Waveform Design for JCS in NTN System

Abstract

In some implementations, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) platform can transmit a radio frequency (RF) signal toward Earth, the RF signal including an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols including a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein: the RF signal is incident on an area of a defined coverage region of Earth, and a duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of a width of the coverage region. The NTN platform can receive one or more reflections of the JCS symbol at the NTN platform.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. application No. 17 / 822,057, filed on August 24, 2022, entitled “WAVEFORM DESIGNS FOR JCSIN NTN SYSTEMS,” which is assigned to the assignee of this application and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] Generally speaking, the present disclosure relates to the field of radio frequency (RF) based sensing (or simply "RF sensing"). More particularly, the present disclosure relates to RF sensing in communication networks including non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). Background Art

[0004] Camera-based optical imaging of the Earth by satellite can provide accurate and detailed images of the Earth's surface and the structures and objects thereon. Since visible light cameras are limited to capturing images during the day, which can further suffer from interference from atmospheric phenomena such as clouds, satellite-based RF sensing can serve as a viable alternative for performing imaging of the Earth's surface. The waveforms used for such RF sensing are generally incompatible with the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveforms used in prospective sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication systems, including NTN systems. Therefore, RF sensing is typically performed by non-communication systems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments herein provide a Joint Communication and Sensing (JCS) solution (also referred to as JCAS or Joint Sensing and Communication (JSC)) that modifies the cyclic prefix (CP) of symbols in OFDM waveforms used in current and prospective NTN communication systems. This modified symbol, referred to herein as a JCS symbol, can enable both RF sensing and communication. As described in further detail herein, the CP duration can be a function of the width of the RF footprint of the RF signal transmitted by the NTN platform and the bandwidth of the RF signal.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, an example method of implementing joint communication and sensing (JCS) over a non-terrestrial network (NTN) can include transmitting, with an NTN platform, a radio frequency (RF) signal toward the Earth, the RF signal comprising an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein the RF signal is incident on an area of a defined footprint of the Earth, and a duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of a width of the footprint. The method can further include receiving, at the NTN platform, one or more reflections of the JCS symbol.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, an example method of implementing joint communication and sensing (JCS) over a non-terrestrial network (NTN) can include receiving, at a user equipment (UE) from an NTN platform, a radio frequency (RF) signal comprising an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein the RF signal is incident on an area of a defined footprint of the Earth, and a duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of a width of the footprint of the RF signal. The method can further include decoding the JCS symbol as a downlink (DL) communication symbol.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, an example NTN platform for implementing joint communication and sensing (JCS) over a non-terrestrial network (NTN) can include a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: transmit, with the transceiver, a radio frequency (RF) signal toward the Earth, the RF signal comprising an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein: the RF signal is incident on an area of a defined footprint of the Earth, and a duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of a width of the footprint. The one or more processors can be further configured to: receive, with the transceiver, one or more reflections of the JCS symbol.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, an example user equipment (UE) for implementing joint communication and sensing (JCS) over a non-terrestrial network (NTN) can include a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receive, via the transceiver, a radio frequency (RF) signal from an NTN platform, the RF signal including an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols including a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein: the RF signal is incident on an area of a defined footprint of the Earth, and a duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of a width of the footprint. The one or more processors can be further configured to decode the JCS symbol as a downlink (DL) communication symbol.

[0010] This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Subject matter should be understood according to the entire specification, any or all drawings, and each and every claim. The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure so that those that are skilled in the art can better understand the benefits of the aspects of the disclosure. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described in the specification, which should be understood as including any accompanying drawings that form a part of the specification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a positioning system according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) positioning network showing embodiments of a positioning system (e.g., the positioning system of Figure 1 ) implemented within a 5G NR communication system.

[0013] Figure 3 is a diagram showing aspects of a non-terrestrial network (NTN) system according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 is a simplified schematic diagram of a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) setup according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a range cell in a SAR setup.

[0016] Figure 6A and 6B is a timing diagram showing how joint communication and sensing (JCS) can be used in an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform according to some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 7is a timeline showing how a receive window may follow a JCS symbol according to some embodiments (similar to Figure 6A and 6B ) diagram.

[0018] Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for implementing JCS through NTN according to an embodiment, and the method can be executed by the NTN platform.

[0019] Figure 9 FIG. 4 is a flowchart of another method for implementing JCS through NTN according to an embodiment, and the method may be performed by a user equipment (UE).

[0020] Figure 10 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a UE that may be utilized in embodiments as described herein.

[0021] Figure 11 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an NTN platform that may be utilized in embodiments as described herein.

[0022] Figure 12 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer system that may be utilized in embodiments as described herein.

[0023] According to some example implementations, similar reference numerals in the various drawings indicate similar elements. In addition, multiple instances of the element can be indicated by following a letter or a hyphen and a second numeral after the first numeral for the element. For example, multiple instances of element 110 can be indicated as 110-1, 110-2, 110-3, etc. or 110a, 110b, 110c, etc. When only the first numeral is used to refer to such an element, it will be understood that any instance of the element (for example, the element 110 in the previous example will refer to element 110-1, 110-2, and 110-3 or element 110a, 110b, and 110c) will be understood. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] For the purpose of describing the innovative aspects of various embodiments, the following description refers to certain implementations. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the teachings herein can be applied in a variety of different ways. The described implementations can be implemented in any device, system, or network capable of transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals according to any communication standard, such as any of the following: the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.4 standard for ultra-wideband (UWB), the IEEE 802.11 standard (including those identified as Technical standards), standard, code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), GSM / General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA), Wideband-CDMA (WCDMA), Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO), 1xEV-DO, EV-DO Rev A, EV-DO Rev B, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), High Speed Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), or other known signals that can be used in a wireless, cellular or Internet of Things (IoT) network (e.g., a system utilizing 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G technology, or additional implementations thereof).

[0025] As used herein, an “RF signal” includes an electromagnetic wave that transports information between a transmitter (or transmission device) and a receiver (or receiving device). As used herein, a transmitter can send a single “RF signal” or multiple “RF signals” to a receiver. However, because of the propagation characteristics of RF signals, the receiver can receive multiple “RF signals” corresponding to each transmitted RF signal.

[0026] Further, unless otherwise noted, reference to a “reference signal,” “positioning reference signal,” “reference signal for positioning,” or the like can be used to refer to a signal used for positioning of a user equipment (UE). As described in greater detail herein, such a signal can include any of a variety of signal types, but can not necessarily be limited to a Positioning Reference Signal (PRS) as defined in a relevant wireless standard.

[0027] As previously mentioned, satellite-based and other non-terrestrial RF sensing can be used to perform RF sensing of the Earth's surface (e.g., RF imaging). However, the waveforms used in such RF sensing are generally specific to RF sensing applications and are therefore generally incompatible with the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveforms used in wireless communication networks (e.g., 4G / 5G / 6G cellular networks). However, as wireless communication networks expand to include non-terrestrial network nodes (also referred to herein as non-terrestrial network (NTN) platforms) such as satellites and aircraft (aircraft, drones, balloons, etc.), it may make economic sense to utilize such nodes to further perform non-terrestrial RF sensing. Such non-terrestrial RF sensing may be used in addition to or as an alternative to terrestrial network (TN)-based RF sensing. As mentioned and described in further detail below, embodiments herein are intended to adjust OFDM symbols in a manner that enables joint communication and sensing (JCS) operations, thereby enabling both communication and RF sensing.

[0028] In some embodiments, NTN RF sensing may be used in communication and positioning systems that may be implemented in wireless cellular networks. Figure 1 An example of such a communication and positioning system is provided.

[0029] Figure 1 1 is a simplified diagram of a communication and positioning system 100 according to one embodiment, in which a UE 105, a location server 160, and / or other components of the communication and positioning system 100 can use the techniques provided herein for implementing a JCS on an NTN platform. (That is, the embodiments are not necessarily limited to such a system.) The techniques described herein can be implemented by one or more components of the communication and positioning system 100. The communication and positioning system 100 may include: a UE 105; one or more satellites 110 (also referred to as space vehicles (SVs)), which may include global navigation satellite system (GNSS) satellites (e.g., satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, etc.) and / or non-terrestrial network (NTN) satellites; a base station 120; an access point (AP) 130; a location server 160; a network 170; and an external client 180. In general, the communication and positioning system 100 can estimate the location of the UE 105 based on RF signals received by and / or transmitted from the UE 105 and the known positions of other components that transmit and / or receive RF signals (e.g., GNSS satellites 110, base stations 120, APs 130). In addition, wireless devices such as the UE 105, base stations 120, and satellites 110 (and / or other NTN platforms that may be implemented on aircraft, drones, balloons, etc.) can be used for RF sensing.

[0030] It should be noted that Figure 1Only a general illustration of the various components is provided, any or all of which may be used as appropriate, and each of which may be replicated as needed. Specifically, although only one UE 105 is shown, it will be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may utilize the communication and positioning system 100. Similarly, the communication and positioning system 100 may include more than one UE. Figure 1 A greater or lesser number of base stations 120 and / or APs 130 may be shown. The connections shown connecting the various components in the communication and positioning system 100 include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted depending on the desired functionality. In some embodiments, for example, the external client 180 may connect directly to the location server 160. Those skilled in the art will recognize many modifications to the components shown.

[0031] Depending on the desired functionality, network 170 may include any of a variety of wireless and / or wired networks. Network 170 may, for example, include any combination of public and / or private networks, local area networks and / or wide area networks, etc. In addition, network 170 may utilize one or more wired and / or wireless communication technologies. In some embodiments, network 170 may include, for example, a cellular or other mobile network, a wireless local area network (WLAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), and / or the Internet. Examples of network 170 include long-term evolution (LTE) wireless networks, fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks (also referred to as new radio (NR) wireless networks or 5G NR wireless networks), Wi-Fi WLAN, and the Internet. LTE, 5G, and NR are wireless technologies defined or being defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Network 170 may also include more than one network and / or more than one network type.

[0032] The base stations 120 and access points (APs) 130 can be communicatively coupled to a network 170. In some embodiments, the base stations 120 can be owned, maintained, and / or operated by a cellular network provider and can employ any of a variety of wireless technologies as described herein below. Depending on the technology of the network 170, the base stations 120 can include a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a base transceiver station (BTS), a radio base station (RBS), an NR NodeB (gNB), a next generation eNB (ng-eNB), or the like. A base station 120 that is a gNB or ng-eNB can be part of a next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) that can connect to a 5G core network (5GC) in the case that the network 170 is a 5G network. In the perspective of an open radio access network (O-RAN) and / or a virtualized radio access network (V-RAN or vRAN) in 5G or later networks, the functions performed by the base stations 120 in earlier generation networks (e.g., 3G and 4G) can be split into different functional components (e.g., radio units (RUs), distributed units (DUs), and central units (CUs)) and layers (e.g., LI / L2 / L3) that can be executed on different devices at different locations that are connected, e.g., via fronthaul, midhaul, and backhaul connections. As referred to herein, a “base station” (or ng-eNB, gNB, etc.) can include any or all of these functional components. The APs 130 can include, e.g., Wi-Fi APs, or APs with cellular capabilities (e.g., 4G LTE and / or 5G NR). Thus, the UE 105 can send and receive information with network-connected devices, such as the location server 160, by accessing the network 170 via the base stations 120 using the first communication links 133. Additionally or alternatively, the UE 105 can communicate with network-connected devices and Internet-connected devices, including the location server 160, using the second communication links 135 or via one or more other mobile devices 145, since the APs 130 can also be communicatively coupled with the network 170. The base stations 120 and access points (APs) 130 can be communicatively coupled to a network 170. In some embodiments, the base stations 120 can be owned, maintained, and / or operated by a cellular network provider and can employ any of a variety of wireless technologies as described herein below. Depending on the technology of the network 170, the base stations 120 can include a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a base transceiver station (BTS), a radio base station (RBS), an NR NodeB (gNB), a next generation eNB (ng-eNB), or the like. A base station 120 that is a gNB or ng-eNB can be part of a next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) that can connect to a 5G core network (5GC) in the case that the network 170 is a 5G network. In the perspective of an open radio access network (O-RAN) and / or a virtualized radio access network (V-RAN or vRAN) in 5G or later networks, the functions performed by the base stations 120 in earlier generation networks (e.g., 3G and 4G) can be split into different functional components (e.g., radio units (RUs), distributed units (DUs), and central units (CUs)) and layers (e.g., LI / L2 / L3) that can be executed on different devices at different locations that are connected, e.g., via fronthaul, midhaul, and backhaul connections. As referred to herein, a “base station” (or ng-eNB, gNB, etc.) can include any or all of these functional components. The APs 130 can include, e.g., Wi-Fi APs, or APs with cellular capabilities (e.g., 4G LTE and / or 5G NR). Thus, the UE 105 can send and receive information with network-connected devices, such as the location server 160, by accessing the network 170 via the base stations 120 using the first communication links 133. Additionally or alternatively, the UE 105 can communicate with network-connected devices and Internet-connected devices, including the location server 160, using the second communication links 135 or via one or more other mobile devices 145, since the APs 130 can also be communicatively coupled with the network 170.

[0033] As used herein, the term “base station” can generally refer to a single physical transmission point or to multiple co-located physical transmission points, which can be located at the base station 120. A transmission reception point (TRP) (also referred to as a transmission / reception point) corresponds to this type of transmission point, and the term “TRP” can be used interchangeably herein with the terms “gNB,” “ng-eNB,” and “base station.” In some cases, the base station 120 can include multiple TRPs, e.g., where each TRP is associated with a different antenna or different antenna array for the base station 120. As used herein, the transmission functionality of a TRP can be performed with a transmission point (TP), and / or the reception functionality of a TRP can be performed by a reception point (RP), which can be physically separate or distinct from the TP. That is, a TRP can include both a TP and a RP. A physical transmission point can include an antenna array of the base station 120 (e.g., as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system and / or where the base station employs beamforming). The term “base station” can additionally refer to multiple non-co-located physical transmission points, which can be a distributed antenna system (DAS) (a network of spatially separated antennas connected to a common source via transmission media) or remote radio heads (RRHs) (remote base stations connected to a serving base station).

[0034] Satellites 110 can be utilized in order to conduct positioning in communications in one or more manners. For example, satellites 110 (also referred to as space vehicles (SVs)) can be part of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), GLONASS, Galileo, or Beidou. Positioning using RF signals from GNSS satellites can include measuring multiple GNSS signals at a GNSS receiver of UE 105 to perform code-based and / or carrier-based positioning, which can be highly precise. Additionally or alternatively, satellites 110 can be utilized in order to conduct NTN-based positioning, where satellites 110 can operate functionally as TRPs (or TPs) of a network (e.g., an LTE and / or NR network) and can be communicatively coupled with network 170. Specifically, reference signals (e.g., PRSs) transmitted by satellites 110 conducting NTN-based positioning can be similar to those transmitted by base stations 120 and can be coordinated by location server 160. In some embodiments, satellites 110 for NTN-based positioning can be different from those for GNSS-based positioning. In some embodiments, NTN vehicles can include non-terrestrial vehicles such as airplanes, balloons, drones, etc., which can be in addition to or as an alternative to NTN satellites. NTN satellites 110 and / or other NTN platforms can further be utilized to perform RF sensing. As described in greater detail below, satellites can use JCS symbols in OFDM waveforms to allow for both RF sensing and communications.

[0035] The location server 160 can comprise a server and / or other computing device configured to determine an estimated position of the UE 105 and / or to provide data (e.g., “assistance data”) to the UE 105 to facilitate position measurements and / or position determinations made by the UE 105. According to some embodiments, the location server 160 can comprise a Home Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (H-SLP), which can support the SUPL User Plane (UP) location solution defined by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) and can support location services for the UE 105 based on subscription information for the UE 105 stored in the location server 160. In some embodiments, the location server 160 can comprise a Discovery SLP (D-SLP) or an Emergency SLP (E-SLP). The location server 160 can also comprise an Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC), which supports locating the UE 105 using control plane (CP) location solutions for LTE radio access by the UE 105. The location server 160 can also comprise a Location Management Function (LMF), which supports locating the UE 105 using control plane (CP) location solutions for NR or LTE radio access by the UE 105.

[0036] Although ground-based components such as the APs 130 and base stations 120 can be stationary, embodiments are not so limited. Mobile components can be used. For example, in some embodiments, the position of the UE 105 can be estimated based at least in part on measurements of RF signals 140 communicated between the UE 105 and one or more other mobile devices 145, which can be mobile or stationary. As shown, the other mobile devices can comprise, for example, a mobile phone 145-1, a vehicle 145-2, a static communication / positioning device 145-3, or other static and / or mobile devices capable of providing wireless signals for use in locating the UE 105, or combinations thereof. Wireless signals from the mobile devices 145 for use in locating the UE 105 can include RF signals using, for example: (including Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)), IEEE 802.1 lx (e.g., ), Ultra-Wide Band (UWB), IEEE 802.15x, or combinations thereof. The mobile devices 145 can additionally or alternatively use non-RF wireless signals (such as infrared signals or other optical techniques) to locate the UE 105.

[0037] The estimated location of UE 105 can be used in various applications, for example, to assist in direction finding or navigation for a user of UE 105 or to assist another user (e.g., associated with external client 180) in locating UE 105. "Location" is also referred to herein as "location estimate," "estimated location," "location," "position," "position estimate," "position fix," "estimated position," "location fix," or "fix." The process of determining a location may be referred to as "positioning," "location determination," "location fix," etc. The location of the UE 105 may include an absolute location of the UE 105 (e.g., longitude and latitude, and possibly altitude) or a relative location of the UE 105 (e.g., a location expressed as a distance north or south, east or west, and possibly above or below some other known fixed location (including, for example, the location of a base station 120 or an AP 130) or some other location (such as the location of the UE 105 at some known previous time, or the location of a mobile device 145 (e.g., another UE) at some known previous time). The location may be specified as a geodetic location, which includes coordinates that may be absolute (e.g., latitude, longitude, and optionally altitude), relative (e.g., relative to some known absolute location), or local (e.g., X, Y, and optionally Z coordinates according to a coordinate system defined relative to a local area, such as a factory, warehouse, university campus, shopping mall, stadium, or convention center). The location may alternatively be a municipal location and may then include one or more of: a street address (e.g., including a country, state, county, city, road and / or street name or label, and / or road or street number), and / or a label or name of a place, a building, a part of a building, a floor of a building, and / or a room within a building, etc. The location may also include an uncertainty or error indication, such as the horizontal distance and likely vertical distance by which the expected location is in error, or an indication of an area or volume (e.g., a circle or ellipse) within which the UE 105 is expected to be located with a certain confidence level (e.g., 95% confidence).

[0038] The external client 180 can be a web server or remote application that can have some association with the UE 105 (e.g., can be accessed by a user of the UE 105) or can be a server, application, or computer system that provides location services (which can include obtaining and providing a location of the UE 105) to one or more other users (e.g., to enable services such as a friend or relative finder or child or pet location). Additionally or alternatively, the external client 180 can obtain a location of the UE 105 and provide it to an emergency service provider, government agency, or the like.

[0039] As previously mentioned, the example communication and positioning system 100 can be implemented using a wireless communication network such as an LTE-based or 5G NR-based network, or a future 6G network. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a 5G NR communication and positioning system 200 is shown, which illustrates an embodiment of a 5G NR-enabled positioning system (e.g., the communication and positioning system 100). The 5G NR communication and positioning system 200 can be configured to determine a location of the UE 105 by implementing one or more positioning methods using access nodes, which can include NR NodeBs (gNBs) 210-1 and 210-2 (collectively and generically referred to herein as gNBs 210), an ng-eNB 214, and / or a WLAN 216. The gNBs 210 and / or the ng-eNB 214 can correspond to the base stations 120 of FIG. 1, and the WLAN 216 can correspond to the one or more access points 130 of FIG. 1. Optionally, the 5G NR communication and positioning system 200 can additionally be configured to determine a location of the UE 105 by implementing one or more positioning methods using an LMF 220, which can correspond to the location server 160. Here, the 5G NR communication and positioning system 200 includes the UE 105 and components of a 5G NR network, which includes a Next Generation (NG) Radio Access Network (RAN) (NG-RAN) 235 and a 5G Core Network (5G CN) 240. The 5G network can also be referred to as an NR network; the NG-RAN 235 can be referred to as a 5G RAN or as an NR RAN; and the 5G CN 240 can be referred to as an NG Core network. Additional components of the 5G NR communication and positioning system 200 are described below. The 5G NR communication and positioning system 200 can include additional or alternative components. Figure 1 Figure 1

[0040] ​​The 5G NR communication and positioning system 200 can also utilize information from satellites 110. As noted previously, satellites 110 can include GNSS satellites from a GNSS system such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) or similar systems (e.g., GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS)). Additionally or alternatively, satellites 110 can include NTN satellites that can be communicatively coupled with LMF 220 and can operate as a TRP (or TP) in the NG-RAN 235. As such, satellites 110 can be in communication with one or more gNBs 210.

[0041] It should be noted that, Figure 2 Only a general description of the various components has been provided, any or all of which can be utilized as appropriate, and each of which can be duplicated or omitted as necessary. Specifically, although only one UE 105 is shown, it will be understood that many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) can utilize the 5G NR communication and positioning system 200. Similarly, the 5G NR communication and positioning system 200 can include a greater (or lesser) number of satellites 110, gNBs 210, ng-eNBs 214, wireless local area networks (WLANs) 216, access and mobility management functions (AMFs) 215, external clients 230, and / or other components. The connections that connect the various components in the 5G NR communication and positioning system 200 shown include data and signaling connections that can include additional (intermediary) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Further, components can be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted in accordance with desired functionality.

[0042] The UE 105 can include and / or be referred to as a device, mobile device, wireless device, mobile terminal, terminal, mobile station (MS), Secure User Plane Location (SUPL)-enabled terminal (SET), or some other name. Further, the UE 105 can correspond to a cellular phone, a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet, a personal data assistant (PDA), a navigation device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, or some other portable or moveable device. Typically, but not necessarily, the UE 105 can support wireless communication using one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs), such as using GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, LTE, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX Bluetooth, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX TM), 5G NR (e.g., using NG-RAN 235 and 5G CN 240), and the like. The UE 105 can also support wireless communication using a WLAN 216, which can be similar to one or more RATs and as previously noted can be implemented in accordance with Wi-Fi® technology (e.g., IEEE 802.11, etc.), using Wi-Fi® Direct link(s), and / or using one or more Wi-Fi® hotspot(s). The UE 105 can further support wireless communication using a Bluetooth® Figure 1 The base stations 205 can also be in various forms. For example, the base stations 205 can be a base transceiver station, a site controller, an access point, or a wireless router. The base stations 205 can be one or more of a base station 105, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a relay station, or other like base station. The base stations 205 can comprise or implement aspects of the base station 105, the network entity 210, the network entity 215, the network entity 220, the network entity 225, the network entity 230, the network entity 235, the network entity 240, or the network entity 245, as previously described herein. The base stations 205 can include, among other components, at least one network port or interface that can be used to couple the base stations 205 to other entities via wired connections and / or one or more radio frequency Figure 2 The base stations 205 can also be in various forms. For example, the base stations 205 can be a base transceiver station, a site controller, an access point, or a wireless router. The base stations 205 can be one or more of a base station 105, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a relay station, or other like base station. The base stations 205 can comprise or implement aspects of the base station 105, the network entity 210, the network entity 215, the network entity 220, the network entity 225, the network entity 230, the network entity 235, the network entity 240, or the network entity 245, as previously described herein. The base stations 205 can include, among other components, at least one network port or interface that can be used to couple the base stations 205 to other entities via wired connections and / or one or more radio frequency Figure 2 The external client 230 of the system 100 can correspond to the external client 180, as implemented in or communicatively coupled with a 5G NR network. Figure 1 The external client 230 of the system 100 can correspond to the external client 180, as implemented in or communicatively coupled with a 5G NR network.

[0043] The UE 105 can comprise a single entity or can comprise multiple entities such as in a personal area network, where a user can employ audio, video and / or data I / O devices, and body sensors, and a separate wireline or wireless modem. An estimate of the location of the UE 105 can be referred to as a location, location estimate, location fix, fix, position, position estimate, or position fix, and can be geodetic, whereby location coordinates for the UE 105 are provided, which can or can not include an altitude component (e.g., height above sea level, height above or depth below ground level, floor level, or basement level, or height or depth in an absolute, orthometric, or normalized sense). Alternatively, the location of the UE 105 can be expressed as a civic location (e.g., as a postal address or the designation of some point or small area (such as a particular room or floor) within a building). The location of the UE 105 can also be expressed as an area or volume (defined geodetically or in civic terms) within which the UE 105 is expected to be located, with some probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). The location of the UE 105 can also be a relative location, including a distance and direction from a certain origin defined in relation to a known location, which can be defined geodetically, in civic terms, or by reference to a point, area or volume indicated on a map, floor plan, or building plan, or relative X, Y (and Z) coordinates. In the description contained herein, use of the term location can include any of these variants, unless otherwise indicated. When computing the location of a UE, typically local X, Y, and possibly Z coordinates are solved, and then converted to absolute coordinates if needed (e.g., for latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level).

[0044] In Figure 2 the base stations in the NG-RAN 235 can correspond to the base stations 120 in Figure 1 and can include gNBs 210. The gNBs 210 in the NG-RAN 235 can be connected to one another (e.g., directly or indirectly via other gNBs 210) as shown in Figure 2 The communication interface between base stations (gNBs 210 and / or ng-eNBs 214) can be referred to as the Xn interface 237. Access to the 5G network is provided to the UEs 105 via wireless communications between the UEs 105 and one or more of the gNBs 210, which can provide wireless access to the 5G CN 240 for the UEs 105 using 5G NR. The wireless interface between base stations (gNBs 210 and / or ng-eNBs 214) and UEs 105 can be referred to as the Uu interface 239. 5G NR radio access can also be referred to as NR radio access or 5G radio access. In Figure 2 , the serving gNB for the UE 105 is assumed to be gNB 210-1, but other gNBs (e.g., gNB 210-2) can act as the serving gNB if the UE 105 moves to another location or can act as a secondary gNB to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to the UE 105.

[0045] In Figure 2 the base stations in the NG-RAN 235 can also or instead include next generation evolved Node Bs, also referred to as ng-eNBs 214. The ng-eNBs 214 can be connected to one or more of the gNBs 210 in the NG-RAN 235, e.g., directly or indirectly via other gNBs 210 and / or other ng-eNBs. The ng-eNBs 214 can provide LTE wireless access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) wireless access to the UEs 105. Figure 2Some of the gNBs 210 (e.g., gNB 210-2) and / or ng-eNBs 214 can be configured to function as positioning only beacons, which can transmit signals (e.g., Positioning Reference Signals (PRS)) and / or can broadcast assistance data to assist in positioning of the UE 105, but can not receive signals from the UE 105 or from other UEs. Some of the gNBs 210 (e.g., gNB 210-2 and / or another gNB not shown) and / or ng-eNBs 214 can be configured to function as detection only nodes, which can scan for signals containing, for example, PRS data, assistance data, or other location data. Such detection only nodes can not transmit signals or data to UEs, but can transmit (signals or data related to, for example, PRS, assistance data, or other location data) to other network entities (e.g., one or more components of the 5G CN 240, the external client 230, or a controller), which can receive and store or use the data for positioning of at least the UE 105. It should be noted that while only one ng-eNB 214 is shown in Figure 2

[0046] The 5G NR communication and positioning system 200 can also include one or more WLANs 216, which can connect to a Non-3GPP Interworking Function (N3IWF) 250 in the 5G CN 240 (e.g., in the case of untrusted WLANs 216). For example, the WLANs 216 can support IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi access for the UE 105, and can include one or more Wi-Fi APs (e.g., AP 217-1 and AP 217-2). The N3IWF 250 can be used to securely connect the UE 105 to the 5G CN 240 when the UE 105 is connected to an untrusted WLAN 216. The N3IWF 250 can be connected to the 5G CN 240 via an N2 and / or N3 interface. Figure 1 ​AP 130). Here, the N3IWF 250 can connect to other elements in the 5G CN 240, such as the AMF 215. In some embodiments, the WLAN 216 can support another RAT, such as Bluetooth. The N3IWF 250 can provide support for secure access by the UE 105 to other elements in the 5G CN 240 and / or can support interworking of one or more protocols used by the WLAN 216 and the UE 105 with one or more protocols used by other elements of the 5G CN 240, such as the AMF 215. For example, the N3IWF 250 can support IPsec tunnel establishment with the UE 105, termination of IKEv2 / IPsec protocols with the UE 105, termination of N2 and N3 interfaces with the 5G CN 240 for control plane and user plane, respectively, relay of uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) control plane non-access stratum (NAS) signaling between the UE 105 and the AMF 215 across the N1 interface. In some other embodiments, the WLAN 216 can connect directly to elements in the 5G CN 240 (e.g., the AMF 215, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2 , rather than via the N3IWF 250. For example, if the WLAN 216 is a trusted WLAN for the 5G CN 240 and can be enabled using a Trusted WLAN Interworking Function (TWIF) (not shown in Figure 2 ) that can be an element internal to the WLAN 216, then direct connection of the WLAN 216 to the 5G CN 240 can occur. Note that while only one WLAN 216 is shown in Figure 2 , some embodiments can include multiple WLAN 216s.

[0047] Access nodes can include any of various network entities that enable communication between the UE 105 and the AMF 215. As mentioned, this can include gNBs 210, ng-eNBs 214, WLANs 216, and / or other types of cellular base stations. However, access nodes that provide the functionality described herein can additionally or alternatively include entities that enable communication with any of various RATs (which can include non-cellular technologies) not shown in Figure 2 . Thus, the term “access node” as used in embodiments described herein below can include, but is not necessarily limited to, a gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, or WLAN 216.

[0048] In some embodiments, access nodes such as gNBs 210, ng-eNBs 214, and / or WLANs 216 (alone or in combination with other components of 5G NR communication and positioning system 200) can be configured to, in response to receiving a request for location information from LMF 220, obtain location measurements of uplink (UL) signals received from UE 105 and / or obtain downlink (DL) location measurements from UE 105, the DL location measurements obtained by UE 105 for DL signals received by UE 105 from one or more access nodes. As mentioned, while Figure 2 Access nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols are used, such as, for example, Node Bs configured to use Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) protocols for Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Networks (UTRAN), eNBs configured to use LTE protocols for Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), or Bluetooth protocols for WLANs Beacons. For example, in a 4G Evolved Packet System (EPS) that provides LTE wireless access to UEs 105, a RAN can include an E-UTRAN, which can include base stations comprising eNBs that support LTE wireless access. A core network for the EPS can include an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). Then, the EPS can include an E-UTRAN plus an EPC, where the E-UTRAN corresponds to NG-RAN 235 and the EPC corresponds to 5GCN 240 in Figure 2 The methods and techniques described herein for obtaining a civic location for UE 105 can be applicable to such other networks.

[0049] The gNBs 210 and ng-eNB 214 can be in communication with an AMF 215, which is in communication with an LMF 220 for positioning functions. The AMF 215 can support mobility of the UE 105, including cell change and handover of the UE 105 from an access node (gNB 210, ng-eNB 214, or WLAN 216) of a first RAT to an access node of a second RAT. The AMF 215 can also participate in supporting signaling connections to the UE 105 and possible data and voice bearers for the UE 105. The LMF 220 can support positioning of the UE 105 using CP location solutions when the UE 105 accesses the NG-RAN 235 or the WLAN 216, and can support positioning procedures and methods, including UE-assisted / UE-based and / or network-based procedures / methods such as Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) (which can be referred to as Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) in NR), Time of Arrival (TOA), Round Trip Time (RTT), Real Time Kinematic (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cell ID (ECID), Angle of Arrival (AoA), Angle of Departure (AoD), WLAN positioning, Round Trip Signal Propagation Delay (RTT), Multicell RTT, and / or other positioning procedures and methods. The LMF 220 can also process location services requests for the UE 105 received, e.g., from the AMF 215 or from the GMLC 225. The LMF 220 can be connected to the AMF 215 and / or the GMLC 225. In some embodiments, a network such as the 5GCN 240 can additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules such as an Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) or a SUPL Location Platform (SLP). It should be noted that in some embodiments at least a portion of the positioning functions (including determination of a location of the UE 105) can be performed at the UE 105 (e.g., by measuring downlink PRS (DL-PRS) signals transmitted by wireless nodes such as the gNBs 210, ng-eNB 214, and / or WLAN 216 and / or using assistance data provided to the UE 105 by the LMF 220, for example).

[0050] A gateway mobile location center (GMLC) 225 can support location requests for the UE 105 received from external clients 230 and can forward such location requests to the AMF 215 for forwarding by the AMF 215 to the LMF 220. Location responses from the LMF 220 (e.g., containing a location estimate for the UE 105) can be similarly returned to the GMLC 225, either directly or via the AMF 215, and the GMLC 225 can then return the location response (e.g., containing the location estimate) to the external client 130.

[0051] A network exposure function (NEF) 245 can be included in the 5GCN 240. The NEF 245 can support securely exposing capabilities and events related to the 5GCN 240 and the UE 105 to external clients 230 (which can then be referred to as access functions (AFs)), and can enable securely providing information from the external clients 230 to the 5GCN 240. The NEF 245 can connect to the AMF 215 and / or the GMLC 225 for the purpose of obtaining a location (e.g., civic location) of the UE 105 and providing the location to the external client 230.

[0052] As further shown in Figure 2 As further shown in Figure 2As further shown, the LMF 220 and the UE 105 can communicate using the LTE Positioning Protocol (LPP) as defined in 3GPP TS 37.355. Here, LPP messages can be passed between the UE 105 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215 and the serving gNB 210-1 or serving ng-eNB 214 for the UE 105. For example, LPP messages can be passed between the LMF 220 and the AMF 215 using messages for service-based operations (e.g., based on Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)), and LPP messages can be passed between the AMF 215 and the UE 105 using 5G NAS protocols. The LPP protocol can be used to support positioning of the UE 105 using UE-assisted and / or UE-based positioning methods such as A-GNSS, RTK, TDOA, Multicell RTT, AoD, and / or ECID. The NRPPa protocol can be used to support positioning of the UE 105 using network-based positioning methods such as ECID, AoA, Uplink TDOA (UL-TDOA), and / or can be used by the LMF 220 to obtain location-related information from gNBs 210 and / or ng-eNBs 214, such as parameters defining DL-PRS transmissions from gNBs 210 and / or ng-eNBs 214.

[0053] In the case that the UE 105 accesses the WLAN 216, the LMF 220 can obtain a location for the UE 105 using NRPPa and / or LPP in a similar manner as just described for the UE 105 accessing a gNB 210 or ng-eNB 214. Thus, NRPPa messages can be passed between the WLAN 216 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215 and the N3IWF 250 to support network-based positioning of the UE 105 and / or to pass other location information from the WLAN 216 to the LMF 220. Alternatively, NRPPa messages can be passed between the N3IWF 250 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215 to support network-based positioning of the UE 105 based on location-related information and / or location measurements that are known or accessible to the N3IWF 250 and passed from the N3IWF 250 to the LMF 220 using NRPPa. Similarly, LPP and / or LPP messages can be passed between the UE 105 and the LMF 220 via the AMF 215, N3IWF 250, and the serving WLAN 216 for the UE 105 to support UE-assisted or UE-based positioning of the UE 105 by the LMF 220.

[0054] In addition to ground base stations (gNBs 210 and eNBs 214), which are referred to herein as ground nodes, the NG-RAN 235 can also include NTN nodes (or NTN platforms), which can be used for communication, positioning, and RF sensing (in accordance with embodiments herein).

[0055] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating aspects of an NTN system 300, which can be used to communicate data, provide positioning for, and / or perform RF sensing of a UE 305 (which can correspond to the UE 105 of Figure 1 and Figure 2 FIGS. 1 and 2). The NTN system 300 can be part of a larger system (e.g., the communication and positioning systems 100 and 200 of FIGS. 1 and 2) that implements communication, positioning, and / or RF sensing. It can be noted that, although the NTN system 300 shown in FIG. 3 illustrates satellites 310 for implementing communication and / or positioning for the UE 305, embodiments are not so limited. The NTN system 300 can additionally or alternatively include other non-terrestrial vehicles (not shown in FIG. 3), including non-space vehicles (such as high-altitude platform stations, balloons, airplanes, drones, etc.). Figure 1 and Figure 2 FIGS. 1 and 2). The NTN system 300 can be part of a larger system (e.g., the communication and positioning systems 100 and 200 of FIGS. 1 and 2) that implements communication, positioning, and / or RF sensing. It can be noted that, although the NTN system 300 shown in FIG. 3 illustrates satellites 310 for implementing communication and / or positioning for the UE 305, embodiments are not so limited. The NTN system 300 can additionally or alternatively include other non-terrestrial vehicles (not shown in FIG. 3), including non-space vehicles (such as high-altitude platform stations, balloons, airplanes, drones, etc.). Figure 3 Figure 3

[0056] Using satellites 310 and / or other non-terrestrial vehicles to relay communication signals and / or to provide positioning for the UE 305 can help provide availability and continuity in geographic areas that can not be readily available using only terrestrial means. The satellites 310 can include low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites, and / or geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites. The satellites 310 (and / or other non-terrestrial vehicles in the NTN system 300) can connect with a 5G or other communication network via a gateway 320 or ground station using a wireless RF feeder link 330. The satellites 310 can serve a corresponding service area 340 (which can be divided into one or more sub-areas or “beams”), and can establish service links 350 with UEs within the corresponding service area 340. The service areas 340 can move, corresponding to movement of the respective satellites 310 along their orbits. The service links 350 can act as a Uu interface to a wireless network accessed via the gateway 320. In some embodiments, the gateway 320 and / or satellites 310 can be associated with a base station of a cellular network (e.g., a gNB of a 5G network), and can include a remote RU and / or DU of the base station, which are operable as TRPs, TPs, and / or RPs of the base station.

[0057] Positioning the UE 305 using the NTN system 300 can be similar to positioning in a cellular network (e.g., as previously described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2). For example, the NTN system 300 can include a serving satellite 310 (e.g., a serving TRP) and one or more non-serving satellites 310 (e.g., non-serving TRPs). The NTN system 300 can also include a gateway 320 (e.g., a serving gNB) and one or more non-serving gateways 320 (e.g., non-serving gNBs). The NTN system 300 can also include a serving UE 305 (e.g., a serving TP) and one or more non-serving UEs 305 (e.g., non-serving TPs). Figure 2 ​​305). This may include, for example, using satellites 310 and / or other non-terrestrial vehicles of the NTN system 300 as transmission and / or reception points for transmitting and / or receiving reference signals used to locate the UE 305. The reference signals may then be used to perform positioning-related measurements such as AoA, RTT, TDOA, etc. A location server communicatively linked to the gateway 320 may be used to coordinate positioning sessions using the UE 305 and one or more of the satellites 310.

[0058] As previously mentioned, the OFDM waveforms utilized by current communication systems may prohibit satellite 310 from performing RF sensing. However, considering that satellite 310 (and / or other NTN platforms, Figure 3

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, NTN system 300 may be well suited for RF sensing. As mentioned, embodiments herein may utilize a JCS waveform that enables both RF sensing and communication (e.g., with UE 305). Further details regarding this waveform are provided below. The type of RF sensing performed may vary, but may include synthetic aperture radar (SAR), as in FIG. Figure 4 Described in .

[0059] Figure 4 is a simplified schematic diagram of a SAR setup according to an embodiment, which is provided to indicate how to use an NTN platform such as Figure 3 SAR is achieved using a satellite 310 or other non-terrestrial vehicle (e.g., a satellite 310 or other non-terrestrial vehicle). Here, an NTN platform (not shown) includes an NTN platform antenna 410 that travels (e.g., at a constant speed) along a trajectory 420 (e.g., an orbital path) approximately parallel to the Earth's surface. In SAR, high azimuth resolution can be achieved by creating a long "virtual" antenna using the motion of the NTN platform antenna, rather than using a long antenna array (large l value) to achieve high azimuth resolution.

[0060] For SAR imaging, the NTN platform antenna 410 can transmit RF signals in the form of radiation pulses to generate a fan-shaped beam 440 that illuminates a coverage area 450 on the Earth's surface 430. The echo or reflection of each pulse received by the NTN platform antenna 410 can provide a "snapshot" of the corresponding coverage area 450. As the NTN platform antenna 410 moves along the trajectory 420, multiple snapshots can be combined to create an RF image of a swath 460 extending parallel to the trajectory 420.

[0061] about Figure 4 Various features in the system can be determined realistically using the geometric and optical properties of the system. For example, the angle θ across the 3dB beamwidth of the track v It can be calculated as:

[0062] θ v = λ / W a (1)

[0063] where λ is the wavelength of the RF signal, and W a is the antenna width. The width W g of the ground strip can be calculated as:

[0064]

[0065] where R is the distance from the satellite antenna to the center of the satellite beam footprint on the ground, and θ is the viewing angle. The range resolution p g of the aperture radar can be calculated as:

[0066]

[0067] where c is the speed of light, and τ p is the duration of the RF signal pulse. The azimuthal resolution p a can be calculated as:

[0068]

[0069] where θ H is the width of the footprint in radians.

[0070] Delays in the RF signal can prevent the NTN platform antenna 410 from using OFDM waveforms for RF sensing in the communication system. That is, because the strip width 460 can be on the order of kilometers (e.g., 5-60 km for NTN platforms including airplanes or LEO satellites; and perhaps 100 km or more for some satellite NTN platforms), there can be a significant difference between the echo received at the NTN platform antenna from a portion of the footprint 450 (e.g., the center of the footprint) and the echo received from another portion of the footprint 450 (e.g., the edge). As described in more detail with respect to Figure 5 Conventional full FTM waveforms used in the communication system can result in inter-range cell interference (IRCI).

[0071] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an NTN platform antenna 510, a sector beam 520, and a footprint 530 similar to Figure 4 Other features of FIG. 1 have been removed to avoid confusion. Figure 4 Figure 5 ​Further shown are M range cells spanning the coverage area 530. High resolution RF sensing distinguishes between echoes from objects in different range cells, while IRCI can reduce this resolution. According to embodiments herein, the length of the cyclic prefix (CP) used in the communication symbols transmitted by the NTN platform antenna 510 can provide IRCI mitigation.

[0072] As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the OFDM scheme divides time and frequency into various resources. Time can be divided into units of radio frames across one or more frequencies, radio frames divided into subframes, and subframes divided into slots. Each slot can include a variable number of symbols, which can depend on the subcarrier spacing (SCS) used for the slot.

[0073] At the beginning of each symbol, a CP is used. In conventional communication systems, the CP and symbol length within a slot are common for all symbols in the slot. The use of a CP can convert an ISI channel in a wireless communication system into multiple sub-channels without ISI. Similarly, embodiments can use modified OFDM symbols (also referred to herein as JCS symbols) with a CP (with an increased duration) to enable the NTN platform antenna 510 to distinguish between echoes of JCS symbols at different range cells, thereby enabling IRCI-free (high range resolution) RF sensing.

[0074] Figure 6A is a timing diagram illustrating a slot 600 with a JCS symbol and multiple non-JCS symbols 620 according to an embodiment. All symbols in the slot 600, including the JCS symbol 610, can be used for communication. All non-JCS symbols 620 can include a CP 630 with a conventional duration. However, as mentioned, the duration T cp of the CP 640 of the JCS symbol 610 can be increased to enable the NTN platform to perform RF sensing with the JCS symbol 610. Such RF sensing can be used, for example, to perform SAR in the manner previously discussed, although embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0075] According to some embodiments, the duration T cp of the CP 640 of the JCS symbol 610 can be determined to satisfy:

[0076] T cp ≥ T o (5) where T o is the time delay difference between the first and last range cells in the coverage area. T o may be determined as:

[0077] T o=2(M-1)d res / c=(M-1) / B (6) In equation (6), the range resolution d res can be determined as d res = c / (2B). In addition, B is the bandwidth of the RF signal, and M is the number of units (e.g., Figure 5 According to some embodiments, in order to minimize unnecessary transmission energy without loss of generality, the CP length may be selected as:

[0078] T cp = T o (7)

[0079] Likewise, considering that the coverage area may be many kilometers wide, the duration T of the CP 640 of the JCS symbol 610 is cp may be relatively large, and the corresponding time delay difference T between the first range cell and the last range cell in the coverage area o Thus, while the duration of the non-JCS symbol 620 and its CP 630 may be sufficient for RF sensing at a PN node (e.g., a terrestrial base station), the JCS symbol 610 with its corresponding CP 640 (e.g., as determined using the above equation) may allow for a large coverage area and relatively long round-trip time delay, thereby enabling high-resolution RF sensing without IRCI on the NTN platform.

[0080] According to various embodiments, the JCS symbol 610 may be flexibly configured to enable ICRI-free RF sensing, including, for example, alignment with other non-JCS symbols 620 (eg, within the time slot 600). Figure 6A A first approach is shown, where the JCS symbols 610 may have a different SCS than the non-JCS symbols 620. This may allow the JCS symbols 610 to have different durations (e.g., to accommodate a longer CP 640). Additionally or alternatively, as Figure 6B As shown, the JCS symbol 610 may include a portion having zero padding 650, which may be included to ensure that the duration of the JCS symbol 610 is an integer multiple (e.g., 2x, 3x, etc.) of the duration of the non-JCS symbol 620. Likewise, using the JCS symbol 610 in this manner may enable continuous communication in communication networks using OFDM waveforms (e.g., 5G and potentially 6G wireless networks) as well as RF sensing by NTN platforms.

[0081] The NTN platform can transmit JCS symbols according to an RF sensing scheme. For example, as the NTN platform passes over a particular location in the sky, the NTN platform can transmit one or more JCS symbols to perform RF sensing of that particular location. Thus, the NTN platform’s approach to a particular location can trigger transmission of JCS symbols. Additionally or alternatively, according to a SAR or similar RF sensing scheme, the NTN platform can periodically transmit JCS symbols to perform imaging of a swath. The periodicity of the JCS symbols can be dictated by factors such as the NTN platform’s speed and the length of the footprint. In such embodiments, a minimum periodicity can be used to ensure proper imaging of the swath or other sensed region. The periodicity can also be determined to help reduce any impact the transmission of JCS symbols can have on wireless communications.

[0082] In summary, embodiments provided herein can utilize JCS symbols, which can be included in OFDM time slots along with one or more non-JCS (e.g., legacy) symbols. The JCS symbols can act as DL communication symbols transmitted by an NTN platform (e.g., satellite, airplane, etc.).

[0083] According to some embodiments, capability exchange can be utilized to ensure that one or more UEs within the NTN platform’s coverage area (e.g., footprint) are capable of receiving JCS symbols. Thus, the UEs can communicate one or more capabilities to the NTN platform and / or server of the network. Once its capabilities include the UE’s buffering capability, it can indicate whether the UE can capture the entire JCS symbol. Another capability can include whether the UE can support different SCS within a time slot. If not, a JCS symbol including a zero pattern, e.g., similar to Figure 6B Another capability can include the FFT size supported by the UE. The SCS can be small in the JCS symbol, which can result in an FFT size larger than a regular (non-JCS) symbol. The UE communicates any combination of these capabilities related to receiving JCS symbols, depending on the desired functionality.

[0084] Further, the UE can need to adjust or retrain its automatic gain control (AGC) for receiving JCS symbols. In legacy, non-JCS symbols, the communication signal included is unidirectional in travel: from the NTN platform to the UE on Earth. However, RF sensing for JCS symbols is based on all reflections of the JCS symbol received at the NTN platform. Thus, for RF sensing, the signal in the JCS symbol can travel twice the distance of the signal in a non-JCS symbol, and thus can experience twice the path loss. As such, the JCS symbol can be transmitted at a much higher power in the NTN platform. To avoid saturation of the signal received at the UE due to this higher transmission power, the UE can adjust its AGC accordingly.

[0085] According to some embodiments, information about the JCS symbol can be communicated to the UE in a CP length configuration. In some embodiments, the CP length configuration can be included with or in another configuration provided to the UE. For example, in some embodiments, the CP length configuration can be tied to a bandwidth part (BWP) configuration provided to the UE. According to some embodiments, the CP length of the JCS symbol can be standardized or predefined, such that the CP length configuration can include fewer bits (e.g., an index number referencing a known / predefined length of CP to the UE). Additionally or alternatively, the network can provide the UE with a configuration conveying other aspects of the JCS symbol. These other aspects can include, for example, the location of the JCS symbol within a slot, the duration of the JCS symbol, the SCS of the JCS symbol, transmission power, the timing of a reception window (described in more detail below), and the like. The CP length configuration and / or other JCS symbol configuration information is signaled to the UE via L1 / L2 / L3 configuration messages, such as via downlink control information (DCI), medium access control - control element (MAC-CE), and / or radio resource control (RRC), as desired for the functionality.

[0086] Because the RF sensing performed by the NTN platform can experience a relatively long delay between the transmission of the JCS symbol and the reception of the echo / reflection of the JCS symbol, there can be no self-interference (transmission and reception occurring simultaneously). To avoid interference with other RF signals, such as UL signals transmitted by one or more UEs, the network can implement a reception window to receive the echo of the JCS symbol. In some embodiments, the network can schedule the reception window to occur after the JCS symbol is transmitted.An example of this is shown in Figure 7

[0087] Figure 7 is a diagram similar to Figure 6A and 6B a timeline showing how a reception window 710 can follow a JCS symbol 720 according to some embodiments. As mentioned, to help minimize interference when the NTN platform is receiving an echo from a transmission made during the JCS symbol 720, the communication network can schedule a reception window 710 during which the UE does not transmit UL signals to the NTN platform. In addition, the NTN platform can refrain from transmitting to avoid self-interference. This can help reduce the amount of RF interference received at the NTN platform when the NTN platform is receiving an echo of the JCS symbol 720.

[0088] The characteristics of the receive window 710 can be determined from known information about the NTN platform. For example, the duration 730 between the JCS symbol 720 and the receive window 710 can be determined geometrically based on the height of the NTN platform and the angle to the footprint. The duration 740 of the receive window 710 can be determined based on the swath width (e.g., the expected time delay between the first and last range cells in a swath).

[0089] Figure 8 is a flowchart of a method of implementing JCS by an NTN, according to an embodiment. The functions illustrated in one or more of the blocks shown in Figure 8 may be performed by hardware and / or software components of the NTN platform, such as the NTN platform 1100 shown in Figure 11 and described below. In some embodiments, the operations can be performed by a computer system (e.g., a server) communicatively coupled with the NTN platform. An example computer system 1200 is shown in Figure 12 and described below.

[0090] At block 810, the functions include transmitting, with the NTN platform, an RF signal toward the Earth, the RF signal including an OFDM waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols including a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein the RF signal is incident on an area of a defined footprint of the Earth, and a duration of a CP of the JCS symbol is a function of a width of the footprint. As mentioned, in some embodiments, the duration of the CP can also be a function of a bandwidth of the RF signal. For embodiments implementing SAR, the width of the footprint can correspond to a swath width, as previously described. As previously mentioned, in some embodiments, the duration of the JCS symbol is longer than the duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols. As shown in Figure 6A and 6B there can be different ways to accommodate this longer duration of the JCS symbol. Accordingly, some embodiments of the method 800 can include zero-padding the JCS symbol such that the duration of the JCS symbol is an integer multiple of the duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols. According to some embodiments, the JCS symbol can have a different subcarrier spacing (SCS) than the one or more non-JCS symbols.

[0091] As previously mentioned, the transmission of the JCS symbols can be at least partially responsive to an indication that the UE (e.g., located in an area of a coverage zone of the NTN platform, such as to receive the JCS symbols) has a reception (and decoding) capability for the JCS symbols. As such, according to some embodiments of the method 800, transmitting the JCS symbols can be responsive to receiving an indication from a user equipment (UE) that the UE is capable of decoding the JCS symbols as downlink (DL) communication symbols. In such embodiments, the indication can include information indicating a buffering capability of the UE, a capability of the UE to support different SCS within an OFDM slot, or a fast Fourier transform (FFT) size supported by the UE, or any combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively, the method 800 can also include transmitting a CP length configuration to the UE. As mentioned elsewhere herein, this can be bundled with other configurations (e.g., BWP configurations). The CP length configuration can be transmitted to the UE via DCI, MAC-CE, and / or RRC.

[0092] The means for performing the functionality at block 810 can include the bus 1105, the processor 1110, the DSP 1120, the wireless communication interface 1130, the memory 1160, and / or other components of the NTN platform 1100, as illustrated in FIG. 11. Figure 11

[0093] At block 820, the functionality includes receiving one or more reflections of the JCS symbols at the NTN platform. According to some embodiments, receiving the one or more reflections (or echoes) of the JCS symbols can occur during a sensing reception window during which the UE does not schedule UL transmissions. As mentioned, the location (e.g., in a slot) and duration of the reception window can be determined based on various factors, as discussed with respect to Figure 7 The NTN platform (or a computer communicatively coupled thereto) can then utilize the one or more reflections to perform RF sensing, as described elsewhere herein. As described with respect to Figure 4 and Figure 5 This can include SAR, as described with respect to

[0094] The means for performing the functionality at block 820 can include the bus 1105, the processor 1110, the DSP 1120, the wireless communication interface 1130, the memory 1160, and / or other components of the NTN platform 1100, as illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0095] Figure 9 is a flow diagram of another method of JCS enabling by NTN, according to an embodiment. Means for performing the functionality illustrated in one or more of the blocks shown in Figure 9 The means for performing the functionality illustrated in one or more of the blocks shown in Figure 8 may be performed by hardware and / or software components of the UE, and can correspond to when the NTN platform is performing​Figure 8 the method 800. In Figure 10 An example UE 1000 is shown in FIG. 13 and described below.

[0096] At block 910, the function includes receiving, at the UE, an RF signal from an NTN platform, the RF signal including an OFDM waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols including a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, where the RF signal is incident on an area of a defined footprint on Earth, and a duration of a CP of the JCS symbol is a function of a width of the footprint. As mentioned, in some embodiments, the duration of the CP can also be a function of a bandwidth of the RF signal. As mentioned elsewhere herein, the JCS symbol can be informed to the UE from a configuration sent to the UE in advance (e.g., by the NTN platform or another node of the wireless network). This can include, for example, a CP length configuration. Accordingly, some embodiments of the method 900 can also include receiving, prior to receiving the RF signal, a configuration indicating that a duration of the JCS symbol is longer than a duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols. In such embodiments, the configuration can indicate that the JCS symbol has a different subcarrier spacing (SCS) than the one or more non-JCS symbols.

[0097] Further, the transmission of the JCS symbol can be in response to the UE providing capability information to the network. As such, some embodiments of the method 900 can include sending, to a network node, an indication that the UE is capable of decoding the JCS symbol as a downlink (DL) communication symbol. Here, the network node can include the NTN platform or another wireless node of the communication network (e.g., a terrestrial base station). Some embodiments can also include including, in the indication, information indicating a buffering capability of the UE, a capability of the UE to support different SCS within an OFDM slot, or a fast Fourier transform (FFT) size supported by the UE, or any combination thereof.

[0098] A means for performing the function at block 910 can include the bus 1105, the processor 1110, the DSP 1120, the wireless communication interface 1130, the memory 1160, and / or other components of the NTN platform 1100, as illustrated in FIG. 13. Figure 11

[0099] At block 920, the function includes decoding the JCS symbol as a DL communication symbol. As mentioned, to do so, the UE can adjust the AGC to avoid saturation of the received JCS symbol. The UE can perform additional or alternative adjustments to receive the JCS symbol prior to and / or after transmitting and / or receiving UL and / or DL signals during the non-JCS symbol. Some embodiments of the method 900 can also include receiving a configuration defining a sensing reception window occurring after the transmission of the RF signal, during which the UE is not scheduled to perform any UL transmissions.​

[0100] The means for performing the function at block 920 can include one or more of the bus 1105, the processor 1110, the DSP 1120, the wireless communication interface 1130, the memory 1160, and / or other components of the NTN platform 1100 as Figure 11 shown in FIG. 11.

[0101] Figure 10 A block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a UE 1000 that can be utilized as described herein above (e.g., in association with the Figure 1-9 embodiments described herein). For example, the UE 1000 can perform one or more of the functions of the methods illustrated in Figure 9 FIG. 10. It should be noted that the UE 1000 is merely illustrative and that any or all elements of the UE 1000 can be utilized in Figure 10 any other embodiment and / or in combination with any other implementation of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the Figure 10 components of the UE 1000 can be rearranged and / or complemented by additional components in order to facilitate the objectives of the Figure 10 embodiments, such as those described in this document. In some cases, one or more of the components of the UE 1000 can be omitted from some embodiments of the subject matter described herein, as are necessary or desirable in various implementations.

[0102] The UE 1000 is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a bus 1005 (or can otherwise be in communication as appropriate). The hardware elements can include a processing unit(s) 1010 which can include without limitation one or more general-purpose processors, one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processor(s) (DSP) chips, graphics acceleration processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or the like), and / or other processing structure or means. The processing unit(s) 1010 can include one or more processing units that can reside in a single integrated circuit (IC) or on a plurality of ICs. As Figure 10 shown, some embodiments can have a separate DSP 1020, depending on desired functionality. Wireless communication-based location determination and / or other determinations can be provided in the processing unit(s) 1010 and / or a wireless communication interface 1030 (discussed below). The UE 1000 also can include one or more input devices 1070, which can include without limitation one or more of a keyboard, touchscreen, touchpad, microphone, button, dial, switch, and so on; and one or more output devices 1015, which can include without limitation one or more of a display (e.g., touchscreen), light-emitting diode (LED), speaker, and so on.

[0103] The UE 1000 can also include a wireless communication interface 1030 that can enable the UE 1000 to communicate with other devices (as described in the embodiments above), which can include, but are not limited to, a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset (such as a Bluetooth® The wireless communication interface 1030 can allow for communication of data and signaling (e.g., transmission and reception) with TRPs of a network, e.g., via eNBs, gNBs, ng-eNBs, access points, various base stations and / or other access node types, and / or other network components, computer systems, and / or any other electronic devices communicatively coupled with a TRP, as described herein. Communication can be performed via one or more wireless communication antennas 1032 that transmit and / or receive wireless signals 1034. According to some embodiments, the wireless communication antennas 1032 can include a plurality of discrete antennas, antenna arrays, or any combination thereof. The antennas 1032 can be capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals using beams (e.g., Tx beams and Rx beams). Beamforming can be performed using digital and / or analog beamforming techniques, and corresponding digital and / or analog circuitry. The wireless communication interface 1030 can include such circuitry.

[0104] The wireless communication interface 1030 can include separate receivers and transmitters, or any combination of transmitters and / or receivers, for communicating with base stations (e.g., ng-eNBs and gNBs) and other terrestrial transceivers, such as wireless devices and access points, depending on desired functionality. The UE 1000 can communicate with different data networks that can include various network types. For example, the WWAN can be a CDMA network, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) network, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) network, a Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) network, a WiMAX (IEEE 1002.16) network, and so on. A CDMA network can implement one or more RATs such as WCDMA, and so on. TDMA network can implement GSM, Digital Advanced Mobile Phone System (D-AMPS), or some other RAT. An OFDMA network can employ LTE, LTE-Advanced, 5G NR, and so on. 5G NR, LTE, LTE-Advanced, GSM, and WCDMA are described in documents from 3GPP. IS-856, IS-95, and IS-2000 are described in documents from a consortium named “3rd Generation Partnership Project 2” (3GPP2). The 3GPP and 3GPP2 documents are publicly available. 3GPP and 3GPP2 documents are publicly available. A wireless local area network (WLAN) can also be an IEEE 802.1 lx network, and a wireless personal area network (WPAN) can be a Bluetooth network, an IEEE 802.15x, or some other type of network. The techniques described herein can also be used for any combination of WW AN, WLAN, and / or WPAN.

[0105] The UE 1000 can also include sensors 1040. The sensors 1040 can include, without limitation, one or more inertial sensors and / or other sensors (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras, magnetometers, altimeters, microphones, proximity sensors, light sensors, barometers, etc.), some of which can be used to obtain location-related measurements and / or other information.

[0106] Embodiments of the UE 1000 can also include a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver 1080 that is capable of receiving signals 1084 from one or more GNSS satellites using an antenna 1082 (which can be the same as the antenna 1032). Positioning based on GNSS signal measurements can be used to supplement and / or incorporate the techniques described herein. The GNSS receiver 1080 can use conventional techniques to extract a location of the UE 1000 from GNSS satellites of a GNSS system such as Global Positioning System (GPS), Galileo, GLONASS, Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) over Japan, IRNSS over India, Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) over China, etc. Moreover, the GNSS receiver 1080 can be used with various augmentation systems (e.g., a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS)) that can be associated with or otherwise enabled for use with one or more global and / or regional navigation satellite systems, such as Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), Multi -functional Satellite Augmentation System (MSAS), and Geo Augmented Navigation system (GAGAN), etc.

[0107] It can be noted that although in Figure 10The GNSS receiver 1080 is shown as distinct components, although embodiments are not limited thereto. As used herein, the term "GNSS receiver" can include hardware and / or software components configured to obtain GNSS measurements (measurements from GNSS satellites). Thus, in some embodiments, a GNSS receiver can include a measurement engine executed (as software) by one or more processors, such as the processor 1010, the DSP 1020, and / or a processor within the wireless communication interface 1030 (e.g., in a modem). The GNSS receiver can also optionally include a positioning engine that can use GNSS measurements from the measurement engine to determine a location of the GNSS receiver using an extended Kalman filter (EKF), a weighted least squares (WLS), a particle filter, etc. The positioning engine can also be executed by one or more processors, such as the processor 1010 or the DSP 1020.

[0108] The UE 1000 can also include and / or be in communication with a storage, such as a storage 1060. The storage 1060 can include, without limitation, local and / or network accessible storage, a disk drive, a solid-state drive, a floppy disk drive with a floppy disk, a

[0109] The storage 1060 of the UE 1000 also can include software elements (not shown in FIG. 10), including an operating system, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code, such as one or more application programs, which can include computer programs provided by various embodiments, and / or can be designed to implement methods, and / or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one or more procedures described with respect to the method discussed above can be implemented as code and / or Figure 10 instructions in the memory 1060 of the UE 1000 (and / or the processor 1010 or the DSP 1020 within the UE 1000). Then, in some embodiments, such code and / or instructions can be used to configure and / or adapt a general purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.

[0110] Figure 11 is a block diagram of electrical components of an embodiment of the NTN platform 1100, which can be as described herein above (e.g., with respect to the NTN platform 1100 of FIG. 9), for example. The NTN platform 1100 can include a processor 1102, a memory 1104, a transceiver 1106, and one or more antennas 1108. The processor 1102 can be configured to implement Figure 1-9associatedly) described. As described herein, the NTN platform 1100 can include a satellite or other non-terrestrial vehicle (aircraft, balloon, drone, etc.). More specifically, the NTN platform 1100 can include a communication system on, in, and / or integrated to a non-terrestrial vehicle. It should be noted that, Figure 11 Any or all of the components of the various embodiments can be utilized solely in either hardware, software, or combined hardware / software embodiments, as desired. In some embodiments, the NTN platform 1100 can correspond to a gNB, ng-eNB, and / or (more generally) a TRP.

[0111] The NTN platform 1100 is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a bus 1105 (or can otherwise be in communication, as appropriate). The hardware elements can include a processing unit(s) 1110 which can include without limitation one or more general-purpose processors, one or more special-purpose processors (such as DSP chips, graphics Figure 11 As shown, some embodiments can have a separate DSP 1120, depending on desired functionality. According to some embodiments, wireless communication-based location determination and / or other determinations can be provided in the processor 1110 and / or a wireless communication interface 1130 (discussed below). The NTN platform 1100 also can include one or more input devices, which can include without limitation a keyboard, a display, a mouse, a microphone, buttons, dials, switches, etc., and one or more output devices, which can include without limitation a display, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), a speaker, etc.

[0112] The NTN platform 1100 also can include a wireless communication interface 1130, which can enable the NTN platform 1100 to communicate and perform RF sensing as described herein (including transmitting DL RF signals during JCS symbols), which can include without limitation a modem, a network card, an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset, such as a Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi® chipset. The NTN platform 1100 also can include a storage device 1140, which can include without limitation local and / or network accessible storage, and RAM. The wireless communication interface 1130 can allow data and signaling to be communicated (e.g., transmitted and received) to, for example, UEs, other base stations / TRPs (e.g., eNBs, gNBs, and ng-eNBs), and / or other network components, computer systems, and / or any other electronic devices described herein. Communication can be performed via one or more wireless communication antennas 1132 that transmit and / or receive wireless signals 1134. According to some embodiments, the wireless communication antennas 1132 can include a plurality of discrete antennas, antenna arrays, or any combination thereof. The antennas 1132 can be capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals using beams (e.g., Tx beams and Rx beams, such as the fan-shaped beams 440). Beamforming can be performed using digital and / or analog beamforming techniques, and corresponding digital and / or analog circuitry. The wireless communication interface 1130 can include such circuitry.

[0113] The NTN platform 1100 can also include a network interface 1180. According to some embodiments, this can include a wireless communication interface having some or all of the components of the wireless communication interface 1130 described above. According to some embodiments, the network interface 1180 can be incorporated into the wireless communication interface 1130. The network interface 1180 can include one or more input and / or output communication interfaces to allow exchange of data with networks, communication network servers, computer systems, and / or any other electronic devices described herein (e.g., via a gateway 320 as shown in FIG. 3). Figure 3

[0114] In many embodiments, the NTN platform 1100 can also include a memory 1160. The memory 1160 can include, without limitation, local and / or network accessible storage, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, solid-state storage device such as a RAM and / or ROM, which can be programmable, flash-updateable, and / or the like. Such storage devices can be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and / or the like.

[0115] The memory 1160 of the NTN platform 1100 can also include software elements (not shown), including an operating system 1162, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or configuration Figure 11 ​1100) includes an operating system, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code, such as one or more application programs, which may include computer programs provided by various embodiments and / or may be designed to implement methods provided by other embodiments and / or configure systems provided by other embodiments, as described herein. By way of example only, one or more of the processes described with respect to the methods discussed above may be implemented as code and / or instructions in memory 1160 that can be executed by the NTN platform 1100 (and / or the processor 1110 or DSP 1120 within the NTN platform 1100). In some embodiments, such code and / or instructions may then be used to configure and / or adapt a general-purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations according to the described methods.

[0116] Figure 12 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer system 1200 that may be used, in whole or in part, to provide the functionality of one or more network components (e.g., servers) as described in the embodiments herein. Figure 12 It is intended only to provide a general description of the various components, any or all of which may be utilized as appropriate. Figure 12 It is generally shown how the various system elements can be implemented in a relatively separate or relatively more integrated manner. In addition, it can be noted that by Figure 12 The components shown may be localized to a single device and / or distributed among various networked devices that may be located at different physical locations.

[0117] Computer system 1200 is shown as including hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via bus 1205 (or can communicate in other ways as appropriate). The hardware elements may include: a processor 1210, which may include, but is not limited to, one or more general-purpose processors, one or more special-purpose processors (e.g., a digital signal processing chip, a graphics acceleration processor, etc.); and / or other processing structures that can be configured to perform one or more of the methods described herein. Computer system 1200 may also include: one or more input devices 1215, which may include, but is not limited to, a mouse, a keyboard, a camera, a microphone, etc.; and one or more output devices 1220, which may include, but is not limited to, a display device, a printer, etc.

[0118] The computer system 1200 can also include (and / or be in communication with) one or more non-transitory storage devices 1225, which can include, without limitation, local and / or network accessible storage, and / or can include, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, a solid-state storage device such as a RAM and / or ROM, which can be programmable, flash-updateable, and / or the like. Such storage devices can be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and / or the like. Such data stores can include databases and / or other data structures for storing and managing messages and / or other information as described herein to be sent to one or more devices via a hub.

[0119] The computer system 1200 can also include a communications subsystem 1230, which can include both wireless communication technology and wired technology, such as Ethernet, coaxial communication, universal serial bus (USB), and / or the like, managed and controlled by a wireless communication interface 1233. The wireless communication interface 1233 can include one or more wireless transceivers, which can transmit and receive wireless signals 1255 (e.g., signals according to 5G NR or LTE) via a wireless antenna 1250. Thus, the communications subsystem 1230 can include a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infrared communication device, a wireless communication device, and / or a chipset, and / or the like, which can enable the computer system 1200 to communicate on any or all of the communication networks described herein with devices, including user equipment (UE), base stations, and / or other TRPs, or any other electronic devices described herein, on the respective network. Thus, the communications subsystem 1230 can be used to receive and transmit data as described in the embodiments herein.

[0120] In many embodiments, the computer system 1200 will further include a working memory 1235, which can include a RAM or ROM device, as described above. Software elements, shown as being located within the working memory 1235, can include an operating system 1240, device drivers, executable libraries, and / or other code, such as one or more applications 1245, which can include computer programs provided by various embodiments, and / or can be designed to implement methods, and / or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein. Merely by way of example, one or more procedures described with respect to the method discussed above might be implemented as code and / or

[0121] A set of these instructions and / or code might be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s) 1225 described above. In some cases, the storage medium might be incorporated within a computer system, such as computer system 1200. In other embodiments, the storage medium might be separate from a computer system (e.g., a removable medium, such as a compact disc), and / or provided in an installation package, such that the storage medium can be used to program, configure and / or adapt a general purpose computer with the instructions / code stored thereon. These instructions might take the form of executable code, which is executable by the computer system 1200 and / or might take the form of source and / or installed code, which, upon compilation and / or installation on the computer system 1200 (e.g., using any of a variety of generally available compilers, installation programs, compression / decompression utilities, etc.), then takes the form of executable code.

[0122] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that substantial

[0123] With reference to the appended drawings, components of the present disclosure can include a memory that can include a non-transitory machine-readable medium. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any storage medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution. In the embodiments provided above, various machine-readable media might be involved in storing and / or

[0124] The methods, systems, and devices discussed herein are examples. Various embodiments may omit, substitute, or add various processes or components as appropriate. For example, features described with respect to certain embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments. Different aspects and elements of the embodiments may be combined in a similar manner. The various components of the figures provided herein may be embodied in hardware and / or software. Furthermore, technology is constantly evolving, and therefore, many elements are examples, which do not limit the scope of this disclosure to those specific examples.

[0125] It has proven convenient at times, primarily for reasons of common usage, to refer to such signals as bits, information, values, elements, symbols, characters, variables, terms, numbers, numerical values, and the like. It will be understood, however, that all of these or similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels. Unless otherwise specifically stated, it will be apparent from the foregoing discussion that throughout this specification, terms such as "process," "calculate," "calculate," "determine," "ascertain," "identify," "correlate," "measure," "perform," and the like will be understood to refer to the actions or processes of a specific apparatus, such as a special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device. Thus, in the context of this specification, a special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device is capable of manipulating or transforming signals, which are typically represented as physical electronic, electrical, or magnetic quantities within a memory, register, or other information storage device, transmission device, or display device of the special-purpose computer or similar special-purpose electronic computing device.

[0126] As used herein, the terms "and" and "or" may include various meanings, and it is also expected that these meanings will depend, at least in part, on the context in which the terms are used. Generally, if "or" is used to associate a list (such as A, B, or C), it is intended to mean A, B, and C (used herein in an inclusive sense) as well as A, B, or C (used herein in an exclusive sense). In addition, as used herein, the term "one or more" may be used to describe any feature, structure, or characteristic in the singular, or may be used to describe some combination of features, structures, or characteristics. However, it should be noted that this is merely an illustrative example, and the claimed subject matter is not limited to this example. In addition, if the term "at least one of" is used to associate a list (such as A, B, or C), it may be interpreted to mean any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, AB, AA, AAB, AABBCCC, etc.

[0127] Having described several embodiments, various modifications, alternative configurations, and equivalents may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, the aforementioned elements may simply be components of a larger system, wherein other rules may take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of the various embodiments. Furthermore, multiple steps may be taken before, during, or after considering the aforementioned elements. Therefore, the above description does not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0128] In view of this description, various embodiments may include different combinations of features. Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses: Clause 1. A method of implementing joint communication and sensing (JCS) over a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the method comprising: transmitting a radio frequency (RF) signal toward the Earth using an NTN platform, the RF signal comprising an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein: the RF signal is incident on an area of ​​the Earth defining a coverage area, and a duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of a width of the coverage area; and receiving one or more reflections of the JCS symbol at the NTN platform.

[0129] Clause 2. The method of clause 1, further comprising: utilizing the one or more reflections to perform RF sensing.

[0130] Clause 3. A method as defined in any of clauses 1-2, wherein the duration of the JCS symbol is longer than the duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols.

[0131] Clause 4. The method according to clause 3 further includes: zero padding the JCS symbol so that the duration of the JCS symbol is an integer multiple of the duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols.

[0132] Clause 5. A method as described in any of clauses 3-4, wherein the JCS symbol has a different subcarrier spacing (SCS) than the one or more non-JCS symbols.

[0133] Clause 6. A method as described in any of clauses 1-5, wherein sending the JCS symbol is in response to receiving an indication from a user equipment (UE) that the UE is capable of decoding the JCS symbol into a downlink (DL) communication symbol.

[0134] Clause 7. A method according to clause 6, wherein the indication includes information indicating the following: the buffering capacity of the UE, the ability of the UE to support different SCSs within an OFDM time slot, or the fast Fourier transform (FFT) size supported by the UE, or any combination thereof.

[0135] Clause 8. A method as described in any of clauses 6-7, further comprising: transmitting a CP length configuration to the UE.

[0136] Clause 9. A method according to any of clauses 6-8, wherein receiving the one or more reflections of the JCS symbol occurs during a sensing receive window during which no uplink (UL) transmission by the UE is scheduled. Clause 10. A method for implementing joint communication and sensing (JCS) over a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the method comprising: receiving, at a user equipment (UE) from an NTN platform, a radio frequency (RF) signal comprising an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein: the RF signal is incident on an area of ​​the earth defining a coverage area, and a duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of a width of the coverage area of ​​the RF signal; and decoding the JCS symbol into a downlink (DL) communication symbol.

[0137] Clause 11. The method of clause 10, further comprising, prior to receiving the RF signal, receiving a configuration indicating that a duration of the JCS symbol is longer than a duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols.

[0138] Clause 12. The method of clause 11, wherein the configuration indicates that the JCS symbol has a different subcarrier spacing (SCS) than the one or more non-JCS symbols.

[0139] Clause 13. A method as set forth in any of clauses 10-12, further comprising sending an indication to a network node that the UE is capable of decoding the JCS symbols into downlink (DL) communication symbols.

[0140] Clause 14. The method according to clause 13 further includes including in the indication information indicating: the buffering capacity of the UE, the ability of the UE to support different SCSs within an OFDM time slot, or the fast Fourier transform (FFT) size supported by the UE, or any combination thereof.

[0141] Clause 15. The method of any of clauses 13-14, wherein the network node comprises the NTN platform.

[0142] Clause 16. The method of any one of clauses 10-15, further comprising receiving a configuration defining a sensing receive window that occurs after the transmission of the RF signal, during which the UE is not scheduled to perform any uplink (UL) transmission.

[0143] Clause 17, an NTN platform for enabling joint communication and sensing (JCS) over a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the NTN platform comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: transmit, with the transceiver, a radio frequency (RF) signal toward Earth, the RF signal comprising an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein: the RF signal is incident on an area of a defined coverage region of the Earth, and a duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of a width of the coverage region; and receive, with the transceiver, one or more reflections of the JCS symbol.

[0144] Clause 18, the NTN platform of Clause 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: perform RF sensing with the one or more reflections.

[0145] Clause 19, the NTN platform of any one of Clauses 17-18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: transmit the RF signal such that a duration of the JCS symbol is longer than a duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols. Clause 20, the NTN platform of Clause 19, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: zero-pad the JCS symbol such that the duration of the JCS symbol is an integer multiple of the duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols. Clause 21, the NTN platform of any one of Clauses 19-20, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: transmit the RF signal such that the JCS symbol has a different subcarrier spacing (SCS) than the one or more non-JCS symbols.

[0146] Clause 22, the NTN platform of any one of Clauses 17-21, wherein the one or more processors are configured to transmit the JCS symbol in response to the one or more processors receiving, from a user equipment (UE), an indication that the UE is capable of decoding the JCS symbol as a downlink (DL) communication symbol.

[0147] Clause 23, the NTN platform of Clause 22, wherein, to receive the indication, the one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating: a buffering capability of the UE, a capability of the UE to support different SCS within an OFDM time slot, or a fast Fourier transform (FFT) size supported by the UE, or any combination thereof.

[0148] Clause 24. The NTN platform of any of Clauses 22-23, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transmit a CP length configuration to the UE.

[0149] Clause 25. The NTN platform of any of Clauses 22-24, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive the one or more reflections of the JCS symbol during a sensing reception window during which no uplink (UL) transmissions by the UE are scheduled.

[0150] Clause 26. The NTN platform of any of Clauses 22-25, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive a configuration defining a sensing reception window occurring after a transmission of the RF signal during which the UE is not scheduled to perform any uplink (UL) transmissions.

[0151] Clause 27. A user equipment (UE) for joint communication and sensing (JCS) over a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the UE comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receive, via the transceiver, a radio frequency (RF) signal from an NTN platform, the RF signal comprising an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein: the RF signal is incident on a region of a defined coverage area of the Earth, and a duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of a width of the coverage area; and decode the JCS symbol as a downlink (DL) communication symbol.

[0152] Clause 28. The UE of Clause 27, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to, prior to receiving the RF signal, receive a configuration indicating that a duration of the JCS symbol is longer than a duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols. Clause 29. The UE of Clause 28, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive, in the configuration, an indication that the JCS symbol has a different subcarrier spacing (SCS) than the one or more non-JCS symbols.

[0153] Clause 30. The UE of any of Clauses 27-29, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transmit, to a network node, an indication that the UE is capable of decoding the JCS symbol as a downlink (DL) communication symbol.

[0154] Clause 31. An apparatus comprising means for performing the method according to any one of clauses 1-30.

[0155] Clause 32. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions comprising code for performing the method of any of clauses 1-30.

Claims

1. A method for implementing joint communication and sensing (JCS) via a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the method comprising: A radio frequency (RF) signal is transmitted toward the Earth using the NTN platform, the RF signal comprising an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein: The RF signal is incident on an area of ​​the Earth defining a footprint, and The duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of the width of the coverage area; and One or more reflections of the JCS symbol are received at the NTN platform.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: RF sensing is performed using the one or more reflections.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The duration of the JCS symbol is longer than the duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising: The JCS symbol is zero-padded such that the duration of the JCS symbol is an integer multiple of the duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein The JCS symbol has a different subcarrier spacing (SCS) than the one or more non-JCS symbols.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The JCS symbols are transmitted in response to receiving an indication from a user equipment (UE) that the UE is capable of decoding the JCS symbols into downlink (DL) communication symbols.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The instructions include information indicating: the buffering capacity of the UE, The UE supports the capability of different subcarrier spacing (SCS) within an OFDM time slot, or The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) size supported by the UE, or any combination thereof.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising: The CP length configuration is transmitted to the UE.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein: Receiving the one or more reflections of the JCS symbol occurs during a sensing receive window during which no uplink (UL) transmissions by the UE are scheduled.

10. A method for implementing joint communication and sensing (JCS) via a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the method comprising: A radio frequency (RF) signal is received at a user equipment (UE) from an NTN platform, the RF signal comprising an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein: The RF signal is incident on an area of ​​the Earth defining a footprint, and The duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of the width of the coverage area of ​​the RF signal; and The JCS symbols are decoded into downlink (DL) communication symbols.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: Prior to receiving the RF signal, a configuration is received indicating that a duration of the JCS symbol is longer than a duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The configuration indicates that the JCS symbol has a different subcarrier spacing (SCS) than the one or more non-JCS symbols.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: An indication is sent to a network node that the UE is capable of decoding the JCS symbols into downlink (DL) communication symbols.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising including in the indication information indicating: the buffering capacity of the UE, The UE supports the capability of different subcarrier spacing (SCS) within an OFDM time slot, or The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) size supported by the UE, or any combination thereof.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein The network node includes the NTN platform.

16. The method according to claim 10, further comprising: A configuration is received that defines a sensing receive window occurring after the transmission of the RF signal, during which the UE is not scheduled to perform any uplink (UL) transmissions.

17. A non-terrestrial network (NTN) platform for implementing joint communications and sensing (JCS) via an NTN, the NTN platform comprising: transceiver; Memory; as well as one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: transmitting, with the transceiver, a radio frequency (RF) signal toward Earth, the RF signal comprising an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein: The RF signal is incident on an area of ​​the Earth defining a footprint, and The duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of the width of the coverage area; and One or more reflections of the JCS symbol are received with the transceiver.

18. The NTN platform according to claim 17, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to perform RF sensing using the one or more reflections.

19. The NTN platform according to claim 17, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to transmit the RF signal such that a duration of the JCS symbol is longer than a duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols.

20. The NTN platform according to claim 19, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to zero-pad the JCS symbol such that the duration of the JCS symbol is an integer multiple of the duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols.

21. The NTN platform according to claim 19, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to transmit the RF signal such that the JCS symbol has a different subcarrier spacing (SCS) than the one or more non-JCS symbols.

22. The NTN platform according to claim 17, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to send the JCS symbol in response to the one or more processors receiving an indication from a user equipment (UE) that the UE is capable of decoding the JCS symbol as a downlink (DL) communication symbol.

23. The NTN platform according to claim 22, wherein: To receive the indication, the one or more processors are configured to receive information indicating: the buffering capacity of the UE, The UE supports the capability of different subcarrier spacing (SCS) within an OFDM time slot, or The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) size supported by the UE, or any combination thereof.

24. The NTN platform according to claim 22, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to transmit a CP length configuration to the UE.

25. The NTN platform according to claim 22, wherein: The one or more processors are configured to receive the one or more reflections of the JCS symbol during a sensing receive window during which no uplink (UL) transmission by the UE is scheduled.

26. The NTN platform according to claim 22, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to receive a configuration defining a sensing receive window occurring after the transmission of the RF signal, during which the UE is not scheduled to perform any uplink (UL) transmissions.

27. A user equipment (UE) for implementing joint communication and sensing (JCS) over a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the UE comprising: transceiver; Memory; as well as one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: receiving, via the transceiver, a radio frequency (RF) signal from an NTN platform, the RF signal comprising an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform having a plurality of symbols, the plurality of symbols comprising a JCS symbol and one or more non-JCS symbols, wherein: The RF signal is incident on an area of ​​the Earth defining a footprint, and The duration of a cyclic prefix (CP) of the JCS symbol is a function of the width of the coverage area; and The JCS symbols are decoded into downlink (DL) communication symbols.

28. The UE according to claim 27, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to, prior to receiving the RF signal, receive a configuration indicating that a duration of the JCS symbol is longer than a duration of the one or more non-JCS symbols.

29. The UE according to claim 28, wherein: The one or more processors are further configured to receive, in the configuration, an indication that the JCS symbol has a different subcarrier spacing (SCS) than the one or more non-JCS symbols.

30. The UE according to claim 27, wherein The one or more processors are further configured to send an indication to a network node that the UE is capable of decoding the JCS symbols into downlink (DL) communication symbols.

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