Mechanism for beamforming coordination

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to beamforming coordination. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a solution for beamforming coordination between devices is proposed. The beamforming of a first device and a second device is coordinated. During a satellite handover time period in a given geographical area, the source beam footprint gradually decreases while the target beam footprint gradually increases. When such coordination is applied, the radio coverage experienced by a UE can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of communications, particularly to the field of non-terrestrial networks, and more particularly to a method, device, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for beamforming coordination. Background Art

[0002] In remote areas, resources and infrastructure are usually limited. Therefore, it is often difficult for terrestrial networks to provide adequate coverage. The main benefit of introducing non-terrestrial networks (NTN) is to achieve ubiquitous services for terminal devices by expanding connectivity in areas with very low population density with devices, and the overall cost of deployment may be much lower than providing permanent infrastructure on the ground. Solutions for new radio (NR) to support NTN have been proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Generally speaking, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for beamforming coordination.

[0004] In a first aspect, a method is provided. The method includes, at a first device, determining beamforming coordination between the first device and a second device based on location information of the first device and the second device, and a third device will be switched from a source beam of the first device to a target beam of the second device. The method further includes adjusting the coverage of the source beam of the first device in association with an adjustment of the target beam by the second device based on pre-determined beamforming coordination information.

[0005] In a second aspect, a method is provided. The method includes, at a second device, determining beamforming coordination between the first device and the second device based on location information of the first device and the second device, and a third device will be switched from a source beam of the first device to a target beam of the second device. The method further includes initiating the target beam of the second device based on pre-determined beamforming coordination information. The method further includes adjusting the coverage of the target beam of the second device in association with an adjustment of the source beam by the first device based on pre-determined beamforming coordination information.

[0006] In a third aspect, a method is provided. The method includes, at a third device and receiving a measurement report configuration from a first device, the measurement report configuration indicating one or more of the following: a time period of beamforming coordination between the first device and the second device, at least one sub-interval time period for sending a measurement report in the time period. The method further includes sending a measurement report to the first device based on the measurement report configuration.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, a first device is provided. The first device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the first device to: determine beamforming coordination between the first device and the second device based on the location information of the first device and the second device, and a third device will be switched from a source beam of the first device to a target beam of the second device. The first device is further caused to: adjust the coverage of the source beam of the first device in association with an adjustment of the target beam by the second device based on predetermined beamforming coordination information.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, a second device is provided. The second device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the second device to: determine beamforming coordination between the first device and the second device based on the location information of the first device and the second device, and a third device will be switched from a source beam of the first device to a target beam of the second device. The second device is further caused to: initiate the target beam of the second device based on predetermined beamforming coordination information. The second device is further caused to: adjust the coverage of the target beam of the second device in association with an adjustment of the source beam by the first device based on predetermined beamforming coordination information.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, a third device is provided. The third device includes at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the third device to receive a measurement report configuration from the first device, the measurement report configuration indicating one or more of the following: a time period of beamforming coordination between the first device and the second device, at least one sub-interval time period for sending a measurement report during the time period. The third device is further caused to send a measurement report to the first device based on the measurement report configuration.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, a device is provided. The device includes means for determining beamforming coordination between a first device and a second device at the first device based on the location information of the first device and the second device, and a third device will be switched from a source beam of the first device to a target beam of the second device; and means for adjusting the coverage of the source beam of the first device in association with an adjustment of the target beam by the second device based on predetermined beamforming coordination information.

[0011] In an eighth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes components for determining beamforming coordination between a first device and a second device based on location information of the first device and the second device at the second device, where a source beam from the first device is to be switched to a target beam of the second device; components for initiating the target beam of the second device based on predetermined beamforming coordination information; and components for adjusting the coverage of the target beam of the second device in association with an adjustment of the source beam by the first device based on the predetermined beamforming coordination information.

[0012] In a ninth aspect, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes components for receiving, at a third device and from a first device, a measurement report configuration that indicates one or more of the following: a time period of beamforming coordination between the first device and the second device, at least one sub-interval time period within the time period for transmitting a measurement report; and for sending a measurement report to the first device based on the measurement report configuration.

[0013] In a tenth aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, including program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least a method according to any one of the first or second aspects above.

[0014] It should be understood that the Summary of the Invention section is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Through the following description, other features of the present disclosure will become readily understood. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figures 1A to 1C A schematic diagram showing the coverage of a satellite according to the prior art is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 An example communication network in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the interaction between communication devices according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figures 4A to 4E A schematic diagram showing beamforming coordination between devices according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 5A A diagram showing a change in a beam region according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 5B A diagram showing the reception quality of a device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of a method implemented on a first device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 7 shows a flowchart of a method implemented on a second device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 8 shows a flowchart of a method implemented on a third device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 9 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0026] Figure 10 shows a block diagram of an example computer-readable medium according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Detailed Description

[0028] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It should be understood that the description of these embodiments is for illustrative purposes only and helps those skilled in the art to understand and implement the present disclosure, rather than imposing any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0029] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0030] References in the present disclosure to "one embodiment", "an example embodiment", "an exemplary embodiment", etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with some example embodiments, it is considered within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments (whether explicitly described or not).

[0031] It should be understood that although terms such as "first" and "second" may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may be referred to as the first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0032] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that when the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes" and / or "including" are used herein, they specify the stated features, elements and / or components, etc., but do not preclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0033] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0034] (a) only hardware circuit implementations (such as implementations of only analog and / or digital circuitry) and

[0035] (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as, where applicable:

[0036] (i) combinations of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0037] (ii) any part of (multiple) hardware processors and software (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or a server) to perform various functions and

[0038] (c) (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or a part of (multiple) microprocessors, which require software (such as firmware) to operate, but the software may be absent when the operation does not require it.

[0039] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses implementations of only hardware circuits or processors (or multiple processors) or portions of hardware circuits or processors and their (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also encompasses a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0040] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that follows any suitable communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), NarrowBand Internet of Things (NB-IoT), New Radio (NR), Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN), etc. Further, the communication between a terminal device and a network device in a communication network can be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to the first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.85G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or any other protocol known currently or developed in the future. Embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development in the communication field, there will of course also be future types of communication technologies and systems that can embody the present disclosure. It should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present disclosure to the above systems.

[0041] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. The network device can refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), such as Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), NR NB (also known as gNB), remote radio unit (RRU), radio head (RH), remote radio head (RRH), relay, low-power node (such as femto, pico, etc., depending on the terms and technologies of the application).

[0042] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, IP voice (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), game terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless client devices (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of an industrial and / or automated processing chain), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment", and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0043] In 5G NR non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), NR cells may be provided by low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites or high altitude platforms (HAPS). The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) NR Release 16 TR38.821 specifies and describes several NTN satellite scenarios to be addressed. One of the reference NTN scenarios is for LEOs with an "Earth-fixed cell" (EFC) deployment. In NTNs, NR cells are provided by one or more satellite beams from the same satellite vehicle. For simplicity only, a one-to-one mapping is assumed (one satellite beam is one NR cell), but the embodiments are not limited to this case.

[0044] The first important feature of the EFC deployment solution is that it can be assumed that the satellite is capable of performing beamforming (simultaneous multiple beams) and adjusting the beam shape and orientation such that for a predefined geographical area, the satellite radio coverage footprint remains fixed on the Earth. Thus, both the fast movement of the LEO satellite along its orbit (∼7.5 km / s) and the coverage distortion due to the Earth's curvature can be compensated by the on-board beamforming algorithm on the satellite such that for a predefined geographical location, the radio footprint of each satellite beam (each NR cell) remains quasi-fixed.

[0045] The second feature of EFC deployment is that when the satellite is above a certain minimum elevation angle above the horizon of the geographical area of interest, the satellite beam can provide radio connectivity to terminals on (or near) the Earth. This is a typical assumption in satellite communication. In TR38.821 for NR NTN, this angle is typically assumed to be 10 degrees, but in reality it may be higher (20 - 40 degrees), depending on the type of target radio connectivity (e.g., eMBB, IoT). The result of this minimum angle condition is that for continuous radio coverage in a given geographical area, it is necessary to "switch" the radio service from one satellite to another (satellite handover). The exact procedures (including timing, duration) for satellite handover and the associated NR cell handover will be studied. The main objective is to minimize the impact on traditional NR mobility procedures.

[0046] The third aspect of these deployment scenarios relates to the actual beamforming capabilities on board the satellite. Classical satellite beams are generated using parabolic reflector antenna systems. More advanced satellites have installed antenna arrays, which can form and direct satellite radio beams. In any of these technical solutions, the shape and pointing of the beam can be very precisely controlled to meet the EFC assumptions. Therefore, when designing the NTN radio coverage and the required mobility mechanisms, the impact of imperfect beam shaping and pointing must be considered.

[0047] During NTN Release 16, there have been many proposals on how to address general NTN mobility aspects, including the above-mentioned satellite handover, UE handover, feeder link handover, fast moving cells, etc. So far, most solution proposals rely on a combination of new radio measurements that combine UE location information, satellite ephemeris information on the UE side, and the use of new handover triggers (e.g., for conditional handover).

[0048] Nearly all solutions to the above satellite handover problem rely on knowing the UE location (requiring frequent UE reports, RRC UL signaling), and the configuration of mobility triggers based on geometric assumptions / information (angles, distances, path loss, time delay, ephemeris) related to the movement of the satellite in orbit. Additionally, ideally, one would like to deploy NTN where the NTN UE performance is not affected by the precise beamforming capabilities on board the satellite.

[0049] Figures 1A to 1CDepicts a general scenario of a LEO geostationary cell. For illustrative purposes, it is assumed that the beam footprint profile corresponds to the -3dB beamwidth in order to visualize the radio coverage of each satellite beam. In reality, due to propagation channel effects (e.g., slow / fast fading), from the perspective of the UE, the radio coverage is not so regular. When the source satellite 110-1 is at an elevation angle of 90 degrees (T = 0), the ideal footprint of each satellite beam is as Figure 1A shown. These are shown as circles only for convenience, and in reality, depending on the size of the beam, the footprints in the (multiple) outer rings may be distorted due to the curvature of the Earth. Additionally, depending on the geographical area and the services to be provided, the beam shape can be designed to any other shape. As Figure 1B shown, after the LEO satellite has moved along its orbit, the elevation angle is reduced and the beam footprint is changed in shape. Although beam shaping is used, this change in shape still occurs when the achievable accuracy of beam shaping is limited and the original shape at T = 0 cannot be maintained.

[0050] Figure 1B Also shown is the target satellite 110-2 and one of its beams, which has moved towards the area of interest (on the same orbit for simplicity) and is at a high enough elevation angle such that it can provide radio coverage to the area of one of the beams originally covered by the source satellite. Figure 1B Depicts the situation when the beam footprint shapes from the source satellite 110-1 and the target satellite 110-2 exactly overlap. In reality, due to the different angles, orientations of the beams, and the curvature of the Earth, this may not be achievable. Additionally, a larger number and size of the satellite beams of the same satellite will further complicate the processing required to achieve a complete whole for each beam, even for a limited period of time.

[0051] In practice, it is expected that the beam footprints will overlap as Figure 1C shown (simplified), where both the source satellite 110-1 and the target satellite 110-2 are assumed to perform beam shaping in order to minimize the distortion of their own beam footprints. This non-ideal beam overlap causes some beam-edge UEs to potentially experience handover failures or even radio link failures during the satellite handover period.

[0052] According to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, a solution for beam shaping coordination between devices is proposed. The beam shaping of a first device and a second device is coordinated. During a satellite handover time period in a given geographical area, a source beam footprint is gradually reduced while a target beam footprint is gradually increased. When such coordination is applied, the radio coverage experienced by a UE may be similar to the radio coverage in a terrestrial network. In this way, for mobility purposes, it may not be necessary to change the UE measurement configuration and procedures. The solution can be enhanced by leveraging the coordination of other radio parameters. The solution may be mainly applicable to NTN LEO / MEO with geostationary cell deployments. When the satellite footprint is large (with many and / or large beams) and the deployment objective is "global" coverage using satellites on different orbits, the solution can also be used for NTN LEO / MEO with mobile cells on the Earth. The solution may also be useful for HAPS deployments when the HAPS gNB has beamforming capabilities to provide coverage for areas not under its "default" footprint.

[0053] Figure 2 FIG. shows a schematic diagram of a communication environment 200 in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. The communication environment 200, as part of a communication network, further includes a first device 210. The communication environment 200 further includes a second device 220. The communication environment 200 further includes devices 230-1, 230-2, 230-3, …, 230-N, which may be collectively referred to as "(multiple) third devices 230". The number N may be any suitable integer. The first device 210 and the second device 220 may communicate with each other, and the first device 210 and the second device 220 may also communicate with the third device 230. For illustrative purposes only, the first device 210 and the second device 220 are described as non-terrestrial devices and the third device 230 is described as a terminal device. The communication environment 200 may further include a terrestrial network device 240. The third device 230 may communicate with the terrestrial network device 240. As Figure 2 shown, the third device 230 may also be connected to a location server 250.

[0054] The communication environment 200 may include any suitable number of devices and cells. In the communication environment 200, the first device 210 and the second device 220 may transmit data and control information to each other. It should be understood that Figure 2 the number of the first devices and cells shown and their connections are given for illustrative purposes and do not imply any limitation. The communication environment 200 may include any appropriate number of devices and networks suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0055] Example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Now refer to Figure 3, which shows an example of a signaling flow 300 for positioning a device. For the purpose of discussion, reference will be made to Figure 2 to describe the signaling flow 300. The signaling flow 300 may involve a first device 210, a second device 220, and a third device 230-1.

[0056] The first device 210 determines 3005 beamforming coordination between the first device 210 and the second device 220 based on the location information of the first device 210 and the second device 220. The second device 220 determines 3010 beamforming coordination between the first device 210 and the second device 220 based on the location information of the first device 210 and the second device 220. It should be noted that determining 3005 and determining 3010 may occur in different orders. For example, the first device 210 may determine 3005 beamforming coordination before the second device 220 determines 3010 beamforming coordination. In other example embodiments, determining 3005 may occur after determining 3010. Alternatively, the first device 210 and the second device 220 may determine beamforming coordination simultaneously. At least one third device is to switch from the source beam of the first device 210 to the target beam of the second device 220. For illustrative purposes only, as Figures 4A to 4E shown, the third devices 230-1, 230-2, and 230-3 may perform the handover. As Figure 4A shown, the source beam 410 of the first device 210 is currently serving the third devices 230-1, 230-2, and 230-3. As Figures 4B to 4E shown, the third devices 230-1, 230-2, and 230-3 may be switched to the target beam of the second device 220. It should be noted that Figures 4A to 4E the number of third devices in

[0057] is only an example and not a limitation.

[0058] The first device 210 and the second device 220 initiate a beam shaping process. In some example embodiments, the beam shaping process can be applied to a satellite beam region (i.e., an NR cell). Additionally, the beam shaping process can also be applied to a set of beams (i.e., a set of NR cells). Furthermore, from the perspective of a third device, the source beam 410 can be regarded as equivalent to the source NR cell, and the target beam 420 can be regarded as equivalent to the target NR cell. In this way, the third device 230 performs a normal handover between the source cell and the target cell, regardless of the satellite providing them.

[0059] In some exemplary embodiments, when the base station is located on Earth (transparent satellite payload scenario), for example, in or near a satellite gateway, and the satellite gateway has satellite radio interface connectivity with both the first device 210 (source satellite) and the second device 220 (target satellite), the source beam 410 and the target beam 420 can belong to the same base station (not shown). In this case, communication between base stations may not be required. However, this scenario still needs to consider the additional propagation delay from the satellite gateway to the satellite.

[0060] When the base station is on-board (regenerative payload scenario), the Xn interface can be established via an inter-satellite link or via a satellite gateway on the ground. The corresponding signaling delay can be taken into account in the beam shaping coordination process and timing. In the case where only the gNodeB distributed unit (gNB-DU) is on-board, the Xn interface is established between the gNodeB central units (gNB-CUs) on the ground.

[0061] In some example embodiments, the first device 210 can send 3015 pre-determined beam shaping coordination information to the second device 220. For example, as part of a "global process", the pre-determined beam shaping coordination information can be sent as a new Xn Application Protocol (XnAP) information element (IE). In some embodiments, the first device 210 can send a Beam Activation Request message to the second device 220. The Beam Activation Request message can include the pre-determined beam shaping coordination information. The first device 210 can receive a corresponding Satellite Beam Activation Response message from the second device 220. The Satellite Beam Activation Response message can indicate the success or failure of the requested activation. In other alternative embodiments, traditional XnAP processes can be reused and the pre-determined beam shaping coordination information can be included with a new ID, such as cell activation, neighbor information NR, cell auxiliary information NR, or NG-RAN node configuration update.

[0062] In some embodiments, the pre-determined beamforming coordination information may indicate the timing parameters of beamforming coordination. For example, the start time point and the end time point of beamforming coordination may be included in the pre-determined beamforming coordination information. Alternatively or additionally, the pre-determined beamforming coordination information may include the beam identifier of the source beam and / or the beam pointing geographical identifier. Optionally, the initial beam width of the source beam 410 may also be in the pre-determined beamforming coordination information.

[0063] Alternatively or additionally, the pre-determined beamforming coordination information may be the first transmission power level of the first device 210 at the start time point and the second transmission power level of the first device 210 at the end time point. In other embodiments, the first beam size of the source beam 410 at the start time point and the second beam size of the source beam 410 at the end time point may also be included in the pre-determined beamforming coordination information. Optionally, the pre-determined beamforming coordination information may include information on where the second device 220 should point its beam within the coverage area served by the source beam 410.

[0064] In other embodiments, the second device 220 may send 3020 additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information to the first device 210. In some embodiments, the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information may indicate the timing parameters of beamforming coordination. For example, the start time point and the end time point of beamforming coordination may be included in the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information. Alternatively or additionally, the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information may include the beam identifier of the target beam and / or the beam pointing geographical identifier. Optionally, the initial beam width of the target beam 410 may also be in the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information.

[0065] Alternatively or additionally, the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information may be the first transmission power level of the second device 220 at the start time point and the second transmission power level of the second device 220 at the end time point. In other embodiments, the first beam size of the target beam 420 at the start time point and the second beam size of the target beam 420 at the end time point may also be included in the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information. Optionally, the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information may include information on where the second device 220 should point its beam within the coverage area served by the source beam 410. For example, the first reference position of the second device 220 at the start time point and the second reference position of the second device 220 at the end time point may be in the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information.

[0066] In some example embodiments, the first device 210 may update the predetermined beamforming coordination information based on additional predetermined beamforming coordination information of the second device 220. Similarly, the second device 220 may update the additional predetermined beamforming coordination information based on the predetermined beamforming coordination information of the first device 210. In other embodiments, the beamforming coordination information may not be exchanged between the first device 210 and the second device 220. By way of example only, if the source beam 410 and the second beam 420 are controlled by the same base station, the exchange of beamforming coordination information via Xn or inter-node messages may not be required, and internal communication may be used.

[0067] The first device 210 adjusts 3025 the coverage of the source beam 410 based on the predetermined beamforming coordination information. In some example embodiments, the source beam 410 may be adjusted using beamforming. For example, the beam of the first device 210 may have a certain footprint on the Earth determined by the spaceborne-generated radio beamwidth and beam orientation. Depending on the type of antenna system of the spaceborne on the first device 210, the beam may be generated using signal processing. For example, a parabolic reflector antenna or a large array of antenna elements may be used. The size and shape of the beam footprint may be adjusted by changing the radiation characteristics of the spaceborne antenna system. For example, when using an array of antenna elements, analog or hybrid (digital and analog) beamforming techniques allow changing the orientation of the beam by changing the relative phase shift between the antenna elements, while the beamwidth may be adjusted by changing the number of antenna elements activated in forming the beam.

[0068] In some embodiments, beamforming techniques based on partial or all terrestrial signal processing techniques may be used, which allows a higher degree of satellite coverage flexibility while maintaining a viable satellite payload complexity. Additionally, the use of such techniques may reduce satellite development time and associated risks. Terrestrial beamforming techniques may rely on the transmission of the radiation element signals to the ground and vice versa. Taking advantage of all the flexibility provided by terrestrial digital signal processing, the formation of the beam may be implemented on the ground. These techniques result in a simplification of the spaceborne functions.

[0069] It should be noted that the coverage of the source beam 410 may be adjusted using any suitable technique. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited in this regard. For example, an adaptive beamforming method optimized for individual users of a mobile satellite system (MSS) may be used. The source beam may be optimized based on known positions or the waveforms received from all co-channel users. The optimization process may consider the spatial distribution of all co-channel users within the footprint of the first device 210. The source beam 310 may adapt to the user's position and the co-channel interference environment.

[0070] For example, if the pre - determined beamforming coordination information indicates the first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and the second reference position of the target beam at the end time point, the first device 210 can reduce the size of the source beam 410 based on the first reference position and the second reference position. In this way, unnecessary link failures between third - party devices and the source beam can be avoided.

[0071] In other embodiments, the pre - determined beamforming coordination information may include the first transmission power level of the first device 210 at the start time point and the second transmission power level of the first device 210 at the end time point. The first device 210 can reduce the first transmission power of the source beam 410 to the second transmission power of the source beam 410 during the beamforming process. It can avoid interference between the source beam and the target beam.

[0072] In an example embodiment, the size of the source beam 410 can be adjusted to align with a simultaneous change in the orientation of the source beam 410. In this way, it can track a fixed position / area on the Earth while the first device and the second device move along an orbit. In some embodiments, the source beam 410 can be reduced at a first rate that is different from the second rate used by the second device 220 to increase the size of the target beam 420. Alternatively, the first device 210 can reduce the size of the source beam 410 at the same rate as increasing the size of the target beam 420. The first rate and the second rate can be pre - determined. In other embodiments, the first rate and the second rate can be dynamically changed based on real - time conditions (e.g., link failure or link quality).

[0073] As described above, the first device 210 and the second device 220 can exchange their pre - determined beamforming coordination information. The source beam 410 can be adjusted based on the pre - determined beamforming coordination information of the first device 210 and additional pre - determined beamforming coordination information of the second device 220. In this way, it enhances beamforming coordination and optimizes the handover process.

[0074] The second device 220 initiates 3030 the target beam 420 based on additional pre - determined beamforming coordination information. For example, the additional pre - determined beamforming coordination information may indicate the initial size of the target beam 420. In some embodiments, the target beam 420 at the start time point may be within the coverage of the source beam 410. Alternatively or additionally, the target beam 420 can be set based on the initial transmission power in the additional pre - determined beamforming coordination information. In other embodiments, the initial power of the target beam 420 can be set based on the estimated link budget difference between the first device 210 and the second device 220.

[0075] The second device 220 adjusts 3035 the coverage of the target beam 420 based on additional predetermined beamforming coordination information. Similarly, in some example embodiments, the target beam 420 can be adjusted using beamforming. It should be noted that the coverage of the target beam 420 can be adjusted using any suitable technique. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited in this regard.

[0076] For example, if the predetermined beamforming coordination information indicates a first reference position of the target beam at a start time point and a second reference position of the target beam at an end time point, the second device 220 can adjust the coverage of the target beam 420 based on the first reference position and the second reference position. In this way, unnecessary link failures of the third device are avoided.

[0077] In other embodiments, the predetermined beamforming coordination information can include a first transmission power level of the second device 220 at a start time point and a second transmission power level of the second device 220 at an end time point. The second device 220 can increase the first transmission power of the target beam 420 to the second transmission power of the target beam 420 during the beamforming process. It can avoid interference between the source beam and the target beam.

[0078] In one example embodiment, the size of the target beam 420 can be adjusted to align with a simultaneous change in the orientation of the target beam 420. In this way, it can track a fixed position / area on the earth while the first device and the second device move along an orbit. In some embodiments, the target beam 420 can be increased at a second rate that is different from the first rate used by the first device 210 to decrease the size of the source beam 410. Alternatively, the second device 220 can increase the size of the target beam 420 at the same rate as the size of the source beam 410 is decreased. The first rate and the second rate can be predetermined. In other embodiments, the first rate and the second rate can be dynamically changed based on real-time conditions (e.g., link failure or link quality).

[0079] As described above, the first device 210 and the second device 220 can exchange their predetermined beamforming coordination information. The target beam 420 can be adjusted based on the predetermined beamforming coordination information of the first device 210 and the additional predetermined beamforming coordination information of the second device 220. In this way, it enhances beamforming coordination and optimizes the handover process.

[0080] It should be noted that adjustments 3025 and 3035 can occur in any suitable order. For example, the first device 210 and the second device 220 can adjust the corresponding beams simultaneously. Alternatively, the first device 210 can adjust the source beam 410 before / after the second device 220 adjusts the target beam 420.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first device 210 may send a measurement report configuration 3040 to the third device 230-1. The measurement report configuration may include a time period for beamforming coordination between the first device 210 and the second device 220. For example, the measurement report configuration may indicate a start time point and an end time point. Alternatively or additionally, the measurement report configuration may include one or more sub-interval time periods for sending measurement reports. The third device 230-1 may send a measurement report 3045 to the first device 210. The measurement report may be any suitable type of measurement report. For example, the measurement report may include event A4, which means that a neighbor becomes better than a threshold. Event A4 may be triggered when an adjacent cell becomes better than a predefined threshold. This event can be used for a handover process that is independent of the coverage of the serving cell. The first device 210 may reduce the coverage of the source beam 410 based on the measurement report. The first device 210 may request (negotiate with the second device 220) to change the beamforming coordination timeline based on the measurement report from the third device 230-1. For example, if no A4 report is received, it means that no third device 230 has detected the target beam 420. Therefore, the timeline can be accelerated to reduce the source beam 410 more quickly.

[0082] In other embodiments, the second device 220 may send a measurement report configuration 3050 to the third device 230-1. The measurement report configuration may include a time period for beamforming coordination between the first device 210 and the second device 220. For example, the measurement report configuration may indicate a start time point and an end time point. Alternatively or additionally, the measurement report configuration may include one or more sub-interval time periods for sending measurement reports. The third device 230-1 may send a measurement report 3055 to the second device 220. The measurement report may be any suitable type of measurement report. For example, the measurement report may include event A4, which means that a neighbor becomes better than a threshold. Event A4 may be triggered when an adjacent cell becomes better than a predefined threshold. This event can be used for a handover process that is independent of the coverage of the serving cell. The second device 220 may increase the coverage of the target beam 420 based on the measurement report. The second device 220 may request (negotiate with the first device 210) to change the beamforming coordination timeline based on the measurement report from the third device 230-1. For example, if no A4 report is received, it means that no third device 230 has detected the target beam 420. Therefore, the timeline can be accelerated to increase the target beam 420 more quickly.

[0083] The first device 210 may deactivate the source beam 410 after the third device 230 is handed over to the second device 220. In this way, the handover process of the third device 230 remains unchanged.

[0084] ReferenceFigures 4A to 4E Describe an example beamforming process. As Figure 4A shown, at time T0, the source beam 410 of the first device 210 serves the third devices 230-1, 230-2, and 230-3. Referring to Figure 5B , at time T0, the reception quality of the third device 230-2 is better than that of the third devices 230-1 and 230-3. The third device 230-3 has relatively poor reception quality because it is at the edge of the source beam 410. The first device 210 can initiate a beamforming coordination process with the second device 220 at time T0. After T_start, the target beam 420 can be set within the source beam 410.

[0085] During the beamforming process ( Figure 5B shown from T_start to T_end), the first device 210 can gradually reduce the coverage of the source beam 410 and the second device 220 can gradually increase the coverage of the target beam 420. The rate of increase in the target beam size and the rate of decrease in the source beam size do not need to be the same. For example, the rate of decrease in the source beam size can be lower than the rate of increase in the target beam size. Additionally, the transmit power levels in the source satellite beam and the target satellite beam can also be coordinated. For example, the source satellite can gradually reduce its TX power while the target satellite can gradually increase its TX power.

[0086] As Figure 4B shown, at time Tl, the third device 230-2 can be within the coverage of the target beam 420. The third device 230-2 can switch from the first device 210 to the second device 220. The third devices 230-1 and 230-3 can still be served by the first device 210.

[0087] Referring to Figure 4C , the third devices 230-1 and 230-2 can be within the coverage of the target beam 420. The third device 230-1 can switch from the first device 210 to the second device 220. The third device 230-3 can be served by the first device 210.

[0088] As Figure 4D shown, the third devices 230-1, 230-2, and 230-3 can be within the coverage of the target beam 420. The third device 230-3 can switch from the first device 210 to the second device 220. At time Time_end, the source beam 410 can be deactivated and the third devices 230-1, 230-2, and 230-3 can be served by the target beam 420.

[0089] Referring to Figure 5A, during the beam shaping process (from T_start to T_end), the beam area of the source beam 410 (shown as a solid line) can gradually decrease, while the beam area of the target beam 420 (shown as a dashed line) can increase. As Figure 5B shown, the reception quality of the third device may change due to the handover.

[0090] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of an example method 600 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 600 can be implemented on any suitable device. For the purpose of discussion, method 600 will be described from the perspective of Figure 2 the first device 210.

[0091] At block 610, the first device determines beam shaping coordination between the first device 210 and the second device 220 based on the location information of the first device 210 and the second device 220. In some example embodiments, the beam shaping coordination can be achieved based on one or more of the following: the geographical coordinates of the area of interest, the predictable movement of the first device 210 along its orbit, the predictable movement of the second device 220 along its orbit, and the common time reference of the first device 210 and the second device 220. It should be noted that the beam shaping coordination can be triggered based on any suitable information, e.g., the location information and time information of the first device 210 and the second device 220. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited in this regard.

[0092] The first device 210 and the second device 220 initiate a beam shaping process. In some example embodiments, the beam shaping process can be applied to one satellite beam area (i.e., one NR cell). Additionally, the beam shaping process can also be applied to a group of beams (i.e., a group of NR cells). Furthermore, from the perspective of the third device, the source beam 410 can be regarded as equivalent to the source NR cell, and the target beam 420 can be regarded as equivalent to the target NR cell. In this way, the third device 230 performs a normal handover between the source cell and the target cell regardless of the satellites providing them.

[0093] In some example embodiments, the first device 210 may send predetermined beamforming coordination information to the second device 220. For example, as part of a "global procedure", the predetermined beamforming coordination information may be sent as a new XnAP information element (IE). In some embodiments, the first device 210 may send a beam activation request message to the second device 220. The beam activation request message may include the predetermined beamforming coordination information. The first device 210 may receive a corresponding satellite beam activation response message from the second device 220. The satellite beam activation response message may indicate the success or failure of the requested activation. In other alternative embodiments, the traditional XnAP procedure may be reused and the predetermined beamforming coordination information may be included with a new ID, such as cell activation, neighbor information NR, cell assistance information NR, or NG-RAN node configuration update.

[0094] In some embodiments, the predetermined beamforming coordination information may indicate timing parameters for beamforming coordination. For example, the start time point and end time point of beamforming coordination may be included in the predetermined beamforming coordination information. Alternatively or additionally, the predetermined beamforming coordination information may include the beam identification of the source beam and / or the beam pointing geographical identification. Optionally, the initial beam width of the source beam 410 may also be in the predetermined beamforming coordination information.

[0095] Alternatively or additionally, the predetermined beamforming coordination information may be the first transmission power level of the first device 210 at the start time point and the second transmission power level of the first device 210 at the end time point. In other embodiments, the first beam size of the source beam 410 at the start time point and the second beam size of the source beam 410 at the end time point may also be included in the predetermined beamforming coordination information. Optionally, the predetermined beamforming coordination information may include information on where the second device 220 should point its beam within the coverage served by the source beam 410.

[0096] In other embodiments, the first device 210 may receive additional predetermined beamforming coordination information from the second device 220. In some embodiments, the additional predetermined beamforming coordination information may indicate timing parameters for beamforming coordination. For example, the start time point and end time point of beamforming coordination may be included in the additional predetermined beamforming coordination information. Alternatively or additionally, the additional predetermined beamforming coordination information may include the beam identification of the target beam and / or the beam pointing geographical identification. Optionally, the initial beam width of the target beam 410 may also be in the additional predetermined beamforming coordination information.

[0097] Alternatively or additionally, the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information may be the first transmission power level of the second device 220 at the start time point and the second transmission power level of the second device 220 at the end time point. In other embodiments, the first beam size of the target beam 420 at the start time point and the second beam size of the target beam 420 at the end time point may also be included in the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information. Optionally, the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information may include information on where within the coverage area served by the source beam 410 the second device 220 should direct its beam. For example, the first reference position of the second device 220 at the start time point and the second reference position of the second device 220 at the end time point may be in the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information.

[0098] In some example embodiments, the first device 210 may update the pre-determined beamforming coordination information based on the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information of the second device 220. Similarly, the second device 220 may update the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information of the first device 210. In other embodiments, the beamforming coordination information may not be exchanged between the first device 210 and the second device 220. Only by way of example, if the source beam 410 and the second beam 420 are controlled by the same base station, the exchange of beamforming coordination information via Xn or inter-node messages may not be required and internal communication may be used.

[0099] In block 620, the first device 210 adjusts the coverage of the source beam 410 in association with the adjustment of the target beam by the second device 220 based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information. In some example embodiments, the source beam 410 may be adjusted using beamforming. For example, the beam of the first device 210 may have a certain footprint on the Earth determined by the radio beamwidth and beam orientation generated on-board. Depending on the type of on-board antenna system of the first device 210, the beam may be generated using signal processing. For example, a parabolic reflector antenna or a large array of antenna elements may be used. The size and shape of the beam footprint may be adjusted by changing the radiation characteristics of the on-board antenna system. For example, when using an array of antenna elements, analog or hybrid (digital and analog) beamforming techniques allow the orientation of the beam to be changed by changing the relative phase shift between the antenna elements, while the beamwidth may be adjusted by changing the number of antenna elements activated in forming the beam.

[0100] In some embodiments, beamforming techniques based on some or all of the terrestrial signal processing techniques may be used, which allows a high degree of satellite coverage flexibility while maintaining a viable satellite payload complexity. Additionally, the use of such techniques can reduce satellite development time and associated risks. Terrestrial beamforming techniques may rely on the transmission of radiation element signals to the ground and vice versa. Leveraging all the flexibility provided by terrestrial digital signal processing, the formation of the beam can be achieved on the ground. These techniques lead to a simplification of the on-board functionality.

[0101] It should be noted that the coverage of the source beam 410 can be adjusted using any suitable technique. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited in this regard. For example, an adaptive beamforming method optimized for individual users of a mobile satellite system (MSS) can be used. The source beam can be optimized based on known positions or waveforms received from all co-channel users. The optimization process can take into account the spatial distribution of all co-channel users within the footprint of the first device 210. The source beam 310 can adapt to the user's position and co-channel interference environment.

[0102] For example, if the pre-determined beam shaping coordination information indicates a first reference position of the target beam at a start time point and a second reference position of the target beam at an end time point, then the first device 210 can reduce the size of the source beam 410 based on the first reference position and the second reference position. In this way, unnecessary link failures between the third-party device and the source beam are avoided.

[0103] In other embodiments, the pre-determined beam shaping coordination information may include a first transmission power level of the first device 210 at a start time point and a second transmission power level of the first device 210 at an end time point. The first device 210 can reduce the first transmission power of the source beam 410 to the second transmission power of the source beam 410 during the beam shaping process. It can avoid interference between the source beam and the target beam.

[0104] In an exemplary embodiment, the size of the source beam 410 can be adjusted to align with a simultaneous change in the orientation of the source beam 410. In this way, it can track a fixed position / area on the Earth while the first device and the second device move along the orbit. In some embodiments, the source beam 410 can be reduced at a first rate that is different from the second rate used to increase the size of the target beam 420 by the second device 220. Alternatively, the first device 210 can reduce the size of the source beam 410 at the same rate as the increase in the size of the target beam 420. The first rate and the second rate can be pre-determined. In other embodiments, the first rate and the second rate can be dynamically changed based on real-time conditions (e.g., link failure or link quality).

[0105] As described above, the first device 210 and the second device 220 may exchange their predetermined beamforming coordination information. The source beam 410 may be adjusted based on the predetermined beamforming coordination information of the first device 210 and additional predetermined beamforming coordination information of the second device 220. In this way, beamforming coordination is enhanced and the handover process is optimized.

[0106] In some embodiments, the first device 210 may send a measurement report configuration to a third device 230-1. The measurement report configuration may include a time period for beamforming coordination between the first device 210 and the second device 220. For example, the measurement report configuration may indicate a start time point and an end time point. Alternatively or additionally, the measurement report configuration may include one or more sub-interval time periods for sending the measurement report. The measurement report may be sent from the third device 230-1 to the first device 210. The measurement report may be any suitable type of measurement report. For example, the measurement report may include event A4, which means that a neighbor becomes better than a threshold. Event A4 may be triggered when an adjacent cell becomes better than a predefined threshold. This event may be used for a handover process that is independent of the coverage of the serving cell. The first device 210 may reduce the coverage of the source beam 410 based on the measurement report. The first device 210 may request (in negotiation with the second device 220) to change the beamforming coordination timeline based on the measurement report from the third device 230-1. For example, if no A4 report is received, it means that no third device 230 has detected the target beam 420. Therefore, the timeline may be accelerated to reduce the source beam 410 more quickly.

[0107] In some example embodiments, the first device 210 may deactivate the source beam 410 after the third device 230 is handed over to the second device 220. In this way, the handover process of the third device 230 is not changed.

[0108] Figure 7 A flowchart of an example method 700 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method 700 may be implemented at any suitable device. For the purpose of discussion, method 700 will be described Figure 2 from the perspective of the second device 220.

[0109] At block 710, the second device 220 determines beamforming coordination between the first device 210 and the second device 220 based on the location information of the first device 210 and the second device 220. In other embodiments, the second device 220 may send 3020 additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information to the first device 210. In some embodiments, the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information may indicate timing parameters of the beamforming coordination. For example, the start time point and the end time point of the beamforming coordination may be included in the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information. Alternatively or additionally, the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information may include the beam identifier of the target beam and / or the beam pointing geographical identifier. Optionally, the initial beam width of the target beam 410 may also be in the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information.

[0110] Alternatively or additionally, the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information may be the first transmission power level of the second device 220 at the start time point and the second transmission power level of the second device 220 at the end time point. In other embodiments, the first beam size of the target beam 420 at the start time point and the second beam size of the target beam 420 at the end time point may also be included in the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information. Optionally, the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information may include information on where the second device 220 should point its beam within the coverage area served by the source beam 410. For example, the first reference position of the second device 220 at the start time point and the second reference position of the second device 220 at the end time point may be in the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information.

[0111] In some example embodiments, the second device 220 may update the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information of the first device 210. In other embodiments, the beamforming coordination information may not be exchanged between the first device 210 and the second device 220. Only as an example, if the source beam 410 and the second beam 420 are controlled by the same base station, the exchange of beamforming coordination information via Xn or inter-node messages may not be required, and internal communication may be used.

[0112] At block 720, the second device 220 initiates a target beam 420 based on additional predetermined beamforming coordination information. For example, the additional predetermined beamforming coordination information may indicate an initial size of the target beam 420. In some embodiments, the target beam 420 at a start time point may be within the coverage of the source beam 410. Alternatively or additionally, the target beam 420 may be set based on an initial transmit power in the additional predetermined beamforming coordination information. In other embodiments, the initial power of the target beam 420 may be set based on an estimated link budget difference between the first device 210 and the second device 220.

[0113] At block 730, the second device 220 adjusts the coverage of the target beam 420 in association with an adjustment of the source beam by the first device 210, based on the additional predetermined beamforming coordination information. Similarly, in some example embodiments, the target beam 420 may be adjusted using beamforming. It should be noted that the coverage of the target beam 420 may be adjusted using any suitable technique. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited in this regard.

[0114] For example, if the predetermined beamforming coordination information indicates a first reference position of the target beam at a start time point and a second reference position of the target beam at an end time point, then the second device 220 may adjust the coverage of the target beam 420 based on the first reference position and the second reference position. In this way, unnecessary link failures of third-party devices are avoided.

[0115] In other embodiments, the predetermined beamforming coordination information may include a first transmit power level of the second device 220 at a start time point and a second transmit power level of the second device 220 at an end time point. The second device 220 may increase the first transmit power of the target beam 420 to the second transmit power of the target beam 420 during the beamforming process. It can avoid interference between the source beam and the target beam.

[0116] In one example embodiment, the size of the target beam 420 may be adjusted to align with a simultaneous change in the orientation of the target beam 420. In this way, it can track a fixed position / area on the earth when the first device and the second device move along an orbit. In some embodiments, the target beam 420 may be increased at a second rate that is different from a first rate used by the first device 210 to decrease the size of the source beam 410. Alternatively, the second device 220 may increase the size of the target beam 420 at the same rate as the size of the source beam 410 is decreased. The first rate and the second rate may be predetermined. In other embodiments, the first rate and the second rate may be dynamically changed based on real-time conditions (e.g., link failure or link quality).

[0117] As described above, the first device 210 and the second device 220 may exchange their predetermined beamforming coordination information. The target beam 420 may be adjusted based on the predetermined beamforming coordination information of the first device 210 and additional predetermined beamforming coordination information of the second device 220. In this way, it enhances beamforming coordination and optimizes the handover process.

[0118] In other embodiments, the second device 220 may send a measurement report configuration to the third device 230-1. The measurement report configuration may include a time period for beamforming coordination between the first device 210 and the second device 220. For example, the measurement report configuration may indicate a start time point and an end time point. Alternatively or additionally, the measurement report configuration may include one or more sub-interval time periods for sending the measurement report. The second device 220 may receive a measurement report from the third device 230-1. The measurement report may be any suitable type of measurement report. For example, the measurement report may include event A4, which means that a neighbor becomes better than a threshold. Event A4 may be triggered when an adjacent cell becomes better than a predefined threshold. This event can be used for a handover process that is independent of the coverage of the serving cell. The second device 220 may increase the coverage of the target beam 420 based on the measurement report. The second device 220 may request (in negotiation with the first device 210) to change the beamforming coordination timeline based on the measurement report received from the third device 230-1. For example, if no A4 report is received, it means that no third device 230 has detected the target beam 420. Therefore, the timeline may be accelerated to increase the target beam 420 more quickly.

[0119] Figure 8 A flowchart of an example method 800 in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The method 800 may be implemented at any suitable device. For purposes of discussion, method 800 will be described Figure 2 from the perspective of the third device 230-1.

[0120] In block 810, the third device 230-1 receives a measurement report configuration from the first device 210. The measurement report configuration may include a time period for beamforming coordination between the first device 210 and the second device 220. For example, the measurement report configuration may indicate a start time point and an end time point. Alternatively or additionally, the measurement report configuration may include one or more sub-interval time periods for sending the measurement report.

[0121] At block 820, a third device 230-1 sends a measurement report to a first device 210. The measurement report can be of any suitable type. For example, the measurement report can include event A4, which means that a neighbor becomes better than a threshold. Event A4 can be triggered when an adjacent cell becomes better than a predefined threshold. This event can be used for a handover process that is independent of the coverage of the serving cell.

[0122] In other embodiments, the third device 230-1 can receive a measurement report configuration from a second device 220. The third device 230-1 can send a measurement report to the second device 220.

[0123] In some embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., the first device 210) for performing method 600 can include corresponding components for performing the corresponding steps in method 600. These components can be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, it can be implemented by circuitry or software modules.

[0124] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes components for determining beamforming coordination between a first device and a second device based on location information of the first device and the second device at the first device, the third device being switched from a source beam of the first device to a target beam of the second device; and components for adjusting the coverage of the source beam of the first device in association with an adjustment of the target beam by the second device based on pre-determined beamforming coordination information.

[0125] In some exemplary embodiments, the components for adjusting the coverage of the source beam include: components for obtaining a start time point and an end time point of beamforming coordination from pre-determined beamforming coordination information; components for obtaining a first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and a second reference position of the target beam at the end time point from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; and components for reducing the size of the source beam based on the first reference position and the second reference position.

[0126] In some exemplary embodiments, the components for adjusting the coverage of the source beam include: components for obtaining a start time point and an end time point of beamforming coordination from pre-determined beamforming coordination information; components for obtaining a first transmission power level of the first device at the start time point and a second transmission power level of the first device at the end time point from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; and components for reducing the first transmission power of the source beam to the second transmission power of the source beam.

[0127] In some example embodiments, the components for adjusting the coverage of the source beam include: components for reducing the size of the source beam at a first rate.

[0128] In some example embodiments, the component for adjusting the coverage of the source beam includes: a component for adjusting the size of the source beam to change the alignment simultaneously with the orientation of the source beam.

[0129] In some example embodiments, the component for adjusting the coverage of the source beam includes: a component for adjusting the coverage of the source beam based on predetermined beamforming coordination information and additional beamforming coordination information received from a second device, the additional beamforming coordination information including at least one of the following: a start time point and an end time point of beamforming coordination, a first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and a second reference position of the target beam at the end time point, a first beam size of the target beam at the start time point and a second beam size of the target beam at the end time point, or a first transmission power level of the second device at the start time point and a second transmission power level of the second device at the end time point.

[0130] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further includes a component for sending predetermined beamforming coordination information to the second device, the predetermined beamforming coordination information including at least one of the following: a start time point and an end time point of beamforming coordination, a first beam size of the source beam at the start time point and a second beam size of the source beam at the end time point, or a first transmission power level of the first device at the start time point and a second transmission power level of the first device at the end time point.

[0131] In some example embodiments, the apparatus further includes a component for sending a measurement report configuration to a third device, the measurement report configuration indicating one or more of the following: a time period of beamforming coordination, or at least one sub-interval time period for sending a measurement report within the time period; a component for receiving a measurement report from the third device; and a component for adjusting the coverage of the source beam includes a component for reducing the coverage of the source beam based on the measurement report.

[0132] In some embodiments, the apparatus (e.g., the second device 220) for performing method 700 may include corresponding components for performing the corresponding steps in method 700. These components may be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, it may be implemented by circuitry or software modules.

[0133] In some example embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for determining beamforming coordination between a first device and a second device based on the location information of the first device and the second device at the second device, a third device will be switched from the source beam of the first device to the target beam of the second device; a component for initiating the target beam of the second device based on predetermined beamforming coordination information; and a component for adjusting the coverage of the target beam of the second device in association with the adjustment of the source beam by the first device based on the predetermined beamforming coordination information.

[0134] In some exemplary embodiments, the component for adjusting the coverage of a target beam includes: a component for obtaining a start time point and an end time point of beamforming coordination from pre-determined beamforming coordination information; a component for obtaining a first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and a second reference position of the target beam at the end time point from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; and a component for adjusting the coverage of the target beam based on the first reference position and the second reference position.

[0135] In some example embodiments, the component for initiating a target beam includes: a component for setting an initial size of the target beam to be within the coverage of a source beam; and a component for setting an initial transmission power of the target beam based on an estimated link budget difference between a first device and a second device.

[0136] In some exemplary embodiments, the component for adjusting the coverage of a target beam includes: a component for obtaining a start time point and an end time point of beamforming coordination from pre-determined beamforming coordination information; a component for obtaining a first transmission power level of a second device at the start time point and a second transmission power level of the second device at the end time point from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; and a component for increasing a first transmission power of the target beam to a second transmission power of the target beam.

[0137] In some example embodiments, the component for adjusting the coverage of a target beam includes: a component for increasing the size of the target beam at a second rate.

[0138] In some example embodiments, the component for adjusting the coverage of a target beam includes: a component for adjusting the size of the target beam to be aligned with a simultaneous change in the orientation of the target beam.

[0139] In some example embodiments, the component for adjusting the coverage of a source beam includes: a component for adjusting the coverage of the target beam based on pre-determined beamforming coordination information and additional beamforming coordination information received from a first device, the additional beamforming coordination information including at least one of the following: a start time point and an end time point of beamforming coordination, a first beam size of the source beam at the start time point and a second beam size of the source beam at the end time point, or a first transmission power level of the first device at the start time point and a second transmission power level of the first device at the end time point.

[0140] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: a component for sending predetermined beamforming coordination information to a first device, the predetermined beamforming coordination information including at least one of the following: a start time point and an end time point of beamforming coordination, a first reference position of a target beam at the start time point and a second reference position of the target beam at the end time point, a first beam size of the target beam at the start time point and a second beam size of the target beam at the end time point, or a first transmission power level of a second device at the start time point and a second transmission power level of the second device at the end time point.

[0141] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: a component for sending a measurement report configuration to a third device according to determining that the third device switches from the first device to the second device, the measurement report configuration indicating one or more of the following: a time period of beamforming coordination, at least one sub-interval time period for sending a measurement report in the time period; a component for receiving a measurement report from the third device; and a component for adjusting the coverage of a target beam including a component for increasing the coverage of the target beam based on the measurement report.

[0142] In some embodiments, the apparatus (e.g., the third device 230) for performing method 800 may include corresponding components for performing the corresponding steps in method 800. These components may be implemented in any suitable manner. For example, it may be implemented by circuitry or software modules.

[0143] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a component for receiving a measurement report configuration from a first device at a third device, the measurement report configuration indicating one or more of the following: a time period of beamforming coordination between the first device and the second device, at least one sub-interval time period for sending a measurement report in the time period; and based on the measurement report configuration, sending a measurement report to the first device.

[0144] In some embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: a component for receiving a measurement report configuration from a second device; and a component for sending a measurement report to the second device.

[0145] Figure 9 is an example of a block diagram of a device 900 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 900 may be provided to implement a communication device, e.g., Figure 2 the first device 210, the second device 220, or the third device 230 as shown. As shown, the device 900 includes one or more processors 910, one or more memories 920 coupled to the processor 910, and one or more communication modules (e.g., a transmitter and / or receiver (TX / RX)) 940 coupled to the processor 910.

[0146] The communication module 940 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 940 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary for communicating with other network elements.

[0147] The processor 910 can be of any type suitable for the local technical network and can include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, dedicated computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. The device 900 can have multiple processors, such as an application-specific integrated circuit chip that is clocked subordinate to a synchronous master processor in time.

[0148] The memory 920 can include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 924, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disc (CD), digital video disc (DVD), and other magnetic storage and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 922 and other volatile memories that will not persist during a power outage.

[0149] The computer program 930 includes computer-executable instructions executed by the associated processor 910. The program 930 can be stored in the ROM 924. The processor 910 can execute any suitable actions and processes by loading the program 930 into the RAM 922.

[0150] Embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by means of the program 930 such that the device 900 can execute any process of the present disclosure as discussed with reference to Figures 3 to 8 Embodiments of the present disclosure can also be implemented by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0151] In some embodiments, the program 930 can be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium, which can be included in the device 900 (such as in the memory 920) or in other storage devices accessible by the device 900. The device 900 can load the program 930 from the computer-readable medium into the RAM 922 for execution. The computer-readable medium can include any type of tangible non-volatile memory, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 10 An example of a computer-readable medium 1000 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. The computer-readable medium has the program 930 stored thereon.

[0152] Generally, the various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software, which may be executed by a controller, a microprocessor, or other computing devices. Although aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, by way of non-limiting example, the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers, or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

[0153] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product, tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, which are executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the methods 500 to 800 as described above with reference to FIGS. 5 to Figure 8 Those described. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functions of the program modules may be combined or split among the program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions of the program modules may be executed locally or in a distributed device. In a distributed device, the program modules may be located in local and remote storage media.

[0154] The program code for performing the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus such that the program code, when executed by the processor or controller, causes the functions / operations specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram to be implemented. The program code may be executed entirely on the machine, partly on the machine as a stand-alone software package, partly on the machine and partly on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0155] In the context of the present disclosure, the computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0156] A computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium would include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0157] Moreover, although the operations are described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all of the illustrated operations be performed to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementation details are included in the foregoing discussion, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the present disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0158] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the above specific features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory, including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the first device to: determine beamforming coordination between the first device and a second device based on location information of the first device and the second device, wherein a source beam of a third device will be switched to a target beam of the second device, and the beamforming coordination is achieved based on at least one of the following: geographical coordinates of an area of interest, predictable movement of the first device along an orbit of the first device, predictable movement of the second device along an orbit of the second device, or a common time reference for the first device and the second device; and receive additional beamforming coordination information from the second device; update pre-determined beamforming coordination information based on the additional beamforming coordination information; and adjust the coverage of the source beam of the first device in association with an adjustment of the target beam by the second device based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information.

2. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to adjust the coverage of the source beam by: obtaining a start time point and an end time point of the beamforming coordination from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; obtaining a first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and a second reference position of the target beam at the end time point from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; and reducing the size of the source beam based on the first reference position and the second reference position.

3. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to adjust the coverage of the source beam by: obtaining a start time point and an end time point of the beamforming coordination from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; obtaining a first transmission power level of the first device at the start time point and a second transmission power level of the first device at the end time point from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; and reducing the first transmission power of the source beam to the second transmission power of the source beam.

4. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to adjust the coverage of the source beam by: reducing the size of the source beam at a first rate.

5. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to adjust the coverage of the source beam by: adjusting the size of the source beam to align with a simultaneous change in the orientation of the source beam.

6. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is caused to adjust the coverage of the source beam by: ​ Adjust the coverage of the source beam based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information and the additional beamforming coordination information received from the second device, where the additional beamforming coordination information includes at least one of the following: The start time point and end time point of the beamforming coordination, The first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and the second reference position of the target beam at the end time point, The first beam size of the target beam at the start time point and the second beam size of the target beam at the end time point, or The first transmission power level of the second device at the start time point and the second transmission power level of the second device at the end time point.

7. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is further configured to: Send the pre-determined beamforming coordination information to the second device, where the pre-determined beamforming coordination information includes at least one of the following: The start time point and end time point of the beamforming coordination, The first beam size of the source beam at the start time point and the second beam size of the source beam at the end time point, or The first transmission power level of the first device at the start time point and the second transmission power level of the first device at the end time point.

8. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device is further configured to: Send a measurement report configuration to the third device, where the measurement report configuration indicates one or more of the following: The time period of the beamforming coordination, or At least one sub-interval time period for sending measurement reports during the time period; receive the measurement report from the third device; and wherein the first device is configured to adjust the coverage of the source beam by: Reducing the coverage of the source beam based on the measurement report.

9. The first device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first device includes a satellite, the second device includes another satellite, and the third device includes a terminal device.

10. A second device, comprising: At least one processor; And At least one memory, including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the second device to: Determine beamforming coordination between the first device and the second device based on the position information of the first device and the second device, where the third device will be switched from the source beam of the first device to the target beam of the second device, and the beamforming coordination is achieved based on at least one of the following: The geographical coordinates of the area of interest, The predictable movement of the first device along the orbit of the first device, The predictable movement of the second device along the orbit of the second device, or Or A common time reference for the first device and the second device; Receive additional beamforming coordination information from the first device; Update the pre-determined beamforming coordination information based on the additional beamforming coordination information; Initiate the target beam of the second device based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; and Based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information, adjust the coverage of the target beam of the second device in association with the adjustment of the source target beam by the first device.

11. The second device according to claim 10, wherein the second device is caused to adjust the coverage of the target beam by: Obtain the start time point and end time point of the beamforming coordination from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; Obtain a first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and a second reference position of the target beam at the end time point from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; and Adjust the coverage of the target beam based on the first reference position and the second reference position.

12. The second device according to claim 10, wherein the second device is caused to initiate the target beam by: Set an initial size of the target beam to be within the coverage of the source beam; and Set an initial transmit power of the target beam based on an estimated link budget difference between the first device and the second device.

13. The second device according to claim 10, wherein the second device is caused to adjust the coverage of the target beam by: Obtain the start time point and end time point of the beamforming coordination from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; Obtain a first transmit power level of the second device at the start time point and a second transmit power level of the second device at the end time point from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; and Increase the first transmit power of the target beam to the second transmit power of the target beam.

14. The second device according to claim 10, wherein the second device is caused to adjust the coverage of the target beam by: Increase the size of the target beam at a second rate.

15. The second device according to claim 10, wherein the second device is caused to adjust the coverage of the target beam by: Adjust the size of the target beam to align with a simultaneous change in the orientation of the target beam.

16. The second device according to claim 10, wherein the second device is caused to adjust the coverage of the target beam by: Adjust the coverage of the target beam based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information and the additional beamforming coordination information received from the first device, the additional beamforming coordination information including at least one of the following: The start time point and end time point of the beamforming coordination, A first beam size of the source beam at the start time point and a second beam size of the source beam at the end time point, or A first transmit power level of the first device at the start time point and a second transmit power level of the first device at the end time point.

17. The second device according to claim 10, wherein the second device is further caused to: Send the predetermined beamforming coordination information to the first device, the predetermined beamforming coordination information including at least one of the following: The start time point and the end time point of the beamforming coordination, The first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and the second reference position of the target beam at the end time point, The first beam size of the target beam at the start time point and the second beam size of the target beam at the end time point, or The first transmission power level of the second device at the start time point and the second transmission power level of the second device at the end time point.

18. The second device according to claim 10, wherein the second device is further caused to: According to determining that the third device switches from the first device to the second device, send a measurement report configuration to the third device, the measurement report configuration indicating one or more of the following: The time period of the beamforming coordination, At least one sub-interval time period for sending a measurement report in the time period; receive the measurement report from the third device; and wherein the second device is caused to adjust the coverage of the target beam by: Increasing the coverage of the target beam based on the measurement report.

19. The second device according to any one of claims 10 to 18, wherein the first device includes a satellite, the second device includes another satellite, and the third device includes a terminal device.

20. A method, comprising: At a first device, based on the position information of the first device and the second device, determine beamforming coordination between the first device and the second device, wherein a third device will be switched from a source beam of the first device to a target beam of the second device, and the beamforming coordination is achieved based on at least one of the following: The geographical coordinates of the area of interest, The predictable movement of the first device along the orbit of the first device, The predictable movement of the second device along the orbit of the second device, or A common time reference for the first device and the second device; And Receive additional beamforming coordination information from the second device; Update the predetermined beamforming coordination information based on the additional beamforming coordination information; And Based on the predetermined beamforming coordination information, adjust the coverage of the source beam of the first device in association with the adjustment of the target beam by the second device.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein adjusting the coverage of the source beam includes: Obtain the start time point and the end time point of the beamforming coordination from the predetermined beamforming coordination information; Obtain the first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and the second reference position of the target beam at the end time point from the predetermined beamforming coordination information; And Based on the first reference position and the second reference position, reduce the size of the source beam.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein adjusting the coverage of the source beam comprises: obtaining, from the predetermined beamforming coordination information, a start time point and an end time point of the beamforming coordination; obtaining, from the predetermined beamforming coordination information, a first transmission power level of the first device at the start time point and a second transmission power level of the first device at the end time point; and reducing the first transmission power of the source beam to the second transmission power of the source beam.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein adjusting the coverage of the source beam comprises: reducing the size of the source beam at a first rate.

24. The method according to claim 20, wherein adjusting the coverage of the source beam comprises: adjusting the size of the source beam to align with a simultaneous change in the orientation of the source beam.

25. The method according to claim 20, wherein adjusting the coverage of the source beam comprises: adjusting the coverage of the source beam based on the predetermined beamforming coordination information and the additional beamforming coordination information received from the second device, the additional beamforming coordination information comprising at least one of the following: the start time point and the end time point of the beamforming coordination, a first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and a second reference position of the target beam at the end time point, a first beam size of the target beam at the start time point and a second beam size of the target beam at the end time point, or a first transmission power level of the second device at the start time point and a second transmission power level of the second device at the end time point.

26. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: sending the predetermined beamforming coordination information to the second device, the predetermined beamforming coordination information comprising at least one of the following: the start time point and the end time point of the beamforming coordination, a first beam size of the source beam at the start time point and a second beam size of the source beam at the end time point, or a first transmission power level of the first device at the start time point and a second transmission power level of the first device at the end time point.

27. The method according to claim 20, further comprising: sending a measurement report configuration to the third device, the measurement report configuration indicating one or more of the following: the time period of the beamforming coordination, or at least one sub-interval time period for sending a measurement report in the time period; receiving the measurement report from the third device; and wherein adjusting the coverage of the source beam comprises: reducing the coverage of the source beam based on the measurement report.

28. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 27, wherein the first device comprises a satellite, the second device comprises another satellite, and the third device comprises a terminal device.

29. A method, comprising: At a second device, based on the location information of the first device and the second device, beamforming coordination between the first device and the second device is determined, wherein a third device will have its source beam from the first device switched to a target beam of the second device, and the beamforming coordination is achieved based on at least one of the following: Geographical coordinates of an area of interest, Predictable movement of the first device along the orbit of the first device, Predictable movement of the second device along the orbit of the second device, or A common time reference for the first device and the second device; Receiving additional beamforming coordination information from the first device; Updating pre-determined beamforming coordination information based on the additional beamforming coordination information; Based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information, initiating the target beam of the second device; And Based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information, adjusting the coverage of the target beam of the second device in association with an adjustment of the source beam by the first device.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein adjusting the coverage of the target beam comprises: Obtaining a start time point and an end time point of the beamforming coordination from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; Obtaining a first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and a second reference position of the target beam at the end time point from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; And Adjusting the coverage of the target beam based on the first reference position and the second reference position.

31. The method according to claim 29, wherein initiating the target beam comprises: Setting an initial size of the target beam to be within the coverage of the source beam; And Setting an initial transmit power of the target beam based on an estimated link budget difference between the first device and the second device.

32. The method according to claim 29, wherein adjusting the coverage of the target beam comprises: Obtaining a start time point and an end time point of the beamforming coordination from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; Obtaining a first transmit power level of the second device at the start time point and a second transmit power level of the second device at the end time point from the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; And Increasing the first transmit power of the target beam to the second transmit power of the target beam.

33. The method according to claim 29, wherein adjusting the coverage of the target beam comprises: Increasing the size of the target beam at a second rate.

34. The method according to claim 29, wherein adjusting the coverage of the target beam comprises: Adjusting the size of the target beam to align with a simultaneous change in the orientation of the target beam.

35. The method according to claim 29, wherein adjusting the coverage of the source beam comprises: Adjust the coverage of the target beam based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information and the additional beamforming coordination information received from the first device, where the additional beamforming coordination information includes at least one of the following: The start time point and end time point of the beamforming coordination, The first beam size of the source beam at the start time point and the second beam size of the source beam at the end time point, or The first transmission power level of the first device at the start time point and the second transmission power level of the first device at the end time point.

36. The method according to claim 29, further comprising: Sending the pre-determined beamforming coordination information to the first device, where the pre-determined beamforming coordination information includes at least one of the following: The start time point and end time point of the beamforming coordination, The first reference position of the target beam at the start time point and the second reference position of the target beam at the end time point, The first beam size of the target beam at the start time point and the second beam size of the target beam at the end time point, or The first transmission power level of the second device at the start time point and the second transmission power level of the second device at the end time point.

37. The method according to claim 29, further comprising: According to determining that the third device switches from the first device to the second device, sending a measurement report configuration to the third device, where the measurement report configuration indicates one or more of the following: The time period of the beamforming coordination, At least one sub-interval time period for sending a measurement report in the time period; Receiving the measurement report from the third device; And where adjusting the coverage of the target beam includes: Increasing the coverage of the target beam based on the measurement report.

38. The method according to any one of claims 29 to 37, where the first device includes a satellite, the second device includes another satellite, and the third device includes a terminal device.

39. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processing unit of a machine, cause the machine to perform the method according to any one of claims 20 to 28, or the method according to any one of claims 29 to 38.

40. An apparatus comprising components for performing the method according to any one of claims 20 to 28, or the method according to any one of claims 29 to 38.

41. A system comprising: A first satellite, comprising components for performing the method according to any one of claims 20 to 28; And A second satellite, comprising components for performing the method according to any one of claims 29 to 38.

42. A method, comprising: At the first device, based on the location information of the first device and the second device, determine beamforming coordination between the first device and the second device, wherein a third device will be switched from a source beam of the first device to a target beam of the second device, and the beamforming coordination is achieved based on at least one of the following: The geographical coordinates of the region of interest, The predictable movement of the first device along the orbit of the first device, The predictable movement of the second device along the orbit of the second device, or A common time reference for the first device and the second device; At the first device, receive additional beamforming coordination information from the second device; At the first device, update the pre-determined beamforming coordination information based on the additional beamforming coordination information; At the first device, adjust the coverage of the source beam of the first device based on the pre-determined beamforming coordination information; And At the second device, adjust the coverage of the target beam of the second device based on the additional pre-determined beamforming coordination information.

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