Cell selection and reselection criteria for non-terrestrial network (NTN) networks

Abstract

The technology discussed herein facilitates cell selection and / or reselection in scenarios involving one or more non-terrestrial network (NTN) cells. One example implementation is a user equipment (UE) device comprising a processor configured to perform operations comprising: determining one or more suitable cells for one of a cell selection procedure or a cell reselection procedure, wherein the one or more suitable cells include a first cell associated with a satellite of an NTN; determining a ranking for each of the one or more suitable cells, wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on a location of the UE, ephemeris data of the satellite, and one or more additional parameters; selecting a highest ranked cell of the one or more suitable cells based on the determined ranking of each of the one or more suitable cells; and camping on the highest ranked cell.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Mobile communications in next generation wireless communication systems 5G or New Radio (NR) networks can provide ubiquitous connectivity and access to information and the ability to share data globally. 5G networks and network slicing can provide a unified, service-based framework that will target to meet generic and sometimes conflicting performance criteria and provide services to a very diverse set of application domains ranging from enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) to massive machine type communication (mMTC), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and others. Generally, NR can include further development based on Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) Advanced technology and additional enhanced Radio Access Technologies (RATs) to enable seamless and faster wireless connectivity solutions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0002] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an architecture of a system including a core network (CN), e.g., a Fifth Generation (5G) CN (5GC), in accordance with various aspects.

[0003] Figure 2 is an illustration of example components of a device that can be employed with respect to various aspects discussed herein.

[0004] Figure 3 is an illustration of example interfaces of baseband circuitry that can be employed with respect to various aspects discussed herein.

[0005] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating a system that facilitates cell selection and / or reselection for UEs that can be connected to one or more non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) in accordance with various aspects discussed herein.

[0006] Figure 5 is a graph illustrating radio resource control (RRC) idle mode (RRC_IDLE) or RRC inactive mode (RRC_INACTIVE) cell selection and reselection in connection with various aspects discussed herein.

[0007] Figure 6 is a table illustrating defining quantities involved in cell selection criteria in connection with various aspects discussed herein.

[0008] Figure 7 is an illustration showing different types of satellites that can be employed as nodes of a non-terrestrial network (NTN) and related characteristics in connection with various aspects discussed herein.

[0009] Figure 8 is an illustration of an example transparent mode architecture of an NTN network in connection with various aspects discussed herein.

[0010] Figure 9 FIGs. 1-3 illustrate a number of example scenarios of beam coverage and network architecture for a pair of satellites in conjunction with the various aspects discussed herein.

[0011] Figure 10 FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method that facilitates cell selection and / or reselection in scenarios involving at least one NTN cell, in accordance with various embodiments discussed herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the attached figures. Wherever possible, like reference numbers are used across the figures to refer to like elements. The structure and devices shown in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and in some instances the drawings are not necessarily to scale. As used herein, the terms “component,” “system,” “interface,” and the like are intended to refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, software (e.g., in execution), and / or firmware. For example, a component can be a processor (e.g., a microprocessor, controller, or other processing device), a process running on a processor, a controller, an object, an executable, a program, a storage device, a computer, a tablet, and / or a user equipment (e.g., a mobile phone or other device configured to communicate via a 3GPP RAN, etc.) with a processor. By way of illustration, an application running on a server and the server can also be a component. One or more components can reside within a process and a component can be localized on one computer and / or distributed between two or more computers. A set of elements or a set of other components can be described herein, in which the term “set” can be interpreted as “one or more” unless the context indicates otherwise (e.g., “an empty set,” “a set of two or more Xs,” etc.). A “subset” of a set S is a set that can be the set S or a “proper subset,” in which each element of the proper subset is an element of the set S, but the set S includes at least one element that is not an element of the proper subset.

[0013] Furthermore, these components can execute from various computer readable storage media having various data structures stored thereon, such as with a module, for example. The components can communicate via local and / or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets (e.g., data from one component interacting with another component in a local system, distributed system, and / or across the Internet with other systems, such as in a cloud computing system, other networked system, etc.), by way of example.

[0014] As another example, a component can be an apparatus with specific functionality provided by mechanical components operated by electric or electronic circuitry, in which the electric or electronic circuitry can be operated by a software application or a firmware application executed by one or more processors. The one or more processors can be internal or external to the apparatus and can perform at least a portion of the software or firmware application. As yet another example, a component can be an apparatus that provides specific functionality through electronic components without mechanical components; the electronic components can include one or more processors therein, to execute software and / or firmware that confer(s), at least in part, the functionality of the electronic components.

[0015] The use of the word "example" is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion. As used in this application, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or". That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from context, "X employs A or B" is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then "X employs A or B" is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles "a" and "an" as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean "one or more" unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be directed to a singular form. Moreover, to the extent that the terms "include", "includes", "including", "has", "have", "having", "with", or variants thereof are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprise". Additionally, in discussing one or more numbered items (e.g., "a first X", "a second X", etc.), generally the one or more numbered items can be different or they can be the same, but in some cases the context can indicate that they are different or that they are the same.

[0016] As used herein, the term "circuitry" can refer to, be part of, or include an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group), and / or a memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and / or other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality. In some aspects, circuitry can be implemented in, or functions associated with circuitry can be implemented by, one or more software or firmware modules. In some aspects, circuitry can include logic, at least partially in hardware, componentry.

[0017] Various aspects discussed herein can relate to facilitating wireless communications, and the nature of these communications can vary.

[0018] It is well understood that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy of users. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled in a manner that minimizes risks from unauthorized or unintended access or use. Additionally, users should be given the opportunity to opt in or opt out of use of their personally identifiable information data.

[0019] The aspects described herein can be implemented in a system using any suitably configured hardware and / or software. Referring to Figure 1 , an example network 100 according to the various aspects discussed herein is shown. The example network 100 can include UEs 110-1, 110-2, and so on (collectively referred to as “UEs 110” and individually as “UE 110”), a radio access network (RAN) 120, a core network (CN) 130, an application server 140, an external network 150, and satellites 160-1, 160-2, and so on (collectively referred to as “satellites 160” and individually as “satellite 160”). As illustrated, the network 100 can include a non-terrestrial network (NTN) that includes one or more satellites 160 (e.g., of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)) in communication with the UEs 110 and the RAN 120.

[0020] The systems and devices of the example network 100 can operate according to one or more communication standards, such as second generation (2G), 3rd Generation (3G), 4th Generation (4G) (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE)) and / or 5th Generation (5G) (e.g., New Radio (NR)) communication standards by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the systems and devices of the network 100 can operate according to other communication standards and protocols as discussed herein, including future releases or generations of 3GPP standards (e.g., 6th Generation (6G) standards, 7th Generation (7G) standards, and so on), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards (e.g., Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMAN), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), and so on), and so on.

[0021] As shown, the UE 110 can include a smartphone (e.g., a handheld touchscreen mobile computing device that can connect to one or more wireless communication networks). Additionally, or alternatively, the UE 110 can include other types of mobile or non-mobile computing devices capable of wireless communication, such as a personal data assistant (PDA), a pager, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a wireless hand-held terminal, and the like. In some implementations, the UE 110 can include an Internet of Things (IoT) device (or IoT UE), which can comprise a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications utilizing short-lived UE connections. Additionally, or alternatively, an IoT UE can utilize one or more types of technology such as machine-to-machine (M2M) communication or machine-type communication (MTC) (e.g., to exchange data with an MTC server or other devices via a public land mobile network (PLMN), Proximity-Based Service (ProSe) or device-to-device (D2D) communication, a sensor network, an IoT network, and more. Depending on the scenario, the M2M or MTC exchange of data can be machine-initiated exchange, and the IoT network can include IoT UEs that can include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices with short-lived connections to the internet infrastructure, which can include the unique identifiable embedded computing devices within the internet infrastructure. In some scenarios, the IoT UE can execute background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity for the IoT network.

[0022] The UE 110 can communicate and establish a connection (e.g., communicatively coupled) with the RAN 120, which can involve one or more wireless channels 114-1 and 114-2, each of which can include a physical layer of communication. In some implementations, the UE can be configured with dual connectivity (DC) as multi-radio access technology (multi-RAT) or multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), in which a multi-receive and transmit (Rx / Tx) capable UE can use resources provided by different network nodes (e.g., 122-1 and 122-2) that can be connected by a non-ideal backhaul (e.g., in which one network node provides NR access and the other network node provides E-UTRA for LTE or NR access for 5G). In such scenarios, one network node can act as a master node (MN) and the other node can act as a secondary node (SN). The MN and SN can be connected via a network interface, and at least the MN can be connected to the CN 130. Additionally, at least one of the MN or SN can operate with shared spectrum channel access, and the functionality designated for the UE 110 can be for an integrated access and backhaul mobile terminal (IAB-MT). Similar to the UE 101, the IAB-MT can access the network using one network node or using two different nodes with an enhanced dual connectivity (EN-DC) architecture, a new radio dual connectivity (NR-DC) architecture, and the like.

[0023] As illustrated, the UE 110 can also or alternatively connect to an access point (AP) 116 via an interface 118, which can include an over-the-air interface that enables the UE 110 to communicatively couple with the AP 116. The AP 116 can include a wireless local area network (WLAN), a WLAN node, a WLAN termination point, etc. The connection 1207 can include a local wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 702.11 protocol, and the AP 116 can include a wireless fidelity Although not explicitly depicted in FIG. 1, the AP 116 can connect to another network (e.g., the Internet) without connecting to the RAN 120 or the CN 130. In some scenarios, the UE 110, the RAN 120, and the AP 116 can be configured to utilize LTE-WLAN aggregation (LWA) technology or LTE WLAN radio level technology integrated with IPsec tunnel (LWIP). LWA can involve the RAN 120 configuring the UE 110 in an RRC CONNECTED state to utilize radio resources of LTE and WLAN. LWIP can involve the UE 110 using WLAN radio resources (e.g., the connection interface 118) via IPsec protocol tunneling to authenticate and encrypt packets (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP) packets) communicated over the connection interface 118. IPsec tunneling can include encapsulating the entire original IP packet and adding a new packet header, thereby protecting the original header of the IP packet. Figure 1

[0024] ​The RAN 120 can include one or more RAN nodes 122-1 and 122-2 (collectively, RAN nodes 122, and individually, RAN node 122) that enable a connection 114-1 and 114-2 to be established between the UEs 110 and the RAN 120. The RAN nodes 122 can include network access points configured to provide radio baseband functions based on one or more of the communication technologies described herein (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, WiFi, etc.) for use by users and networks. Thus, the RAN nodes can be, for example, E-UTRAN Node Bs (e.g., enhanced Node Bs, eNodeBs, eNBs, 4G base stations, etc.), next generation base stations (e.g., 5G base stations, NR base stations, next generation eNBs (gNBs), etc.). The RAN nodes 122 can include road-side units (RSUs), transmission reception points (TRxPs or TRPs), and one or more other types of ground stations (e.g., ground access points). In some scenarios, the RAN nodes 122 can be dedicated physical devices such as macrocell base stations and / or low power (LP) base stations for providing femtocells, picocells, or other similar small area cells with smaller coverage areas, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to macrocells. As described below, in some implementations, the satellites 160 can operate as base stations (e.g., RAN nodes 122) with respect to the UEs 110. Thus, references herein to base stations, RAN nodes 122, etc. can refer to implementations in which the base stations, RAN nodes 122, etc. are ground-based network nodes, and also to implementations in which the base stations, RAN nodes 122, etc. are non-ground-based network nodes (e.g., satellites 160).

[0025] Some or all of the RAN nodes 120 can be implemented as one or more software entities running on a server computer as part of a virtual network, which can be referred to as a centralized RAN (CRAN) and / or a virtual baseband unit pool (vBBUP). In these implementations, the CRAN or vBBUP can enable a splitting of RAN functions, such as a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) split, where radio resource control (RRC) and PDCP layers can be operated by the CRAN / vBBUP and other layer 2 (L2) protocol entities can be operated by individual RAN nodes 122; a medium access control (MAC) / physical (PHY) split, where RRC, PDCP, radio link control (RLC), and MAC layers can be operated by the CRAN / vBBUP and a PHY layer can be operated by individual RAN nodes 122; or a“lower PHY” split, where RRC, PDCP, RLC, MAC layers, and an upper part of the PHY layer can be operated by the CRAN / vBBUP and a lower part of the PHY layer can be operated by individual RAN nodes 122. This virtualized framework can allow for offloading of processing kernels of the RAN nodes 122 or performing other virtualized applications.

[0026] In some implementations, an individual RAN node 122 can represent individual gNB distributed units (DUs) connected to a gNB central unit (CU) via individual Fl interfaces. In such implementations, the gNB-DUs can include one or more remote radio heads or radio frequency (RF) front end modules (RFEMs), and the gNB-CU can be operated by a server (not shown) located in the RAN 120 or by a pool of servers, for example, a group of servers configured to share resources, in a similar manner as the CRAN / vBBUP. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the RAN nodes 120 can be next generation e Bs (i.e., gNBs), which can provide evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UEs 110 and can be connected to a 5G core (5GC) 130 through an NG interface.

[0027] Any of the RAN nodes 122 can terminate the air interface protocol and can be the first point of contact for a UE 110. In some implementations, any of the RAN nodes 122 can fulfill various logical functions for the RAN 120 including, but not limited to, RNC functions such as radio

[0028] In some implementations, a downlink resource grid can be used for downlink transmissions from any of the RAN nodes 122 to the UEs 110, and uplink transmissions can utilize a similar grid. The grid can be a time-frequency grid, called a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which is

[0029] Further, RAN nodes 122 can be configured to wirelessly communicate with UEs 110 and / or with each other over a licensed medium (also referred to as a“licensed spectrum” and / or a“licensed band”), an unlicensed shared medium (also referred to as an“unlicensed spectrum” and / or an“unlicensed band”), or a combination thereof. The licensed spectrum can include channels that are licensed for use, e.g., by a particular group of network operators, for particular wireless services, or the like. For example, the licensed spectrum can include channels that are licensed for use by a particular network operator for a particular wireless service, such as a cellular service, a wireless internet access service, or the like. The unlicensed shared spectrum can include one or more frequency bands that are unlicensed for use, e.g., by any network operators, for any wireless services, or the like. For example, the unlicensed shared spectrum can include the 5 GHz band, which is unlicensed for use in the United States by any network operators for any wireless services. Whether a particular band corresponds to a licensed or unlicensed medium can depend on one or more factors, such as a frequency allocation determined by a public sector organization (e.g., a government agency, a regulatory organization, or the like), a frequency allocation determined by a private sector organization involved in developing wireless communication standards and protocols, or the like.

[0030] To operate in the unlicensed spectrum, UEs 110 and RAN nodes 122 can operate using License Assisted Access (LAA), eLAA, and / or feLAA mechanisms. In these implementations, UEs 110 and RAN nodes 122 can perform one or more known medium-sensing or carrier-sensing operations in order to determine whether one or more channels in the unlicensed spectrum are unavailable or otherwise occupied before transmitting in the unlicensed spectrum. The medium / carrier sensing operations can be performed according to a listen-before-talk (LBT) protocol.

[0031] The LAA mechanisms can be built on top of the Carrier Aggregation (CA) techniques of the LTE-Advanced system. In CA, each aggregated carrier is referred to as a component carrier (CC). In some cases, individual CCs can have a different bandwidth than other CCs. In a time division duplex (TDD) system, the number of CCs and the bandwidth of each CC can be the same for DL and UL. CA also involves individual serving cells to provide individual CCs. The coverage of the serving cells can differ, for example, because CCs on different frequency bands will experience different pathloss. A primary serving cell or a PCell can provide a primary component carrier (PCC) for both UL and DL, and can handle radio resource control (RRC) and non-access stratum (NAS) related activities. Other serving cells are referred to as SCells, and each SCell can provide a single secondary component carrier (SCC) for both UL and DL. SCCs can be added and removed as required, while changing the PCC can require the UE 110 to undergo a handover. In LAA, eLAA, and feLAA, some or all of the SCells can operate in unlicensed spectrum (referred to as “LAA SCells”), and are assisted by a PCell operating in licensed spectrum. When a UE is configured with more than one LAA SCell, the UE can receive a UL grant on a configured LAA SCell indicating different PUSCH start positions within a same subframe.

[0032] The PDSCH can carry user data and higher layer signaling to the UEs 110. A physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) can carry information about the transport format and resource allocations for the PDSCH channel, etc. It can also inform the UEs 110 about the transport format, resource allocation, and Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) information of the uplink shared channel. Generally, downlink scheduling (e.g., assigning control and shared channel resource blocks to the UEs 110-2 within a cell) can be performed at any of the RAN nodes 122 based on channel quality information fed back from any of the UEs 110. The downlink resource assignment information can be sent to a UE 110 on the PDCCH used for (e.g., assigned to) that UE 110.

[0033] A PDCCH uses control channel elements (CCEs) to convey control information, where a number of CCEs (for example, 6, etc.) can be composed of resource element groups (REGs), where a REG is defined as a PRB in an OFDM symbol. Prior to being mapped to resource elements, the PDCCH complex-valued symbols can first be organized into quadruplets, which can then be permuted using a sub-block interleaver to facilitate rate matching. One or more of these CCEs can be used to transmit each PDCCH, where each CCE can correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elements known as REGs. Four Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. The PDCCH can be transmitted using one or more CCEs, depending on the size of the DCI and the channel condition. There can be four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with different numbers of CCEs (for example, aggregation level, L=1, 2, 4, 8, or 16) having different numbers of CCEs.

[0034] Some implementations can use concepts for resource allocation for control channel information that are an extension of those described above. For example, some implementations can utilize an extended (E)-PDCCH that uses PDSCH resources for control information transmission. An EPDCCH can be transmitted using one or more ECCEs. Similar to above, each ECCE can correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elements known as EREGs. An ECCE can have other numbers of EREGs in some cases.

[0035] The RAN nodes 122 can be configured to communicate with one another via an interface 123. In implementations where the system 100 is an LTE system, the interface 123 can be an X2 interface. The X2 interface can be defined between two or more RAN nodes 122 that connect to a Evolved Packet Core (EPC) or CN 130, e.g., two or more eNBs / gNBs, or combinations thereof, and / or between two eNBs connected to the EPC. In some implementations, the X2 interface can include an X2 user plane interface (X2-U) and an X2 control plane interface (X2-C). The X2-U can provide flow control mechanisms for user data packets transferred over the X2 interface, and can be used to communicate information about the delivery of user data between eNBs or gNBs. For example, the X2-U can provide specific sequence number information for user data transferred from a master eNB (MeNB) to a secondary eNB (SeNB); information about PDCP packet data units (PDUs) that are successfully in sequence delivered to the UE 110 for user data from the SeNB; information for PDCP PDUs that are not delivered to the UE 110; information about a current minimum desired buffer size at the SeNB for transmission of user data to the UE; and the like. The X2-C can provide intra-LTE access mobility functions (e.g., including context transfer from source to target eNBs, user plane transport control, and the like), load management functions, and inter-cell interference coordination functions.

[0036] As illustrated, the RAN 120 can be connected (e.g., communicatively coupled) to a CN 130. The CN 130 can comprise a plurality of network elements 132 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UEs 110) connected to the CN 130 via the RAN 120. In some implementations, the CN 130 can include an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a 5G CN, and / or one or more additional or alternative types of CNs. The components of the CN 130 can be implemented in one physical node or in separate physical nodes, including components to read and execute instructions from a machine-readable or computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium). In some implementations, Network Function Virtualization (NFV) can be used to virtualize any or all of the above-described network node roles or functions via executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage mediums (described in further detail below). Logics of the CN 130 can be referred to as network slices, and a logic of a portion of the CN 130 can be referred to as a network sub-slice. Network Function Virtualization (NFV) architectures and infrastructures can be used to virtualize one or more network functions on physical resources comprising a combination of industry-standard server hardware, storage hardware, or switches, instead of dedicated hardware. In other words, NFV systems can be used to execute virtual or reconfigurable implementations of one or more EPC components / functions.

[0037] As shown, the CN 130, application server (AS) 140, and external networks 150 can be connected to each other via interfaces 134, 136, and 138, which can include IP network interfaces. The application server 140 can comprise one or more server devices or network elements (e.g., virtual network functions (VNFs)) that provide applications that use IP bearer resources through the CM 130 (e.g., General Mobile Communications System Packet Service (UMTS PS) domain, LTE PS data services, etc.). The application server 140 can also or alternatively be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., Voice over IP (VoIP) sessions, Push-to-Talk (PTT) sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.) for UEs 110 via the CN 130. Similarly, the external networks 150 can comprise one or more of various networks, including the Internet, thereby providing network access to mobile communication networks and UEs 110 for various additional services, information, interconnectivity, and other network features.

[0038] As shown, example network 100 can include an NTN that can include one or more satellites 160-1 and 160-2 (collectively, “satellites 160”). Satellites 160 can communicate with UEs 110 via a service link or wireless interface 162 and / or with RAN 120 via a feeder link or wireless interface 164 (depicted individually as 164-1 and 164-2). In some implementations, satellites 160 can operate as passive or transparent network relay nodes with respect to communications between UEs 110 and a terrestrial network (e.g., RAN 120). In some implementations, satellites 160 can operate as active or regenerative network nodes such that satellites 160 can operate as base stations to UEs 110 (e.g., as gNBs of RAN 120) with respect to communications between UEs 110 and RAN 120. In some implementations, satellites 160 can communicate with each other over a direct wireless interface (e.g., 166) or an indirect wireless interface (e.g., via RAN 120 using interfaces 164-1 and 164-2). Additionally, or alternatively, satellites 160 can include GEO satellites, LEO satellites, or another type of satellite. Satellites 160 can also or alternatively relate to one or more satellite systems or architectures, such as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), a Global Positioning System (GPS), a Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), a BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), etc. In some implementations, satellites 160 can operate as base stations (e.g., RAN nodes 122) with respect to UEs 110. Thus, references herein to base stations, RAN nodes 122, etc. can relate to implementations in which the base stations, RAN nodes 122, etc. are terrestrial network nodes, and to implementations in which the base stations, RAN nodes 122, etc. are non-terrestrial network nodes (e.g., satellites 160).

[0039] Figure 2Exemplary components of the device 200, in accordance with some aspects, are shown. In some aspects, the device 200 can include application circuitry 202, baseband circuitry 204, radio frequency (RF) circuitry 206, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 208, one or more antennas 210, and power management circuitry (PMC) 212 coupled together at least as shown. The components of the device 200 can be included in a UE or a RAN node. In some aspects, the device 200 can include less functionality, such as a RAN node that does not include the application circuitry 202, but rather includes a processor / controller to process IP data

[0040] The application circuitry 202 can include one or more application processors. For example, the application circuitry 202 can include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor(s) can include general purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). Processors can be coupled with or can include memory / storage and can be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage to enable various applications or operating systems to run on the device 200. In some aspects, the processor(s) of application circuitry 202 can process IP data packets received from an EPC.

[0041] The baseband circuitry 204 can include circuitry such as one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The baseband circuitry 204 can include one or more baseband processors or control logic to process baseband signals received from a receive signal path of the RF circuitry 206 and to generate baseband signals for a transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 206. The baseband processing circuitry 204 can interface with the application circuitry 202 for generation and processing of the baseband signals and for control of at least

[0042] In some aspects, the baseband circuitry 204 can include one or more audio digital signal processor(s) (DSP) 204F. The audio DSP(s) 204F can include elements for compression / decompression and echo cancellation, among other things, and in some aspects, can include other suitable processing elements. In some aspects, the components of the baseband circuitry can be combined on a single chip, in a single package, or set up as a chipset. In some aspects, some or all of the constituent components of the baseband circuitry 204 and the application circuitry 202 can be implemented together such as, for example, on a system on a chip (SOC).

[0043] In some aspects, baseband circuitry 204 can provide for communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some aspects, baseband circuitry 204 can support communication with a NG-RAN, an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN), or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless personal area networks (WPANs), and so forth. Aspects of the baseband circuitry 204 configured to support radio communications of more than one wireless protocol can be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuitry.

[0044] RF circuitry 206 can enable communication with wireless networks using modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. In various aspects, the RF circuitry 206 can include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to facilitate the communication with the wireless network. RF circuitry 206 can include a receive signal path, which can include circuitry to down-convert and amplify the received signal and provide the baseband signal to the baseband circuitry 204. RF circuitry 206 can also include a transmit signal path, which can include circuitry to amplify and up-convert the baseband signal and provide the RF output signal to FEM circuitry 208 for transmission.

[0045] In some aspects, the receive signal path of the RF circuitry 206 can include mixer circuitry 206a, amplifier circuitry 206b and filter circuitry 206c. In some aspects, the transmit signal path of the RF circuitry 206 can include filter circuitry 206c and mixer circuitry 206a. RF circuitry 206 can also include synthesizer circuitry 206d for synthesizing a frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path and the transmit signal path. In some aspects, the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path can be configured to down-convert the RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 208 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuitry 206d. The amplifier circuitry 206b can be configured to amplify the down-converted signals, and the filter circuitry 206c can be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signals to generate output baseband signals. The output baseband signals can be provided to the baseband circuitry 204 for further processing. In some aspects, the output baseband signals can be zero-frequency baseband signals, although this is not a requirement. In some aspects, the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path can comprise passive mixers, although the scope of the aspects is not limited in this respect.

[0046] In some aspects, the mixer circuitry 206a of the transmit signal path can be configured to up-convert input baseband signals based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuitry 206d to generate RF output signals for the FEM circuitry 208. The baseband signals can be provided by the baseband circuitry 204 and can be filtered by filter circuitry 206c.

[0047] In some aspects, the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206a of the transmit signal path can include two or more mixers and can be arranged, e.g., for quadrature downconversion and upconversion, respectively. In some aspects, the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206a of the transmit signal path can include two or more mixers and can be arranged, e.g., for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In some aspects, the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206a can be arranged, e.g., for direct downconversion and direct upconversion, respectively. In some aspects, the mixer circuitry 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 206a of the transmit signal path can be configured for superheterodyne operation.

[0048] In some aspects, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals can be analog baseband signals, although the scope of the various aspects is not limited in this respect. In some alternative aspects, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signals can be digital baseband signals. In these alternative aspects, the RF circuitry 206 can include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry and the baseband circuitry 204 can include a digital baseband interface to communicate with the RF circuitry 206.

[0049] In some dual-mode aspects, separate radio ICs can be provided to process signals for each spectrum, although the scope of the various aspects is not limited in this respect.

[0050] In some aspects, the synthesizer circuitry 206d can be a fractional N synthesizer or a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer, although the scope of the various aspects is not limited in this respect as other types of frequency synthesizers can be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuitry 206d can be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer that includes a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.

[0051] The synthesizer circuitry 206d can be configured to synthesize an output frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 206a of the RF circuitry 206 based on a frequency input and a divider control input. In some aspects, the synthesizer circuitry 206d can be a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer.

[0052] In some aspects, the frequency input can be provided by a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), although that is not a requirement. The divider control input can be provided by the baseband circuitry 204 or the application processor 202 based on a desired output frequency. In some aspects, the divider control input (e.g., N) can be determined from a look-up table based on a channel indicated by the application processor 202.

[0053] Synthesizer circuitry 206d of the RF circuitry 206 can include a divider, a delay-locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer and a phase accumulator. In some aspects, the divider can be a dual modulus divider (DMD) and the phase accumulator can be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some aspects, the DMD can be configured to divide the input signal by either N or N+l (e.g., based on a carry out) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some example aspects, the DLL can include a set of cascaded, tunable, delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump and a D-type flip-flop. In these aspects, the delay elements can be configured to divide the VCO period by Nd, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to help assure that the total delay around the loop is one VCO cycle.

[0054] In some aspects, the synthesizer circuitry 206d can be configured to generate a carrier frequency as an output frequency, while in other aspects, the output frequency can be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency), and used in conjunction with quadrature generator and divider circuitry to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency with multiple different phases with respect to each other. In some aspects, the output frequency can be a LO frequency (fLO). In some aspects, the RF circuitry 206 can include an IQ / polar converter.

[0055] FEM circuitry 208 can include a receive signal path, which can include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 210, amplify the received signals and provide the amplified versions of the received signals to the RF circuitry 206 for further processing. FEM circuitry 208 can also include a transmit signal path, which can include circuitry configured to amplify signals for transmission provided by the RF circuitry 206 for transmission by one or more of the one or more antennas 210. In various aspects, the amplification through the transmit or receive signal paths can be done solely in the RF circuitry 206, solely in the FEM 208, or in both the RF circuitry 206 and the FEM 208.

[0056] In some aspects, the FEM circuitry 208 can include a TX / RX switch to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. The FEM circuitry can include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuitry can include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to amplify received RF signals and provide the amplified received RF signals as an output (e.g., to the RF circuitry 206). The transmit signal path of the FEM circuitry 208 can include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify signals for transmission (e.g., by one or more of the antennas 210) and one or more filters to generate RF signals for subsequent transmission.

[0057] In some aspects, the PMC 212 can manage power provided to the baseband circuitry 204. In particular, the PMC 212 can control power-source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-to-DC conversion. The PMC 212 can typically be included on devices that are capable of battery

[0058] Although Figure 2 The PMC 212 is shown to be coupled to only the baseband circuitry 204. However, in other aspects, the PMC 212 can be additionally or alternatively coupled to other components such as, but not limited to, the application circuitry 202, RF circuitry 206, or FEM 208, and perform similar power management operations for those components.

[0059] In some aspects, the PMC 212 can control or otherwise participate in managing various power saving mechanisms of the device 200. For example, if the device 200 is in an RRC_Connected state, in which it is still connected to the RAN node as expected for shortly receiving traffic, it can enter a state known as Discontinuous Reception, DRX, after a period of inactivity. During this state, the device 200 can power down for intervals of time to conserve power.

[0060] If there is no data traffic activity for an extended period of time, the device 200 can transition into an RRC Idle state, where it disconnects from the network and does not perform operations such as channel quality feedback, handover, etc. The device 200 enters a very low power state and it performs paging where again it periodically wakes up to listen to the network before powering down again. The device 200 can not receive data in this state; in order to receive data, it can transition back to the RRC Connected state.

[0061] Additional power saving modes can leave the device unable to use the network for more than the paging interval (ranging from a few seconds to several hours). During this time, the device is completely unable to connect to the network and can be completely powered off. Any data sent during this time incurs a large delay and assumes that the delay is acceptable.

[0062] The processors of application circuitry 202 and baseband circuitry 204 can be used to execute instructions fetched from one or more memory units 204G. The memory units 204G can be internal to, or external to, the processors. The various layers of the protocol stack can be implemented as one or more of these instructions. For example, the processors of baseband circuitry 204 can be used to execute functions of layer 3, layer 2, or layer 1, while the processors of application circuitry 204 can utilize data (e.g., packet data) received from these layers and further execute functions of layer 4 (e.g., transport communication protocol (TCP) and user datagram protocol (UDP) layers). As referred to herein, layer 3 can include a radio resource control (RRC) layer, described in further detail below. As referred to herein, layer 2 can include a medium access control (MAC) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, described in further detail below. As referred to herein, layer 1 can include a physical (PHY) layer of a UE / RAN node, described in further detail below.

[0063] Figure 3 An exemplary interface of baseband circuitry in accordance with some aspects is shown. As discussed above, Figure 2 The baseband circuitry 204 of FIG. 2 can include a processor 204A-204E and memory 204G utilized by the processors. Each of the processors 204A-204E can include a memory interface 304A-304E, respectively, to send / receive data to / from the memory 204G.

[0064] The baseband circuitry 204 can further include one or more interfaces to communicate with other circuitries / devices, such as a memory interface 312 (e.g., an interface to send / receive data to / from memory external to the baseband circuitry 204); an application circuitry interface 314 (e.g., an interface to send / receive data to / from Figure 2 the application circuitry 202); an RF circuitry interface 316 (e.g., an interface to send / receive data to / from Figure 2 the RF circuitry 206); a wireless hardware connectivity interface 318 (e.g., an interface to send / receive data to / from Near Field Communication (NFC) components, Bluetooth® components (e.g., Low Energy), components, and other communication components); and a power management interface 320 (e.g., an interface to send / receive power or control signals to / from the PMC 212).

[0065] ReferenceFigure 4 FIG. 17 shows a block diagram of a system 400 that can employ at a UE (user equipment), a base station (BS) (e.g., a next generation NodeB (gNodeB or gNB), an evolved NodeB (eNB), or other BS (base station) / TRP (transmit / receive point)), an access and mobility management function (AMF), or another component of a 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) network (e.g., a 5GC (Fifth Generation Core) component or function such as an AMF (access and mobility management function)) in accordance with various aspects discussed herein that facilitates cell selection and / or reselection for UEs capable of connecting to one or more non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). The system 400 can include a processor 410, a communication circuit 420, and a memory 430. The processor 410 (e.g., which can include one or more of 202 and / or 204A-204F, etc.) can include processing circuitry and associated interfaces (e.g., a communication interface (e.g., RF circuit interface 316) for communicating with the communication circuit 420, a memory interface (e.g., memory interface 312) for communicating with the memory 430, etc.). The communication circuit 420 can include, for example, circuitry (e.g., 206 and / or 208) for wired and / or wireless connections, which can include transmitter circuitry (e.g., associated with one or more transmission chains) and / or receiver circuitry (e.g., associated with one or more reception chains), where the transmitter circuitry and receiver circuitry can employ common and / or distinct circuit elements, or combinations thereof. The memory 430 can include one or more memory devices (e.g., memory 204G, local memory (e.g., including CPU registers of the processor discussed herein), etc.) that can have any of various storage mediums (e.g., volatile and / or non-volatile according to any of various technologies / constructs, etc.) and can store instructions and / or data associated with one or more of the processor 410 or transceiver circuit 420.

[0066] Particular types of aspects of the system 400 (e.g., UE aspects, etc.) can be indicated via a subscript (e.g., system 400 UE includes a processor 410 UE , a communication circuit 420 UE , and a memory 430 UE . In some aspects, such as BS aspects (e.g., system 400 BS ) and network component (e.g., AMF, etc.) aspects (e.g., system 400 AMF ), the processor 410 BS , the communication circuit (e.g., 420 BS , etc.), and the memory (e.g., 430 BSThe various components of system 400 can be implemented as part of a distributed architecture (e.g., cloud computing, edge computing, fog computing, etc.) or can be included in a single device. In aspects, signaling or messaging between different aspects of system 400 (e.g., 4001 and 4002) can be generated by processor 4101, transmitted by communication circuitry 4201 over a suitable interface or reference point (e.g., 3 GPP air interface N1, N8, N11, N22, etc.), received by communication circuitry 4202, and processed by processor 4102. Depending on the type of interface, additional components (e.g., antennas, network ports, etc. associated with system 4001 and 4002) can participate in the communication.

[0067] In aspects, one or more of information (e.g., system information, resources associated with signaling, etc.), features, parameters, etc. can be configured to a UE via signaling (e.g., access stratum (AS) signaling, non-access stratum (NAS)) or other access points (e.g., via a broadcast channel, dedicated signaling, etc.) originating from or directed through a base station (e.g., gNB, etc.). Depending on the type of information, features, parameters, etc., the type of signaling employed and / or the exact details of operations performed at the UE and / or BS in processing can vary. However, for convenience, such operations can be referred to herein as configuring information / features / parameters / etc. to a UE, generating or processing configuration signaling, or via similar terminology. BS generated, transmitted by communication circuitry 420 BS transmitted, received by communication circuitry 420 UE and processed by processor 410 UE In aspects, one or more of information (e.g., system information, resources associated with signaling, etc.), features, parameters, etc. can be configured to a UE via signaling (e.g., access stratum (AS) signaling, non-access stratum (NAS)) or other access points (e.g., via a broadcast channel, dedicated signaling, etc.) originating from or directed through a base station (e.g., gNB, etc.). Depending on the type of information, features, parameters, etc., the type of signaling employed and / or the exact details of operations performed at the UE and / or BS in processing can vary. However, for convenience, such operations can be referred to herein as configuring information / features / parameters / etc. to a UE, generating or processing configuration signaling, or via similar terminology.

[0068] Cell selection and reselection discussed for Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) New Radio (NR) are discussed in 3GPP Technical Specifications (TS) 38.304 and TS 38.133. Referring to Figure 5 , a chart illustrating radio resource control (RRC) idle mode (RRC_IDLE) or RRC inactive mode (RRC_INACTIVE) cell selection and reselection is shown in connection with various aspects discussed herein. Generally, a cell can be selected by cell selection or reselection in radio resource control (RRC) idle mode (RRC_IDLE) or RRC inactive mode (RRC_INACTIVE) if the cell (i) at least meets cell selection criteria and is not barred (e.g., is an “acceptable cell”) or (ii) is also part of a selected public land mobile network (PLMN), a registered PLMN, or a PLMN in an equivalent PLMN list (e.g., is a “suitable cell”). The cell selection criteria S is met when Srxlev > 0 and Squal > 0, where Srxlev and Squal are shown in Equation (1):

[0069]

[0070] where the quantities in equation (1) are defined as shown in the table below, which defines the quantities involved in the cell selection criteria in connection with the various aspects discussed herein. Figure 6

[0071] Cell reselection can be based on the priority (or list without priority information) of different NR frequencies or inter-RAT frequencies provided in system information, RRCRelease message, dedicated signaling, or inherited from another RAT when inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) cell selection or reselection. For cell reselection, the UE can determine the cell ranking criterion Rs for the serving cell and the cell ranking criterion Rn for the neighboring cells as shown in equation (2):

[0072]

[0073] where the quantities in equation (2) are defined as follows: Q meas is the reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement quantity used in cell reselection (for the serving cell or the neighboring cell, depending on the subscript), Q hyst specifies the hysteresis value for the ranking criterion, Qoffset temp is an offset temporarily applied to a cell as specified in TS 38.331, Qoffset s,n (if valid) (offset between two cells), otherwise 0, and Qoffset s,n (if valid) plus Qoffset frequency (for frequency-specific offset for equal priority NR frequencies), otherwise Qoffset frequency .

[0074] However, existing techniques for cell selection and reselection do not take into account various characteristics of non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) that can impact cell selection / reselection.

[0075] Referring to Figure 7 ​FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram showing different types of satellites that can employ as nodes of an NTN network and related characteristics in connection with various aspects discussed herein. The different types of satellites include: (i) Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites, altitudes between 7000 km - 25000 km, cell size between 100 km - 1000 km, and round trip time of about 120 ms; (ii) Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, altitudes between 300 km - 1500 km, cell size between 100 km - 1000 km, and round trip time of about 41.77 ms; (ii) Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, altitudes between 300 km - 1500 km, cell size between 100 km - 1000 km, and round trip time of about 41.77 ms; (iii) High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) satellites, altitudes between 8 km - 50 km, cell size between 5 km - 200 km, and round trip time of about 14 ms; and (iv) Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellites, altitudes of 35768 km, cell size between 200 km - 3500 km, round trip time of about 541.46 ms.

[0076] Various embodiments can employ satellites that operate in a transparent mode, forwarding signaling between UEs and gNBs, while in other embodiments, some or all of the gNBs can be located at the satellites. Reference is made to Figure 8 FIG. 2 illustrates a diagram showing an exemplary transparent mode architecture of an NTN network in connection with various aspects discussed herein. In Figure 8 In FIG. 2, a UE 110 can be positioned in a cell 810 served by an NTN based on its geo-coordinates, whereby the UE 110 connects to a gNB 840 (including one or more Distributed Units (DUs) 842 and a Central Unit (CU) 844) and a 5GC 130 through a satellite 820 and a gateway 830. The link between the UE 110 and the satellite 820 is referred to as a service link, and the link between the satellite 820 and the gateway 830 is referred to as a feeder link.

[0077] When at least one of the potential cells is a cell of an NTN network, multiple criteria can influence cell selection and / or reselection.

[0078] First, there are multiple possible architectures for the satellites, gateways, and associated networks. These range from transparent architectures to airborne architectures with satellite configurations based on GEO, LEO, or HAPS. The configurations can also vary based on whether the satellite nodes use a single or multiple beams or whether the satellites have a single feeder link or multiple feeder links. Each of these beams can be steered to a fixed location on Earth through beamforming (Earth fixed beams / cells) or can move continuously with respect to Earth latitude / longitude (Earth moving beams / cells). The potential possibilities for each of these configuration choices, combined with the large cell sizes for NTN cells and the ongoing variation between short but consistent coverage and potential outage durations, can impact cell selection and reselection in non-terrestrial networks. The complexity is also increased when there are also terrestrial nodes in the area covered by the NTN, with signal quality that is unchanged and strong, albeit possibly for a short time. Referring to Figure 9 , diagrams showing several example scenarios for beam coverage and network architecture for a pair of satellites in conjunction with the various aspects discussed herein. In Figure 9 , 910 and 920 show Earth fixed and Earth moving beam / cell scenarios, respectively, while 930-950 show different cases indicating potential possibilities for deployment on NTN. Scenario 930 shows an NTN transparent mode architecture with a single gNB linked to multiple gateways. Scenario 940 shows an NTN transparent mode architecture with standalone gNBs connected to different gateways. Scenario 950 shows an NTN transparent mode architecture with each satellite having a different 5GC.

[0079] Other criteria can also impact cell selection / reselection involving NTN networks. For example, depending on the deployment and / or cell load, a satellite can use a single beam or multiple beams to cover an area.

[0080] In addition, TN networks and NTN networks can be considered different from a cell selection / reselection perspective due to differences in operation. For example, when there is coverage on TNs of the same and / or different frequencies as NTN, it can be advantageous to consider frequency prioritization and / or prioritization based on TN / NTN. In addition, there is a question of priority between only NTN neighbors and TN neighbors, and whether a UE should prioritize NTN over TN, TN over NTN, or treat both with the same priority. Due to the large coverage area of NTN cells, with satellite coverage extending over large areas (potentially hundreds or even thousands of kilometers), re-prioritization of rules and neighbor relations (e.g., involving NTN to NTN neighbors) can become complex.

[0081] An additional consideration in some (e.g., non-GEO / HAPS) NTN networks is a potentially short coverage duration and a fixed outage duration. Due to the movement of the satellite relative to the earth, there is a possibility of short coverage time, and due to the availability of ephemeris data, the satellite outage time is fixed (and known at the UE), whereby the UE can determine when the next satellite enters the coverage area.

[0082] Due to the differences between TNs and NTN, various embodiments can provide additional assistance information for cell selection / reselection when at least one NTN cell is potentially available for cell selection / reselection.

[0083] As shown by the above examples, cell selection and reselection in NTN networks are significantly impacted by the deployment architecture and high mobility of satellite nodes.

[0084] Ephemeris data, as indicated in 3GPP Technical Report (TR) 38.821 Appendix A, contains the orbital trajectory of a satellite network. This data provides information on the earth-relative position coordinates of the satellite position based on the time of day and other useful information. The information in this database allows for deterministic knowledge of when the satellite will be in the view of a UE and when the satellite will not be available. In terms of the cell selection procedure, disseminating this information to the UE would be very beneficial to the UE, and in various embodiments, this information can be provided to the UE by one of a variety of techniques (e.g., through NAS, AS signaling, etc.).

[0085] Accordingly, the availability of satellite ephemeris data at the UE is beneficial for cell selection / reselection on NTN networks.

[0086] In various embodiments, RRC idle / inactive mode UEs can employ additional assistance information (e.g., using UE location information, satellite ephemeris information, additional parameters, etc.) for cell selection / reselection involving NTN networks rather than existing systems. Using earth-fixed tracking areas can avoid frequent tracking area updates (TAU). Various embodiments can provide NTN cell-specific information to the UE through a system information block (SIB) or through other techniques discussed herein.

[0087] NTN networks can impact UE and network behavior and interaction in ways other than cell selection / reselection.

[0088] For example, in RRC connected mode operation, one or more schemes can be employed to address the following issues for NTN networks: (i) reduce service interruption during handover due to large propagation delay (e.g., especially for GEO transparent mode architecture, etc.); (ii) address frequent handover and high handover rate due to satellite movement (e.g., especially for LEO NTN, etc.); (iii) improve handover robustness due to small signal strength variations in beam overlap areas; and (iv) compensate for propagation delay differences in UE measurement window between cells originating from different satellites (e.g., especially for LEO NTN, etc.).

[0089] As another example, additional mobility enhancements can be suitable for addressing NTN networks. Additional conditional handover (CHO) triggering conditions can be employed (e.g., based on location / time, etc.), and measurement-based thresholds and events can be adapted to the NTN environment. Enhancements to mobility configuration can be potentially employed (e.g., to support broadcast configuration, etc.). Enhancements to measurement configuration / reporting can be employed (e.g., based on pre-triggered solutions). Additionally, enhancements can be employed to ensure service continuity for mobility from TN to NTN and from NTN to TN systems.

[0090] For each of these scenarios (including cell selection / reselection associated with the embodiments discussed herein), the same solutions identified for the Earth moving cell scenario can also apply to the Earth fixed cell scenario, or different solutions can apply to the fixed / moving scenarios.

[0091] Various aspects of NTN cell selection and reselection are discussed below. In connection with various embodiments, these aspects include the use of additional available information from ephemeris that the network can broadcast to the UE for improved cell selection and reselection in NTN only scenarios. Additional aspects and embodiments address cell selection when TN nodes are within NTN coverage, and potential solutions that can be employed. Additional aspects discuss the case of cell selection and reselection for cells covering international borders.

[0092] Additional parameters for cell selection and / or reselection in NTN

[0093] Section 7.3.1.6 of TR 38.821 discusses the possibility of using ephemeris data and UE location information for cell selection and reselection. Using its location and ephemeris data, a UE can calculate, with some degree of accuracy, additional parameters such as satellite configuration (LEO, GEO, etc.), distance to satellite, elevation angle, or some additional parameters that can help cell selection criteria. Considering the potential inaccuracy in determining these parameters and the potential issues in transmitting the entire database to the UE in preloaded form (through uSIM) or through SIB-based (due to overhead) broadcast, it would be beneficial if the network includes these additional parameters of satellite mobility and coverage information in some format to the UE in the initial cell selection broadcast information. Additionally, UE location information calculation can result in power constraints to the UE while creating privacy constraints if provided to the network. Even if location information cannot be ruled out, it would be very useful for the network to provide ephemeris data and related offsets to the UE.

[0094] Thus, in various embodiments, non-terrestrial networks can provide additional measurement offset information (e.g., based on ephemeris, etc.) to UEs to improve cell selection and reselection.

[0095] A current existing precedent for such network-based offsets to UEs for cell selection / reselection is the HighSpeedStateParameters in the System Information Block (SIB). This would help not only address the issue of stationary UEs in NTN networks, but also address the issue of UEs that can be highly mobile (e.g., speeds up to 500 kmph, as agreed in the 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN) Working Group 2 (WG2) (RAN2) Meeting #111-e Chairman’s Comments). As an example, various embodiments can employ offset configurations such as new SIB2 parameters for GEO, LEO, or HAPS in a similar format to HighSpeedStateParameters. For the case of cell reselection, these additional parameters can be added to the event-based A or B measurement configuration.

[0096] Thus, in various embodiments, the new offsets discussed herein can be added to existing broadcast mechanisms and measurement configurations to enhance UE cell selection and reselection in non-terrestrial networks.

[0097] Alternative parameters that can be employed in various embodiments include one or more of distance to satellite, cell load, quality of service targets or requirements, elevation angle, time of feeder link change, common delay, differential delay, UE speed, or UE motion state.

[0098] The distance or related information to the satellite can help with cell selection / reselection. In various NTN configurations (e.g., where both GEO and LEO satellites are present, etc.), the distance or indication of satellite configuration will help the UE select the satellite with the minimum propagation delay. The network can also prioritize satellite configurations based on cell load, quality of service needed by the UE application, or various other criteria for reselection between GEO, LEO, etc., or terrestrial nodes.

[0099] The elevation angle is another alternative parameter that can be used to identify the most suitable network configuration, similar to the distance.

[0100] Feeder link changes (e.g., based on ephemeris) if indicated far enough in advance can allow for better selection of cells based on the time of satellite change. For example, if there is very little dwell time available on the current satellite, and an incoming satellite is close, an idle UE can be better off connecting to the incoming satellite than the existing satellite.

[0101] Timing parameters such as common and / or differential delays or configuration-based (latency) parameters can allow for selection of links based on the configuration of the common delay provided by the SIB, and in some embodiments, also based on QoS targets or requirements by the UE.

[0102] UE speed can also be a useful parameter. For cases involving mobility on the UE (e.g., especially in enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) scenarios such as in airplanes or high-speed trains with relative speeds of 100 kmph or above), the UE speed relative to the satellite speed can be a relevant parameter.

[0103] In various embodiments, these additional parameters can be provided to the UE for use in any of a variety of ways.

[0104] In a first option, any of the above additional parameters can be used as a “scaling factor for Qhyst” and broadcast in the System Information Block Type 2 (SIB2) similar to how the high speed parameter is currently handled in 3GPP TS 38.133 and 38.304. As an example, a sample SIB2 information element (IE) for the elevation angle can be as follows:

[0105]

[0106] The Qhyst range in the example is one possible example and can vary. Similar IEs for other parameters can be created with different ranges of QHyst.

[0107] In a first alternative of the first option, the indicated parameters can be sent in a dedicated IE of the satellite network. In a second alternative of the first option, the indicated parameters can be sent through RRC-based signaling for offline storage by the ground nodes, so that these parameters can be applied to the specified configuration. However, this alternative limits the UE’s ability to directly access the NTN network until this information is obtained through the ground nodes.

[0108] In the second option, to select based on one or more parameters (e.g., such as elevation angle and delay), an “or” condition can optionally be added to the S criteria (instead of Srxlev 0 and Squal 0), depending on how the frequencies / networks / PLMNs are prioritized.

[0109] In the third option, a non-access stratum (NAS)-based solution can be employed, e.g., by preloading a database including initial parameters of one or more NTN networks, which can be later updated as appropriate in various embodiments.

[0110] A scenario in which these parameter adjustments can be beneficial is a scenario in which multiple NTN configurations can overlap with each other. One such example scenario is a scenario in which a GEO configuration can overlap with a LEO configuration of the same operator.

[0111] As the above example scenario indicates, 3GPP NTN does not exclude deployment scenarios in which multiple NTN configurations can overlap with each other.

[0112] In such cases, there is currently no way for the network to indicate to the UE which one of the two configurations will be prioritized, except using the frequency. But in this case, due to the instantaneous nature of LEO, using frequency prioritization can not always yield the best scenario. In such cases, a prioritization integer between different NTN configurations would be very beneficial for the UE from a measurement and performance perspective. Thus, in various embodiments, a prioritization field can be signaled to the UE to indicate a prioritization associated with or between NTN configurations. The prioritization field becomes even more useful when there are ground neighbors of these NTN cells, as explained in more detail below.

[0113] Thus, in various embodiments, for NTN, an intra-NTN prioritization flag can be employed to help UE cell selection and cell reselection.

[0114] Cell selection / reselection for NTN UE with TN neighbors

[0115] When a NTN cell has TN neighbors, cell selection / reselection involving NTN cells becomes more complex. Consider a scenario where a large GEO cell overlaps multiple TN cells. The RF aspect stability of such a large NTN cell can cause the UE to always prefer camping on the GEO cell before the terrestrial cells. 3GPP RAN2#111-e agreed to broadcast TN or NTN aspects of frequency separation. However, it is left for further study how this broadcast will happen. If it is assumed that TN and NTN will operate independently, then this can solve the problem and is suitable for only one of the cases where TN is preferred over NTN or NTN is preferred over TN but not both.

[0116] However, the broadcast mechanism agreed by RAN2 on whether a cell is TN or NTN will not help prioritize one cell over another specifically for cell selection. In such a scenario, various embodiments can provide an explicit indication to the UE on whether there is any network preference in terms of TN or NTN cells. For efficient cell selection, prioritization between terrestrial and non-terrestrial cells in a mixed coverage location can be performed using broadcast messages by any of a variety of mechanisms.

[0117] NTN networks have a large coverage area (e.g., in the case of GEOs, potentially covering an entire country, etc.) compared to TN networks. Although the throughput is low, NTN networks can potentially be available everywhere in terms of coverage. In addition, NTN networks have uniform coverage of a large area, unlike terrestrial networks that have near, mid, and far scenarios. However, NTN networks can be unreliable, especially indoors or in other areas where they are not visible. Ephemered data can provide a clear location of the satellite.

[0118] Many NTN networks are also mobile, which makes them unreliable for eMBB and various quality of service scenarios. However, the mobility pattern itself is deterministic based on the ephemered. For dynamic TN and NTN cells, a mobile UE can make this scenario even more problematic.

[0119] Cell selection involving both TN and NTN cells involves the following problem: the network can prefer TN over NTN, prefer NTN over TN, or be based on both TN and NTN in the same RAT depending on UE implementation and how it is done.

[0120] Various embodiments can employ prioritization flags and / or camping order that can help the UE select the best network and avoid ping-pong (frequent reselection) between TN and NTN networks.

[0121] In one option, a new prioritization field can be introduced in SIB1, which can use an integer to enumerate to indicate the prioritization of this particular cell relative to other cells. In some embodiments, this prioritization field can be added as a sub-array of the plmn-IdentityList field.

[0122] In a first set of alternative embodiments, a NAS message can be provided to indicate the priority list, which is then passed to the AS.

[0123] A second set of alternative embodiments can repurpose the intraFreqReselection field in the master information block (MIB) to indicate whether a cell is barred, which controls cell selection / reselection to intra-frequency cells when the highest ranked cell is barred or considered barred by the UE, as specified in TS 38.304.

[0124] A third set of alternative embodiments can repurpose the intrafreqyyy and interfreqzzz messages in SIB3 and SIB4 to determine the priority between NTN and TN cells.

[0125] In the case of hybrid coverage areas, one issue that the UE can see is that the large coverage area of the NTN will result in tens or even hundreds of potential terrestrial neighbor cells. TR 38.821 proposes to use UE location information to identify the area where the UE is located, and to use reselection based on location identification. However, this is power consuming, as the UE needs to continuously monitor its location in order to identify whether it is inside or outside a particular fixed beam or moving beam. Thus, in regular cell selection and reselection scenarios, location-based reselection results in power consumption for the UE. Accordingly, in various embodiments, a beam-based neighbor cell list can be provided for NTN UEs in order to avoid the loss of power consumption related to location measurements.

[0126] Additional embodiments

[0127] REFERENCE Figure 10 FIG. 1 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 1000 that can be employed at a UE to facilitate cell selection and / or reselection in scenarios involving at least one NTN cell, in accordance with various embodiments discussed herein. In other aspects, a machine-readable medium can store instructions associated with the method 1000, which when executed by a UE (e.g., employing the system 400 UE ) can cause the UE to perform the actions of the method 1000.

[0128] At 1010, one or more suitable cells (or one or more acceptable cells, if no suitable cells are available) for one of a cell selection procedure or a cell reselection procedure can be determined (e.g., by S criteria discussed herein, etc.), where the one or more suitable cells include at least one cell associated with a satellite of a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

[0129] At 1020, a ranking of each cell of the one or more suitable cells can be determined, where the ranking of a first cell can be based at least in part on a location of the UE, ephemeris data of the satellite, and one or more additional parameters (e.g., a distance to the satellite, a cell load, a quality of service target or requirement, an elevation angle, a time of feeder link change, a common delay, a differential delay, a UE speed, a UE mobility state, etc.).

[0130] At 1030, a highest ranked cell of the one or more suitable cells can be selected based on the determined ranking of each cell of the one or more suitable cells.

[0131] At 1040, the UE can camp on the highest ranked cell (e.g., where camping on a cell can have the meaning in 3GPP TS 38.304, etc., that the UE has completed a cell selection / reselection procedure and has selected a cell, and the UE monitors system information and (in most cases) paging information).

[0132] Additionally or alternatively, method 1000 can include one or more other actions described herein in connection with the various embodiments of the UE and / or system 400 UE .

[0133] Embodiments herein can include subject matter such as a method, means for performing acts or blocks of the method, at least one machine-readable medium including executable instructions for causing a machine to perform acts or blocks of the method, and acts or blocks of the method for concurrent communication using multiple communication technologies, according to described aspects and examples.

[0134] Example 1 is a user equipment (UE) device including a processor configured to perform operations comprising: determining one or more suitable cells for one of a cell selection procedure or a cell reselection procedure, wherein the one or more suitable cells includes a first cell associated with a satellite of a non-terrestrial network (NTN); determining a ranking for each of the one or more suitable cells, wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on a location of the UE, ephemeris data of the satellite, and one or more additional parameters; selecting a highest ranked cell of the one or more suitable cells based on the determined ranking of each of the one or more suitable cells; and camping on the highest ranked cell.

[0135] Example 2 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of the embodiments of example 1, wherein the one or more additional parameters include at least one of: a distance to the satellite, an elevation angle of the satellite, a common delay associated with the first cell, a differential delay associated with the first cell and the UE, a speed of the UE, or a mobility state of the UE.

[0136] Example 3 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of the embodiments of examples 1-2, wherein the operations further comprise scaling a Qhyst parameter of the first cell based on the one or more additional parameters, wherein the Qhyst parameter of the first cell specifies a hysteresis value for the ranking of the first cell.

[0137] Example 4 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of the embodiments of examples 1-3, wherein the one or more additional parameters are signaled through one of a system information block type 2 (SIB2), an information element (IE), a dedicated IE for NTN networks, or radio resource control (RRC) signaling by a ground node.

[0138] Example 5 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of the embodiments of examples 1-4, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the first cell is a suitable cell based on at least one of: (i) a cell selection received level value of the first cell being greater than 0; or (ii) a cell selection quality level of the first cell being greater than 0.

[0139] Example 6 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of the embodiments of examples 1-5, wherein the operations further comprise determining the one or more additional parameters based on information provided through non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

[0140] Example 7 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 1-6, wherein the one or more suitable cells further comprise at least one terrestrial network (TN) cell, and wherein the one or more further parameters indicate a priority of the first cell relative to the at least one TN cell, wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on the priority of the first cell relative to the at least one TN cell.

[0141] Example 8 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 7, wherein the priority is indicated by at least one of a master information block (MIB), a system information block type 1 (SIB1), SIB3, or SIB4.

[0142] Example 9 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 7, wherein the priority is indicated by a non-access stratum (NAS) message passed to an access stratum (AS).

[0143] Example 11 is a method comprising: determining one or more suitable cells for one of a cell selection procedure or a cell reselection procedure, wherein the one or more suitable cells comprise a first cell associated with a satellite of a non-terrestrial network (NTN); determining a ranking of each cell of the one or more suitable cells, wherein a ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on a location of the UE, ephemeris data of the satellite, and one or more further parameters; selecting a highest ranked cell of the one or more suitable cells based on the determined ranking of each cell of the one or more suitable cells; and camping on the highest ranked cell.

[0144] Example 12 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 11, wherein the one or more further parameters comprise at least one of: a distance to the satellite, an elevation angle of the satellite, a common delay associated with the first cell, a differential delay associated with the first cell and the UE, a speed of the UE, or a mobility state of the UE.

[0145] Example 13 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 11-12, further comprising scaling a Qhyst parameter of the first cell based on the one or more further parameters, wherein the Qhyst parameter of the first cell specifies a hysteresis value for the ranking of the first cell.

[0146] Example 14 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 11-13, wherein the one or more further parameters are signaled by one of a system information block type 2 (SIB2) information element (IE), a dedicated IE for NTN networks, or by radio resource control (RRC) signaling of a terrestrial node.

[0147] Example 15 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 11-14, further comprising determining that the first cell is a suitable cell based on at least one of: (i) a cell selection received level value of the first cell being greater than 0; or (ii) a cell selection quality level of the first cell being greater than 0.

[0148] Example 16 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 11-15, further comprising determining the one or more additional parameters based on information provided through non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

[0149] Example 17 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 11-16, wherein the one or more suitable cells further comprise at least one terrestrial network (TN) cell, and wherein the one or more additional parameters indicate a priority of the first cell relative to the at least one TN cell, wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on the priority of the first cell relative to the at least one TN cell.

[0150] Example 18 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 17, wherein the priority is indicated through at least one of a master information block (MIB), a system information block type 1 (SIB1), SIB3, or SIB4.

[0151] Example 19 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 17, wherein the priority is indicated through a non-access stratum (NAS) message passed to an access stratum (AS).

[0152] Example 21 is a baseband processor comprising processing circuitry configured to perform operations comprising: determining one or more suitable cells for one of a cell selection procedure or a cell reselection procedure, wherein the one or more suitable cells comprise a first cell associated with a satellite of a non-terrestrial network (NTN); determining a ranking of each cell of the one or more suitable cells, wherein a ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on a location of the UE, ephemeris data of the satellite, and one or more additional parameters; selecting a highest ranked cell of the one or more suitable cells based on the determined ranking of each cell of the one or more suitable cells; and camping on the highest ranked cell.

[0153] Example 22 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 21, wherein the one or more additional parameters comprise at least one of: a distance to the satellite, an elevation angle of the satellite, a common delay associated with the first cell, a differential delay associated with the first cell and the UE, a speed of the UE, or a mobility state of the UE.

[0154] Example 23 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 21-22, wherein the operations further comprise scaling a Qhyst parameter of the first cell based on the one or more additional parameters, wherein the Qhyst parameter of the first cell specifies a hysteresis value for the ranking of the first cell.

[0155] Example 24 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 21-23, wherein the one or more additional parameters are signaled through one of: a System Information Block Type 2 (SIB2) information element (IE), a dedicated IE for NTN networks, or through Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling of a ground node.

[0156] Example 25 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 21-24, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the first cell is a suitable cell based on at least one of: (i) a cell selection received level value of the first cell being greater than 0; or (ii) a cell selection quality level of the first cell being greater than 0.

[0157] Example 26 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 21-25, wherein the operations further comprise determining the one or more additional parameters based on information provided through non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

[0158] Example 27 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Examples 21-26, wherein the one or more suitable cells further comprise at least one terrestrial network (TN) cell, and wherein the one or more additional parameters indicate a priority of the first cell relative to the at least one TN cell, wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on the priority of the first cell relative to the at least one TN cell.

[0159] Example 28 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Example 27, wherein the priority is indicated through at least one of: a master information block (MIB), a System Information Block Type 1 (SIB1), a SIB3, or a SIB4.

[0160] Example 29 includes the subject matter of any variation of any of Example 27, wherein the priority is indicated through a non-access stratum (NAS) message passed to an access stratum (AS).

[0161] Example 31 includes an apparatus comprising means for performing any of the described operations of Examples 1-30.

[0162] Example 32 includes a machine readable medium storing instructions for execution by a processor to perform any of the described operations of Examples 1-30.

[0163] Example 33 includes a baseband processor comprising: a memory interface; and processing circuitry configured to perform any of the described operations of Examples 1-30.

[0164] Example 34 includes a user equipment (UE) configured to perform any of the described operations of Examples 1-30.

[0165] The above description of illustrated embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosed subject matter to the precise forms disclosed. While specific aspects and examples are described to illustrate the disclosed subject matter’s described aspects, a variety of modifications and changes can be suggested to one skilled in the art, and it is intended that the suggested modifications and changes be within the scope of the aspects and / or the appended claims.

[0166] In this regard, while the disclosed subject matter has been described in terms of various aspects and corresponding illustrative examples, it is to be understood that other aspects and / or examples can be employed, and that it can be anticipated to change or modify aspects and / or examples to suit particular situations or applications, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited to any single aspect or configuration, but rather is to be understood by the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0167] In particular, with respect to the various functions described above with reference to the above-described means or structures (assemblies, devices, circuits, systems, etc.), the terminology used is intended to be in accordance with the broadest possible interpretation given to similar terminology in others contexts to provide the broadest possible disclosure. Additionally, although a specific feature can have been disclosed with respect to only one of multiple aspects, such feature can be combined with one or more other features of the other aspects as can be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) device, the UE device comprising a processor configured to perform operations comprising: determining one or more suitable cells for one of a cell selection procedure or a cell reselection procedure, wherein the one or more suitable cells comprise a first cell associated with a satellite of a non-terrestrial network (NTN); receiving signaling indicating at least one scaling factor of a hysteresis parameter, the at least one scaling factor associated with: a distance to the satellite, an elevation angle of the satellite, a common delay associated with the first cell, or a differential delay associated with the first cell and the UE; determining a ranking of each of the one or more suitable cells, wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on a location of the UE, ephemeris data of the satellite, and a hysteresis value determined based on the at least one scaling factor; selecting a highest ranked cell of the one or more suitable cells based on the determined ranking of each of the one or more suitable cells; and camping on the highest ranked cell.

2. The UE device of claim 1, wherein the operation of determining the ranking is based on one or more additional parameters comprising at least one of: a distance to the satellite, an elevation angle of the satellite, a common delay associated with the first cell, a differential delay associated with the first cell and the UE, a speed of the UE, or a mobility state of the UE.

4. The UE device of any of claims 1-3, wherein the signaling comprises one of a system information block type 2 (SIB2) information element (IE), a dedicated IE for NTN networks, or radio resource control (RRC) signaling through a terrestrial node.

3. The UE device of claim 1, wherein the hysteresis parameter comprises a Q hyst parameter of the first cell, the Q hyst parameter of the first cell specifying a hysteresis value for the ranking of the first cell. determining that the first cell is a suitable cell based on at least one of: (i) a cell selection received level value of the first cell being greater than 0; or (ii) a cell selection quality level of the first cell being greater than 0.

5. The UE device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: determining the one or more additional parameters based on information provided through non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

6. The UE device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

7. The UE device of claim 1, wherein the one or more suitable cells further comprise at least one terrestrial network (TN) cell, and wherein the operations further comprise determining the ranking based on a priority of the first cell relative to the at least one TN cell.

8. The UE device of claim 7, wherein the priority is indicated through at least one of a master information block (MIB), a system information block type 1 (SIB1), a SIB3, or a SIB4.

9. The UE device of claim 7, wherein the priority is indicated through a non-access stratum (NAS) message passed to an access stratum (AS). ​ 10. The UE device of claim 1, wherein the one or more suitable cells further comprise at least one terrestrial network (TN) cell, and wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on stored priority information of NTN cells relative to TN cells.

11. A method of communication, comprising: determining one or more suitable cells for one of a cell selection procedure or a cell reselection procedure, wherein the one or more suitable cells comprise a first cell associated with a satellite of a non-terrestrial network (NTN); receiving signaling indicating at least one scaling factor of a hysteresis parameter, the at least one scaling factor being associated with a distance to the satellite, an elevation angle of the satellite, a common delay associated with the first cell, or a differential delay associated with the first cell and a UE; determining a ranking of each of the one or more suitable cells, wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on a location of a user equipment (UE), ephemeris data of the satellite, and a hysteresis value determined based on the at least one scaling factor; selecting a highest ranked cell of the one or more suitable cells based on the determined ranking of each of the one or more suitable cells; and camping on the highest ranked cell.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the operations comprise determining the ranking based on one or more additional parameters comprising at least one of: the distance to the satellite, the elevation angle of the satellite, the common delay associated with the first cell, the differential delay associated with the first cell and the UE, a speed of the UE, or a mobility state of the UE.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the hysteresis parameter comprises a Q hyst parameter of the first cell, wherein the Q hyst parameter specifies a hysteresis value for the ranking of the first cell.

14. The method of any one of claims 11-13, wherein the signaling comprises one of a system information block type 2 (SIB2) information element (IE), a dedicated IE for NTN networks, or radio resource control (RRC) signaling by a terrestrial node.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining that the first cell is a suitable cell based on at least one of: (i) a cell selection received level value of the first cell being greater than 0; or (ii) a cell selection quality level of the first cell being greater than 0.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising: determining the one or more additional parameters based on information provided through non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more suitable cells further comprise at least one terrestrial network (TN) cell, and wherein the one or more additional parameters indicate a priority of the first cell relative to the at least one TN cell, wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on the priority of the first cell relative to the at least one TN cell.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the priority is indicated through at least one of a master information block (MIB), a system information block type 1 (SIB1), a SIB3, or a SIB4.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the priority is indicated by a non-access stratum (NAS) message passed to an access stratum (AS).

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more suitable cells further comprise at least one terrestrial network (TN) cell, and wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on stored priority information of NTN cells relative to TN cells.

21. A baseband processor comprising processing circuitry configured to perform operations comprising: determining one or more suitable cells for one of a cell selection procedure or a cell reselection procedure, wherein the one or more suitable cells comprise a first cell associated with a satellite of a non-terrestrial network (NTN); receiving signaling indicating at least one scaling factor of a hysteresis parameter, the at least one scaling factor being associated with a distance to the satellite, an elevation angle of the satellite, a common delay associated with the first cell, or a differential delay associated with the first cell and a UE; determining a ranking of each of the one or more suitable cells, wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on a location of a user equipment (UE), ephemeris data of the satellite, and a hysteresis value determined based on the at least one scaling factor; selecting a highest ranked cell of the one or more suitable cells based on the determined ranking of each of the one or more suitable cells; and camping on the highest ranked cell.

22. The baseband processor of claim 21, wherein the operations comprise determining the ranking based on one or more additional parameters comprising at least one of: a distance to the satellite, an elevation angle of the satellite, a common delay associated with the first cell, a differential delay associated with the first cell and the UE, a speed of the UE, or a mobility state of the UE.

23. The baseband processor of claim 21, wherein the hysteresis parameter comprises a Q hyst parameter of the first cell, the Q hyst parameter of the first cell specifying a hysteresis value for the ranking of the first cell.

24. The baseband processor of any of claims 21-23, wherein the signaling comprises one of: a system information block type 2 (SIB2) information element (IE), a dedicated IE for NTN networks, or through radio resource control (RRC) signaling of a terrestrial node.

25. The baseband processor of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise: determining that the first cell is a suitable cell based on at least one of: (i) a cell selection received level value of the first cell being greater than 0; or (ii) a cell selection quality level of the first cell being greater than 0.

26. The baseband processor of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise: determining the one or more additional parameters based on information provided through non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

27. The baseband processor of claim 22, wherein the one or more suitable cells further comprise at least one terrestrial network (TN) cell, and wherein the one or more additional parameters indicate a priority of the first cell relative to the at least one TN cell, wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on the priority of the first cell relative to the at least one TN cell.

28. The baseband processor of claim 27, wherein the priority is indicated by at least one of a master information block (MIB), a system information block type 1 (SIB1), SIB3, or SIB4.

29. The baseband processor of claim 27, wherein the priority is indicated by a non-access stratum (NAS) message passed to an access stratum (AS).

30. The baseband processor of claim 21, wherein the one or more suitable cells further comprise at least one terrestrial network (TN) cell, and wherein the ranking of the first cell is based at least in part on stored priority information of NTN cells relative to TN cells.

Images