System and method for satellite band allocation

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for satellite band allocation. Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to allocating a satellite band, e.g., a satellite channel, having a new radio (NR) channel and at least one long term evolution (LTE) channel to enable user equipment to communicate using a satellite network. Satellite bands may be configured to include NR channels that are positioned, e.g., arranged, such that the NR channels are shifted away from, e.g., not provided or positioned at, edges of, and / or shifted to the middle, e.g., center, of, the satellite bands relative to frequency. In addition, the satellite band may be configured to include at least one LTE channel located at one or both outer edges of the satellite band, rather than in the middle. Further, the NR channel may be arranged within a carrier center frequency range to reduce an allowed additional maximum power reduction (A-MPR) value.

Description

Background Art

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to satellite communications using Long Term Evolution (LTE) channels and / or New Radio (NR) channels. Technical Field

[0002] A wireless communication device (e.g., user equipment) may transmit wireless signals to and receive wireless signals from a non-terrestrial satellite network (NTN). However, the number and / or size of satellite frequency bands may be limited. In addition, satellite frequency bands may be located near other services (such as global navigation satellite system (GNSS) frequency bands), which may result in strict transmission requirements for satellite frequency bands. Summary of the invention

[0003] The following describes a summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein. It should be understood that these aspects are presented only to provide the reader with a concise summary of these specific embodiments, and these aspects are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In fact, the present disclosure may encompass a number of aspects that may not be described below.

[0004] In one embodiment, a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, are configured to cause the one or more processors to: receive a request to communicate via a satellite frequency band, allocate a first portion of the satellite frequency band to a first channel of a first cellular type, allocate a second portion of the satellite frequency band to a second channel of a second cellular type, and transmit or receive first data via the first portion of the satellite frequency band, transmit or receive second data via the second portion of the satellite frequency band, or both.

[0005] In another embodiment, a method includes: transmitting, via a transmitter of a user equipment, a request to communicate via a satellite frequency band; receiving, via a receiver of the user equipment, an indication of the satellite frequency band, the satellite frequency band including a first portion of a first cellular type and a second portion of a second cellular type; and transmitting or receiving first data via the first portion of the satellite frequency band, transmitting or receiving second data via the second portion of the satellite frequency band, or both.

[0006] In another embodiment, an electronic device includes: a transmitter; a receiver; and a processing circuit coupled to the transmitter and the receiver, the processing circuit being configured to receive a request to communicate via a satellite frequency band, send an indication of the satellite frequency band, the satellite frequency band including a first portion of a first cellular type and a second portion of a second cellular type, and send or receive first data via the first portion of the satellite frequency band, send or receive second data via the second portion of the satellite frequency band, or both.

[0007] With respect to various aspects of the present disclosure, there may be various improvements to the above-mentioned features. Other features may also be incorporated into these various aspects. These improvements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For example, the various features discussed below with respect to one or more embodiments in the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure individually or in any combination. The brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of the embodiments of the present disclosure, without limiting the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Various aspects of the present disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and referring to the drawings described below, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts.

[0009] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 2 According to the embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 1 Functional diagram of electronic equipment;

[0011] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the communication system comprising a non-terrestrial network communicatively coupled to a satellite supported network. Figure 1 User equipment;

[0012] Figure 4 is a flow chart of a method of communicating on an allocated satellite frequency band according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 5 is an example illustration of allocated satellite frequency bands including New Radio (NR) channels and Long Term Evolution Category M1 (LTE Cat M) channels according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 6 is an example illustration of an allocated satellite frequency band including an NR channel and two LTE CatM channels according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 7 is an example illustration of an allocated satellite frequency band including an NR channel, two LTE CatM channels, and two LTE Narrowband Internet of Things (LTE NB-IOT) channels according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 8 is an example illustration of an allocated satellite frequency band including an NR channel, an LTE CatM channel, and four LTE NB-IOT channels according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0017] Fig. 9 is an example illustration of an allocated satellite frequency band including an NR channel and seven LTE NB-IOT channels according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Fig.10 is an example illustration of an allocated satellite frequency band including at least one high allowed additional maximum power reduction (A-MPR) region and one low A-MPR region; and

[0019] Fig.11 is a flow chart of a method for transmitting or receiving a first data stream via a first portion of an allocated satellite frequency band and transmitting or receiving a second data stream via a second portion of the allocated satellite frequency band according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] When introducing the elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "one", "an" and "the" are intended to mean one or more elements present in the elements. The terms "include", "comprise" and "have" are intended to be inclusive, and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Additionally, it should be understood that the reference to "one embodiment" or "embodiment" of the present disclosure is not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the features. In addition, specific features, structures or characteristics can be combined in any appropriate manner in one or more embodiments. The use of the terms "roughly", "close to", "about", "close to" and / or "substantially" should be understood to mean including close to a target (e.g., design, value and amount), such as within the limits of any suitable or conceivable error (e.g., within 0.1% of the target, within 1% of the target, within 5% of the target, within 10% of the target, within 25% of the target, etc.). In addition, it should be understood that any exact value, number, measurement value, etc. provided herein can be conceived to include approximate values ​​of these exact values, numbers, measurement values, etc. (e.g., within the limits of suitable or conceivable error). Additionally, the term "set" may include one or more. That is, a set may include a single set of one member, but a set may also include sets of multiple members.

[0021] The present disclosure relates to a system and method for satellite frequency band allocation for non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). User equipment can reflect wireless signals to the NTN and receive wireless signals from the NTN. Specifically, the third generation partnership project (3GPP) standard can define one or more frequency ranges and / or frequency bands for satellite communication with the NTN. For example, 3GPP can allocate frequency bands (e.g., frequency bands within 1.5 gigahertz-2.4 gigahertz (GHz)) to handheld or wireless communication devices (e.g., user equipment). However, satellite frequency bands may be limited in number, small in size and / or deviate (e.g., relative to 5 megahertz (MHz) or 1MHz boundaries). Therefore, the resources that enable user equipment to exchange data with the NTN may be limited in number. In fact, the NTN may try to use several cellular technologies or types, but may not have enough bandwidth to allocate each block. Therefore, it may be desirable to allocate the satellite frequency bands of the NTN to communicate with the user equipment using different types of channels (e.g., long term evolution (LTE) channels and new radio (NR) channels), thereby improving uplink budget and resource utilization.

[0022] In addition, the transmit power of the user equipment during uplink transmission may be subject to regulations (e.g., from a regulatory agency). In some cases, the transmit power may be determined based on a maximum power reduction (MPR) value and an allowed additional maximum power reduction (A-MPR) value (e.g., an allowed power backoff value), which may help ensure compliance with these regulations. The A-MPR value may take into account the adjacent channel leakage ratio (ACLR) and the maximum allowed output power reduction (P-MPRC) to ensure compliance with applicable energy absorption requirements and address unnecessary transmission issues. That is, the A-MPR value can be used to reduce the transmit power of the user equipment. Therefore, it may be desirable to specify a carrier frequency range to identify the placement of NR channels within a satellite frequency band (e.g., relative to LTE channels within a satellite frequency band) and to reduce or minimize the reduction in transmit power through the A-MPR value.

[0023] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to allocating a satellite frequency band (e.g., a satellite channel) having an NR channel and at least one LTE channel to enable user equipment (e.g., a handheld device) to communicate using a satellite network (e.g., a non-terrestrial network). The satellite frequency band may be configured to implement a combination of various cellular technologies or types (e.g., an NR channel, one or more LTE channels) within the satellite frequency band. For example, the satellite frequency band may be configured to include an NR channel that is positioned (e.g., arranged) so that the NR channel is moved away from the edge of the satellite frequency band (e.g., not set or positioned at the edge of the satellite frequency band) and / or moved to the middle (e.g., center) of the satellite frequency band relative to frequency. In addition, the satellite frequency band may be configured to include at least one LTE channel located at one or both outer edges of the satellite frequency band (rather than in the middle). Due to the large maximum channel bandwidth of the NR channel, the location of at least one LTE channel located at one or both outer edges of the satellite frequency band may enable the at least one LTE channel to mitigate the impact of the larger emission generated by the NR channel.

[0024] The at least one LTE channel may include an LTE Category M1 (LTE CatM) channel, an LTE narrowband Internet of Things (LTE NB-IOT) channel, or any other suitable LTE channel. In addition, in some embodiments, dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) operation may be implemented between at least one LTE channel and an NR channel to enable a portion of spectrum resources (e.g., frequency resources) to be shared between channels. In fact, at least one LTE channel and an NR channel may be multiplexed on the same spectrum resources. In addition, DSS operation may be implemented by aligning one or more resource blocks of at least one LTE channel with one or more resource blocks of an NR channel. The one or more resource blocks may each include an allocation unit of time and / or frequency resources within a satellite frequency band, which may enable communication with a user equipment (or any other suitable device). Therefore, arranging at least one LTE channel and an NR channel within a satellite frequency band may enable the spectrum resource utilization of user equipment to be improved.

[0025] In addition, as described above, the NR channel can be positioned so that the NR channel moves away from the edge of the satellite frequency band and / or moves to the middle of the satellite frequency band. The offset of the NR channel (e.g., the amount of offset in multiples of the step size) can achieve a reduction or minimization of the A-MPR value. Each carrier center frequency range can be associated with a corresponding set of A-MPR values. For example, a first set of A-MPR values ​​can be associated with a first carrier frequency range, and a second set of A-MPR values ​​can be associated with a second carrier frequency range. The A-MPR values ​​can be captured by identifying the switching points between each carrier center frequency range, within which the A-MPR values ​​can be applied or not. These switching points can be based on channel size (e.g., at least one LTE channel size, NR channel size, and / or resource block (RB) size) and / or emission regulations.

[0026] The carrier center frequency range can be aligned with at least one LTE channel to deviate from the NR channel and reduce or minimize the A-MPR value. For example, without deviating from the NR channel, the A-MPR value can be equal to 16 decibels. However, after deviating from the NR channel to align with the carrier frequency range, the A-MPR value can be equal to 3 decibels. That is, the first area of ​​the carrier center frequency range and the second area of ​​the carrier center frequency range can be aligned with at least one LTE channel, so that the NR channel arrangement within the carrier center frequency range can reduce or minimize the A-MPR value. Since the A-MPR value can be subtracted from the transmit power of the user equipment, reducing or minimizing the A-MPR value can increase the transmit power of the user equipment. In this way, the NR channel arrangement can improve the utilization of spectrum resources and increase the maximum possible transmit power.

[0027] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a user device 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The user device 10 may include, among other things, one or more processors 12 (collectively referred to herein as a single processor for convenience, which may be implemented in any suitable form of processing circuitry), a memory 14, a non-volatile storage device 16, a display 18, input structures 22, an input / output (I / O) interface 24, a network interface 26, and a power supply 29. Figure 1 The various functional blocks shown may include hardware elements (including circuits), software elements (including machine executable instructions), or a combination of hardware and software elements (which may be referred to as logical components). Processor 12, memory 14, non-volatile storage device 16, display 18, input structure 22, input / output (I / O) interface 24, network interface 26, and / or power supply 29 may each be directly or indirectly communicatively coupled to each other (e.g., through or via another component, a communication bus, a network) to transmit and / or receive signals between each other. It should be noted that Figure 1It is merely one example of a particular implementation and is intended to illustrate the types of components that may be present in user equipment 10 .

[0028] By way of example, user equipment 10 may include any suitable computing device, including a desktop or laptop computer, a portable electronic or handheld electronic device (such as a wireless electronic device or a smart phone), a tablet computer, a wearable electronic device, and other similar devices. In additional or alternative embodiments, user equipment 10 may include an access point, such as a base station, a router (e.g., a wireless or Wi-Fi router), a hub, a switch, etc. It should be noted that Figure 1 The processor 12 and other related items in the embodiment may be embodied in whole or in part as software, hardware, or both. Figure 1 Other related items in the user equipment 10 may be single independent processing modules, or may be fully or partially integrated into any of the other elements in the user equipment 10. The processor 12 may be implemented using a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a controller, a state machine, a gated logic, a discrete hardware component, a dedicated hardware finite state machine, or any other suitable entity that can perform calculations or other manipulations of information. The processor 12 may include one or more application processors, one or more baseband processors, or both, and perform various functions described herein.

[0029] exist Figure 1 In the user equipment 10, the processor 12 may be operably coupled to the memory 14 and the non-volatile storage device 16 to execute various algorithms. Such programs or instructions executed by the processor 12 may be stored in any suitable article including one or more tangible computer-readable media. The tangible computer-readable medium may include the memory 14 and / or the non-volatile storage device 16, individually or collectively, to store instructions or routines. The memory 14 and the non-volatile storage device 16 may include any suitable article for storing data and executable instructions, such as random access memory, read-only memory, rewritable flash memory, hard drive, and optical disk. In addition, the program (e.g., operating system) encoded on such a computer program product may also include instructions that can be executed by the processor 12 to enable the user equipment 10 to provide various functions.

[0030] In certain embodiments, display 18 may facilitate a user viewing images generated on user equipment 10. In some embodiments, display 18 may include a touch screen that may facilitate a user interacting with a user interface of user equipment 10. Additionally, it should be understood that in some embodiments, display 18 may include one or more liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diode (LED) displays, organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) displays, or some combination of these and / or other display technologies.

[0031] The input structures 22 of the user equipment 10 may enable a user to interact with the user equipment 10 (e.g., pressing a button to increase or decrease a volume level). As with the network interface 26, the I / O interface 24 may enable the user equipment 10 to interact with a variety of other electronic devices. In some embodiments, the I / O interface 24 may include an I / O port for a hardwired connection to charge and / or manipulate content using a standard connector and protocol (such as a Lightning connector, a universal serial bus (USB), or other similar connectors and protocols). The network interface 26 may include, for example, one or more interfaces for a personal area network (PAN), such as an ultra-wideband (UWB) or Network; Local Area Network (LAN) or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), such as one of the IEEE 802.11x family of protocols (e.g., ) networks; and / or wide area networks (WANs), such as any standards associated with the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including, for example, 3rd generation (3G) cellular networks, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), 4th generation (4G) cellular networks, (LTE) cellular network, Long Term Evolution Licensed Assisted Access (LTE-LAA) cellular network, 5th Generation (5G) cellular network and / or New Radio (NR) cellular network, 6th Generation (6G) or beyond 6G cellular network, satellite network, non-terrestrial network, etc. Specifically, the network interface 26 may include, for example, one or more interfaces of a cellular communication standard of the 5G specification including a millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency range (e.g., 24.25 gigahertz (GHz) to 300 GHz) for using a frequency range defined and / or implementing for wireless communication. The network interface 26 of the user equipment 10 may allow communication through the aforementioned networks (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi, LTE-LAA, etc.).

[0032] The network interface 26 may also include, for example, one or more interfaces for: a broadband fixed wireless access network (eg, ), mobile broadband wireless network (mobile ), asynchronous digital subscriber line (e.g., ADSL, VDSL), digital video terrestrial broadcasting Network and its extension DVB handheld devices Networks, ultra-wideband (UWB) networks, alternating current (AC) power lines, etc.

[0033] As shown, the network interface 26 may include a transceiver 30. In some embodiments, all or part of the transceiver 30 may be arranged in the processor 12. The transceiver 30 may support the transmission and reception of various wireless signals via one or more antennas, and may therefore include a transmitter and a receiver. For example, the transceiver 30 may support the use of the allocated satellite frequency bands of a satellite network (e.g., a non-terrestrial network) for communication. That is, the transceiver 30 may support the transmission and reception of various wireless signals via the allocated satellite frequency bands of the satellite network. The allocated satellite frequency bands may include a frequency range allocated for the transmission and reception of various wireless signals. In some embodiments, the allocation (e.g., channel arrangement) of the allocated satellite frequency bands may be based on the identification of the carrier frequency range. Therefore, the transceiver 30 may support the transmission or reception of first data via the first part of the allocated satellite frequency bands and / or the transmission or reception of second data via the second part of the allocated satellite frequency bands. In this way, the spectrum resource utilization of the user equipment 10 can be improved. Additionally, power source 29 of user equipment 10 may include any suitable power source, such as a rechargeable lithium polymer (Li-poly) battery and / or an alternating current (AC) power converter.

[0034] Figure 2 According to the embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 1 1 is a functional diagram of a user equipment 10. As shown, the processor 12, memory 14, transceiver 30, transmitter 52, receiver 54 and / or antenna 55 (shown as 55A-55N, collectively referred to as antenna 55) can be directly or indirectly communicatively coupled to each other (e.g., through or via another component, a communication bus, a network) to transmit and / or receive signals between each other.

[0035] The user equipment 10 may include a transmitter 52 and / or a receiver 54, which respectively enable the user equipment 10 and an external device to transmit and receive signals via, for example, a network (e.g., including a base station, an access point, a satellite, a satellite network, etc.) or a direct connection. For example, the transmitter 52 and / or the receiver 54 can support the use of the satellite frequency band allocated by the satellite network for communication. That is, the transmitter 52 can enable the first data to be transmitted via the first part of the allocated satellite frequency band and / or the second data to be transmitted via the second part of the allocated satellite frequency band. In addition, the receiver 54 can enable the first data to be received via the first part of the allocated satellite frequency band and / or the second data to be received via the second part of the allocated satellite frequency band. As shown in the figure, the transmitter 52 and the receiver 54 can be combined into the transceiver 30. The user equipment 10 may also have one or more antennas 55A-55N, which are electrically coupled to the transceiver 30. The antennas 55A-55N can be configured in an omnidirectional or directional configuration with a single beam, a dual beam or a multi-beam arrangement, etc. Each antenna 55 may be associated with one or more beams and various configurations. In some embodiments, multiple antennas in the antennas 55A-55N of the antenna group or module may be communicatively coupled to the corresponding transceiver 30, and each emits a radio frequency signal that may be constructively and / or destructively combined to form a beam. The user equipment 10 may include multiple transmitters, multiple receivers, multiple transceivers, and / or multiple antennas suitable for various communication standards. In some embodiments, the transmitter 52 and the receiver 54 may transmit and receive information via other wired or wired systems or components.

[0036] As shown, the various components of user equipment 10 may be coupled together via a bus system 56. Bus system 56 may include, for example, a data bus and, in addition to the data bus, a power bus, a control signal bus, and a status signal bus. The components of user equipment 10 may be coupled together or receive or provide input to each other using some other mechanism.

[0037] Figure 3 1 is a schematic diagram of a user equipment 10 communicating (e.g., transmitting wireless signals, receiving wireless signals) with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) 100 supported by a first communication node 102A and a second communication node 102B according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The NTN 100 may include a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) network, a non-terrestrial network, or any other suitable wireless communication network. In addition, the NTN 100 is provided as an example, and in additional or alternative embodiments, the NTN 100 may alternatively be a terrestrial network, such as a radio access network (RAN), a WLAN, a PAN, etc.

[0038] The NTN 100 may include a plurality of communication nodes 102 communicatively coupled together. The communication nodes 102 may include any suitable electronic device communicatively coupled to the user equipment 10, such as a non-ground base station, a satellite, a high altitude platform station, an airborne base station, a satellite-borne base station, or any other suitable non-fixed or fixed communication device. In additional or alternative embodiments, the communication nodes 102 may include base stations, such as next generation NodeB (gNodeB or gNB) base stations and may provide 5G / NR coverage to the user equipment 10, evolved NodeB (eNodeB) base stations and may provide 4G / LTE coverage to the user equipment 10, and the like.

[0039] The user equipment 10 may communicate with the NTN 100 by transmitting a signal via the transmitter 52, which may be directed to at least one of the communication nodes 102 (e.g., using an uplink process). Each of the communication nodes 102 may include a transceiver 30 to receive a signal from the user equipment 10 and / or a signal transmitted to the communication node 102 by any other suitable device. The communication node 102 may receive the signal, process the signal, and / or forward or transmit an additional signal back to the user equipment 10 and / or to an additional device (e.g., using a downlink process). For example, the user equipment 10 may receive a signal from the communication node 102 via the receiver 54. Upon receiving the signal, the receiving device (e.g., the user equipment 10, the additional device) may process the signal to obtain information associated with the signal.

[0040] Figure 4 1 is a flow chart of a method 120 for user equipment 10 to communicate on an assigned satellite frequency band according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Any suitable device (e.g., a controller) that can control components of the user equipment 10, such as the processor 12, can perform the method 120. In some embodiments, the method 120 can be implemented by using the processor 12 to execute instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a memory 14 or a storage device 16. For example, the method 120 can be performed at least in part by one or more software components, such as an operating system of the user equipment 10, one or more software applications of the user equipment 10, etc. Although the method 120 is described using a particular order of steps, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the described steps can be performed in an order different from the order shown, and that some of the described steps can be skipped or not performed at all.

[0041] In process block 122, the user equipment 10 sends (e.g., transmits) via the transmitter 52 an indication to communicate on a satellite frequency band (e.g., a satellite channel) of the NTN 100. The satellite frequency band may include a frequency range allocated for transmitting and receiving signals between the user equipment 10 and the NTN 100. The total bandwidth of the satellite frequency band may refer to the sum of frequencies that can be used for communication. For example, the total bandwidth of the satellite frequency band may be 16.5 MHz. The satellite frequency band may utilize various cellular technologies, such as NR channels, LTE CatM channels, LTE NB-IOT channels, or any other suitable channels that fall within the satellite frequency band.

[0042] In process block 124, NTN 100 receives the indication, and in process block 126, NTN 100 allocates a satellite frequency band having an NR channel and at least one LTE channel. NTN 100 may allocate the satellite frequency band so that the NR channel is moved away from the edge of the satellite frequency band and / or moved to the middle of the satellite frequency band, and at least one LTE channel is located at one or two outer edges of the satellite frequency band. In some embodiments, one or two outer edges of the satellite frequency band may include a guard band so that the NR channel is also not set at the guard band, but at least one LTE channel may be set at the guard band. Each of the NR channel and the at least one LTE channel may be a specific frequency within the satellite frequency band. For example, the NR channel may be 5 MHz, 10 MHz, or 15 MHz. In addition, the LTE CatM channel may be 1.4 MHz, and the NB-IOT channel may be 0.2 MHz. The allocation of the satellite frequency band may enable the user equipment 10 to communicate with the NTN 100 (e.g., exchange signals).

[0043] In process block 128, the user equipment 10 communicates with the NTN 100 via the processor 12 on the NR channel and at least one LTE channel. That is, the user equipment 10 can exchange data with the NTN 100. In some embodiments, the user equipment 10 can transmit or receive first data (e.g., a first data stream or a first digitally encoded signal sequence for transmitting information) on the NR channel and transmit or receive at least second data (e.g., a second data stream or a second digitally encoded signal sequence for transmitting information) on at least one LTE channel. In this way, the method 120 enables the user equipment 10 to more fully utilize the allocated satellite frequency band. Reference will be made to Figures 5 to 9 Discusses additional details regarding the allocation of satellite frequency bands.

[0044] As described above, satellite frequency bands may be allocated using various cellular technologies. For example, a satellite frequency band may include a combination of NR channels, one or more LTE CatM channels, and / or one or more LTE NB-IOT channels. Figures 5 to 9As discussed in further detail in , any number of various cellular technologies (e.g., at least one LTE channel) may be used to move the NR channel away from the edge of the satellite band and / or toward the middle of the satellite band to reduce or minimize the impact of emissions generated by the NR channel and improve spectral resource utilization.

[0045] In view of the above content, Figure 5 1 is an example illustration of an allocated satellite frequency band 150 including an NR channel 152 and an LTE CatM channel 154 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The total bandwidth of the allocated satellite frequency band 150 may be 16.5 MHz. Therefore, the NR channel 152 may be allocated a frequency value of 15 MHz, and the LTE CatM channel 154 may be allocated a frequency value of 1.4 MHz. As shown, the LTE CatM channel 154 is located at the left edge (e.g., the lower edge) of the allocated satellite frequency band 150, and the NR channel 152 is offset to the right (away from the edge of the satellite frequency band). In this way, the LTE CatM channel 154 can reduce or minimize the impact of the transmission generated by the NR channel.

[0046] Figure 6 1 is an example illustration of an allocated satellite frequency band 150 including an NR channel 152 and two LTE Cat.M channels (e.g., a first LTE Cat.M channel 154A and a second LTE Cat.M channel 154B) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the NR channel 152 is located in the middle of the allocated satellite frequency band 150. In addition, the first LTE Cat.M channel 154A is located at the left edge of the allocated satellite frequency band 150, and the second LTE Cat.M channel 154B is located at the right edge (e.g., the upper edge) of the allocated satellite frequency band 150. The NR channel 152 may be assigned a frequency value of 15 MHz, and the LTE Cat.M channel 154 may be assigned a frequency value of 1.4 MHz. The NR channel 152 may be aligned with a first portion of one or more resource blocks of the first LTE Cat.M channel 154A, and the NR channel 152 may be aligned with a second portion of one or more resource blocks of the second LTE Cat.M channel 154B to enable DSS operation.

[0047] Figure 71 is an example illustration of an allocated satellite frequency band 150 including an NR channel, two LTE CatM channels (e.g., a first LTE CatM channel 154A and a second LTE CatM channel 154B), and two LTE NB-IOT channels 156. As shown, the two LTE NB-IOT channels 156 may be located at the left edge of the allocated satellite frequency band 150. In addition, the first LTE CatM channel 154A may be located between the two LTE NB-IOT channels 156 and the NR channel 152. In addition, the second LTE CatM channel 154B may be located at the right edge of the allocated satellite frequency band. The NR channel 152 may be allocated a frequency value of 15 MHz, the LTE CatM channel 154 may be allocated a frequency value of 1.4 MHz, and the two LTE NB-IOT channels 156 may each be allocated a frequency value of 0.2 MHz. In addition, the NR channel 152 and a first portion of one or more resource blocks of the first LTE CatM channel 154A may be aligned, and the NR channel 152 and a second portion of one or more resource blocks of the second LTE CatM channel 154B may be aligned to enable (e.g., perform) DSS operations.

[0048] Figure 8 1 is an example illustration of an allocated satellite frequency band 150 including an NR channel 152, an LTE CatM channel 154, and four LTE NB-IOT channels 156. As shown, the four LTE NB-IOT channels 156 may be located at the left edge of the allocated satellite frequency band 150, the LTE CatM channel 154 may be located at the right edge of the allocated satellite frequency band 150, and the NR channel 152 may be located in the middle of the allocated satellite frequency band 150. The NR channel 152 may be allocated a frequency value of 15 MHz, the LTE CatM channel 154 may be allocated a frequency value of 1.4 MHz, and the four LTE NB-IOT channels 156 may each be allocated a frequency value of 0.2 MHz. A portion of one or more resource blocks of the NR channel 152 and the LTE CatM channel 154 may be aligned at the right edge to enable DSS operation.

[0049] Fig. 9 1 is an example illustration of an allocated satellite frequency band 150 including an NR channel and seven LTE NB-IOT channels 156. Four of the seven LTE NB-IOT channels 156 may be located at the left edge of the allocated satellite frequency band 150. Additionally, three of the seven LTE NB-IOT channels 156 may be located at the right edge. The NR channel 152 may be allocated a frequency value of 15 MHz, and the seven LTE NB-IOT channels 156 may each be allocated a frequency value of 0.2 MHz.

[0050] It should be noted that the allocation of satellite frequency bands is not limited to the above with respect to Figures 5 to 9 The example described. That is, any appropriate number of LTE channels may be included in the allocated satellite frequency band 150. In addition, the NR channel may be assigned any suitable frequency value. For example, the NR channel 152 may be assigned a frequency value of 5 MHz or 10 MHz. Thus, for example, if the NR channel is 10 MHz, the allocated satellite frequency band 150 may include five LTE CatM channels 154 (each channel is assigned a frequency value of 1.4 MHz). In addition, it should be noted that a portion or all of one or more resource blocks of each of the NR channel 152, the LTE CaM channel 154, and the LTE NB-IOT channel 156 may be aligned, thereby enabling DSS operation. That is, at least a portion of the corresponding one or more resource blocks in any two of the three channels or all three channels may be aligned with each other.

[0051] In some embodiments, the placement of NR channels 152 is determined based on identifying at least one carrier frequency range where the A-MPR value is high and one carrier frequency range where the A-MPR value is low. Fig.10 1 is an example illustration of an allocated satellite frequency band 150 including at least one high A-MPR region 162 and one low A-MPR region 164. NR channels 152 may be arranged in regions with low A-MPR values ​​(e.g., low A-MPR regions 164). The carrier frequency range may be configured so that it is aligned with one or more LTE channels. The low value of the carrier frequency range may be determined by adding the frequency of the lower edge of the satellite frequency band, the bandwidth of the satellite frequency band divided by two, and the offset (number of steps multiplied by the step size) of the NR channel 152. The step size may include, but is not limited to, an LTE / NR channel raster (e.g., 100kHz), a resource block size (e.g., 180kHz), an LTE NB-IOT channel size (e.g., 200kHz), or an LTE machine type channel size (e.g., 1400kHz). The high value of the carrier frequency range may be determined by subtracting the bandwidth divided by two from the upper edge of the frequency band and then subtracting the offset. Therefore, arranging the NR channel 152 within the carrier frequency range may reduce or minimize the A-MPR value.

[0052] In view of the above content, Fig.111 is a flow chart of a method 170 for transmitting or receiving a first data stream via a first portion of an allocated satellite frequency band 150 and transmitting or receiving a second data stream via a second portion of an allocated satellite frequency band 150 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Any suitable device (e.g., a controller) that can control components of the user equipment 10 (such as the processor 12) can perform the method 170. In some embodiments, the method 170 can be implemented by using the processor 12 to execute instructions stored in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium such as the memory 14 or the storage device 16. For example, the method 170 can be performed at least in part by one or more software components (such as an operating system of the user equipment 10, one or more software applications of the user equipment 10, etc.). Although the method 170 is described using a particular order of steps, it should be understood that the present disclosure contemplates that the described steps can be performed in an order different from the order shown, and that some described steps can be skipped or not performed at all.

[0053] In process block 172, user equipment 10 transmits, via transmitter 52, a request to communicate via a satellite frequency band of NTN 100. As described herein, the satellite frequency band may utilize various cellular technologies (e.g., cellular types). In process block 174, NTN 100 receives the request and, in process block 176, allocates a first portion of the satellite frequency band to a first channel of a first cellular type. For example, the first portion of the satellite frequency band may be moved away from an edge of the satellite frequency band (e.g., not disposed or positioned at an edge of the satellite frequency band). In addition, the first cellular type may be an NR cellular type. Therefore, NTN 100 may allocate the first portion of the satellite frequency band to NR channel 152.

[0054] In process block 178, NTN 100 allocates a second portion of the satellite frequency band to a second channel of the second cellular type. For example, the second portion of the satellite frequency band may be disposed at an edge (e.g., a left edge or a right edge) of the satellite frequency band. In addition, the second cellular type may be different from (e.g., not identical to) the first cellular type. For example, the second cellular type may be an LTE cellular type. The LTE cellular type may include LTE CatM or LTE NB-IOT. Thus, NTN 100 may allocate the second portion to LTE CatM channel 154 or LTE NB-IOT channel 156. In some embodiments, the first edge of the second portion may be disposed at an edge of the satellite frequency band, and the second edge of the second portion may be disposed at an edge of the first portion.

[0055] In addition, it should be noted that although NTN 100 is described above as allocating a first portion and a second portion, NTN 100 may allocate any appropriate number of portions of the satellite frequency band to multiple channels of multiple cellular types. For example, NTN 100 may allocate a third portion of the satellite frequency band to a third channel of a second cellular type, and allocate a fourth portion of the satellite frequency band to a fourth channel of the second cellular type. Thus, in some embodiments, a first edge of the second portion may be disposed at an edge of the satellite frequency band, a second edge of the second portion may be disposed at a first edge of one or more additional portions, and a second edge of the one or more additional portions may be disposed at an edge of the first portion (e.g., in the case where multiple LTE channels are located at the edge of the satellite frequency band). In other embodiments, a first edge of the first portion is disposed at a first edge of the second portion, and a second edge of the second portion is disposed at a first edge of the third portion. In addition, the third portion may have a second edge disposed at an edge of the satellite frequency band or at an edge of one or more additional portions.

[0056] In process block 180, NTN 100 sends an indication of the allocated satellite frequency band 150 to user equipment 10. In process block 182, user equipment 10 receives the indication. In process block 184, user equipment 10 and / or NTN 100 transmits or receives a first data stream via a first portion of the allocated satellite frequency band 150, and transmits or receives a second data stream via a second portion of the allocated satellite frequency band 150. The first data stream and / or the second data stream may include communication data (e.g., voice data, audio signals for enabling voice communication), Internet data (e.g., data based on Internet Protocol (IP) for providing Internet access), location data (e.g., for enabling determination of the location of user equipment 10), emergency data (e.g., emergency signals, distress signals, and location information), and / or any other suitable type of data that may be transmitted or received by user equipment 10, respectively. It should be noted that the user equipment 10 and / or NTN 100 can transmit or receive the first data stream and transmit or receive the second data stream simultaneously or concurrently (during the same time period) or at different times (during different time periods). In this way, the method 170 enables the user equipment 10 to more fully utilize the allocated satellite frequency band 150.

[0057] The specific embodiments described above have been shown by way of example, and it should be understood that these embodiments are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should also be understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed, but are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0058] The technology presented and claimed herein is cited and applied to specific examples of a physical and practical nature that significantly improves the art and is therefore not abstract, intangible, or purely theoretical. In addition, if any claim appended at the end of this specification contains one or more elements designated as "means for [performing] [the function] ..." or "steps for [performing] [the function] ...", it is intended that such elements should be interpreted in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f). However, for any claim containing elements designated in any other manner, it is intended that such elements should not be interpreted in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f).

[0059] It is understood that the use of personally identifiable information should be subject to privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized to meet or exceed industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly stated to users.

[0060] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0061] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 585,267, filed on September 26, 2023, entitled “Systems and Methods for SatelliteBand Allocation,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

Claims

1. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: receiving a request to communicate via a satellite frequency band; allocating a first portion of the satellite frequency band to a first channel of a first cellular type; allocating a second portion of the satellite frequency band to a second channel of a second cellular type; and First data is transmitted or received via the first portion of the satellite frequency band, second data is transmitted or received via the second portion of the satellite frequency band, or both. 2 . The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first channel is moved away from an edge of the satellite frequency band. 3 . The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the first cellular type is New Radio. 4 . The tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the second channel is disposed at an edge of the satellite frequency band.

5. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the second cellular type comprises Long Term Evolution (LTE).

6. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the second cellular type comprises LTE Category M1 or LTE NB-IoT.

7. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to align a first set of resource blocks for the first channel with a second set of resource blocks for the second channel.

8. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to perform a dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) operation between the first channel and the second channel based on the alignment.

9. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to allocate the first channel based on a carrier center frequency range.

10. A method comprising: transmitting, via a transmitter of the user equipment, a request to communicate via a satellite frequency band; receiving, via a receiver of the user equipment, an indication of the satellite frequency band, the satellite frequency band comprising a first portion of a first cellular type and a second portion of a second cellular type; as well as First data is transmitted or received via the first portion of the satellite frequency band, second data is transmitted or received via the second portion of the satellite frequency band, or both.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a first edge of the second portion is disposed at an edge of the satellite frequency band, and a second edge of the second portion is disposed at an edge of the first portion.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first cellular type comprises New Radio and the second cellular type comprises Long Term Evolution (LTE).

13. The method of claim 10, comprising transmitting or receiving the first data and transmitting or receiving the second data during a first time period.

14. The method of claim 10, comprising transmitting or receiving the first data during a first time period and transmitting or receiving the second data during a second time period.

15. An electronic device, comprising: Transmitter; Receiver; as well as a processing circuit coupled to the transmitter and the receiver, the processing circuit being configured to receive a request to communicate via a satellite frequency band, transmitting an indication of the satellite frequency band, the satellite frequency band comprising a first portion of a first cellular type and a second portion of a second cellular type, and First data is sent or received via the first portion of the satellite frequency band, second data is sent or received via the second portion of the satellite frequency band, or both. 16 . The electronic device according to claim 15 , wherein the second portion is disposed at an edge of the satellite frequency band, and the first portion is not disposed at an edge of the satellite frequency band. 17 . The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to identify a first set of allowed additional maximum power reduction values ​​based on the first switching point and to identify a second set of allowed additional maximum power reduction values ​​based on the second switching point.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first switching point and the second switching point is based on channel size, transmission regulations, or both.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the channel size is 180 kilohertz (kHz), 200 kHz, or 1400 kHz.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the first set of additional allowed maximum power reduction values ​​is associated with a first carrier frequency range and the second set of additional allowed maximum power reduction values ​​is associated with a second carrier frequency range.

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