Ssb measurement time configuration for cell handover terminal apparatus provided by mobile base station / repeater

Abstract

Embodiments of this disclosure provide methods and apparatus for enhancing SSB Measurement Timing Configuration (SMTC) for handover of terminal devices in a communication network. A method (300) performed by a terminal device in a communication network includes: obtaining (S302) a first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) before or after a change from a first cell to a second cell; adjusting (S304) an offset parameter in the first SMTC based at least on a propagation delay in the second cell; and performing (S306) a measurement in the second cell based on the first SMTC having the adjusted offset parameter. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal device can appropriately apply the SMTC after handover and / or reselection of cells with different SSB characteristics.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communication technology, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for enhancing the SSB Measurement Time Configuration (SMTC) of a cell handover terminal device in a communication network. In particular, it relates to handover of a cell provided by a mobile base station / repeater. SSB can refer to a synchronization signal block, which can be a combination of a synchronization signal (SS) and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) in a communication network. Background Technology

[0002] This section introduces aspects that may help in a better understanding of this disclosure. Therefore, the statements in this section should be read in this light and should not be construed as an admission of what is or is not in the prior art.

[0003] As the demand for communication services grows, it becomes necessary to supplement terrestrial mobile communication networks with many other types of technologies. For example, mobile base stations / repeaters are a favorable option for underserved areas where it is difficult to deploy fixed base stations. One example of such mobile base stations / repeaters is satellite communication networks.

[0004] When a terminal device switches from the first cell to the second cell, it needs to obtain the SSB information of the second cell. In particular, when either the first or the second cell is provided by a mobile base station / repeater, the SSB signal in the second cell may have different characteristics than the SSB signal in the first cell. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This overview is provided to introduce, in a simplified form, some concepts that will be further described in the detailed description below. This overview is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] Mobile base stations / relays in the network can cause problems such as cell switching or handover, or propagation delays. This delay will also affect the Service Serving Branches (SSBs) transmitted to the terminal devices served by the network. Different SSBs from different cells may have different characteristics. If the terminal device cannot understand these differences, the measurements obtained by the terminal device will be interfered with, or sometimes no measurements can be obtained.

[0007] Certain aspects of this disclosure and its embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Specific methods and apparatus for enhancing SMTC in communication networks are provided.

[0008] A first aspect of this disclosure provides a method performed by a terminal device in a communication network. The method includes: obtaining a first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) before or after a change from a first cell to a second cell; adjusting an offset parameter in the first SMTC based at least on a propagation delay in the second cell; and performing a measurement in the second cell based on the first SMTC having the adjusted offset parameter.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a first synchronization signal block (SSB) is configured for a first cell, and a second SSB is configured for a second cell; and the first SSB and the second SSB occupy the same time position in the scheduling, or the first SSB and the second SSB have different SSB indices, or the second SSB is a time-shifted version of the first SSB.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: adjusting the offset parameter in the first SMTC based on the time offset in the scheduling between the first SSB and the second SSB.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the offset parameter in the first SMTC is provided by the first cell or the second cell based on the time offset in the scheduling between the first SSB and the second SSB.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: performing a measurement in the second cell based on a first SMTC in response to an instruction from a first cell or a second cell, without adjusting the offset parameter based on the propagation delay.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: obtaining a second SMTC; and performing a measurement based on the second SMTC.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: transmitting a request for a first SMTC and / or a second SMTC.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in common control signaling; and the second SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in the System Information Block (SIB).

[0017] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal device obtains the SIB regardless of whether there is any indication of changes in the SIB.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling before the change; and the second SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling after the change.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, an indication from a first cell or a second cell indicates to the terminal device at least one of the following: whether to adjust the offset parameter in the first SMTC based on the propagation delay in the second cell; to perform a measurement in the second cell using the first SMTC; or to perform a measurement in the second cell using another SMTC; and the indication is implicit or explicit.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the terminal device is in an RRC CONNECTED state in a first cell and switches to a second cell; or the terminal device is in an RRC IDLE state or INACTIVE state and reselects a second cell.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the terminal device changes from a first cell to a second cell without L3 mobility.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first cell and the second cell have the same physical cell identifier.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first cell is provided by a first satellite, and / or the second cell is provided by a second satellite.

[0024] A second aspect of this disclosure provides a method performed by a network node in a communication network. The method includes: transmitting a first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) to a terminal device before or after the terminal device changes from a first cell to a second cell; and instructing the terminal device whether to adjust an offset parameter in the first SMTC.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the network node instructs the terminal device whether to adjust the offset parameter in the first SMTC based on the propagation in the second cell; configures a first synchronization signal block (SSB) for the first cell and configures a second SSB for the second cell; and the first SSB and the second SSB occupy the same time position in the scheduling, or the first SSB and the second SSB have different SSB indices, or the second SSB is a time-shifted version of the first SSB.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes providing an offset parameter in the first SMTC based on the time offset in the scheduling between the first SSB and the second SSB.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: transmitting a second SMTC to a terminal device.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: receiving a request for a first SMTC and / or a second SMTC from a terminal device.

[0029] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first SMTC is included in common control signaling; wherein the second SMTC is included in private signaling.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first SMTC is included in the System Information Block (SIB).

[0031] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal device obtains the SIB regardless of whether there is any indication of changes in the SIB.

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling before the change; and the second SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling after the change.

[0033] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the terminal device is in an RRC CONNECTED state in a first cell and switches to a second cell; or the terminal device is in an RRC IDLE state or INACTIVE state and reselects a second cell.

[0034] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the terminal device changes from a first cell to a second cell without L3 mobility.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first cell and the second cell have the same physical cell identifier.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first cell is provided by a first satellite, and / or the second cell is provided by a second satellite; and the network node is a base station connected to the first satellite and / or the second satellite.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: determining whether conditions related to the served terminal device are met; and when the conditions are met, performing at least one of the following actions: prohibiting changes from the first cell to the second cell when the second cell has the same PCI as the first cell; configuring the SSB in the first cell to use a different frequency than the SSB in the second cell; configuring the SSB in the second cell to be transmitted when or after the SSB in the first cell is stopped; or releasing the terminal device served by the network node and not supported in obtaining SSB information about the second cell.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the condition includes at least one of the following: the number of RRC CONNECTED terminal devices served by network nodes and which, after a change exceeding a threshold, do not support obtaining SSB information about the second cell; and / or the ratio of RRC CONNECTED terminal devices served by network nodes and which, after a change exceeding another threshold, do not support obtaining SSB information about the second cell.

[0039] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the condition is applied to a terminal device having Quality of Service (QoS) requirements.

[0040] A third aspect of this disclosure provides an apparatus for a terminal device in a communication network. The apparatus for the terminal device may include: a processor; and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor. The apparatus for the terminal device is operable to: obtain a first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) before or after a change from a first cell to a second cell; adjust an offset parameter in the first SMTC based at least on a propagation delay in the second cell; and perform a measurement in the second cell based on the first SMTC having the adjusted offset parameter.

[0041] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the device may be further operated to perform the methods according to any of the above embodiments.

[0042] A fourth aspect of this disclosure provides an apparatus for a network node in a communication network. The apparatus for the network node may include: a processor; and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor. The apparatus for the network node is operable to: transmit a first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) to a terminal device before or after the terminal device changes from a first cell to a second cell; and instruct the terminal device whether to adjust an offset parameter in the first SMTC.

[0043] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the device may be further operated to perform the methods according to any of the above embodiments.

[0044] The fifth aspect of this disclosure provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform a method according to any embodiment.

[0045] The embodiments described herein offer numerous advantages. According to embodiments of this disclosure, an enhanced method for switching terminal devices (SMTC) in a communication network can be provided.

[0046] Specifically, the terminal device can appropriately apply STMC after being switched to and / or reselected to a cell with different SSB characteristics. Specific SSB measurements can be adjusted accordingly. Therefore, the impact of mobile base stations / relays (e.g., mobile satellites) on SSB timing alignment can be reduced. In this case, the measurement quality of SSBs can be improved. Attached Figure Description

[0047] The above and other aspects, features, and benefits of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals or letters are used to denote the same or equivalent elements. The accompanying drawings are provided to facilitate a better understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example architecture of a satellite network with a bend transponder.

[0048] Figure 2 This is an exemplary illustration showing the SSB, SMTC window, and measurement gap.

[0049] Figure 3A This is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] Figure 3B It is shown Figure 3A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0051] Figure 3C It is shown Figure 3A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0052] Figure 3D It is shown Figure 3A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0053] Figure 3E It is shown Figure 3A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0054] Figure 4A This is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] Figure 4B It is shown Figure 4A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0056] Figure 4C It is shown Figure 4A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0057] Figure 4D It is shown Figure 4AThe flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0058] Figure 4E It is shown Figure 4A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0059] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary device for a terminal apparatus suitable for performing methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0060] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary device for a network node suitable for performing methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0061] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating a device / computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a unit of an exemplary device for a terminal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary device for a network node suitable for performing methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0064] Figure 10 An example of a communication system 1000 according to some embodiments is shown.

[0065] Figure 11 The UE 1100 is shown according to some embodiments.

[0066] Figure 12 A network node 1200 is shown according to some embodiments.

[0067] Figure 13 This is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1300 in which functions implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized. Detailed Implementation

[0068] Embodiments of this disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed merely to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thus implement this disclosure, and not to impose any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. References to features, advantages, or similar language throughout this specification do not imply that all features and advantages achievable with this disclosure are, or should be, in any single embodiment of this disclosure. Rather, language relating to features and advantages is to be understood as indicating that a particular feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of this disclosure. Furthermore, the features, advantages, and characteristics described in this disclosure may be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. Those skilled in the art will recognize that this disclosure can be implemented without one or more specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages that may not be present in all embodiments of this disclosure may be recognized in certain embodiments.

[0069] Generally, all terms used herein will be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant art, unless explicitly given and / or implied from the context of their use. All references to "a," "an," "element," "device," "component," "part," "step," etc., should be openly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of the element, device, component, part, step, etc., unless otherwise expressly stated. The steps of any method disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is explicitly described as occurring after or before another step, and / or implicitly implied that a step must occur after or before another step. Any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment where appropriate. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment may be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. Further objects, features, and advantages of the appended embodiments will become apparent from the following description.

[0070] As used herein, the term "network" or "communication network" refers to a network that conforms to any suitable wireless communication standard. For example, wireless communication standards may include New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA), and other wireless networks. In the following description, the terms "network" and "system" are used interchangeably. Furthermore, communication between two devices in a network may be performed according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to wireless communication protocols or wired communication protocols defined by standards organizations such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

[0071] As used herein, the term "network node" refers to a network device, network entity, network function, or any other device (physical or virtual) in a communication network. For example, a network node in a network may include a base station (BS), access point (AP), multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), server node / function (e.g., Service Capability Server / Application Server SCS / AS, Group Communication Service Application Server GCS AS, Application Function AF), exposure node / function (e.g., Service Capability Exposure Function SCEF, Network Exposure Function NEF), Unified Data Management UDM, Home Subscriber Server HSS, Session Management Function SMF, Access and Mobility Management Function AMF, Mobility Entity MME, a controller in a wireless communication network, or any other suitable device. A BS may be, for example, a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a next-generation Node B (gNodeB or gNB), a Remote Radio Unit (RRU), a Radio Head (RH), a Remote Radio Head (RRH), a repeater, a low-power node such as a femtosecond or picosecond, etc.

[0072] Other examples of network nodes may include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment (such as MSRBS), network controllers (such as radio network controllers (RNC) or base station controllers (BSC)), base transceiver stations (BTS), transmission points, transmission nodes, location nodes and / or similar devices.

[0073] Furthermore, the terms "network node," "network function," and "network entity" in this document may also refer to any suitable node, function, or entity that can be implemented (physically or virtually) in a communication network. For example, a 5G system (5GS) may include multiple NFs, such as AMF (Access and Mobility Function), SMF (Session Management Function), AUSF (Authentication Service Function), UDM (Unified Data Management), PCF (Policy Control Function), AF (Application Function), NEF (Network Exposure Function), UPF (User Plane Function), NRF (Network Repository Function), RAN (Radio Access Network), SCP (Service Communication Agent), etc. In other embodiments, network functions may include different types of NFs (e.g., PCRF (Policy and Charging Rules Function), depending on the specific network.

[0074] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device capable of accessing a communication network and receiving services therefrom. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device refers to a mobile terminal, user equipment (UE), or other suitable device. A UE can be, for example, a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT). Terminal devices can include, but are not limited to, portable computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, wearable terminal devices, vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device," "terminal," "user equipment," and "UE" are used interchangeably. As an example, a terminal device may represent a UE configured to communicate according to one or more communication standards promulgated by 3GPP (such as the 3GPP LTE or NR standards). As used herein, a “user equipment” or “UE” does not necessarily have to mean a “user” in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. In some embodiments, a terminal device may be configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from a communication network, a terminal device may be designed to transmit information to the network according to a predetermined schedule. Conversely, a UE may represent a device intended for sale to or operated by a human user, but which may not initially be associated with a particular human user.

[0075] As another example, in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a terminal device can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another terminal device and / or network device. In this case, the terminal device can be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which in the 3GPP context can be referred to as a machine-type communication (MTC) device. As a specific example, a terminal device can be a UE that implements the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices such as power meters, industrial machinery, or household or personal appliances such as refrigerators, televisions, personal wearable devices such as watches, etc. In other scenarios, a terminal device can represent a vehicle or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0076] References to "an embodiment," "an embodiment," "an exemplary embodiment," etc., in the specification indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but it is not necessary for every embodiment to include specific features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Additionally, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is believed that the influence of such feature, structure, or characteristic on other embodiments is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art, whether explicitly described or not.

[0077] It should be understood that although the terms “first” and “second”, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms.

[0078] As used herein, the phrase “at least one of A and / or B” should be understood as meaning “A only, B only, or both A and B”. The phrase “A and / or B” should be understood as meaning “A only, B only, or both A and B”.

[0079] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” and / or “having,” as used herein, specify the presence of the stated features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0080] Note that the terms used in this document are for ease of description and to distinguish between nodes, devices, or networks, etc. As technology evolves, other terms with similar / identical meanings may be used.

[0081] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0082] As for satellite communications and non-terrestrial networks (NTN), satellite communications are experiencing a resurgence. Several satellite network initiatives have been announced in the past few years. The target services vary, ranging from backhaul and fixed wireless to transportation, outdoor mobility, and the Internet of Things (IoT). By providing connectivity and multicast / broadcast services to underserved areas, satellite networks can supplement terrestrial mobile networks.

[0083] To benefit from a robust mobile ecosystem and economies of scale, there is significant interest in adapting terrestrial radio access technologies, including LTE and NR, for satellite networks, as reflected in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standardization work. In 3GPP Release 15, 3GPP began work on preparing New Radio (NR) for operation in Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs). Here, the term Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) can refer to NR NTN, i.e., an NTN operating according to 3GPP NR technologies suitable for satellite communications. This work was conducted within the research project “NR to support Non-Terrestrial Networks” and resulted in 3GPP TR 38.811 V15.4.0, Study on New Radio (NR) to support Non-Terrestrial Networks. In 3GPP Release 16, work on preparing NR for operation in NTN networks continues with the research project "Solutions for NR to support Non-Terrestrial Networks," which has been captured in 3GPP TR 38.821 V16.2.0. Meanwhile, there is growing interest in adopting Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and Long Term Evolution Machine Type Communications (LTE-M) for NTN operation. Therefore, 3GPP Release 17 includes a work item on NR NTN (RP-193234, 3GPP™ Work Item Description, Solutions for NR to support non-terrestrial networks (NTN)) and research and work items on NB-IoT and LTE-M support for NTN (RP-193235, Study on NB-IoT / eMTC support for Non-Terrestrial Network and RP-211601, NB-IoT / eMTC support for Non-terrestrial Networks (NTN), RAN#92-e, June 2021).

[0084] In the work of 3GPP Release 18, the subject matter relevant to this disclosure is the enhancement of NTN-NTN mobility, particularly conditional handover without random access channels (RACH).

[0085] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example architecture of a satellite network with a bend transponder.

[0086] Figure 1 An example architecture (i.e., a transparent payload architecture) of a satellite network with a bend transponder is shown. Base stations (BS) 1, such as gNBs, can be integrated into the gateway or connected to the gateway via terrestrial connections (wired, fiber, or wireless links).

[0087] Communication satellites typically generate several beams over a given area. The coverage area of ​​a beam is usually elliptical and traditionally considered a cell, although in 3GPP work, cells consisting of coverage areas from multiple beams are not excluded. The coverage area of ​​a beam is often also called a spot beam. The coverage area of ​​a beam can move across the Earth's surface as the satellite moves, or it can be fixed to the Earth's surface by a beam pointing mechanism used by the satellite to compensate for its motion (the latter can be called a quasi-Earth-fixed beam or quasi-Earth-fixed cell). The size of a spot beam depends on the system design and can range from tens of kilometers to thousands of kilometers.

[0088] In low Earth orbit (LEO) or medium Earth orbit (MEO) communication systems, a large number of satellites deployed across a range of orbits are needed to provide continuous coverage across the entire Earth. Launching a giant satellite constellation is both expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, it is expected that all LEO and MEO satellite constellations will only provide partial Earth coverage for a period of time. In the case of some constellations dedicated to large-scale IoT services with relaxed latency requirements, it may not even be necessary to support full Earth coverage. Providing occasional or periodic coverage based on the constellation's orbital cycle may be sufficient.

[0089] 3GPP devices in the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state need to perform several processes, including measurements for mobility purposes, paging monitoring, recording measurement results, tracking area updates, and searching for new PLMNs (Public Land Mobile Networks), to name a few. These processes consume power from the device, and a general trend in 3GPP is to allow these processes to be relaxed to extend device battery life. This trend is particularly evident in reduced-capability (redcap), NB-IoT, and LTE-M supported IoT devices.

[0090] Propagation delay is a crucial aspect of satellite communications, differing from the expected delays in terrestrial mobile systems. For curved satellite networks, round-trip delays can range from tens of milliseconds in the case of LEO satellites to hundreds of milliseconds in the case of GEO satellites, depending on orbital altitude. In contrast, round-trip delays in terrestrial cellular networks are typically less than 1 millisecond.

[0091] The distance between UE 2 and satellite 11 can vary significantly depending on the satellite's position and the elevation angle ε seen by the UE. Assuming a circular orbit, the minimum distance is achieved when the satellite is directly above the UE (ε = 90°), and the maximum distance is achieved when the satellite is at its minimum possible elevation angle. Table 1 shows the distance between the satellite and the UE for different orbital altitudes and elevation angles, along with the one-way propagation delay and the maximum propagation delay difference (the difference in propagation delay compared to ε = 90°). Note that this table assumes a regenerative payload architecture. For the case of a transparent payload, the propagation delay between the gateway and the satellite also needs to be considered unless the base station corrects for this.

[0092] Table 1: Propagation delay at different orbital altitudes and elevation angles.

[0093] Due to the high speeds of LEO and MEO satellites, propagation delays can vary considerably, ranging from 10 to 100 microseconds per second, depending on orbital altitude and satellite speed.

[0094] This propagation delay will affect the transmission of signals (such as SSB signals) between the satellite and the UE.

[0095] Figure 2 This is an exemplary illustration showing the SSB, SMTC window, and measurement gap.

[0096] The NR synchronization signal (SS) consists of a primary SS (PSS) and a secondary SS (SSS). The NR Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) carries very basic system information. In NR, the combination of SS and PBCH is called an SSB. Multiple SSBs are transmitted in local burst sets. Within an SS burst set, multiple SSBs can be transmitted in different beams. The transmission of SSBs within a local burst set is limited to a 5 ms window. The possible set of SSB time locations within an SS burst set depends on a parameter set, which in most cases is uniquely identified by the frequency band. The SSB periodicity can be configured from a value set {5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160} ms (where the unit used in the configuration is a subframe, the duration of which is 1 ms).

[0097] The UE does not need to perform measurements with the same periodicity as the SSB periodicity. Therefore, SSB Measurement Time Configuration (SMTC) has been introduced for NR. The signaling of the SMTC window informs the UE about the timing and periodicity of the SSBs that the UE can use for measurement. The SMTC window periodicity can be configured from the value set {5, 10, 20, 40, 80, 160} ms to match possible SSB periodicities. The SMTC window duration can be configured from the value set {1, 2, 3, 4, 5} ms (where the unit used in the configuration is a subframe, and its duration is 1 ms).

[0098] The UE can use the same RF module to perform data transmission in the serving cell and measurements in neighboring cells. Measurement gaps allow the UE to pause data transmission in the serving cell and perform measurements in neighboring cells. The measurement gap repetition periodicity can be configured from the value set {20, 40, 80, 160} ms, and the gap length can be configured from the value set {1.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5.5, 6, 10, 20} ms. Typically, the measurement gap length is configured to be greater than the SMTC window duration to allow for RF retuning time. Measurement gap timing advance is also introduced to fine-tune the relative position of the measurement gap with respect to the SMTC window. Measurement gap timing advance can be configured from the value set {0, 0.25, 0.5} ms.

[0099] The main challenges that NTN needs to address include: mobile satellites (causing mobile cells or cell handover) and long propagation delays.

[0100] Mobile satellites (leading to cell movement or handover) present new challenges because the default assumption in terrestrial network designs (such as NR or LTE) is that cells are stationary. This is not the case for NTN, especially when considering LEO satellites. LEO satellites may only be visible to UEs on the ground for a few seconds or minutes. There are two different options for LEO deployment. One is to use a fixed beam, where the beam / cell coverage is fixed relative to the geographic location; that is, a controllable beam from the satellite ensures that a certain beam covers the same geographic area, even if the satellite moves relative to the Earth's surface. The other is to use a mobile beam, where the LEO satellite has a fixed antenna pointing relative to the Earth's surface, such as perpendicular to the Earth's surface, and therefore the cell / beam coverage sweeps across the Earth as the satellite moves. In this case, the spot beam serving the UE can switch every few seconds.

[0101] Since propagation delays in terrestrial mobile systems are typically less than 1 millisecond, longer propagation delays present new challenges. In contrast, propagation delays in NTNs can be much longer, ranging from a few milliseconds (LEO) to hundreds of milliseconds (GEO), depending on the altitude of the space or air platform deployed in the NTN.

[0102] In a terrestrial network (TN), the relative time position of the SSB between the serving cell and neighboring cells is fixed. The propagation delay within each cell depends on the cell size and the UE location, and from the UE's perspective, it will only change due to UE movement.

[0103] Conversely, in the low Earth orbit (LEO) scenario, even the propagation delay between the UE and the serving cell will vary over time due to satellite movement. Furthermore, the propagation delay towards neighboring cells on adjacent satellites will also vary over time. This scenario becomes even worse when feeder link delay is also considered, and it increases with increasing satellite altitude.

[0104] When belonging to different satellites, the serving cell and the target cell may not be time-synchronized or frame-synchronized. For the SMTC window and gap configuration towards the UE, the time offset generated during SSB transmission between different cells also needs to be considered.

[0105] As an example feature, satellite radio access networks typically include the following components: • Satellites refer to space platforms. • Earth-based gateways connect satellites to base stations or the core network, depending on the architecture chosen. • Power supply link refers to the link between the gateway (GW) and the satellite. • Access link or service link refers to the link between the satellite and the user equipment (UE).

[0106] Communication satellites typically generate several beams over a given area. The coverage area of ​​a beam is usually elliptical and traditionally considered a cell (but this does not exclude cells composed of multiple beams). The coverage area of ​​a beam is also often referred to as a spot beam. NTN supports three types of beams or cells: • Fixed Earth Beam / Cell: Provided by one or more beams that consistently cover the same geographic area (e.g., in the case of geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites). • Quasi-geostationary fixed beam / cell: Provided by one or more beams that cover one geographic area for a limited period of time and a different geographic area for another period of time (e.g., in the case of a non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) satellite generating a controllable beam). • Earth-moving beam / cell: Provided by one or more beams that glide across the Earth's surface over a coverage area (e.g., in cases where NGSO satellites generate fixed or uncontrollable beams).

[0107] Throughout this disclosure, the terms “beam” and “cell” are used interchangeably unless otherwise expressly stated.

[0108] When a satellite serving an area changes (a process known as satellite handover) using a quasi-Earth fixed beam / cell or an Earth mobile beam / cell, all UEs connected to the old cell (i.e., UEs in the RRC_CONNECTED state) must handover from the old cell (or move in other ways, such as using Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection rebuilding) to the new cell. Furthermore, all UEs camped in the old cell (i.e., UEs in the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state) must undergo cell reselection to the new cell. The result of satellite handover is that both the serving link (i.e., the link between the UE and the satellite) and the feeder link (i.e., the link between the satellite and the GW / gNB) are switched, and the serving cell is also switched.

[0109] A similar situation occurs with feeder link switching, where the serving satellite remains the same, but its connection to the ground changes from one (old) GW / gNB to another (new) GW / gNB. Furthermore, in this case, there is a handover between the old and new cells (i.e., the old cell is replaced by the new cell).

[0110] Satellite handover and power supply link handover can both be collectively referred to as "cell handover".

[0111] The system information includes NTN-specific information. Due to the special operating conditions in non-terrestrial networks, the system information broadcast in NTN cells must include NTN-specific information. To serve this purpose, a new System Information Block (SIB) SIB19 was introduced in NR NTN, which contains NTN-specific information. In IoT NTN, the new SIB31 more or less corresponds to SIB19 in NR NTN.

[0112] For RRC_CONNECTED UEs, when the UL synchronization timer (T430) expires, the UE will perform the following actions: • Notify lower levels about the loss of UL synchronization; • Obtain SIB19; • After successfully acquiring SIB19, restart T430 and notify the lower layer when UL synchronization is obtained.

[0113] In 3GPP TS 38.331, V17.4.0, “RadioResource Control (RRC) protocol specification (Release 17)”, SIB19 is defined in the Abstract Syntax Symbol 1 (ASN.1) code as follows: .

[0114] The study investigated PCI-invariant satellite handover and feeder link handover. A topic proposed in 3GPP Release 18 and agreed upon for support in RAN2 is that satellite handover and feeder link handover (see above) in quasi-earth fixed cell deployments can be implemented without changing the carrier frequency and the Physical Cell Identifier (PCI). It was first agreed that PCI-invariant handover can be supported using hard handover, i.e., where the pre-handover and post-handover conditions for cell area coverage do not coexist during the transition period, but rather begin when cell area coverage based on the post-handover conditions ends.

[0115] The fact that the carrier frequency and PCI remain unchanged after the handover makes it appear as the same cell (from the UE's perspective); that is, the UE will treat it as the same cell before and after the handover (assuming that the carrier frequency and PCI (at least locally) define the cell). Because of this, it is questionable whether this handover should be called a cell handover. However, for the sake of convenience and simplicity, the handover is often referred to as a cell handover, and the condition before the handover can be called the old cell (or sometimes the source cell), and the condition after the handover can be called the new cell (or sometimes the target cell).

[0116] Regarding hard handover with unchanged PCI, RAN2 has reached the following agreement: • In the case of quasi-Earth fixed cells, for hard satellite handover in the same synchronization signal block (SSB) frequency and the same gNB (without key change), satellite handover without PCI change (without Layer 3 (L3) mobility) is supported, unless RAN1 identifies a major technical issue (RAN1 has responded that, from RAN1's ​​perspective, satellite handover without PCI change (without L3 mobility) is feasible). • An explicit indication (whether the switch is a constant PCI switch) will be introduced to enable constant PCI switching. • The invariant PCI mechanism can be applied to cases where coverage gaps are zero or negligible (where t-gap (gap time) or t-Servicestart (new cell start time) is not required). Further research (FFS) is needed to support scenarios where t-gap or t-start is required. • PCI-invariant procedures can be performed without executing RACH. • With PCI unchanged, the UE assumes the uplink (UL) synchronization timer expires at t-Service (current cell stop time) and stops any UL operation. FFS is handling timeAlignmentTimer. • With PCI unchanged, for RACH-based solutions, the UE can trigger RACH immediately after DL synchronizes with the new satellite.

[0117] The advantage of an unchanged PCI mechanism is that it reduces signaling overhead and handover interruption time.

[0118] Some companies believe that the invariant PCI and carrier frequency principle can also be used for so-called soft handover, which involves covering the cell area based on pre-handover conditions and post-handover conditions (i.e., the old and new serving satellites or the old and new feeder links are used simultaneously, i.e., in parallel) during a transient coexistence period (also known as an overlap period). In RAN2#123bis, it was agreed that the invariant PCI mechanism introduced for hard handover can also be applied to soft handover, and there will be an indication of whether hard or soft handover is used (whether the FFS is explicit or implicit). To avoid interference between SSBs transmitted from the old and new serving satellites, the SSBs transmitted from the old serving satellite must be different from those transmitted from the new serving satellite. This can be achieved by transmitting SSBs with different indices or by transmitting SSBs from the two satellites with non-overlapping times (i.e., the SSB transmitted from the new serving satellite is a time-shifted version of the SSB transmitted from the old serving satellite). Which option should be adopted and how to provide the target satellite SSB information to the UE are still under discussion.

[0119] Regarding SSB measurement timing configuration, NR has introduced cell signal measurement using the Synchronization Signal / Physical Broadcast Channel Block (SS / PBCH Block) (SSB). The SSB consists of a Synchronization Signal (SS) (including the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) and the Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS)) and a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). The number of SSBs in a burst (SS burst) is a deployment configuration choice and can range from 1 to a maximum number, where the maximum number depends on the operating frequency. SSB periodicity can be configured for each cell within the range of 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, or 160 ms. However, mobile devices do not need to measure cell signals periodically like SSBs and can configure appropriate measurement periodicity based on channel conditions. This is desirable and helps avoid unnecessary measurements and reduce power consumption on mobile devices.

[0120] In light of this, 3GPP introduced the SS / PBCH Measurement Timing Configuration (also known as the SSB Measurement Timing Configuration), abbreviated as "SMTC". The SMTC defines a periodic time window (SMTC window) within which SSB transmissions can be found. The SMTC consists of the window duration, the window periodicity, and the start offset of the window periodicity. The SMTC window periodicity can be longer than the SSB periodicity. The UE only needs to measure SSBs within the SMTC window. For UEs in the RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE states, for intra-frequency neighbor cells, one or more SMTCs are given in SIB2; for inter-frequency neighbor cells, they are given in SIB4. For UEs in the RRC_CONNECTED state, one or more SMTCs are provided in the RRCReconfiguration message.

[0121] The timing indicated in the SMTC, especially the periodic start offset of the SMTC window, is based on the timing of the PCell or serving cell.

[0122] In NTN, a measurement timing configuration list specific to NTN deployments (i.e., in NR NTN) is introduced. smtc4list ). UE according to included smtc4list The SMTC in the NTN is used to measure neighboring cells. For the information provided in SIB2 / SIB4... smtc4list , smtc4list The offset of each SMTC in the equation is based on the assumption that the difference between the gNB-UE propagation delay between the serving cell and neighboring cells is equal to 0 ms, and the UE can adjust the actual propagation delay based on the actual propagation delay. Offset The actual propagation delay can be derived based on its own location, satellite location, common timing advance (TA) parameters, and the Kmac of the serving cell and neighboring cells (or the scheduling offset provided by the network if downlink and uplink frame timings are misaligned at the gNB). This is provided in the RRCReconfiguration message. smtc4list The offset is adjusted by the network (NW), and the UE should use an SMTC with / without (w / o) offset adjustment.

[0123] Short messages are used to indicate changes in System Information (SI) and / or notify Public Warning Systems (PWS) (e.g., Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Systems (ETWS), Commercial Mobile Alert Services (CMAS)). They can be transmitted on the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) using Downlink Control Information (DCI) format 1_0 scrambled with a Paging Radio Network Temporary Identifier (P-RNTI), with or without an associated RRC paging message. Short messages have 8 bits; Table 1 below gives the definition of each bit. Table 2. Short message content based on 3GPP TS 38.331 version 17.4.0.

[0124] If the UE receives a short message, the UE should: 1> If the UE has ETWS or CMAS capabilities, then set the short message... etwsAndCmasIndication Bits, and provide for the UE on the active bandwidth portion (BWP) or the initial BWP. searchSpaceSIB1 and searchSpaceOtherS systemInformation : 2> Immediately reacquire SIB1; 2> If the UE has ETWS capability, and si-SchedulingInfo include SIB6 Scheduling information: 3>Get it now SIB6 ; 2> If the UE has ETWS capability, and si-SchedulingInfo include SIB7 Scheduling information: 3>Get it now SIB7 ; 2> If the UE has CMAS capability, and si-SchedulingInfo include SIB8 Scheduling information: 3>Get it now SIB8 ; 1> If the UE is not configured with an eDRX cycle longer than the modification period, and short messages are set... systemInfoModification Bit: 2> Reacquire SIB1 at the beginning of the next modification cycle, determine which (which) other SIBs have been changed from SIB1, and reacquire (one or more) SI messages carrying the changed (one or more) SIBs at the beginning of the next modification cycle. 1> If the UE is configured with an RRC_IDLE eDRX cycle longer than the modification period, and short messages are set... systemInfoModification-eDRX Bit: 2> Reacquire SIB1 from the beginning of the next eDRX cycle boundary, determine which (which) other SIBs have been changed from SIB1, and reacquire (one or more) SI messages carrying the changed (one or more) SIBs from the beginning of the next eDRX cycle boundary.

[0125] For example, for a soft handover with unchanged PCI, the SSB transmitted from the old serving satellite must be different from the SSB transmitted from the new serving satellite. This will cause the following problems: • Because the difference in gNB-UE propagation delay between the serving cell and neighboring cells (likely) changes when the serving link and / or feeder link in the serving cell is switched, causing the gNB-UE propagation delay in the serving cell (likely) to change, the SMTC (i.e., the NTN neighboring cell-specific measurement) provided in RRCReconfiguration before the switchover... smtc4list The SMTC in the middle cannot be applied after the switch. • If the SSB transmitted from the new serving satellite is a time-shifted version of the SSB transmitted from the old serving satellite, which means that the SSB timing in the serving cell changes after the handover, then all SMTCs provided in SIB2 / SIB4 and RRCReconfiguration before the handover, as well as SMTCs specific to TN neighboring cell measurements provided in RRCReconfiguration, cannot be applied after the handover. • Traditional UEs cannot understand the target satellite SSB information, so when performing a (conditional) handover, they cannot locate and synchronize with the SSB sent from the target satellite, which will lead to the (conditional) handover failure.

[0126] Therefore, it is necessary to study the above problems and formulate corresponding solutions.

[0127] Figure 3A This is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0128] like Figure 3A As shown, a first aspect of this disclosure provides a method 300 performed by a terminal device in a communication network. Method 300 includes: step S302, obtaining a first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) before or after a change from a first cell to a second cell; step S304, adjusting an offset parameter in the first SMTC based at least on a propagation delay in the second cell; and step S306, performing a measurement in the second cell based on the first SMTC having the adjusted offset parameter.

[0129] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal device can appropriately apply STMC after switching to and / or reselecting a cell with different SSB characteristics. Specific SSB measurements can be adjusted accordingly. Therefore, the impact of mobile base stations / relays (e.g., mobile satellites) on SSB timing alignment can be reduced. In this case, the measurement quality of SSBs can be improved.

[0130] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, a first synchronization signal block (SSB) is configured for a first cell, and a second SSB is configured for a second cell; and the first SSB and the second SSB occupy the same time position in the scheduling, or the first SSB and the second SSB have different SSB indices, or the second SSB is a time-shifted version of the first SSB.

[0131] Figure 3B It is shown Figure 3A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0132] like Figure 3B As shown, in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, method 300 further includes: step S308, further adjusting the offset parameter in the first SMTC based on the time offset in the scheduling between the first SSB and the second SSB.

[0133] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the offset parameter in the first SMTC is provided by the first cell or the second cell based on the time offset in the scheduling between the first SSB and the second SSB.

[0134] According to embodiments of this disclosure, when there is a time offset in the scheduling between the first SSB and the second SSB, the network (first cell or second cell) can first generate an offset parameter based on the time offset in the scheduling, and then instruct the terminal device to further adjust the offset parameter based on the propagation delay.

[0135] Figure 3C It is shown Figure 3A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0136] like Figure 3C As shown, in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, method 300 further includes step S310, in response to an instruction from the first cell or the second cell, performing a measurement in the second cell based on the first SMTC, without adjusting the offset parameter based on the propagation delay.

[0137] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal device can also perform measurements without adjusting the offset parameters.

[0138] Figure 3D It is shown Figure 3A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0139] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, method 300 further includes: step S312, obtaining a second SMTC; and step S314, performing a measurement based on the second SMTC.

[0140] Figure 3E It is shown Figure 3A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0141] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, method 300 further includes step S316, transmitting a request for the first SMTC and / or the second SMTC.

[0142] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in common control signaling; and the second SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling.

[0143] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the terminal device obtains a first SMTC in the System Information Block (SIB).

[0144] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal device obtains the SIB regardless of whether there is any indication of changes in the SIB.

[0145] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling before the change; and the second SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling after the change.

[0146] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, an indication from a first cell or a second cell indicates to the terminal device at least one of the following: whether to adjust the offset parameter in the first SMTC based on the propagation delay in the second cell; to perform a measurement in the second cell using the first SMTC; or to perform a measurement in the second cell using another SMTC; and the indication is implicit or explicit.

[0147] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the terminal device is in an RRC CONNECTED state in a first cell and switches to a second cell; or the terminal device is in an RRC IDLE state or INACTIVE state and reselects a second cell.

[0148] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the terminal device changes from a first cell to a second cell without L3 mobility.

[0149] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first cell and the second cell have the same physical cell identifier.

[0150] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first cell is provided by a first satellite, and / or the second cell is provided by a second satellite.

[0151] Furthermore, it should be noted that the terminal device and / or the network side (first cell and / or second cell) can also adjust the measurement gap offset (e.g., timing advance). Specifically, the UE can adjust the measurement offset based on the time offset between the first SSB and the second SSB (e.g., time offset in scheduling) and / or the propagation delay in the second cell. The network side can adjust / configure the measurement gap offset based on the time offset between the first SSB and the second SSB (e.g., time offset in scheduling). This adjustment of the SMTC offset and the measurement gap offset can be performed separately or simultaneously.

[0152] Figure 4A This is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a network node according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0153] like Figure 4A As shown, a second aspect of this disclosure provides a method 400 performed by a network node in a communication network. Method 400 includes: step S402, transmitting a first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) to a terminal device before or after the terminal device changes from a first cell to a second cell; and step S404, instructing the terminal device whether to adjust an offset parameter in the first SMTC.

[0154] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the network node instructs the terminal device whether to adjust the offset parameter in the first SMTC based on the propagation in the second cell; configures a first synchronization signal block (SSB) for the first cell and configures a second SSB for the second cell; and the first SSB and the second SSB occupy the same time position in the scheduling, or the first SSB and the second SSB have different SSB indices, or the second SSB is a time-shifted version of the first SSB.

[0155] Figure 4B It shows Figure 4A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0156] like Figure 4B As shown, in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, method 400 further includes: step S406, providing an offset parameter in the first SMTC based on the time offset in the scheduling between the first SSB and the second SSB.

[0157] Figure 4C It shows Figure 4A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0158] like Figure 4C As shown, in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: step S408, transmitting a second SMTC to a terminal device.

[0159] Figure 4D It shows Figure 4A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0160] like Figure 4D As shown, in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the method further includes: step S410, receiving a request for a first SMTC and / or a second SMTC from a terminal device.

[0161] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first SMTC is included in common control signaling; wherein the second SMTC is included in private signaling.

[0162] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first SMTC is included in the System Information Block (SIB).

[0163] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the terminal device obtains the SIB regardless of whether there is any indication of changes in the SIB.

[0164] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling before the change; the second SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling after the change.

[0165] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the terminal device is in an RRC CONNECTED state in a first cell and switches to a second cell; or the terminal device is in an RRC IDLE state or INACTIVE state and reselects a second cell.

[0166] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the terminal device changes from a first cell to a second cell without L3 mobility.

[0167] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first cell and the second cell have the same physical cell identifier.

[0168] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first cell is provided by a first satellite, and / or the second cell is provided by a second satellite; and the network node is a base station connected to the first satellite and / or the second satellite.

[0169] Figure 4E It shows Figure 4A The flowchart shows the additional steps of the method.

[0170] like Figure 4EAs shown, in an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, method 400 further includes: S412, determining whether conditions related to the served terminal device are met; and S414, when the conditions are met, performing at least one of the following actions: prohibiting changes from the first cell to the second cell when the second cell has the same PCI as the first cell; configuring the SSB in the first cell to use a different frequency than the SSB in the second cell; configuring the SSB in the second cell to be transmitted when or after the SSB in the first cell is stopped; or releasing the terminal device that does not support obtaining SSB information about the second cell from the network node service.

[0171] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the condition includes at least one of the following: the number of RRC CONNECTED terminal devices served by network nodes and which do not support obtaining SSB information about the second cell after a change exceeds a threshold; and / or the ratio of RRC CONNECTED terminal devices served by network nodes and which do not support obtaining SSB information about the second cell after a change exceeds a threshold.

[0172] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the condition is applied to a terminal device having Quality of Service (QoS) requirements.

[0173] The exemplary embodiments set forth in this disclosure propose a mechanism for the appropriate application of SMTC after cell reselection and / or handover, particularly when the PCI remains unchanged, and adapt the handover mechanism to mitigate the inability of UEs that do not understand the target satellite SSB information to properly perform cell handover.

[0174] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide some key aspects of the solution, including at least the following: The UE applies one or more SMTCs provided in the common control signaling and, after switching to the invariant PCI, adopts an auto-offset based on the propagation delay of the cell measurement until it is provided with one or more dedicated SMTCs.

[0175] The UE applies an earlier (one or more) dedicated SMTC provided before the handover, ignores the configured offset, and adopts an auto-offset based on the propagation delay of the cell measurement after the handover, with an unchanged PCI, until it is provided with one or more new dedicated SMTCs.

[0176] After switching to / reselecting a cell with an unchanged PCI, the UE applies one or more SMTCs acquired before the handover / reselection and uses a custom offset based on the time offset between the SSBs transmitted from the old satellite and the SSBs from the new satellite.

[0177] The one or more SMTCs to be used after handover / reselection to a cell with an unchanged PCI can be provided in one or more SIBs, which can be obtained by the UE before handover / reselection and applied after handover / reselection.

[0178] Based on the number or ratio of served RRC-connected UEs that do not know the target satellite's SSB information, the gNB adapts the handover mechanism between hard handover with unchanged PCI, soft handover with unchanged PCI, and handover with changed PCI.

[0179] Using the exemplary embodiments proposed in this disclosure, the UE can appropriately apply STMC after handover and / or reselection of a cell with an unchanged PCI, enabling proper neighbor cell measurements for NTN and TN neighbor cells. Simultaneously, by adjusting the handover mechanism, UEs that are unaware of the target satellite's SSB information can also correctly perform cell handover.

[0180] The foregoing description of this disclosure provides some exemplary embodiments, but they are not limiting. This disclosure may also provide the following notes for implementing the solutions disclosed herein.

[0181] Note 1: In this solution description, depending on the context, the term “non-terrestrial network (NTN)” may refer to one or both of NR NTN and IoT NTN, but usually the term may only be used to refer to NR NTN.

[0182] Note 2: The embodiments outlined below are primarily described for NR-based NTNs, but they are equally applicable to LTE-based NTNs (especially IoT NTNs).

[0183] Note 3: The term "network" in the solution description is used to refer to a network node, which is typically a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, such as a gNB (e.g., in an NR-based NTN) or an eNB (e.g., in an LTE-based NTN, such as an IoTNTN). However, it can also be a base station or access point in another type of network, or any other network node capable of communicating directly or indirectly with the UE. Further granularity is also conceivable. For example, a gNB can be an en-gNB, and if a separate gNB architecture is applied (dividing the gNB into multiple separate entities or nodes), the term "node" can refer to a portion of the gNB, such as gNB-CU (Central Unit) (usually simply called CU), gNB-DU (Distributed Unit) (usually simply called DU), gNB-CU-CP (Control Plane), or gNB-CU-UP (User Plane). Similarly, an eNB can be an ng-eNB, and if a separate eNB architecture is applied (dividing the eNB into multiple separate entities or nodes), the term "network" (and the network nodes it implies) can refer to a portion of the eNB, such as eNB-CU, eNB-DU, eNB-CU-CP, or eNB-CU-UP. Furthermore, the term "network" (and the network nodes it implies) can also refer to IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) - Donor, IAB-Donor-CU, IAB-Donor-DU, IAB-Donor-CU-CP, or IAB-Donor-CU-UP.

[0184] Note 4: The terms “source node,” “target node,” and “candidate target node” are sometimes used in solution descriptions. The term “node” in these terms should be understood as a RAN node in an NTN, typically based on NR, LTE, or any other RAT in which handover, conditional handover, or another mobility or conditional mobility concept is defined. In an NR-based NTN, such a RAN node can be assumed to be a gNB. In an LTE-based NTN (including IoT NTN), such a RAN node can be assumed to be an eNB. However, alternatives or refinements to these interpretations are also conceivable. For example, a gNB can be an en-gNB, and if a separate gNB architecture is applied (dividing the gNB into multiple separate entities or nodes), the term “node” can refer to a portion of the gNB, such as gNB-CU (usually simply called CU), gNB-DU (usually simply called DU), gNB-CU-CP, or gNB-CU-UP. Similarly, an eNB can be an ng-eNB, and if a separate eNB architecture is applied (dividing the eNB into multiple separate entities or nodes), the term "node" can refer to a portion of the eNB, such as eNB-CU, eNB-DU, eNB-CU-CP, or eNB-CU-UP. Furthermore, the term "node" can also refer to IAB-donor, IAB-donor-CU, IAB-donor-DU, IAB-donor-CU-CP, or IAB-donor-CU-UP.

[0185] Note 5: The terms "HandoverCommand" and "HandoverCommand" are used interchangeably in this document. Both terms refer to the UE configuration compiled by the target node (for regular handover) or the candidate target node (for conditional handover) during the (conditional) handover preparation phase for the UE to perform the handover or conditional handover. This UE configuration is compiled in the form of an RRCReconfiguration message, which is transmitted to the UE via the source node. The RRCReconfiguration is associated with a target cell or candidate target cell, and the UE applies the RRCReconfiguration when / if it accesses a (candidate) target cell of interest controlled by the (candidate) target node. Formally, "HandoverCommand" is an RRC inter-node message transmitted from the target node or candidate target node to the source node during the handover or conditional handover preparation phase. It is carried by the HANDOVER REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE XnAP in the target NG-RAN node to the Transparent Container IE in the source NG-RAN node. The “HandoverCommand” RRC inter-node message contains the RRC configuration that the UE should apply when accessing a target cell or candidate target cell. The source node forwards this RRCReconfiguration (i.e., HandoverCommand) to the UE. In this solution description, the term “HandoverCommand” is also used to refer to the RRCReconfiguration when it is stored in the UE as part of a Conditional Handover (CHO) configuration. This is also referred to as condRRCReconfig-r16 IE in CondReconfigToAddMod-r16 IE (containing CHO configuration) in CondReconfigToAddMod-r16 IE in ConditionalReconfiguration-r16 IE. In the context of CHO, the terms “Conditional Handover Command”, “(Conditional) Handover Command”, and “(Conditional) Handover Command” can also be used.

[0186] Note 6: When a CHO is configured for a UE, the cell that the UE may connect to (i.e., if the cell meets the CHO execution conditions) is referred to as a "candidate target cell". Similarly, the RAN node controlling the candidate target cell is referred to as a "candidate target node", or in NR and NR NTN as a "candidate target gNB". However, the terminology becomes somewhat ambiguous once the UE has detected that a candidate target cell meets the CHO execution conditions. At this point, the cell of interest can be referred to as a "candidate target cell" or "target cell" during the actual execution of the CHO and when the UE has connected to a new cell. Similarly, the RAN node controlling such a cell can be referred to as a "candidate target node" (or "candidate target gNB") or "target node" (or "target gNB") in this case.

[0187] Note 7: The conditions included in the CHO configuration for managing the execution of a conditionally configured process can be referred to as CHO execution conditions, HO execution conditions, CHO trigger conditions, HO trigger conditions, or sometimes simply trigger conditions. Furthermore, the phases of this process can be referred to as the switch preparation phase, switch execution and / or switch completion phase, or as the conditional switch preparation phase (or (conditional) switch preparation phase), conditional switch execution phase, and / or conditional switch completion phase.

[0188] Note 8: The target cell configuration (RRC Reconfiguration used by the UE in the candidate target cell) and the CHO execution conditions provided by the network to the UE for each candidate target cell can be collectively referred to as CHO configuration, or alternatively, each combination of candidate target cell, target cell configuration and CHO execution conditions can be referred to as CHO configuration (i.e., terminology inconsistency).

[0189] Note 9: This document uses two equivalent principles when writing message names for communication protocols. The principle of writing "<protocol name><message name> message", such as "XnAP HANDOVER CANCEL message", is equivalent to the principle of writing "<message name><protocol name> message", such as "HANDOVER CANCEL XnAP message". Both refer to messages of the communication protocol (i.e., "<protocol name>"), such as the HANDOVER CANCEL message of the XnAP communication protocol. The same writing format is equivalent to other communication protocols, such as NGAP.

[0190] Note 10: According to the 3GPP protocol and 3GPP TS 38.331 version 17.4.0, time-based CHO execution conditions will always be combined with signal strength / quality CHO execution conditions (both must be met to trigger CHO execution). However, if the UE is only configured with time-based CHO execution conditions, all embodiments in the proposed solution that do not assume the UE monitors signal strength / quality conditions (i.e., events A3, A4, or A5) also apply. (Note that in embodiments describing the triggering of a missing CHO execution within a time window (i.e., between T1 and T2), it is assumed that the signal strength / quality conditions are configured but not met between T1 and T2).

[0191] Note 11: Terminology information elements (IEs) and fields are used more or less interchangeably in this document. Terminology parameters are sometimes used to represent the same concept.

[0192] Note 12: Parameter / IE / fields used in ASN.1 code and in the procedural text of the 3GPP RRC specification (i.e., 3GPP TS 38.331 version 17.4.0) are typically named with a suffix indicating the version number of the 3GPP standard that introduced the parameter / IE / field (e.g., the suffix "-r17" is used for parameter / IE / fields introduced in version 17 of the 3GPP standard). Parameter / IE / fields following this naming convention are generally referred to with or without the suffix, where the suffixed name is used in the ASN.1 code (and thus defines the official name from the perspective of the ASN.1 compiler), while the name without the suffix is ​​used in the running text, such as in field descriptions and procedural text. Relevant examples in the context of this document include the parameter / IE / fields t1-Threshold-r17 / t1-Threshold and t-Service-r17 / t-Service. In this document, the two name variations may appear in different parameter / IE / fields.

[0193] Note 13: NTN has two main deployment principles: Quasi-Earth Fixed Cell and Earth Mobile Cell. These deployment principles also have other names. The Quasi-Earth Fixed Cell deployment principle is also called Quasi-Earth Fixed Beam. The Earth Mobile Cell deployment principle is also called Earth Mobile Beam, or simply Mobile or Mobile Beam.

[0194] Note 14: The terms “SSB set” and “SSB burst” are used interchangeably in this document.

[0195] Note 15: The fact that the carrier frequency and PCI remain unchanged after the handover makes it appear (from the UE's perspective) to be the same cell; that is, the UE will treat it as the same cell before and after the handover (assuming the carrier frequency and PCI (at least locally) define the cell). Because of this situation, it is questionable whether this handover should be called a cell handover. However, for the sake of convenience and simplicity, this handover is generally referred to as a cell handover. The terms "cell" and "satellite" are used interchangeably in this document.

[0196] Note 16: Most embodiments are described using PCI-invariant soft handover. However, these solutions are typically applied to handover scenarios without L3 mobility, and where the SSB transmitted from the old serving satellite differs from the SSB transmitted from the new serving satellite. The first embodiment applies to both PCI-invariant soft handover and hard handover.

[0197] In addition, some detailed embodiments will be described below.

[0198] In the first embodiment, after a handover with an unchanged PCI, the (RRC CONNECTED) UE applies one or more SMTCs provided in the common control signaling to neighboring cell measurements and adjusts the actual offset based on the actual propagation delay using the target satellite ephemeris and common TA parameters (similar to what it does in RRC IDLE / INACTIVE) until one or more dedicated SMTCs are provided in the dedicated RRC signaling (i.e., in the RRCReconfiguration message). More specifically, when handover to the target cell, the UE applies the SMTCs provided in one or more relevant SIBs (SIB2 / SIB4) and employs an auto-offset based on the propagation delay. One or more SIBs (or one or more SI messages carrying one or more SIBs) can be acquired before or after the handover.

[0199] In another option, after a handover with an unchanged PCI, the (RRC CONNECTED) UE applies one or more earlier dedicated SMTCs acquired before the handover to neighboring cell measurements until it is provided with one or more new dedicated SMTCs in dedicated RRC signaling (i.e., in the RRCReconfiguration message), where the UE ignores the offset configured in the earlier STMC and adjusts the actual offset based on the actual propagation delay (similar to what it does in RRC IDLE / INACTIVE).

[0200] The above mechanism can only be used for NTN-specific SMTCs (i.e., NR NTN) measurements of one or more neighboring cells in the NTN. smtc4list (one or more SMTCs in the context).

[0201] In a sub-implementation, the gNB may indicate in the SIB (e.g., SIB19) or dedicated RRC signaling (e.g., an RRCReconfiguration message) whether the UE should continue using one or more dedicated SMTCs, ignoring / not ignoring (w / o) the configured offset and adjusting the offset based on the actual propagation delay after a handover with unchanged PCI, where the one or more dedicated SMTCs are acquired prior to the handover. This may be the case, for example, when the handover is a feeder link handover where the serving link propagation delay remains unchanged, and the feeder link propagation delay via the old feeder link is similar to the feeder link propagation delay via the new feeder link.

[0202] This implementation works well when distinguishing between SSBs sent from old and new satellites using the SSB index.

[0203] In the second embodiment, when SSBs transmitted from old and new satellites are distinguished by time offset, after a soft handover with invariant PCI, the (RRC CONNECTED) UE applies one or more of the following to neighboring cell measurements until it is provided with one or more SMTCs in dedicated RRC signaling (i.e., in the RRCReconfiguration message): When a UE switches to a target cell, the UE applies an offset to one or more dedicated SMTCs acquired prior to the switch, where the offset is determined based on (e.g., equal to) the time offset between the SSBs transmitted from the old satellite and the SSBs from the new satellite.

[0204] When a UE switches to a target cell, the UE applies one or more SMTCs provided in one or more relevant SIBs (SIB2 / SIB4) obtained before the switchover, plus an offset, where the offset is determined based on (e.g., equal to) the time offset between the SSBs transmitted from the old satellite and the SSBs from the new satellite.

[0205] The gNB determines one or more SMTCs to be used after the handover (i.e., sets the offset based on the time offset between the SSBs sent from the old satellite and the SSBs from the new satellite), and provides one or more SMTCs in one or more SIBs (e.g., SIB19 in NR NTN), where the one or more SIBs (or SI messages carrying the one or more SIBs) can be acquired by the UE before the handover, and the UE applies the acquired one or more SMTCs after the handover without adjusting the offset based on the time offset between the SSBs sent from the old satellite and the SSBs from the new satellite (note that the UE can still adjust the offset based on the propagation delay). Indications can be added to the one or more SIBs to indicate that one or more SMTCs will be used after the handover, or the one or more SMTCs included in the one or more SIBs can be hardcoded in the specification to indicate that one or more SMTCs will be used after the handover.

[0206] The UE obtains one or more SMTCs by reacquiring (or reacquiring) the relevant SIBs (e.g., SIB2 / SIB4) after the handover, and then applies the SMTCs without adjusting the offset based on the time offset between the SSBs sent from the old satellite and the SSBs from the new satellite (note that the UE can still adjust the offset based on the propagation delay). The UE reacquisitions the relevant SIBs (or the SI messages carrying the relevant SIBs) even if it considers the locally stored versions of the relevant SIBs to still be valid, for example, even if the received short message does not indicate a change in the SIB (the short message's...). systemInfoModification bit or systemInfoModification-eDRX If the si-SchedulingInfo bit is not set, or if the valueTag included in the si-SchedulingInfo of one or more related SIBs is the same as the valueTag associated with the stored version of one or more related SIBs, where the si-SchedulingInfo is included in SIB1 received before or after the handover. A variation of this option is that, regardless of whether the version of one or more SIBs stored locally by the UE is still valid, which SIB(s) the (RRC CONNECTED) UE should reacquire after a soft handover with unchanged PCI (or simply, the (RRC CONNECTED) UE should reacquire SIBs after a soft handover with unchanged PCI) can be hardcoded in the specification or configured by the NW via public or private RRC signaling.

[0207] The gNB can indicate in the SIB (e.g., SIB19) or dedicated RRC signaling (e.g., RRCReconfiguration message) which of the above options the UE should / can apply. Different options can be applied to one or more SMTCs for TN neighbor cell measurements and one or more SMTCs for NTN neighbor cell measurements.

[0208] In a variant of the previous embodiment, during cell handover, the UE discards all measurement and reporting configurations associated with NTN neighboring cells for which it does not have updated neighboring cell satellite auxiliary information (e.g., ntn-Config). For example, the network can configure neighbor measurements for satellite-provided cells that are not included in the neighboring cell list (NTN-NeighCellConfigList-r17) of SIB19. In this case, for those satellite-provided cells, the UE can only perform autonomous adjustments to the SMTC during handover. Their auxiliary information resides in SIB19.

[0209] In the third embodiment, when SSBs transmitted from old and new satellites are distinguished by time offset, the RRCIDLE / INACTIVE UE applies one or more of the following to neighboring cell measurements after reselecting a cell with the same PCI: The UE application obtains one or more SMTCs in one or more relevant SIBs (SIB2 / SIB4) prior to reselection, plus the offset after reselection, where the offset is determined based on (e.g., equal to) the time offset between the SSB transmitted from the old satellite and the SSB from the new satellite.

[0210] The gNB determines one or more SMTCs to be used after reselection (i.e., setting the offset based on the time offset between the SSB sent from the old satellite and the SSB from the new satellite), and provides one or more SMTCs in one or more SIBs (e.g., SIB19 in NR NTN), where the one or more SIBs (or SI messages carrying the one or more SIBs) can be acquired by the UE before reselection, and the UE applies the acquired one or more SMTCs after reselection without adjusting the offset based on the time offset between the SSB sent from the old satellite and the SSB from the new satellite (note that the UE can still adjust the offset based on propagation delay). Indications can be added to the one or more SIBs to indicate that one or more SMTCs will be used after reselection, or the one or more SMTCs included in the one or more SIBs can be hardcoded in the specification.

[0211] The UE obtains one or more SMTCs by reacquiring (or reacquiring) the relevant SIBs (e.g., SIB2 / SIB4) after reselection, and then applies the SMTCs without adjusting the offset based on the time offset between the SSBs sent from the old satellite and the SSBs from the new satellite (note that the UE can still adjust the offset based on the propagation delay). The UE reacquisitions the relevant SIBs (or the SI messages carrying the relevant SIBs) even if it considers the locally stored versions of the relevant SIBs to still be valid, for example, even if the received short message does not indicate a change in the SIB (the short message's...). systemInfoModification bit or systemInfoModification-eDRX If the si-SchedulingInfo of one or more related SIBs is not set, or if the valueTag in the si-SchedulingInfo of one or more related SIBs is the same as the valueTag associated with the stored version of one or more related SIBs, where the si-SchedulingInfo is included in the SIB1 received before or after the reselection. A variation of this option is that, regardless of whether the version of one or more SIBs stored locally by the UE is still valid, which SIB(s) the RRC IDLE / INACTIVE UE should reacquire after a reselection with an unchanged PCI (or simply, the RRC IDLE / INACTIVE UE should reacquire SIBs after a reselection with an unchanged PCI) can be hardcoded in the specification or configured by the NW via common signaling.

[0212] In the fourth embodiment, after handover, the UE can request the gNB to provide updated measurement and reporting configurations. This request can be made using random access (e.g., CFRA), or via MAC CE, SR, or RRC messages.

[0213] In the fifth embodiment, if the number of conventional RRCCONNECTED UEs served by the gNB and unaware of the target satellite SSB information exceeds a certain threshold, and / or the ratio of conventional RRCCONNECTED UEs served by the gNB and unaware of the target satellite SSB information exceeds another certain threshold, the gNB performs one or more of the following actions so that handover can be performed without target satellite SSB information, and UEs that do not understand the target satellite SSB information can correctly perform handover (note that the gNB knows which UEs in the cell support the invariant PCI feature from their UE radio access capability information): Disable the invariant PCI switching mechanism.

[0214] SSBs transmitted from older satellites are placed on different frequencies than SSBs transmitted from newer satellites.

[0215] The PCI handover mechanism remains unchanged, and the same SSB is transmitted from the old satellite and the new satellite. At the same time, SSB is transmitted from the new satellite when or after the transmission of SSB from the old satellite stops (i.e., a hard handover with unchanged PCI is used, even if the new satellite can start serving the area before the old satellite leaves the area).

[0216] The PCI handover mechanism remains unchanged, and all UEs that are unaware of the target satellite's SSB information are released.

[0217] This means that the gNB adapts the handover mechanism between, for example, hard handover with constant PCI, soft handover with constant PCI, and handover with changed PCI, based on the number or ratio of served RRC-connected UEs that do not know the target satellite's SSB information.

[0218] In a sub-implementation, when counting the number or ratio of served RRC-CONNECTED UEs that do not understand target satellite SSB information, QoS aspects may be considered. For example, the gNB may only consider UEs configured with one or more radio carriers / one or more logical channels associated with a priority above a threshold and / or a required delay below another threshold.

[0219] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary device for a terminal apparatus suitable for performing methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0220] like Figure 5 As shown, device 50 for a terminal device in a communication network may include: a processor 501; and a memory 502. The memory contains instructions executable by the processor. Device 50 for the terminal device is operable to: obtain a first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) before or after a change from a first cell to a second cell; adjust an offset parameter in the first SMTC based at least on the propagation delay in the second cell; and perform a measurement in the second cell based on the first SMTC having the adjusted offset parameter.

[0221] In embodiments of this disclosure, device 50 may also be operable to perform methods according to any of the above embodiments, such as Figures 3A-3E Those shown.

[0222] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary device for a network node suitable for performing methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0223] like Figure 6As shown, device 60 for a network node may include: processor 601; and memory 602. The memory contains instructions executable by the processor. Device 60 for a wireless device is operable to: transmit a first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) to a terminal device before or after the terminal device changes from a first cell to a second cell; and instruct the terminal device whether to adjust the offset parameter in the first SMTC.

[0224] In embodiments of this disclosure, device 60 may further operate to perform methods according to any of the above embodiments, such as Figures 4A-4E Those shown.

[0225] Processors 501 and 601 can be any type of processing component, such as one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific digital logic, etc. Memory 502 and 602 can be any type of storage component, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory, optical storage, etc.

[0226] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating a device / computer-readable storage medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0227] like Figure 7 As shown, the computer-readable storage medium 70 or any other type of product stores the instructions 701, which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method according to any of the above embodiments, such as in Figures 3A-3E Those shown in 4A-4E.

[0228] Furthermore, this disclosure may also provide a carrier containing the computer program / instructions described above, wherein the carrier is one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, an optical disc or an electronic storage device such as RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), flash memory, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray disc, etc.

[0229] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a unit of an exemplary device for a terminal apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0230] like Figure 8As shown, the device 80 for the terminal device may include: an acquisition unit 802 configured to acquire a first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) before or after a change from a first cell to a second cell; an adjustment unit 804 configured to adjust an offset parameter in the first SMTC based at least on the propagation delay in the second cell; and an execution unit 806 configured to perform a measurement in the second cell based on the first SMTC with the adjusted offset parameter.

[0231] In embodiments of this disclosure, device 80 may also be operable to perform methods according to any of the above embodiments, such as Figures 3A-3E Those shown.

[0232] Figure 9 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary device for a network node suitable for performing methods according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0233] like Figure 9 As shown, the device 90 for a network node in a communication network may include: a transmission unit 902 configured to transmit a first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) to a terminal device before or after the terminal device changes from a first cell to a second cell; and an indication unit 904 configured to indicate whether the terminal device adjusts the offset parameter in the first SMTC.

[0234] In embodiments of this disclosure, device 90 may further operate to perform methods according to any of the above embodiments, such as Figures 4A-4E Those shown.

[0235] The term “unit” may have a conventional meaning in the field of electronic devices, electrical apparatus and / or electronic devices, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, outputs and / or display functions, such as those described herein.

[0236] Using these units, devices can function without a fixed processor or memory; any computing and storage resources can be allocated from at least one network node / device / entity / equipment associated with the communication system. Virtualization and network computing technologies (such as cloud computing) can be further introduced to improve the efficiency of network resource utilization and network flexibility.

[0237] The techniques described herein can be implemented by various means, such that the means for implementing one or more functions of the corresponding device described in the embodiments includes not only prior art means but also means for implementing one or more functions of the corresponding device described in the embodiments, and it can include separate means for each individual function, or means that can be configured to perform two or more functions. For example, these techniques can be implemented in hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or a combination thereof. For firmware or software, it can be implemented by modules (e.g., programs, functions, etc.) that perform the functions described herein.

[0238] In particular, these functional units can be implemented as network elements on dedicated hardware, as software instances running on dedicated hardware, or as virtualization functions instantiated on an appropriate platform (e.g., on cloud infrastructure).

[0239] Figure 10 An example of a communication system 1000 according to some embodiments is shown.

[0240] In this example, communication system 1000 includes a telecommunications network 1002 and a core network 1006. Telecommunications network 1002 includes an access network 1004, such as a radio access network (RAN). Core network 1006 includes one or more core network nodes 1008. Access network 1004 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 1010a and 1010b (one or more of which may generally be referred to as network node 1010), or any other similar 3GPP access node or non-3GPP access point. Network node 1010 facilitates direct or indirect connections for user equipment (UEs), such as connecting UEs 1012a, 1012b, 1012c, and 1012d (one or more of which may generally be referred to as UE 1012) to core network 1006 via one or more wireless connections.

[0241] Examples of wireless communication via wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other conductors. Furthermore, in various embodiments, communication system 1000 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that can facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections. Communication system 1000 may include any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar system and / or be connected to any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar system via an interface.

[0242] UE 1012 can be any communication device of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network node 1010 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node 1010 is arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE 1012 and / or with other network nodes or devices in telecommunication network 1002 to enable and / or provide network access (such as wireless network access) and / or to perform other functions (such as management in telecommunication network 1002).

[0243] In the depicted example, core network 1006 connects network node 1010 to one or more hosts (such as host 1016). These connections may be direct or indirect, via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. Core network 1006 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 1008) constructed from hardware and software components. The characteristics of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the description generally applies to the corresponding components of core network node 1008. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of the following: Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier Dehiding Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Secure Edge Protection Agent (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or User Plane Function (UPF).

[0244] Host 1016 may be owned or controlled by a service provider other than the operator or provider of telecommunications network 1002 and / or access network 1004, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. Host 1016 may host various applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include: live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services (such as retrieving and compiling data on various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs), analytics functions, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for alarm and monitoring centers, or any other such functions performed by the server.

[0245] on the whole, Figure 10The communication system 1000 enables connectivity between UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards, including but not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards, or any applicable next-generation standard (e.g., 6G); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi); and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards, such as WiMax, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0246] In some examples, telecommunications network 1002 is a cellular network implementing 3GPP standardized features. Therefore, telecommunications network 1002 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to it. For example, telecommunications network 1002 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or massive machine-type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to yet another UE.

[0247] In some examples, UE 1012 is configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE may be designed to transmit information to access network 1004 on a predetermined schedule when triggered by internal or external events or in response to requests from access network 1004. Additionally, the UE may be configured to operate in single or multiple RAT or multi-standard modes. For example, the UE may operate with any or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio), and LTE, i.e., configured for multiple radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) NR-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0248] In the example, hub 1014 communicates with access network 1004 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 1012c and / or 1012d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 1010b). In some examples, hub 1014 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any other communication device described herein with respect to a UE. For example, hub 1014 may be a broadband router for enabling access to core network 1006 for a UE. As another example, hub 1014 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in a UE. Commands or instructions may be received from the UE, network node 1010, or may be received via executable code, scripts, procedures, or other instructions in hub 1014. As another example, hub 1014 may be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage device for UE data, and in some embodiments, hub 1014 may perform data analytics or other processing. As another example, hub 1014 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, hub 1014 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node. Hub 1014 then provides the VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information to the UE directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In another example, hub 1014 acts as a proxy server or coordinator for the UE, particularly if one or more of the UEs are low-power IoT devices.

[0249] Hub 1014 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to network node 1010b. Hub 1014 may also accommodate different communication schemes and / or scheduling between hub 1014 and UEs (e.g., UE 1012d and / or 1012d) and between hub 1014 and core network 1006. In other examples, hub 1014 is connected to core network 1006 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Furthermore, hub 1014 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider via access network 1004 and / or to another UE via a direct connection. In some scenarios, a UE can establish a wireless connection to network node 1010 while still being connected via hub 1014, whether via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, hub 1014 may be a dedicated hub—that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communication from network node 1010b to UE / to network node 1010b. In other embodiments, hub 1014 may be a non-dedicated hub—that is, a device capable of operating to route communication between the UE and network node 1010b, but also capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0250] Figure 11 A UE 1100 according to some embodiments is illustrated. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cellular phones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, laptop computers, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), vehicles, vehicle-mounted or vehicle-embedded / integrated wireless devices, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, Machine Type Communication (MTC) UEs, and / or Enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0251] The UE can support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communication, dedicated short-range communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, the UE may not necessarily be a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Instead, the UE may represent a device intended for sale to or operated by a human user but which may not or can not initially be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, the UE may represent a device not intended for sale to or operated by an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart meter).

[0252] UE 1100 includes processing circuitry 1102, which is operatively coupled via bus 1104 to input / output interface 1106, power supply 1108, memory 1110, communication interface 1112, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Some UEs may utilize... Figure 11 All or a subset of the components shown. The level of integration between components can vary from one UE to another. Furthermore, some UEs may contain multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0253] Processing circuitry 1102 is configured to process instructions and data and can be configured to implement any sequential state machine that operates to execute instructions stored in memory 1110 as a machine-readable computer program. Processing circuitry 1102 can be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic along with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, a general-purpose processor such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), along with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, processing circuitry 1102 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0254] In the example, input / output interface 1106 can be configured to provide one or more interfaces to input devices, output devices, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include speakers, sound cards, video cards, displays, monitors, printers, actuators, transmitters, smart cards, other output devices, or any combination thereof. Input devices can allow a user to capture information into UE 1100. Examples of input devices include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital camcorders, webcams, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, orientation pads, trackpads, scroll wheels, smart cards, etc. Presence-sensitive displays may include capacitive or resistive touch sensors to sense input from the user. Sensors may be, for example, accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt sensors, force sensors, magnetometers, light sensors, proximity sensors, biosensors, etc., or any combination thereof. Output devices can use the same type of interface port as input devices. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port can be used to provide both input and output devices.

[0255] In some embodiments, power supply 1108 is configured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a storage battery, may be used. Power supply 1108 may also include power circuitry for delivering power from power supply 1108 itself and / or an external power source to various parts of UE 1100 via an interface or input circuitry such as a power cable. The delivery of power may, for example, be used for charging power supply 1108. The power circuitry may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from power supply 1108 to suit the power for the respective components of the UE 1100 being powered.

[0256] Memory 1110 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), disk, optical disk, hard disk, removable cassette tape, flash drive, etc. In one example, memory 1110 includes one or more applications 1114 (such as an operating system, web browser application, widget, gadget engine, or other application) and corresponding data 1116. Memory 1110 can store any operating system or combination of operating systems from a wide variety of different operating systems used by UE 1100.

[0257] The memory 1110 can be configured to include multiple physical drive units such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital universal disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard drive, Blu-ray disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro DIMM SDRAM, smart card memory such as a tamper-proof module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) (including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as USIM and / or ISIM), other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC can be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC commonly referred to as a "SIM card". The memory 1110 can allow the UE 1100 to access instructions, applications, etc., stored on transient or non-transient memory media to offload or upload data. Articles such as those utilizing communication systems may be tangibly embodied in or contained in memory 1110, which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0258] Processing circuitry 1102 can be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using communication interface 1112. Communication interface 1112 may include one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to antenna 1122. Communication interface 1112 may include one or more transceivers for communication, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., a network node in the access network or another UE). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 1118 and / or a receiver 1120 adapted to provide network communication (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). Furthermore, transmitter 1118 and receiver 1120 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 1122) and may share circuitry, software, or firmware, or alternatively, transmitter 1118 and receiver 1120 may be implemented separately.

[0259] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication interface 1112 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth and near-field communication, location-based communication such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. Communication may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.

[0260] Regardless of the sensor type, the UE can provide the output of data captured by its sensors via its communication interface 1112 or via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by the UE's sensors can be transmitted via another UE, via a wireless connection to a network node. The output can be periodic (e.g., every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to balance the load of reports from several sensors), responsive to a triggered event (e.g., sending an alarm when humidity is detected), responsive to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., live video feed of a patient).

[0261] As another example, the UE includes actuators, motors, or switches associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. The state of the actuator, motor, or switch can change in response to the received wireless input. For example, the UE may include motors that adjust the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight based on the received input, or a robotic arm that performs a medical procedure based on the received input.

[0262] When a UE takes the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, it can be a device intended for use in one or more application domains, including but not limited to urban wearable technology, extended industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices include or are embedded in the following devices: connected refrigerators or freezers, TVs, connected lighting fixtures, electricity meters, robotic vacuum cleaners, voice-controlled smart speakers, home security cameras, motion detectors, thermostats, smoke detectors, door / window sensors, flood / humidity sensors, electric door locks, connected doorbells, heat pump-like air conditioning systems, autonomous vehicles, monitoring systems, weather monitoring devices, vehicle parking monitoring devices, electric vehicle charging stations, smartwatches, fitness trackers, head-mounted displays for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), wearable devices for haptic or sensory enhancement, sprinklers, animal or object tracking devices, sensors for monitoring plants or animals, industrial robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and any kind of medical device such as heart rate monitors or remotely controlled surgical robots. (Except as per the above...) Figure 11 In addition to the other components described in UE 1100 shown, UEs in the form of IoT devices include circuitry and / or software that depend on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0263] As another specific example, in IoT scenarios, a UE can represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another UE and / or network node. In this case, the UE can be an M2M device, which in the 3GPP context may be referred to as an MTC device. As a specific example, the UE can implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, the UE can represent a vehicle, such as a car, bus, truck, ship, or aircraft, or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0264] In practice, any number of UEs can be used together for a single use case. For example, the first UE can be an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or can be integrated into the UAV and provide the UAV's speed information (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE, which acts as a remote controller for operating the UAV. When a user makes a change from the remote controller, the first UE can adjust a throttle valve on the UAV (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the UAV's speed. The first and / or second UEs can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, the UE can include sensors and actuators and handle communication of data from both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0265] Figure 12A network node 1200 according to some embodiments is shown. As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or devices in a telecommunications network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points) and base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR Node Bs (gNBs)).

[0266] Base stations can be classified based on the coverage they provide (or, in other words, their transmit power levels), and therefore, depending on the coverage provided, a base station can be referred to as a femtobase, picobase, microbase, or macrobase. A base station can be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. Network nodes can also include one or more (or all) portions of a distributed radio base station such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio headend (RRH). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio device. A portion of a distributed radio base station can also be referred to as a node in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0267] Other examples of network nodes include multi-transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, MSR devices such as multi-standard radio (MSR) BS, network controllers such as radio network controller (RNC) or base station controller (BSC), base transceiver station (BTS), transmission point, transmission node, multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), operation and maintenance (O&M) node, operation support system (OSS) node, self-organizing network (SON) node, location node (e.g., evolved servicing mobile location center (E-SMLC)), and / or minimized drive test (MDT).

[0268] Network node 1200 includes processing circuitry 1202, memory 1204, communication interface 1206, and power supply 1208. Network node 1200 may consist of multiple physically separate components (e.g., node B components and RNC components, or BTS components and BSC components, etc.), each of which may have its own corresponding components. In some scenarios where network node 1200 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of these separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC can control multiple node Bs. In such scenarios, each unique node B and RNC pair may be considered a single independent network node in some instances. In some embodiments, network node 1200 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 1204 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 1210 may be shared by different RATs). Network node 1200 may also include a collection of various described components for integrating into network node 1200, such as different wireless technologies like GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, RFID, or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within network node 1200.

[0269] The processing circuitry 1202 may include: a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application-specific integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or coding logic operable to provide the functionality of the network node 1200 alone or in combination with other network node 1200 components such as memory 1204.

[0270] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1202 includes a system-on-a-chip (SoC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1202 includes one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1212 and a baseband processing circuitry 1214. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 1212 and the baseband processing circuitry 1214 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 1212 and the baseband processing circuitry 1214 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0271] Memory 1204 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to, permanent storage devices, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drives, compact discs (CDs), or digital video discs (DVDs)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory that stores information, data, and / or instructions that can be used by processing circuitry 1202. Memory 1204 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including applications, software, computer programs, and / or other instructions that contain one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and can be executed by processing circuitry 1202 and utilized by network node 1200. Memory 1204 may be used to store any calculations performed by processing circuitry 1202 and / or any data received via communication interface 1206. In some embodiments, processing circuitry 1202 and memory 1204 are integrated.

[0272] Communication interface 1206 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks, and / or UEs. As illustrated, communication interface 1206 includes one or more ports / terminals 1216 for transmitting data to and receiving data from the network, for example, via a wired connection. Communication interface 1206 also includes radio front-end circuitry 1218 that may be coupled to antenna 1210 or, in some embodiments, is part of antenna 1210. Radio front-end circuitry 1218 includes filter 1220 and amplifier 1222. Radio front-end circuitry 1218 may be connected to antenna 1210 and processing circuitry 1202. Radio front-end circuitry 1218 may be configured to modulate the signal transmitted between antenna 1210 and processing circuitry 1202. Radio front-end circuitry 1218 may receive digital data to be transmitted wirelessly to other network nodes or UEs. Radio front-end circuitry 1218 may use a combination of filter 1220 and / or amplifier 1222 to convert digital data into radio signals with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. Radio signals can then be transmitted via antenna 1210. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 1210 can collect radio signals and then convert them into digital data via radio front-end circuitry 1218. The digital data can then be passed to processing circuitry 1202. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0273] In some alternative embodiments, network node 1200 does not include a separate radio front-end circuitry 1218; instead, processing circuitry 1202 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to antenna 1210. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 1212 is part of communication interface 1206. In other embodiments, communication interface 1206 includes one or more ports or terminals 1216, radio front-end circuitry 1218, and RF transceiver circuitry 1212 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and communication interface 1206 communicates with baseband processing circuitry 1214, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0274] Antenna 1210 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 1210 may be coupled to radio front-end circuitry 1218 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 1210 is decoupled from network node 1200 and may be connected to network node 1200 via an interface or port.

[0275] Antenna 1210, communication interface 1206, and / or processing circuitry 1202 can be configured to perform any receive operation and / or certain acquire operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals can be received from the UE, another network node, and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 1210, communication interface 1206, and / or processing circuitry 1202 can be configured to perform any transmit operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals can be transmitted to the UE, another network node, and / or any other network device.

[0276] Power supply 1208 provides power to the various components of network node 1200 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). Power supply 1208 may also include or be coupled to power management circuitry to power the components of network node 1200 for performing the functionality described herein. For example, network node 1200 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., mains, electrical outlet) via input circuitry or interface such as a cable, thereby supplying power to the power circuitry of power supply 1208. As another example, power supply 1208 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack, connected to or integrated into the power circuitry. The battery can provide backup power in the event of an external power failure.

[0277] Embodiments of network node 1200 may include, except Figure 12Additional components beyond those shown herein are used to provide certain aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the topics described herein. For example, network node 1200 may include user interface devices for allowing information to be input to and output from network node 1200. This allows users to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for network node 1200.

[0278] Figure 13 This is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1300 that can virtualize functionality implemented by some embodiments. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or apparatus that may include a virtualized hardware platform, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any apparatus or its components described herein and relates to the implementation of at least a portion of functionality as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functionality described herein can be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 1300 hosted by one or more hardware nodes, such as hardware computing devices operating as network nodes, UEs, core network nodes, or hosts. Furthermore, in embodiments where virtual nodes do not require radio connectivity (e.g., core network nodes or hosts), the nodes can be fully virtualized.

[0279] Application 1302 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, virtual appliance, network function, virtual node, virtual network function, etc.) is run in virtualized environment 1300 to implement some of the features, functions and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein.

[0280] Hardware 1304 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions executable by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc. The processing circuitry can execute software to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 1306 (also referred to as a hypervisor or virtual machine monitor (VMM)), provide VMs 1308a and 1308b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VM 1308), and / or perform any functions, features, and / or benefits described in relation to some embodiments described herein. Virtualization layer 1306 can present a virtual operating platform to VM 1308 that appears to be networked hardware.

[0281] VM 1308 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage devices, and can run through a corresponding virtualization layer 1306. Different embodiments of instances of virtual appliances 1302 can be implemented on one or more VMs 1308, and can be implemented in different ways. Hardware virtualization is referred to as Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) in some contexts. NFV can be used to consolidate many types of network devices into industry-standard high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage devices that can be located in data centers and customer premises.

[0282] In the context of NFV, VM 1308 can be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM 1308, and the portion of hardware 1304 that executes that VM, whether it is dedicated hardware for that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with other VMs, forms an independent virtual network element. Still within the context of NFV, the virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions running on one or more VMs 1308 above hardware 1304 and corresponds to application 1302.

[0283] Hardware 1304 can be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. Hardware 1304 can utilize virtualization to implement some functions. Alternatively, hardware 1304 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 1310, which in particular also oversees the lifecycle management of application 1302. In some embodiments, hardware 1304 is coupled to one or more radio units, each including one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that can be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio units can communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more suitable network interfaces and can be combined with virtual components to provide radio capabilities to virtual nodes, such as radio access nodes or base stations. In some embodiments, control system 1312 can be used to provide signaling, and control system 1312 can alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0284] While the computing devices described herein (e.g., UE, network node, host) may include the hardware component combinations shown, other embodiments may include computing devices with different component combinations. It should be understood that these computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. The determination, calculation, acquisition, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting acquired information into other information, comparing acquired or converted information with information stored in a network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information, and making a determination as a result of said processing. Furthermore, although components are depicted as a single box within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may include multiple different physical components constituting a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between individual components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of a component may be partitioned between processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0285] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry that executes instructions stored in memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of these particular embodiments, the processing circuitry may be configured to perform the described functionality regardless of whether instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by this functionality are not limited to individual processing circuitry or other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the entire computing device and / or by the end user and wireless network as a whole.

Claims

1. A method (300) performed by a terminal device in a communication network, comprising: Before or after changing from the first cell to the second cell, obtain (S302) the first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration SMTC; The offset parameter in the first SMTC is adjusted (S304) based at least on the propagation delay in the second cell; as well as Based on the first SMTC with adjusted offset parameters, a measurement (S306) is performed in the second cell.

2. The method (300) according to claim 1. in, Configure a first synchronization signal block (SSB) for the first cell and a second SSB for the second cell; and Specifically, the first SSB and the second SSB occupy the same time position in the scheduling, or the first SSB and the second SSB have different SSB indices, or the second SSB is a time-shifted version of the first SSB.

3. The method (300) according to claim 2, further comprising: Further, based on the time offset in the scheduling between the first SSB and the second SSB, the offset parameter in the first SMTC is adjusted (S308).

4. The method (300) according to claim 2. in, The offset parameter in the first SMTC is provided by the first cell or the second cell based on the time offset in the scheduling between the first SSB and the second SSB.

5. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: In response to an instruction from the first cell or the second cell, a measurement is performed in the second cell based on the first SMTC (S310) without adjusting the offset parameter based on the propagation delay.

6. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: Obtain the second SMTC (S312); as well as The measurement is performed based on the second SMTC (S314).

7. The method (300) according to claim 6, further comprising: Transmit (S316) a request to the first SMTC and / or the second SMTC.

8. The method (300) according to claim 6 or 7. in, The first SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in common control signaling; and The second SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling.

9. The method (300) according to claim 8. in, The first SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in the System Information Block (SIB).

10. The method (300) according to claim 9. in, The terminal device obtains the SIB regardless of whether there is any indication of changes in the SIB.

11. The method (300) according to claim 6 or 7. in, The first SMTC was obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling prior to the change; and The second SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling after the change.

12. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 11. in, An instruction from the first cell or the second cell instructs the terminal device to indicate at least one of the following: Whether to adjust the offset parameter in the first SMTC based on the propagation delay in the second cell; Perform measurements in the second cell using the first SMTC; or Measurements were performed in the second cell using another SMTC; and The indication may be implicit or explicit.

13. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 12. in, The terminal device is in RRC CONNECTED state in the first cell and switches to the second cell; or The terminal device is in RRC IDLE or INACTIVE state and reselects the second cell.

14. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 13. in, The terminal device changes from the first cell to the second cell without L3 mobility.

15. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 14. in, The first cell and the second cell have the same physical cell identifier.

16. The method (300) according to any one of claims 1 to 15. in, The first cell is provided by a first satellite, and / or the second cell is provided by a second satellite.

17. A method (400) performed by a network node in a communication network, comprising: Before or after the terminal device changes from the first cell to the second cell, transmit (S402) the first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) to the terminal device; and Instruction (S404) whether the terminal device adjusts the offset parameter in the first SMTC.

18. The method (400) according to claim 17. in, The network node instructs the terminal device whether to adjust the offset parameter in the first SMTC based on the propagation in the second cell; Specifically, a first synchronization signal block (SSB) is configured for the first cell, and a second SSB is configured for the second cell; and Specifically, the first SSB and the second SSB occupy the same time position in the scheduling, or the first SSB and the second SSB have different SSB indices, or the second SSB is a time-shifted version of the first SSB.

19. The method (400) according to claim 18, further comprising: Based on the time offset in the scheduling between the first SSB and the second SSB, the offset parameter is provided in the first SMTC (S406).

20. The method (400) according to any one of claims 17 to 19, further comprising: Transmit the second SMTC to the terminal device (S408).

21. The method (400) according to claim 20, further comprising: Receive (S410) a request for the first SMTC and / or the second SMTC from the terminal device.

22. The method (400) according to claim 20 or 21. in, The first SMTC is included in the common control signaling; and The second SMTC is included in the dedicated signaling.

23. The method (400) according to claim 22. in, The first SMTC is included in the System Information Block (SIB).

24. The method (400) according to claim 23. in, The terminal device obtains the SIB regardless of whether there is any indication of changes in the SIB.

25. The method (400) according to claim 20 or 21. in, The first SMTC was obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling prior to the change; and The second SMTC is obtained by the terminal device in dedicated signaling after the change.

26. The method (400) according to any one of claims 17 to 25. in, The terminal device is in RRC CONNECTED state in the first cell and switches to the second cell; or The terminal device is in RRC IDLE or INACTIVE state and reselects the second cell.

27. The method (400) according to any one of claims 17 to 26. in, The terminal device changes from the first cell to the second cell without L3 mobility.

28. The method (400) according to any one of claims 17 to 27. in, The first cell and the second cell have the same Physical Cell Identifier (PCI).

29. The method (400) according to any one of claims 17 to 28. in, The first cell is provided by a first satellite, and / or the second cell is provided by a second satellite; and The network node is a base station connected to the first satellite and / or the second satellite.

30. The method (400) according to claim 28 or 29, further comprising: Determine (S412) whether the conditions related to the terminal device being served are met; as well as When the condition is met, perform at least one of the following actions (S414): When the second cell has the same PCI as the first cell, changes from the first cell to the second cell are prohibited; Configure the SSB in the first cell to use a different frequency than the SSB in the second cell; Configure the SSB in the second cell to send when or after the SSB in the first cell is stopped; or Release the terminal device served by the network node that does not support obtaining SSB information about the second cell.

31. The method (400) according to claim 30. in, The conditions include at least one of the following: The number of RRC-connected terminal devices served by the network node and which do not support obtaining SSB information about the second cell after the change exceeds a threshold; and / or The ratio of RRC CONNECTED terminal devices that are served by the network node and do not support obtaining SSB information about the second cell after the change exceeds another threshold.

32. The method (400) according to claim 30 or 31. in, The conditions are applied to terminal devices with Quality of Service (QoS) requirements.

33. An apparatus (50) for a terminal device in a communication network, comprising: Processor (501); as well as The memory (502) contains instructions executable by the processor (501), thereby enabling the device (50) for the terminal device to: Before or after changing from the first cell to the second cell, obtain the first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration SMTC; The offset parameter in the first SMTC is adjusted based at least on the propagation delay in the second cell; as well as Measurements are performed in the second cell based on the first SMTC with adjusted offset parameters.

34. The device (50) according to claim 33, wherein, The device (50) can also be operated to perform the method according to any one of claims 2 to 16.

35. A device (60) for a network node in a communication network, comprising: Processor (601); as well as A memory (602) contains instructions executable by the processor (601), thereby enabling the device (60) for the network node to: Before or after the terminal device changes from the first cell to the second cell, the first synchronization signal block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) is transmitted to the terminal device; and Indicates whether the terminal device should adjust the offset parameter in the first SMTC.

36. The device (60) according to claim 35, wherein, The device (60) can also be operated to perform the method according to any one of claims 18 to 32.

37. A computer-readable storage medium (70) storing instructions (701) that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 32.

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