter to 1 meter. UHF waves can be blocked or redirected by buildings and environmental features, but these waves can penetrate various structures sufficiently for macrocells to provide service to UE 115 located indoors. Compared to transmissions using smaller frequencies and longer waves in the lower HF or VHF portions of the spectrum below 300 MHz, UHF wave transmission can be associated with smaller antennas and shorter ranges (e.g., less than 100 km).

[0084] The wireless communication system 100 can also operate in the ultra-high frequency (SHF) zoning using a frequency band from 3 GHz to 30 GHz (also known as the centimeter band) or in the extremely high frequency (EHF) zoning using a spectrum (e.g., from 30 GHz to 300 GHz) (also known as the millimeter band). In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 can support millimeter-wave (mmW) communication between the UE 115 and the base station 105, and the EHF antennas of the corresponding devices can be smaller and more closely spaced than UHF antennas. In some examples, this can facilitate the use of antenna arrays within the device. However, the propagation of EHF transmissions may suffer even greater atmospheric attenuation and shorter range than SHF or UHF transmissions. The techniques disclosed herein can be employed across transmissions using one or more different frequency zonings, and the frequency band usage specified across these frequency zonings may vary by country or regulatory authority.

[0085] Wireless communication system 100 may utilize both licensed and unlicensed radio spectrum bands. For example, wireless communication system 100 may employ licensed assisted access (LAA), LTE unlicensed (LTE-U) radio access technology, or NR technology in unlicensed frequency bands, such as the 5 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band. When operating in unlicensed radio spectrum bands, devices (such as base station 105 and UE 115) may employ carrier sensing for collision detection and avoidance. In some examples, operation in unlicensed frequency bands may be based on carrier aggregation configuration (e.g., LAA) in coordination with component carriers operating in licensed frequency bands. Operation in unlicensed spectrum may include downlink transmissions, uplink transmissions, P2P transmissions, or D2D transmissions, etc.

[0086] Base station 105 or UE 115 may be equipped with multiple antennas that can be used to employ technologies such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication, or beamforming. The antennas of base station 105 or UE 115 may be located within one or more antenna arrays or antenna panels that can support MIMO operation or transmit or receive beamforming. For example, one or more base station antennas or antenna arrays may coexist at an antenna assembly (such as an antenna tower). In some examples, the antennas or antenna arrays associated with base station 105 may be located in different geographical locations. Base station 105 may have an antenna array with several rows and columns of antenna ports that base station 105 can use to support beamforming for communication with UE 115. Similarly, UE 115 may have one or more antenna arrays that can support various MIMO or beamforming operations. Additionally or alternatively, the antenna panel may support radio frequency beamforming for signals transmitted via the antenna ports.

[0087] Base station 105 or UE 115 can use MIMO communication to leverage multipath signal propagation and improve spectral efficiency by transmitting or receiving multiple signals via different spatial layers. This technique is known as spatial multiplexing. For example, a transmitting device may transmit multiple signals via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Similarly, a receiving device may receive multiple signals via different antennas or different combinations of antennas. Each of the multiple signals may be referred to as a separate spatial stream and may carry bits associated with the same data stream (e.g., the same codeword) or different data streams (e.g., different codewords). Different spatial layers may be associated with different antenna ports used for channel measurement and reporting. MIMO techniques include single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO), where multiple spatial layers are transmitted to the same receiving device; and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), where multiple spatial layers are transmitted to multiple devices.

[0088] Beamforming (also known as spatial filtering, directional transmission, or directional reception) is a signal processing technique that can be used at a transmitting or receiving device (e.g., base station 105, UE 115) to shape or guide an antenna beam (e.g., a transmit beam, a receive beam) along a spatial path between the transmitting and receiving devices. Beamforming can be achieved by combining signals transmitted via antenna elements of an antenna array, such that some signals propagating relative to a particular orientation of the antenna array experience constructive interference, while others experience destructive interference. Adjustments to the signals transmitted via the antenna elements may include the transmitting or receiving device applying amplitude offset, phase offset, or both to the signals carried via the antenna elements associated with that device. The adjustments associated with each antenna element may be defined by a beamforming weight set associated with a particular orientation (e.g., the antenna array relative to the transmitting or receiving device, or relative to some other orientation).

[0089] Base station 105 or UE 115 may use beamsweeping techniques as part of beamforming operations. For example, base station 105 may use multiple antennas or antenna arrays (e.g., antenna panels) for beamforming operations to facilitate directional communication with UE 115. Some signals (e.g., synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) may be transmitted multiple times by base station 105 in different directions. For example, base station 105 may transmit signals based on different beamforming weight sets associated with different transmission directions. Transmissions in different beam directions may be used (e.g., by the transmitting device (such as base station 105) or the receiving device (such as UE 115)) to identify the beam direction that base station 105 uses for later transmission or reception.

[0090] Some signals, such as data signals associated with a specific receiving device, may be transmitted by base station 105 in a single beam direction (e.g., the direction associated with the receiving device, such as UE 115). In some examples, the beam direction associated with transmission along a single beam direction may be determined based on the signals transmitted in one or more beam directions. For example, UE 115 may receive one or more signals transmitted by base station 105 in different directions and may report to base station 105 an indication of the signals received by UE 115 with the highest signal quality or other acceptable signal quality.

[0091] In some examples, transmissions performed by a device (e.g., by base station 105 or UE 115) may be performed using multiple beam directions, and the device may use a combination of digital precoding or radio frequency beamforming to generate combined beams for transmission (e.g., from base station 105 to UE 115). UE 115 may report feedback indicating precoding weights for one or more beam directions, and this feedback may correspond to a configured number of beams across the system bandwidth or one or more subbands. Base station 105 may transmit reference signals that can be precoded or unprecoded (e.g., cell-specific reference signals (CRS), channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS)). UE 115 may provide feedback for beam selection, which may be a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) or codebook-based feedback (e.g., multi-panel type codebook, linear combination type codebook, port selection type codebook). Although these techniques are described with reference to signals transmitted by base station 105 in one or more directions, UE 115 may use similar techniques to transmit signals multiple times in different directions (e.g., to identify the beam direction used by UE 115 for subsequent transmission or reception) or to transmit signals in a single direction (e.g., to transmit data to a receiving device).

[0092] A receiver device (e.g., UE 115) may attempt multiple receive configurations (e.g., directional listening) when receiving various signals (such as synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) from base station 105. For example, the receiver device may attempt multiple receive directions by: receiving via different antenna subarrays; processing received signals according to different antenna subarrays; receiving according to different sets of receive beamforming weights applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of the antenna array (e.g., different directional listening weight sets); or processing received signals according to different sets of receive beamforming weights applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of the antenna array, any of which may be referred to as "listening" according to different receive configurations or receive directions. In some examples, the receiver device may use a single receive configuration to receive along a single beam direction (e.g., when a data signal is received). The single receive configuration may be aligned on a beam direction determined based on listening according to different receive configuration directions (e.g., a beam direction determined to have the highest signal strength, highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or other acceptable signal quality based on listening according to multiple beam directions).

[0093] Wireless communication system 100 can be a packet-based network operating according to a layered protocol stack. In the user plane, communication at the bearer or Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer can be IP-based. The Radio Link Control (RLC) layer performs packet segmentation and reassembly for communication on logical channels. The Media Access Control (MAC) layer performs priority handling and multiplexing of logical channels into transport channels. The MAC layer can also use error detection, error correction, or both to support MAC layer retransmissions to improve link efficiency. In the control plane, the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol layer can provide the establishment, configuration, and maintenance of RRC connections between UE 115 and base station 105 or core network 130 supporting user plane data radio bearers. At the physical layer, transport channels can be mapped to physical channels.

[0094] UE 115 and base station 105 can support data retransmission to increase the likelihood of successful data reception. Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback is a technique used to increase the likelihood of correctly receiving data on communication link 125. HARQ may include a combination of error detection (e.g., using Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC)), forward error correction (FEC), and retransmission (e.g., Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ)). HARQ can improve MAC layer throughput in poor radio conditions (e.g., low signal-to-noise ratio conditions). In some examples, the device may support simultaneous time-slot HARQ feedback, where the device can provide HARQ feedback in a specific time slot for data received in previous symbols within that time slot. In other cases, the device may provide HARQ feedback in subsequent time slots or according to some other time interval.

[0095] This document describes techniques supporting waypoint-based flight claim signaling. These techniques provide a means to establish and support communication between a UE or UAV and multiple components of a wireless communication system as the UAV travels within the service area of ​​one or more components of the system. For example, the wireless communication system may support establishing communication between the UAV and a network node of the system. The network node may receive a flight claim request from the UAV and may generate an approved flight plan, which may include one or more approved flight plan areas, based at least in part on the flight claim request. The network node may then transmit the approved flight plan to the UAV.

[0096] Network nodes can also determine the subset of network nodes based at least in part on a mapping between one or more approved flight plan areas and the location of each network node in the subset. The network node can then transmit a flight plan for the subset of nodes, including the intended location of the UAV within one or more approved flight plan areas, to the subset of network nodes. The UAV can receive queries from one or more network nodes in the subset of network nodes based on the mapping between one or more approved flight plan areas and the location of each network node in the subset. These queries may include requests for one or more waypoints for the UAV within the subset of one or more approved flight plan areas.

[0097] System 100, including a cloud platform, can support waypoint-based flight claim signaling between one or more user equipments or UAVs (such as user equipment 115). For example, UE 115 can communicate with one or more base stations 105 via one or more communication links 125 to determine the location of UE 115 and the expected location of UE 115 corresponding to the waypoints of UE 115 determined as part of the flight path of UE 115.

[0098] The described technology involves determining waypoints along a UAV's flight path, enabling the UAV to communicate both its current location and expected location within one or more flight planning areas as it traverses one or more coverage areas of one or more network nodes. Waypoints can be four-dimensional waypoints, meaning they can include a three-dimensional coordinate position and a time dimension corresponding to the time the UAV will pass through that position. These waypoints can be calculated by the UAV based on various factors, including the UAV's trajectory or one or more external factors such as ambient weather conditions, anticipated traffic, prevailing winds, etc. The expected location of the UAV can be continuously updated by the UAV based on monitoring of its own status and progress or based on cooperation with one or more network nodes. This tracking and prediction of UAV location facilitates efficient routing for traffic and collision avoidance technologies for UAVs and other types of aircraft.

[0099] The described technique further includes generating an approved flight plan for the UAV, which includes details related to the polygonal space or flight plan area that the UAV is permitted to traverse, as well as the time period during which the UAV can traverse the approved flight plan area. A subset of network nodes is determined based on a mapping between the approved flight plan for the UAV and the locations of network nodes within a defined neighborhood of the approved flight plan, such that communication between one or more network nodes and the UAV can be maintained throughout the UAV's journey along the approved flight plan. Once the network nodes located in positions associated with the UAV's flight plan are identified, the node subset's flight plan is transmitted to the relevant nodes, and the network nodes in this subset can begin querying the UAV to receive the waypoints discussed above, further facilitating the determination of the UAV's location and a smooth and efficient handover between the various network nodes.

[0100] Figure 2 Examples of system 200 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure are described. In some examples, system 200 may implement aspects of wireless communication system 100. System 200 (which may be an example of a system for communication between one or more devices) includes one or more National Aeronautics and Space Systems (NAS) data sources 205, NAS ATM 210, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems (UAS) traffic management (collectively referred to as UTM) systems 215.

[0101] UTM system 215 includes supplemental data service provider 225, UAS service provider (USS) 230, and UAV flight implementation system (UFES) 240. Mobile network operator (MNO) 260 may include or otherwise control access and mobility management function (AMF) 245, network node 250, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) 255. Additionally, a flight information management system (FIMS) may be within the framework of UTM system 215, but as part of the FAA system, its functionality is separate and distinct from UTM system 214. In some cases, UAV 255 may be UE 255.

[0102] NAS data source 205 can transmit relevant data to each of NAS-ATM 210, FIMS 235, USS 230, and supplementary data service provider 225. Additionally, NAS-ATM 210 and FIMS-FAA 235 can communicate with each other. FIMS-FAA 235 and USS 230 can communicate with each other, and supplementary data service provider 225 and USS 220 can also communicate with each other. USS 230 and UFES 240 can communicate with each other. UFES 240 and AMF 245 can communicate with each other. Additionally, network node 250 can receive transmissions from AMF 245, and AMF 245 can receive transmissions from UAV 255. Further, network node 250 and UAV 255 can communicate with each other. Additionally, UAV 255 can communicate directly or indirectly with UFES 240 and USS 230.

[0103] For reference Figure 3 and 4In more detail, the flight of UAV 255 under the monitoring and coordination of the UTM 215 system can be based on flight plan authorization from USS 230. In some cases, USS 230 provides authorized flight paths to wireless communication systems using polygon-based models. For example, aspects of a wireless communication system (e.g., wireless communication system 100, which may include a core network, AMF 245, and / or network node 250) may obtain approved flight paths associated with UAV 255 from USS 230. This process may occur during a USS-specific Certification and Authorization (USAA) procedure, in which the MNO uses its connectivity with the USS to request authorization for UAV operations; or the process may occur during a specific flight authorization procedure in which the UAV requests flight plan authorization from USS 230. The core network (or other aspects of the wireless communication system) can deliver approved UAV flight paths to the RAN components based on flight authorizations obtained through the USAA process, and can update these flight paths at any time (e.g., when the core network receives a new approved UAV flight plan from the USS). UAV 255 can extract waypoint-based flight path claims from polygon-based flight paths and send the waypoint-based flight paths to the RAN. The RAN (e.g., via network node 250) can request waypoint information for a specific area of ​​the approved flight plan. UAV 255 can report flight claims for the current polygon or the requested area, which can assist the RAN in performing handover and coverage planning within the current polygon and in assisting transitions from the current polygon to the next polygon. The RAN can compare the information provided by UAV 255 with information received from the core network to verify correctness. The RAN can receive accurate approved polygon-based flight paths from the core network and use the information from UAV 255 for handover planning.

[0104] Figure 3 Examples of a system 300 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure are described. In some examples, system 300 may implement aspects of wireless communication system 100 or system 200. System 300 (which may be an example of a system for communication between one or more devices or network nodes) includes an AMF 310, a first base station 315-a, a second base station 315-b, and a UAV 325. In some examples, UAV 325 may be a UE 325, and each base station 315 may be a network node 315.

[0105] Each base station 315 includes a coverage area 320. More specifically, base station 315-a includes coverage area 320-a, and base station 315-b includes coverage area 320-b, each coverage area 320 representing the physical volume within which the associated base station 315 can communicate with one or more UAVs 325. Figure 3 The three adjacent flight planning regions 330 described herein—flight planning region 330-a, flight planning region 310-b, and flight planning region 320-c—extend in an end-to-end arrangement along the X and Y axes of coordinate system 305. Additionally, each flight planning region 330 extends perpendicularly along the Z axis of coordinate system 305, such that each flight planning region 330 represents a volume.

[0106] Flight path 335 is interpreted as extending through each flight planning area 330 and including multiple waypoints 340 (including waypoints 340-a, 340-b, 340-c, 340-d, 340-e, and 340-f). Waypoints 340-a, 340-b, and 340-c are located within the coverage area 320-a of base station 315-a, while waypoints 340-c, 340-d, and 340-e are located within the coverage area 320-b of base station 315-b. In this example, flight path 335 is interpreted as a curved flight path 335 relative to the X and Y dimensions. Additionally, flight path 335 may be curved in the Z dimension. In some cases, flight path 335 may be a straight line, or any other type of flight path 335 as described herein that enables UAV 325 to operate within flight area 330.

[0107] Each flight planning area 330 represents a polygonal volume occupying a three-dimensional space defined by coordinate system 305 and existing for a predetermined time period. This predetermined time period may be determined by one or more components of the system 300, 200, or 100 described herein.

[0108] Each waypoint 340 represents four-dimensional (4D) coordinates. More specifically, each waypoint 340 defines a spatial point within one of flight planning areas 330, having X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis values, as well as a time value. Accordingly, each waypoint 340 can be determined by a UAV 325 in response to receiving a query from one or more base stations 315-a, and represents the estimated position of the UAV 325 at a specific time within the corresponding flight planning area 330 along a flight path 335. This determination of the UAV 325 can facilitate the coordination of additional UAV 325 traffic within one or more flight planning areas 330 by one or more base stations 315 or additional equipment.

[0109] UAV 325 can be configured to determine a flight path claim based on waypoints 340 and polygon-based flight paths 335, and may additionally transmit this flight path claim to one or both of the base stations 315. One or both of the base stations 315 may transmit a query to UAV 325 requesting location information from UAV 325. This query may include a request for one or more waypoints within a subset of one or more approved flight plan areas, and may explicitly include an indication of the one or more flight plan areas involved in the query. This request to UAV 325 may trigger UAV 325 to transmit the requested information, such as one or more determined waypoints 340, based on the flight plan area 330 currently occupied by UAV 325. Additionally, the information transmitted to one or more base stations 315 in response to a received query may be based on the requested flight plan area 330, the expected flight plan area 320 that the UAV 325 will occupy next, or facilitate efficient switching of the UAV 325 throughout the flight plan area 330 and to adjacent coverage areas 320.

[0110] Base station 315 can compare information received from UAV 325 via communication link 345 with information received from AMF 310 via communication link 355 to confirm the information received from UAV 320. Such information may include waypoint 340 or any other additional location information related to determining and planning passage through the corresponding coverage area 320 for UAV 325. Additionally, information received from UAV 325 by one of the base stations 315 may be shared with one or more additional base stations 315 via direct communication links between the base stations 315 or via an intermediate relay component (such as AMF 310).

[0111] When UAV 325 is located within the corresponding coverage area 320 of base station 315, base station 315 can communicate with UAV 325. For example, when UAV 325 is traveling along flight path 335, UAV 325 can communicate with base station 315-a via base station communication link 345 while within coverage area 320-a. In some examples, base station communication link 345 may include RRC signaling. Additionally, when UAV 325 is located within the overlapping coverage area 320 associated with both base stations 315-a and 315-b, UAV 325 can communicate with one or both of base stations 315-b and 315-a. For example, when UAV 325 is at waypoint 340-c, UAV 325 can communicate with one or both of base stations 315-a and 315-b. Accordingly, as the UAV 325 travels along its flight path, the UAV 325 can communicate only within the coverage area 320-b and with the base station 315-b.

[0112] RCC signaling between UAV 325 and base station 315 can be initiated by base station 315, which can transmit a UAV information request message to UAV 325. The transmission of the UAV information request message can occur after successful security activation confirmation between UAV 325 and the relevant base station 315. After UAV 325 confirms successful security activation, and if UAV 325 has access to flight path 335, UAV 325 can create a flight path information report. The flight path information report may include one or more waypoints 340 and may include timestamps, each timestamp associated with a corresponding waypoint among the waypoints 340, and indicating the time when UAV 325 expects to appear at the associated waypoint 340.

[0113] Additionally, as part of the RRC signaling between UAV 325 and one or more base stations 315, the RRC signal from one or more base stations 315 to UAV 325 may include a flight path information reporting configuration. This configuration may inform UAV 325 of information to be included in the flight path information report, which may be based on the capability of the base stations 315 to which the flight path information report can be transmitted. The configuration may include one or more flight path area identifiers that identify one or more flight path areas 330 associated with flight path 335. The configuration may further include an indication of the maximum number of waypoints 340, which may be included as part of the flight path information report (assuming waypoint information is available to UAV 325). Additionally, the configuration may include an indication to UAV 325 of whether a time reference associated with each waypoint 340 may be included in the flight path information report. The time reference may be a single timestamp, or a minimum expected arrival timestamp and a maximum expected arrival timestamp.

[0114] AMF 310 can communicate with UAV 325 via communication link 350 and with base station 315-a via communication link 355. UAV 325 can request approval for a flight statement via the communication link with AMF 310, which can then relay the flight statement request to additional upstream components of system 300, as described herein with reference to systems 100 and 200. AMF 310 can also transmit information related to the approved UAV 325 flight plan to base station 315-a via communication link 355, which can also be extended between AMF 310 and base station 315-b.

[0115] Figure 4Examples of process flow 400 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure are described. In some examples, process flow 400 may implement various aspects of wireless communication system 100. Process flow 400 includes UAV 405, network node 410, Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 415, UAV Flight Implementation System (UFES) 420, and UE Service Provider (USS) 425. In some cases, one or more of AMF 415, UFES 420, or USS 425 may be a network node. In some examples, UAV 405 may be an example of a UE. The following alternative examples may be implemented, some of which may be performed in a different order than described or not at all. In some cases, the steps may include additional features not mentioned below, or further steps may be added.

[0116] The UAV 405 can initially perform a registration process with the USS 425, which may involve the exchange of identity information, registration information, security information, etc. The UAV 405 can similarly perform communication with wireless communication networks (e.g., such as reference 425). Figure 1 The described wireless communication network 100 includes a registration process that may include components such as network node 410, AMF 415, UFES 420, and USS 425. UFES 420 may request location information from UAV 405, and AMF 415 may report location information of UAV 405 (such as registration area, cell identifier, etc.).

[0117] UAV 405 can execute a flight claim authorization procedure. As part of this procedure, at 430, a flight claim message can be transmitted from UAV 405 to USS 425 via UFES 420. This flight claim message may request approval for a flight claim (e.g., a ReqFlightPlan message). Additionally or alternatively, UAV 405 may send a flight claim message to AMF 415 (e.g., in non-access stratum signaling such as a NAS transport message request), and AMF 415 may send a flight claim message to UFES 420. Alternatively, UAV 405 may send a flight claim message directly to UFES 420 using user plane connectivity (e.g., a PDU session in a 5G system or a PDN connection in a 4G system). In some examples, UAV 405 may use NAS signaling with a Session Management Function (SMF) to provide the flight claim message to the SMF, which routes the message to UFES 420.

[0118] At 435, after receiving the flight statement message from USS 425, flight statement approval can be transmitted from USS 425 to UFES 420.

[0119] At 440, UFES 420 can generate an approved flight plan for UAV 405. For example, UFES 420 can convert the approved flight plan into an approved flight plan area. That is, the approved flight plan can include one or more approved flight plan areas, at least in part, based on the flight claim message. In some cases, the one or more approved flight plan areas may include one or more adjacent flight plan areas. In some examples, each of the one or more adjacent flight plan areas includes a volume and a time period corresponding to the duration during which UAV 405 is allowed to occupy that volume. In some examples, each of the one or more approved flight plan areas includes one or both of a zone identifier or a zone number. In some examples, the approved flight plan area is defined by UFES 420 based on a geographic location defined in the flight claim approval and corresponding to a specific location of network node 410.

[0120] At 445, UFES 420 can transmit an approved flight plan to UAV 405. This message can be in the form of approval of a flight claim (e.g., an ApprovedFlightPlan message). In some examples, the approved flight plan can be sent directly from UFES 420 to UAV 405. Additionally or alternatively, the approved flight plan can be sent to UAV 405 via AMF 415 (if the Initial Flight Claim Request message is routed via AMF 405). In some other examples, the approved flight plan can be transmitted to UAV 405 via SMF (if the Initial Flight Claim Request message is routed via SMF).

[0121] At 450, UFES 420 may determine a subset of network nodes, which may include network node 410. This determination may be based at least in part on a mapping between one or more approved flight plan areas and the locations of one or more network nodes in the subset of network nodes. In some cases, determining the subset of nodes may include calculating the expected location of UAV 405 within a subset of one or more approved flight plan areas, based at least in part on the location and coverage area of ​​the subset of network nodes.

[0122] At 455, UFES 420 may transmit a node subset flight plan to the RAN component and / or network node 410. In some examples, the node subset flight plan includes the intended location of UAV 405 within the coverage area of ​​a network node subset (such as network node 410). The RAN component may identify the current flight plan area or polygon from the node subset flight plan based on the location of UAV 405 (e.g., based on the cell identifier of UAV 406 that UAV 405 may report in access stratum signaling or the actual geographic location of UAV 405 (including altitude)). In some examples, one or more of UFES 420, network node 410, or USS 425 may receive UE information from AMF 415, including one or more of UE identifier, UE registration area, or UE location.

[0123] At 460, network node 410 may transmit a waypoint query to UAV 405, which may be referred to as a UEInformationRequest message. The network node 410 sending the request may be a network node currently serving UAV 405, but may also be a different network node (e.g., a network node not currently serving UAV 405). The waypoint query may request flight information for a specific flight planning area or several flight planning areas. The waypoint query may be based at least in part on a mapping between one or more approved flight planning areas and the location of each network node (such as network node 410) in a subset of network nodes. Additionally, the query may include requests for multiple waypoints for UAV 405 within one or more subsets of approved flight planning areas.

[0124] At 465, in response to receiving a waypoint query from network node 410, UAV 405 may determine a flight path for one or more flight planning areas to be included in the waypoint query. In some cases, the flight path may include one or more waypoints of UAV 405, at least in part, based on a received approved flight plan. In some cases, determining the flight path may include calculating one or more waypoints based at least in part on the UAV 405's trajectory within the flight planning area, one or more factors outside the UAV 405, or both. In some examples, the received query may indicate the maximum number of waypoints to include in the flight statement message. In some examples, receiving the query from network node 410 includes receiving the query from network node 410 via RRC signaling.

[0125] In some scenarios, receiving a query from network node 410 may include receiving one or more queries from one or more network nodes (including network node 410). In some embodiments, each of the one or more waypoints may include the expected three-dimensional position of the UAV 405 corresponding to that waypoint within the corresponding flight plan area of ​​one or more approved flight plan areas. In other scenarios, each of the one or more waypoints may include a timestamp corresponding to the expected arrival of the UAV 405 at the expected three-dimensional position corresponding to that waypoint.

[0126] At point 470, UAV 405 may transmit a flight declaration message to network node 410. In this scenario, the flight declaration message may include one or more waypoints that have been identified.

[0127] Figure 5 A block diagram 500 of an apparatus 505 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure. Apparatus 505 may be an example of various aspects of a UE 115 (e.g., a UAV) as described herein. Apparatus 505 may include a receiver 510, a communications manager 515, and a transmitter 520. Apparatus 505 may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0128] Receiver 510 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to waypoint-based flight declaration signaling). The information can be transmitted to other components of device 505. Receiver 510 can be a reference... Figure 8 Examples of various aspects of the transceiver 820 described. The receiver 510 may utilize a single antenna or an array of antennas.

[0129] Communication manager 515 may receive approved flight plans including an approved flight plan area set; receive queries from network nodes, the queries including indications for subsets in the approved flight plan area set and requests for a set of waypoints for the UE within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set; in response to receiving queries from network nodes, determine a flight path including the set of waypoints for the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plans; and transmit a flight declaration message including the determined set of waypoints to the network node. Communication manager 515 may be an example of aspects of communication manager 810 described herein.

[0130] The communication manager 515 or its sub-components may be implemented in hardware, software (e.g., executed by a processor), or any combination thereof. If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functionality of the communication manager 515 or its sub-components may be performed by a general-purpose processor, DSP, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described in this disclosure.

[0131] The communication manager 515 or its subcomponents may be physically located at various locations, including being distributed such that portions of the functionality are implemented by one or more physical components at different physical locations. In some examples, according to various aspects of this disclosure, the communication manager 515 or its subcomponents may be separate and distinct components. In some examples, according to various aspects of this disclosure, the communication manager 515 or its subcomponents may be combined with one or more other hardware components, including but not limited to input / output (I / O) components, transceivers, network servers, another computing device, one or more other components described in this disclosure, or combinations thereof.

[0132] Transmitter 520 can transmit signals generated by other components of device 505. In some examples, transmitter 520 may coexist with receiver 510 in a transceiver module. For example, transmitter 520 may be a reference... Figure 8 Examples of various aspects of the transceiver 820 described. The transmitter 520 may utilize a single antenna or an array of antennas.

[0133] Figure 6 A block diagram 600 of an apparatus 605 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure. Apparatus 605 may be an example of apparatus 505 as described herein, or aspects of UE 115 (e.g., UAV). Apparatus 605 may include a receiver 610, a communications manager 615, and a transmitter 640. Apparatus 605 may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0134] Receiver 610 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to waypoint-based flight declaration signaling). The information can be transmitted to other components of device 605. Receiver 610 can be a reference... Figure 8 Examples of various aspects of the transceiver 820 described. The receiver 610 may utilize a single antenna or an array of antennas.

[0135] Communication manager 615 may be an example of aspects of communication manager 515 as described herein. Communication manager 615 may include flight plan receiving component 620, query receiving component 625, flight path determining component 630, and transmission component 635. Communication manager 615 may be an example of aspects of communication manager 810 as described herein.

[0136] Flight plan receiving component 620 can receive approved flight plans that include an approved flight plan area set.

[0137] The query receiving component 625 can receive queries from network nodes, which include indications of subsets in the approved flight plan area set and requests for a set of waypoints within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set for the UE.

[0138] The flight path determination component 630 can respond to a query received from a network node and determine a flight path including the set of waypoints of the UE for an indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plan.

[0139] The transmission component 625 can transmit a flight declaration message, including the determined set of waypoints, to network nodes.

[0140] Transmitter 640 can transmit signals generated by other components of device 605. In some examples, transmitter 640 may coexist with receiver 610 in a transceiver module. For example, transmitter 640 may be a reference... Figure 8 Examples of various aspects of the transceiver 820 described. The transmitter 640 may utilize a single antenna or an array of antennas.

[0141] Figure 7 A block diagram 700 is shown of a communication manager 705 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure. Communication manager 705 may be an example of aspects of communication manager 515, communication manager 615, or communication manager 810 described herein. Communication manager 705 may include a flight plan receiving component 710, a query receiving component 715, a flight path determination component 720, and a transmission component 725. Each of these modules may communicate directly or indirectly with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0142] Flight plan receiving component 710 can receive approved flight plans that include an approved flight plan area set.

[0143] In some cases, the approved flight plan area set includes adjacent flight plan area sets.

[0144] In some cases, each flight plan area in the set of adjacent flight plan areas includes a volume and a time period corresponding to the duration during which the UE is allowed to occupy that volume.

[0145] In some cases, each approved flight plan area in the set of approved flight plan areas includes one or both of the area identifier or area number.

[0146] The query receiving component 715 can receive queries from network nodes, which include indications for subsets of the approved flight plan area set and requests for a set of waypoints within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set for the UE.

[0147] In some examples, the query receiving component 715 can receive queries from network nodes via RRC signaling.

[0148] In some examples, the query receiving component 715 can receive a query set from a set of network nodes.

[0149] In some cases, the received query instruction includes the minimum number, maximum number, or both of waypoints in the flight statement message.

[0150] The flight path determination component 720 can respond to a query received from a network node and determine a flight path including the set of waypoints of the UE for an indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plan.

[0151] In some examples, the flight path determination component 720 may calculate a set of waypoints based on the UE's trajectory, one or more external factors, or both.

[0152] In some cases, each waypoint in the waypoint set includes the expected three-dimensional location of the UE corresponding to that waypoint within the corresponding flight plan area of ​​a subset of the approved flight plan area set.

[0153] In some cases, each waypoint in the set of waypoints further includes a timestamp indicating the minimum expected entry time and the maximum expected exit time of the UE corresponding to the expected three-dimensional location of that waypoint.

[0154] The transmission component 725 can transmit a flight declaration message, including the determined set of waypoints, to the network node.

[0155] Figure 8A diagram of a system 800 including device 805 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure. Device 805 may be an example of device 505, device 605, or UE 115 (e.g., UAV) as described herein, or may include components thereof. Device 805 may include components for bidirectional voice and data communication, including components for transmitting and receiving communications, including a communication manager 810, an I / O controller 815, a transceiver 820, an antenna 825, a memory 830, and a processor 840. These components may be in electronic communication via one or more buses (e.g., bus 845).

[0156] The communication manager 810 may receive an approved flight plan that includes an approved flight plan area set; receive a query from a network node that includes an indication of a subset of the approved flight plan area set and a request for a set of waypoints for the UE within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set; in response to receiving the query from the network node, determine a flight path including the set of waypoints for the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plan; and transmit a flight declaration message including the determined set of waypoints to the network node.

[0157] I / O controller 815 manages the input and output signals of device 805. I / O controller 815 can also manage peripheral devices not integrated into device 805. In some cases, I / O controller 815 may represent a physical connection or port to an external peripheral device. In some cases, I / O controller 815 may utilize an operating system such as iOS®, ANDROID®, MS-DOS®, MS-WINDOWS®, OS / 2®, UNIX®, LINUX®, or another known operating system. In other cases, I / O controller 815 may represent or interact with a modem, keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, or similar device. In some cases, I / O controller 815 may be implemented as part of a processor. In some cases, a user may interact with device 805 via I / O controller 815 or via hardware components controlled by I / O controller 815.

[0158] Transceiver 820 can communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas, wired or wireless links, as described above. For example, transceiver 820 can represent a wireless transceiver and can communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. Transceiver 820 may also include a modem to modulate packets and provide the modulated packets to the antenna for transmission, and to demodulate packets received from the antenna.

[0159] In some cases, a wireless device may include a single antenna 825. However, in other cases, the device may have more than one antenna 825, which may be able to transmit or receive multiple wireless transmissions concurrently.

[0160] Memory 830 may include RAM and ROM. Memory 830 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 835, including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform the various functions described herein. In some cases, memory 830 may, in particular, contain a BIOS that controls basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0161] Processor 840 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., general-purpose processors, DSPs, CPUs, microcontrollers, ASICs, FPGAs, programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some cases, processor 840 may be configured to use a memory controller to operate a memory array. In other cases, the memory controller may be integrated into processor 840. Processor 840 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 830) to cause device 805 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting waypoint-based flight statement signaling).

[0162] Code 835 may include instructions for implementing various aspects of this disclosure, including instructions for supporting wireless communication. Code 835 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as system memory or other types of memory. In some cases, code 835 may not be directly executed by processor 840, but may cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein.

[0163] Figure 9 A block diagram 900 of an apparatus 905 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure. Apparatus 905 may be an example of various aspects of a network node or its components (e.g., a base station, UFES, USS, AMF, or SMF) as described herein. Apparatus 905 may include a receiver 910, a communications manager 915, and a transmitter 920. Apparatus 905 may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0164] Receiver 910 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to waypoint-based flight declaration signaling). The information can be transmitted to other components of device 905. Receiver 910 can be a reference... Figure 12Examples of various aspects of the transceiver 1220 described. The receiver 910 may utilize a single antenna or an array of antennas.

[0165] Communication manager 915 may receive a flight declaration request from the UE; generate an approved flight plan for the UE, including an approved flight plan area set, based on the flight declaration request; determine the network node subset based on a mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node in the network node subset; and transmit the node subset flight plan, including the expected location of the UE within the approved flight plan area set, to the network node subset. Communication manager 915 may be an example of aspects of communication manager 1210 described herein.

[0166] The communication manager 915 or its sub-components may be implemented in hardware, software (e.g., executed by a processor), or any combination thereof. If implemented in code executed by a processor, the functionality of the communication manager 915 or its sub-components may be performed by a general-purpose processor, DSP, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described in this disclosure.

[0167] The communication manager 915 or its sub-components may be physically located at various locations, including being distributed such that portions of the functionality are implemented by one or more physical components at different physical locations. In some examples, according to various aspects of this disclosure, the communication manager 915 or its sub-components may be separate and distinct components. In some examples, according to various aspects of this disclosure, the communication manager 915 or its sub-components may be combined with one or more other hardware components, including but not limited to input / output (I / O) components, transceivers, network servers, another computing device, one or more other components described in this disclosure, or combinations thereof.

[0168] Transmitter 920 can transmit signals generated by other components of device 905. In some examples, transmitter 920 may coexist with receiver 910 in a transceiver module. For example, transmitter 920 may be a reference... Figure 12 Examples of various aspects of the transceiver 1220 described. The transmitter 920 may utilize a single antenna or an array of antennas.

[0169] Figure 10A block diagram 1000 of an apparatus 1005 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure. Apparatus 1005 may be an example of an apparatus 905 as described herein, a network node, or a component thereof (e.g., a base station, UFES, USS, AMF, or SMF). Apparatus 1005 may include a receiver 1010, a communications manager 1015, and a transmitter 1040. Apparatus 1005 may also include a processor. Each of these components may be in communication with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0170] Receiver 1010 can receive information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to waypoint-based flight declaration signaling). This information can be transmitted to other components of device 1005. Receiver 1010 can be a reference... Figure 12 Examples of various aspects of the transceiver 1220 described herein. The receiver 1010 may utilize a single antenna or an array of antennas.

[0171] Communication manager 1015 may be an example of aspects of communication manager 915 as described herein. Communication manager 1015 may include flight statement receiving component 1020, flight plan generation component 1025, node determination component 1030, and node flight plan transmission component 1035. Communication manager 1015 may be an example of aspects of communication manager 1210 as described herein.

[0172] Flight claim receiving component 1020 can receive flight claim requests from UE.

[0173] The flight plan generation component 1025 can generate an approved flight plan for the UE, including a set of approved flight plan regions, based on a flight claim request.

[0174] The node determination component 1030 can determine the subset of network nodes based on the mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node in the subset of network nodes.

[0175] The node flight plan transmission component 1035 can transmit a node subset flight plan, including the expected location of the UE within the approved flight plan area set, to a subset of network nodes.

[0176] Transmitter 1040 can transmit signals generated by other components of device 1005. In some examples, transmitter 1040 may coexist with receiver 1010 in a transceiver module. For example, transmitter 1040 may be a reference... Figure 12 Examples of various aspects of the transceiver 1220 described. The transmitter 1040 may utilize a single antenna or an array of antennas.

[0177] Figure 11 A block diagram 1100 of a communication manager 1105 supporting waypoint-based flight claim signaling is shown according to various aspects of this disclosure. Communication manager 1105 may be an example of aspects of communication manager 915, communication manager 1015, or communication manager 1210 described herein. Communication manager 1105 may include a flight claim receiving component 1110, a flight plan generation component 1115, a node determination component 1120, a node flight plan transmission component 1125, a UE information receiving component 1130, and an approved flight plan transmission component 1135. Each of these modules may communicate directly or indirectly with each other (e.g., via one or more buses).

[0178] Flight claim receiving component 1110 can receive flight claim requests from UE.

[0179] Flight plan generation component 1115 can generate an approved flight plan for the UE, including a set of approved flight plan regions, based on a flight claim request.

[0180] In some cases, the approved flight plan area set includes adjacent flight plan area sets.

[0181] In some cases, each flight plan area in the set of adjacent flight plan areas includes a volume and a time period corresponding to the duration during which the UE is allowed to occupy that volume.

[0182] In some cases, each approved flight plan area in the set of approved flight plan areas includes one or both of the area identifier or area number.

[0183] The node determination component 1120 can determine the subset of network nodes based on the mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node in the subset of network nodes.

[0184] In some examples, the node determination component 1120 can calculate the expected location of the UE within a subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the location and coverage area of ​​a subset of network nodes.

[0185] In some cases, the node subset flight plan includes the expected location of the UE within the coverage area of ​​the network node subset.

[0186] The node flight plan transmission component 1125 can transmit a subset of node flight plans, including the expected location of the UE within the approved flight plan area set, to a subset of network nodes.

[0187] The UE information receiving component 1130 can receive UE information, including one or more of the UE identifier, UE registration area, or UE location, from the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF).

[0188] The approved flight plan transmission component 1135 can transmit the approved flight plan to the UE.

[0189] Figure 12 A diagram of a system 1200 including device 1205 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling is shown according to aspects of this disclosure. Device 1205 may be an example of aspects of device 905, device 1005 as described herein, or a network node or its components (e.g., base station, UFES, USS, AMF, or SMF). Device 1205 may include components for bidirectional voice and data communication, including components for transmitting and receiving communications, including a communication manager 1210, a network communication manager 1215, a transceiver 1220, an antenna 1225, a memory 1230, a processor 1240, and an inter-station communication manager 1245. These components may be in electronic communication via one or more buses (e.g., bus 1250).

[0190] The communication manager 1210 may receive a flight declaration request from the UE; generate an approved flight plan for the UE based on the flight declaration request, including an approved flight plan area set; determine the network node subset based on the mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node in the network node subset; and transmit the node subset flight plan including the expected location of the UE within the approved flight plan area set to the network node subset.

[0191] The network communication manager 1215 can manage communication with the core network (e.g., via one or more wired backhaul links). For example, the network communication manager 1215 can manage the delivery of data communication by client devices (such as one or more UEs 115).

[0192] Transceiver 1220 can communicate bidirectionally via one or more antennas, wired or wireless links, as described above. For example, transceiver 1220 can represent a wireless transceiver and can communicate bidirectionally with another wireless transceiver. Transceiver 1220 may also include a modem to modulate packets and provide the modulated packets to the antenna for transmission, and to demodulate packets received from the antenna.

[0193] In some cases, the wireless device may include a single antenna 1225. However, in other cases, the device may have more than one antenna 1225, which may be able to transmit or receive multiple wireless transmissions concurrently.

[0194] Memory 1230 may include RAM, ROM, or a combination thereof. Memory 1230 may store computer-readable code 1235 including instructions that, when executed by a processor (e.g., processor 1240), cause the device to perform the various functions described herein. In some cases, memory 1230 may particularly include a BIOS that controls basic hardware or software operation, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0195] Processor 1240 may include intelligent hardware devices (e.g., general-purpose processors, DSPs, CPUs, microcontrollers, ASICs, FPGAs, programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic components, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof). In some cases, processor 1240 may be configured to use a memory controller to operate a memory array. In some cases, the memory controller may be integrated into processor 1240. Processor 1240 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 1230) to cause device 1205 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting waypoint-based flight statement signaling).

[0196] Inter-site communication manager 1245 manages communication with other base stations 105 and may include a controller or scheduler for cooperating with other base stations 105 to control communication with UE 115. For example, inter-site communication manager 1245 may coordinate the scheduling of transmissions to UE 115 for various interference mitigation techniques, such as beamforming or joint transmission. In some examples, inter-site communication manager 1245 may provide an X2 interface within LTE / LTE-A wireless communication network technology to facilitate communication between base stations 105.

[0197] Code 1235 may include instructions for implementing various aspects of this disclosure, including instructions for supporting wireless communication. Code 1235 may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as system memory or other types of memory. In some cases, code 1235 may not be directly executed by processor 1240, but may cause a computer (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform the functions described herein.

[0198] Figure 13 A flowchart illustrating a method 1300 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1300 may be implemented by a UE 115 (e.g., a UAV) or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1300 may be implemented by, as referenced... Figures 5 to 8The described communication manager is used to perform this function. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the following functions. Alternatively or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the following functions.

[0199] At 1305, the UE can receive approved flight plans that include an approved flight plan area set. Operation of 1305 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of 1305 can be determined by reference to... Figures 5 to 8 The described flight plan receiving component is used to execute it.

[0200] At 1310, the UE may receive a query from the network node, which includes an indication of a subset of the approved flight plan area set and a request for a set of waypoints within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set. The operation of 1310 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1310 may be provided by reference to... Figures 5 to 8 The described query receiving component is used to execute it.

[0201] At 1315, the UE may, in response to receiving a query from a network node, determine a flight path including the set of waypoints of the UE for a specified subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plan. The operation of 1315 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1315 may be as described in reference... Figures 5 to 8 The described flight path determination component is used to perform this.

[0202] At 1320, the UE may transmit a flight declaration message to the network node, including the determined set of waypoints. The operation at 1320 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1320 may be determined by reference to... Figures 5 to 8 The described transport component is used to perform this.

[0203] Figure 14 A flowchart illustrating a method 1400 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1400 may be implemented by a UE 115 (e.g., a UAV) or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1400 may be implemented by, as referred to... Figures 5 to 8 The described communication manager is used to perform this function. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the following functions. Alternatively or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the following functions.

[0204] At 1405, the UE can receive approved flight plans that include an approved flight plan area set. Operation of 1405 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of 1405 can be determined by reference to... Figures 5 to 8 The described flight plan receiving component is used to execute it.

[0205] At 1410, the approved flight plan area set includes the adjacent flight plan area set. Operations at 1410 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operations at 1410 can be determined by referring to... Figures 5 to 8 The described flight plan receiving component is used to execute it.

[0206] At point 1415, the UE may receive a query from the network node, which includes an indication of a subset of the approved flight plan area set and a request for a set of waypoints within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set. The operation of point 1415 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of point 1415 may be provided by reference to... Figures 5 to 8 The described query receiving component is used to execute it.

[0207] At 1420, the UE may, in response to receiving a query from the network node, determine a flight path including the set of waypoints of the UE for a specified subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plan. The operation at 1420 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1420 may be as described in reference... Figures 5 to 8 The described flight path determination component is used to perform this.

[0208] At point 1425, the UE may transmit a flight declaration message to the network node, including the determined set of waypoints. The operation at point 1425 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at point 1425 may be determined by reference to... Figures 5 to 8 The described transport component is used to perform this.

[0209] Figure 15 A flowchart illustrating a method 1500 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1500 may be implemented by a UE 115 (e.g., a UAV) or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1500 may be implemented by, as referred to... Figures 5 to 8 The described communication manager is used to perform this function. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the following functions. Alternatively or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the following functions.

[0210] At 1505, the UE can receive approved flight plans that include an approved flight plan area set. Operation of 1505 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of 1505 can be determined by reference to... Figures 5 to 8 The described flight plan receiving component is used to execute it.

[0211] At 1510, the UE may receive a query from the network node, which includes an indication of a subset of the approved flight plan area set and a request for a set of waypoints within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set. The operation of 1510 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1510 may be provided as referenced... Figures 5 to 8 The described query receiving component is used to execute it.

[0212] At 1515, the UE may, in response to receiving a query from a network node, determine a flight path including the set of waypoints of the UE for a specified subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plan. The operation of 1515 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1515 may be as described in reference... Figures 5 to 8 The described flight path determination component is used to perform this.

[0213] At point 1520, the UE can calculate a set of waypoints based on its trajectory, one or more external factors, or both. The operation at point 1520 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at point 1520 can be determined by referring to... Figures 5 to 8 The described flight path determination component is used to perform this.

[0214] At point 1525, the UE may transmit a flight declaration message to the network node, including the determined set of waypoints. The operation at point 1525 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at point 1525 may be determined by reference to... Figures 5 to 8 The described transport component is used to perform this.

[0215] Figure 16 A flowchart illustrating a method 1600 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1600 may be implemented by a UE 115 (e.g., a UAV) or its components as described herein. For example, operation of method 1600 may be implemented by, as referenced... Figures 5 to 8 The described communication manager is used to perform this function. In some examples, the UE can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the UE to perform the following functions. Alternatively or alternatively, the UE can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the following functions.

[0216] At 1605, the UE can receive approved flight plans that include an approved flight plan area set. Operation of 1605 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of 1605 can be derived from, as referenced... Figures 5 to 8 The described flight plan receiving component is used to execute it.

[0217] At 1610, the UE may receive a query from the network node, which includes an indication of a subset of the approved flight plan area set and a request for a set of waypoints within the indicated subset of the approved flight plan area set. The operation of 1610 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1610 may be determined by reference to... Figures 5 to 8 The described query receiving component is used to execute it.

[0218] At 1615, the UE may, in response to receiving a query from the network node, determine a flight path including the set of waypoints of the UE for a specified subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the received approved flight plan. The operation of 1615 may be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1615 may be as described in reference... Figures 5 to 8 The described flight path determination component is used to perform this.

[0219] At 1620, each waypoint in the set of waypoints includes the expected three-dimensional position of the UE corresponding to that waypoint within the corresponding flight plan area of ​​a subset of the approved flight plan area set. The operation at 1620 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1620 can be derived from, as referenced... Figures 5 to 8 The described flight path determination component is used to perform this.

[0220] At point 1625, the UE may transmit a flight declaration message to the network node, including the determined set of waypoints. The operation at point 1625 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at point 1625 may be determined by reference to... Figures 5 to 8 The described transport component is used to perform this.

[0221] Figure 17 A flowchart illustrating a method 1700 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1700 can be implemented by a network node or its components (e.g., a base station, UFES, USS, AMF, or SMF) as described herein. For example, operation of method 1700 can be implemented by, as described in reference... Figures 9 to 12The described communication manager is used to execute this. In some examples, the network node can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the network node to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the network node can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

[0222] At point 1705, the network node can receive a flight declaration request from the UE. The operation of point 1705 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of point 1705 can be determined by referring to... Figures 9 to 12 The described flight statement receiving component is used to execute it.

[0223] At 1710, the network node can generate an approved flight plan for the UE, including a set of approved flight plan areas, based on a flight claim request. The operation of 1710 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of 1710 can be derived from, as referenced... Figures 9 to 12 The described flight plan generation component is used to execute this.

[0224] At 1715, the network node subset can be determined based on the mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node in the subset. The operation at 1715 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1715 can be determined as described in reference... Figures 9 to 12 The described node determines the components to be executed.

[0225] At 1720, the network node can transmit a subset of the node's flight plan, including the UE's intended location within the approved flight plan area set. Operation of 1720 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of 1720 can be derived from, as referenced... Figures 9 to 12 The described node flight plan transmission component is used to execute it.

[0226] Figure 18 A flowchart illustrating a method 1800 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1800 can be implemented by a network node or its components (e.g., a base station, UFES, USS, AMF, or SMF) as described herein. For example, operation of method 1800 can be implemented by, as described in reference... Figures 9 to 12 The described communication manager is used to execute this. In some examples, the network node can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the network node to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the network node can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

[0227] At point 1805, the network node can receive a flight declaration request from the UE. The operation at point 1805 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at point 1805 can be determined by referring to... Figures 9 to 12 The described flight statement receiving component is used to execute it.

[0228] At point 1810, the network node can generate an approved flight plan for the UE, including a set of approved flight plan areas, based on a flight claim request. The operation of point 1810 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation of point 1810 can be determined by referring to... Figures 9 to 12 The described flight plan generation component is used to execute this.

[0229] At point 1815, the network node subset can be determined based on a mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node in the subset. The operation at point 1815 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at point 1815 can be determined as described in reference... Figures 9 to 12 The described node determines the components to be executed.

[0230] At point 1820, the network node can calculate the expected location of the UE within a subset of the approved flight plan area set based on the location and coverage area of ​​a subset of network nodes. The operation at point 1820 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at point 1820 can be determined by referring to... Figures 9 to 12 The described node determines the components to be executed.

[0231] At point 1825, the network node can transmit a subset of the node's flight plan, including the UE's intended location within the approved flight plan area set. Operation at point 1825 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation at point 1825 can be derived from, as referenced... Figures 9 to 12 The described node flight plan transmission component is used to execute it.

[0232] Figure 19 A flowchart illustrating a method 1900 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 1900 can be implemented by a network node or its components (e.g., a base station, UFES, USS, AMF, or SMF) as described herein. For example, operation of method 1900 can be implemented by, as referred to... Figures 9 to 12 The described communication manager is used to execute this. In some examples, the network node can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the network node to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the network node can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

[0233] At point 1905, the network node can receive a flight declaration request from the UE. Operation at point 1905 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation at point 1905 can be determined by referring to... Figures 9 to 12 The described flight statement receiving component is used to execute it.

[0234] At point 1910, the network node can receive UE information from the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), including one or more of the following: UE identifier, UE registration area, or UE location. Operation of point 1910 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of point 1910 can be determined by referring to... Figures 9 to 12 The UE information receiving component described herein shall perform this action.

[0235] At point 1915, the network node can generate an approved flight plan for the UE, including a set of approved flight plan areas, based on a flight claim request. The operation at point 1915 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at point 1915 can be determined by referring to... Figures 9 to 12 The described flight plan generation component is used to execute this.

[0236] At 1920, the network node subset can be determined based on the mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node in the subset. The operation at 1920 can be performed according to the method described herein. In some examples, aspects of the operation at 1920 can be determined as described in reference... Figures 9 to 12 The described node determines the components to be executed.

[0237] At point 1925, the network node can transmit a subset of the node's flight plan, including the UE's intended location within the approved flight plan area set. Operation at point 1925 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation at point 1925 can be derived from, as referenced... Figures 9 to 12 The described node flight plan transmission component is used to execute it.

[0238] Figure 20 A flowchart illustrating a method 2000 supporting waypoint-based flight declaration signaling according to various aspects of this disclosure is shown. Operation of method 2000 can be implemented by a network node or its components (e.g., a base station, UFES, USS, AMF, or SMF) as described herein. For example, operation of method 2000 can be implemented by, as described in reference... Figures 9 to 12 The described communication manager is used to execute this. In some examples, the network node can execute a set of instructions to control the functional elements of the network node to perform the functions described below. Additionally or alternatively, the network node can use dedicated hardware to perform aspects of the functions described below.

[0239] At point 2005, the network node can receive a flight declaration request from the UE. Operation of point 2005 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of point 2005 can be determined by referring to... Figures 9 to 12 The described flight statement receiving component is used to execute it.

[0240] At 2010, network nodes can generate approved flight plans for the UE, including a set of approved flight plan areas, based on flight claim requests. Operation 2010 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation 2010 can be derived from, as referenced... Figures 9 to 12 The described flight plan generation component is used to execute this.

[0241] At point 2015, the network node can transmit the approved flight plan to the UE. Operation of point 2015 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of point 2015 can be determined by referring to... Figures 9 to 12 The described approved flight plan transmission component is used to execute it.

[0242] At 2020, a network node subset can be determined based on a mapping between the approved flight plan area set and the location of each network node within that subset. Operations at 2020 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operations at 2020 can be determined as described in reference... Figures 9 to 12 The described node determines the components to be executed.

[0243] At point 2025, network nodes can transmit flight plans for a subset of nodes, including the expected location of the UE within the approved flight plan area set. Operation of point 2025 can be performed according to the methods described herein. In some examples, aspects of operation of point 2025 can be determined by referring to... Figures 9 to 12 The described node flight plan transmission component is used to execute it.

[0244] It should be noted that the methods described in this paper describe possible implementations, and the operations and steps can be rearranged or otherwise modified, and other implementations are also possible. Furthermore, aspects from two or more methods can be combined.

[0245] While aspects of LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR systems may be described for illustrative purposes, and the terms LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR may be used in most of the description, the techniques described herein can also be applied to networks other than LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, or NR networks. For example, the techniques described can be applied to a variety of other wireless communication systems, such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM, and other systems and radio technologies not explicitly mentioned herein.

[0246] The information and signals described herein can be represented using any of a wide variety of different techniques and methods. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referred to throughout this description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or light particles, or any combination thereof.

[0247] The various illustrative boxes and components described herein can be implemented or executed using a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, CPU, FPGA or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternatives, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors working in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0248] The functions described herein may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. Software should be broadly interpreted as instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or other terms. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations fall within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described herein may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwired, or any combination thereof. Features implementing the functions may also be physically located in various locations, including being distributed such that different parts of the function are implemented at different physical locations.

[0249] Computer-readable media includes both non-transient computer storage media and communication media, encompassing any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one location to another. Non-transient storage media can be any available medium accessible to a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. By way of example and not limitation, non-transient computer-readable media may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disc (CD) ROM or other optical disc storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transient medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible to a general-purpose or special-purpose computer, or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Similarly, any connection is also legitimately referred to as computer-readable media. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then such coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of computer-readable media. As used in this article, disk and disc include CDs, laser discs, optical discs, DVDs, floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks often magnetically reproduce data while discs optically reproduce data using lasers. Combinations of these media are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0250] As used herein (including in the claims), the word "or" in an enumeration of items (e.g., an enumeration of items accompanied by phrases such as "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates an inclusive enumeration, such that an enumeration of at least one of, for example, A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Similarly, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should not be interpreted as referring to a closed set of conditions. For example, an example step described as "based on condition A" may be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on" should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "at least partially based on". As used herein, the term "and / or" in an enumeration of two or more items means that any one of the listed items may be used alone, or any combination of two or more listed items may be used. For example, if a composition is described as containing components A, B, and / or C, then the composition may contain only A; only B; only C; a combination of A and B; a combination of A and C; a combination of B and C; or a combination of A, B, and C.

[0251] In the accompanying drawings, similar components or features may have the same reference numerals. Furthermore, components of the same type may be distinguished by a dash following the reference numeral and a second reference numeral used to differentiate between similar components. If only the first reference numeral is used in the description, the description may apply to any of the similar components having the same first reference numeral, regardless of the second reference numeral or other subsequent reference numerals.

[0252] This document, illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, describes exemplary configurations but does not represent all examples that can be implemented or fall within the scope of the claims. The term "example" as used herein means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration" and does not imply "superior" or "outperforming" other examples. This detailed description includes specific details to provide an understanding of the described techniques. However, these techniques may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described examples.

[0253] The description provided herein is intended to enable those skilled in the art to make or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the universal principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be granted the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) provided in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising: Receive a first message from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System (UAS) Service Provider (USS) including an approved flight plan for the UAV, the received approved flight plan including multiple approved four-dimensional flight plan areas; A second message is received from a network node among a plurality of network nodes in a wireless communication system. The second message includes a query indicating a subset of the plurality of approved four-dimensional flight plan areas and a request for a three-dimensional waypoint of the UE within the indicated subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan area. The query is based at least in part on a mapping between the subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan area and the location of each network node in the subset of the plurality of network nodes. In response to receiving the second message including the query from the network node, a flight path including multiple three-dimensional waypoints of the UE for the indicated subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan area of ​​the received approved flight plan is determined at the UE; Transmit flight declaration messages, including the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints of the UE, to the network node; as well as The UAV is instructed to travel along the flight path, including the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints, based at least in part on the flight statement message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the flight path comprises: The plurality of three-dimensional waypoints are calculated at least in part based on the trajectory of the UE, one or more factors outside the UE, or both.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the query indication includes a minimum number, a maximum number, or both of three-dimensional waypoints in the flight statement message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the second message including the query comprises: The second message, including the query, is received from the network node via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the second message including the query comprises: Receive multiple messages including queries from multiple network nodes, wherein the multiple messages include the second message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints includes the expected three-dimensional position of the UE corresponding to the three-dimensional waypoint within the subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints further includes a timestamp indicating the minimum expected entry time and the maximum expected exit time of the UE corresponding to the expected three-dimensional position of the three-dimensional waypoint.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of approved four-dimensional flight planning areas includes a plurality of adjacent four-dimensional flight planning areas.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of adjacent four-dimensional flight planning areas includes a volume and a time period corresponding to the duration during which the UE is allowed to occupy the volume.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of approved four-dimensional flight planning areas includes one or both of a zone identifier or a zone number.

11. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) provided in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising: At least one processor; as well as A memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to perform the following operations: Receive a first message from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System (UAS) Service Provider (USS) including an approved flight plan for the UAV, the received approved flight plan including multiple approved four-dimensional flight plan areas; A second message is received from a network node among a plurality of network nodes in a wireless communication system. The second message includes a query indicating a subset of the plurality of approved four-dimensional flight plan areas and a request for a three-dimensional waypoint of the UE within the indicated subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan area. The query is based at least in part on a mapping between the subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan area and the location of each network node in the subset of the plurality of network nodes. In response to receiving the second message including the query from the network node, a flight path including multiple three-dimensional waypoints of the UE for the indicated subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan area of ​​the received approved flight plan is determined at the UE; Transmit flight declaration messages, including the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints of the UE, to the network node; as well as The UAV is instructed to travel along the flight path, including the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints, based at least in part on the flight statement message.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instructions for determining the flight path are executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to: The plurality of three-dimensional waypoints are calculated at least in part based on the trajectory of the UE, one or more factors outside the UE, or both.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the query indication includes a minimum number, a maximum number, or both of three-dimensional waypoints in the flight statement message.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instruction for receiving the second message including the query is executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to: The second message, including the query, is received from the network node via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the instruction for receiving the second message including the query is executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to: Receive multiple messages including queries from multiple network nodes, wherein the multiple messages include the second message.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints comprises the expected three-dimensional position of the UE corresponding to the three-dimensional waypoint within the subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan area.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints further includes a timestamp indicating a minimum expected entry time and a maximum expected exit time of the UE corresponding to an expected three-dimensional position of the waypoint.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the plurality of approved four-dimensional flight planning areas comprises a plurality of adjacent four-dimensional flight planning areas.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of adjacent four-dimensional flight planning regions includes a volume and a time period corresponding to the duration during which the UE is allowed to occupy the volume.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of approved four-dimensional flight planning zones includes one or both of a zone identifier or a zone number.

21. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) provided in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising: A means for receiving a first message from an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Service Provider (USS) including an approved flight plan for the UAV, wherein the received approved flight plan includes multiple approved four-dimensional flight plan areas; A means for receiving a second message from a network node among a plurality of network nodes in a wireless communication system, the second message including a query indicating a subset of approved four-dimensional flight plan areas among the plurality of approved four-dimensional flight plan areas and a request for a three-dimensional waypoint of the UE within the indicated subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan areas, the query being based at least in part on a mapping between the subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan areas and the location of each network node in the subset of the plurality of network nodes; A means for determining at the UE a flight path including a plurality of three-dimensional waypoints of the UE for an indicated subset of an approved four-dimensional flight plan area for the received approved flight plan in response to receiving a second message including the query from the network node; A means for transmitting flight declaration messages, including the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints of the UE, to the network node; as well as A means for instructing the UAV to travel along a flight path including the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints based at least in part on the flight statement message.

22. The equipment of claim 21, wherein the means for determining the flight path comprises: A means for calculating the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints based at least in part on the trajectory of the UE, one or more factors outside the UE, or both.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the query indication includes a minimum number, a maximum number, or both of three-dimensional waypoints in the flight statement message.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for receiving the second message including the query comprises: A means for receiving the second message, including the query, from the network node via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for receiving the second message including the query comprises: A means for receiving multiple messages including queries from multiple network nodes, wherein the multiple messages include the second message.

26. A non-transient computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) provided at an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the code including instructions executable by a processor to perform the following operations: Receive a first message from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System (UAS) Service Provider (USS) including an approved flight plan for the UAV, the received approved flight plan including multiple approved four-dimensional flight plan areas; A second message is received from a network node among a plurality of network nodes in a wireless communication system. The second message includes a query indicating a subset of the plurality of approved four-dimensional flight plan areas and a request for a three-dimensional waypoint of the UE within the indicated subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan area. The query is based at least in part on a mapping between the subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan area and the location of each network node in the subset of the plurality of network nodes. In response to receiving the second message including the query from the network node, a flight path including multiple three-dimensional waypoints of the UE for the indicated subset of the approved four-dimensional flight plan area of ​​the received approved flight plan is determined at the UE; Transmit flight declaration messages, including the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints of the UE, to the network node; as well as The UAV is instructed to travel along the flight path, including the plurality of three-dimensional waypoints, based at least in part on the flight statement message.

27. The non-transient computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions for determining the flight path are executable by the processor to: The plurality of three-dimensional waypoints are calculated at least in part based on the trajectory of the UE, one or more factors outside the UE, or both.

28. The non-transient computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the query indication includes a minimum number, a maximum number, or both of three-dimensional waypoints in the flight statement message.

29. The non-transient computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions for receiving the second message including the query are executable by the processor to: The second message, including the query, is received from the network node via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

30. The non-transient computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions for receiving the second message including the query are executable by the processor to: Receive multiple messages including queries from multiple network nodes, wherein the multiple messages include the second message.

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