Methods, apparatuses, and systems for non-terrestrial network communications

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a communication method and a communication device. The method comprises: receiving first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information indicates a first timing reference, the first timing reference is associated with a first beam, and the first timing reference is a starting time of a system frame transmitted by a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device and received by a receiving device using the first beam; and receiving the system frame based on the first configuration information. The timing reference associated with the beam enables the receiving device to receive or detect the system frame transmitted by the NTN device at the appropriate time. That is, the receiving device does not need additional synchronization to receive or detect the system frame transmitted by the NTN device. Therefore, the resource overhead of NTN communication can be reduced.

Description

Cross-references to related applications

[0001] This application relates to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 550,214, filed February 6, 2024, entitled “Method, Apparatus, and System for Timing Reference.” The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments of this application relate to the field of communications, and more specifically, to communication methods, communication devices, and systems for non-terrestrial network communications. Background Technology

[0003] The introduction of non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) in communication systems enables user equipment (UEs) to communicate with NTN devices, such as satellites (including low earth orbit (LEO), medium earth orbit (MEO), geostationary earth orbit (GEO), and highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites), airborne vehicles (also known as high-altitude platforms), or aircraft, which act as base stations or repeaters for communication between different devices.

[0004] Unlike terrestrial network (TN) equipment, NTN equipment is constantly moving and therefore only within line-of-sight of UEs on the ground for a limited time. Consequently, the timing advance (TA) used for uplink synchronization is constantly changing, and / or downlink synchronization requires continuous updates. This results in high signaling overhead between the NTN equipment and the UEs on the ground simply to maintain the NTN communication link. Therefore, reducing the resource overhead of NTN communication is a pressing issue. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of this application provide a communication method and a communication apparatus. These technical solutions enable the UE to be configured with a timing reference associated with the beam used by the UE, thereby reducing the resource overhead of NTN communication.

[0006] According to a first aspect, one embodiment of this application provides a communication method that can be performed by a receiving device. The method includes: receiving first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information indicates a first timing reference associated with a first beam, the first timing reference being the start time at which the receiving device uses the first beam to receive system frames transmitted by a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device; and receiving system frames based on the first configuration information.

[0007] According to a second aspect, one embodiment of this application provides a communication method that can be performed by a transmitting device. The method includes: transmitting first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information indicates a first timing reference associated with a first beam, the first timing reference being the start time at which a receiving device uses the first beam to receive system frames transmitted by a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device.

[0008] According to the above technical solution, a timing reference associated with the beam used by the receiving device to receive system frames is configured for the receiving device. This enables the receiving device to receive or detect system frames sent by the NTN device at the appropriate time. In other words, the receiving device does not require additional synchronization to receive or detect system frames sent by the NTN device. Therefore, the resource overhead of NTN communication can be reduced.

[0009] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first configuration information includes a first timing reference and an identifier for the first beam.

[0010] According to the above technical solution, the timing reference associated with the beam can be configured in an absolute manner. That is, the start time at which the receiving device is expected to use the beam to receive system frames is configured for the receiving device. Therefore, the accuracy of configuring the timing reference can be improved.

[0011] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first configuration information includes a timing reference offset and an identifier of a first beam, the timing reference offset being a delay of the first timing reference relative to a second timing reference, and the second timing reference being the start time of the receiving device using the second beam to receive system frames.

[0012] According to the above technical solution, the timing reference associated with the beam can be configured in a relative manner. That is, the delay of the timing reference relative to a specific timing reference (as a reference) is configured for the receiving device. Therefore, the complexity of configuring the timing reference can be reduced.

[0013] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the second beam is indicated by the first configuration information, and before receiving a system frame based on the first configuration information, the method further includes: using the second beam to detect a first signal; and obtaining a second timing reference based on the time domain position of the first signal in the system frame and the start time of the receiving device using the second beam to detect the first signal.

[0014] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the second beam is indicated by the first configuration information, the second beam is used to detect the first signal, and a second timing reference is obtained based on the time domain position of the first signal in the system frame and the start time of the receiving device using the second beam to detect the first signal.

[0015] According to the above technical solution, a specific beam of the receiving device can be configured as a reference beam, so that the start time of the receiving device receiving system frames using the reference beam can be used as a reference for other time references. Therefore, the complexity of configuring a time reference can be reduced.

[0016] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first signal is a synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SS / PBCH block (SSB)).

[0017] According to the above technical solution, the SSB can be detected during initial access and always occupies a known position in the system frame. This allows the receiving device to accurately determine the timing reference associated with the reference beam when the reference beam first detects the SSB. Therefore, the accuracy of configuring the timing reference can be improved.

[0018] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the identifier of the first beam is the beam angular information (BAI) of the first beam, which indicates the angular direction of the first beam.

[0019] According to the above technical solution, the BAI indicating the angular direction can be used to refer to the beam whose line of sight points to the angular direction indicated by the BAI (or a spatial filter used to generate the beam).

[0020] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first configuration information further includes an identifier for the system frame.

[0021] According to the above technical solution, a system frame identifier, such as a reference system frame number, can be configured for the receiving device. When the receiving device receives a system frame, the identifier can be used to verify whether the received system frame is the expected system frame. Therefore, the accuracy of the configured time reference can be improved.

[0022] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first beam includes a serving beam and / or a candidate beam.

[0023] According to the above technical solution, timing reference can be applied to different types of beams, including serving beams used to receive reference signals and / or receive or transmit physical layer channels, or candidate beams used to receive reference signals. Therefore, the scenarios in which the technical solution can be applied can be expanded.

[0024] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first configuration information includes a timing reference range, which indicates an angular direction range. When the angular direction of the NTN device relative to the receiving device is within the angular direction range, the first timing reference is valid.

[0025] According to the above technical solution, based on the timing reference range configured for the receiving device, the receiving device can determine the applicable boundaries of the timing reference. Therefore, the WU process can be provided to more nodes without degrading performance or increasing resource overhead. Thus, the complexity of configuring the timing reference can be reduced.

[0026] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the first configuration information also indicates a third timing reference associated with a third beam, which is the start time at which the receiving device uses the third beam to receive system frames.

[0027] According to the above technical solution, the configuration information can be used to configure multiple timing references for the receiving device. Therefore, the efficiency of configuring time references can be improved, thereby reducing resource overhead.

[0028] In conjunction with the first or second aspect, in some embodiments, the NTN device is a first NTN device, the third timing reference is the start time of the receiving device receiving a system frame transmitted by the second NTN device using a third beam, and the first NTN device and the second NTN device have different orbital altitudes.

[0029] According to the above technical solution, multiple timing references configured for the receiving device can be associated with NTN devices located on orbital planes at different heights. Therefore, the number of NTN devices that the receiving device can connect to can be increased.

[0030] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, radio resource control (RRC) signaling is used to receive the first configuration information.

[0031] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some embodiments, radio resource control (RRC) signaling is used to send the first configuration information.

[0032] Based on the above technical solution, timing references can be configured using higher-level signaling.

[0033] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, the NTN device is a first NTN device, and the method further includes: receiving second configuration information, wherein the second configuration information indicates a fourth timing reference, the fourth timing reference being associated with a first beam, the fourth timing reference being the start time of the receiving device using the first beam to receive a system frame transmitted by a third NTN device, and the first NTN device and the third NTN device having different orbital altitudes.

[0034] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some embodiments, the first timing reference is the start time of the receiving device using the first beam to receive a system frame transmitted by the first NTN device, and the method further includes: sending second configuration information, wherein the second configuration information indicates a fourth timing reference, the fourth timing reference being associated with the first beam, the fourth timing reference being the start time of the receiving device using the first beam to receive a system frame transmitted by the third NTN device, and the first NTN device and the third NTN device having different orbital altitudes.

[0035] According to the above technical solution, the timing reference associated with the beam can be updated. Therefore, the receiving device can be connected to and switched to NTN devices located on orbital planes at different altitudes.

[0036] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, RRC signaling and / or media access control-control element (MAC-CE) signaling are used to receive the second configuration information.

[0037] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some embodiments, RRC signaling and / or media access control-control element (MAC-CE) layer signaling are used to send the second configuration information.

[0038] According to the above technical solution, higher-layer signaling or media access control (MAC) layer signaling can be used to update the timing reference.

[0039] In conjunction with the first aspect, in some embodiments, before receiving the first configuration information, the method further includes: receiving third configuration information, wherein the third configuration information includes a BAI associated with the first beam, the BAI indicating an angular direction.

[0040] In conjunction with the second aspect, in some embodiments, before sending the first configuration information, the method further includes sending third configuration information, wherein the third configuration information includes a BAI associated with the first beam, the BAI indicating angular direction.

[0041] According to the above technical solution, the receiving device can be configured with the angular direction of the reference beam.

[0042] According to a third aspect, a receiving device is provided. The receiving device includes functions or units for performing the method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect.

[0043] For example, the receiving device can be a terminal device or a chip within a terminal device. Similarly, the receiving device can be a network device or a chip within a network device.

[0044] According to a fourth aspect, a transmitting apparatus is provided. The transmitting apparatus includes functions or units for performing the method according to the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0045] For example, the transmitting device can be a network device or a chip within a network device. Similarly, the transmitting device can be a terminal device or a chip within a terminal device.

[0046] According to a fifth aspect, a system is provided. The system includes: a receiving device according to a third aspect and a transmitting device according to a fourth aspect.

[0047] According to a sixth aspect, a communication device is provided. The communication device includes at least one processor coupled to at least one memory. The at least one memory is used to store a computer program or one or more instructions. The at least one processor is configured to: retrieve the computer program or one or more instructions from the at least one memory and execute the computer program or one or more instructions, causing the communication device to perform a method of the first aspect or any of its possible implementations, or the communication device to perform a method of the second aspect or any of its possible implementations.

[0048] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the communication device may be a receiving device. For example, the communication device may be a terminal device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a terminal device. As another example, the communication device may be a network device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a network device.

[0049] In conjunction with the sixth aspect, in some implementations of the sixth aspect, the communication device may be a transmitting device. For example, the communication device may be a network device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a network device. As another example, the communication device may be a terminal device or a component (e.g., a chip or integrated circuit) installed in a terminal device.

[0050] According to a seventh aspect, a communication apparatus is provided. The communication apparatus includes a processor and a communication interface. The processor is connected to the communication interface. The processor is used to execute one or more instructions, and the communication interface is used to communicate with other network elements under the control of the processor. The processor is capable of performing the method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0051] According to an eighth aspect, a computer storage medium is provided. The computer storage medium stores program code for executing one or more instructions of a method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect.

[0052] According to a ninth aspect, this application provides a computer program product comprising one or more instructions, wherein when the computer program product is run on a computer, the computer performs a method according to the first aspect or any possible embodiment of the first aspect, or the second aspect or any possible embodiment of the second aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0053] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario according to this application is shown; Figure 2 An exemplary communication system 100 is shown; Figure 3 Another example of an ED and a base station is shown; Figure 4 This illustrates one possible scenario for TRP and NT-TRP communication; Figure 5 This illustrates another possible scenario for TRP and NT-TRP communication; Figure 6 This illustrates another possible scenario for TRP and NT-TRP communication; Figure 7 This shows a unit or module in the device or apparatus; Figure 8 An example of a pipe bending scenario is shown; Figure 9 A schematic flowchart of a communication method 900 according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 10An example of the service BAI is shown; Figure 11 An example of a candidate BAI is shown; Figure 12 A schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the beam and the time reference is shown; Figure 13 A schematic diagram is shown of the BAI and timing reference provided for the receiving device; Figure 14 A schematic diagram is shown of the timing reference range provided for the receiving device; Figure 15 A schematic diagram of spatial partitioning is shown; Figure 16 A schematic diagram of updating the timing reference is shown; Figures 17 to 21 A schematic block diagram of a possible device according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0054] The technical solution of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0055] Wireless communication systems such as fourth-generation (4G) systems (e.g., long-term evolution (LTE) systems) and fifth-generation (5G) systems (e.g., new radio (NR) systems) have been deployed to provide various types of applications, such as messaging, voice, video, and other data.

[0056] In the field of NR, non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) have been developed. NTNs can utilize satellites (including low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), and highly elliptical orbit (HEO) satellites) or airborne vehicles such as drones or airplanes (also known as high-altitude platforms) as base stations or repeaters for communication between different devices.

[0057] Satellites or drones in an NTN may move at high speeds relative to user equipment (UEs) and other devices operating within the NTN, unlike the scenario between a UE and a ground base station. Furthermore, the distance between a UE and a satellite or drone is much greater than the distance between a UE and a ground base station.

[0058] Therefore, there is a need to provide solutions suitable for NTN that can work in conjunction with terrestrial networks (TN) to achieve communication at an acceptable cost (e.g., power consumption and / or complexity).

[0059] The purpose of providing background information is to disclose information that the applicant believes may be relevant to this invention. It is not necessarily intended to acknowledge, nor should it be construed, as any of the foregoing information as prior art opposed to this invention.

[0060] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application can be applied to various communication systems, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) systems, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) systems, Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, LTE Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) systems, LTE Time Division Duplex (TDD) systems, Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Fifth Generation (5G) wireless communication systems, New Radio (NR) wireless communication systems, Sixth Generation (6G) wireless communication systems, and Integrated Access Backhaul (IAR). Backhaul (IAB) systems, mesh networks, sidelink systems, or other evolved communication systems. The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application can be applied to communication systems that integrate two or more of the above systems.

[0061] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, let's first take... Figures 1 to 3 Taking the communication system shown as an example, the communication system applicable to the embodiments of this application is described in detail below.

[0062] Figure 1A schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario according to this application is shown. (Reference) Figure 1 As a non-limiting illustrative example, a simplified schematic diagram of a communication system is provided. Communication system 100 includes a radio access network 120. Radio access network 120 can be a next-generation (e.g., sixth-generation, 6G, or later) radio access network or a traditional (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G, or 2G) radio access network. One or more electronic devices (EDs) 110a to 110j (collectively referred to as 110) can be interconnected with each other or connected to one or more network nodes (170a, 170b, collectively referred to as 170) in radio access network 120. Core network 130 can be part of the communication system and can depend on or be independent of the radio access technology used in communication system 100. Communication system 100 also includes a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160.

[0063] Typically, communication system 100 enables multiple wireless or wired components to transmit data and other content. Communication system 100 can provide voice, data, video, and / or text content via broadcast, multicast, unicast, etc. Communication system 100 can also provide a wide range of communication services and applications (e.g., earth monitoring, remote sensing, passive sensing and positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, and mobility). These services and / or applications may be mobile broadband (MBB) services, ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services, or machine-type communication (MTC) services, etc.

[0064] The communication system 100 can operate by sharing resources such as carrier spectrum bandwidth among its constituent components.

[0065] Figure 2 A more detailed example of communication system 100 is shown. Communication system 100 may include terrestrial communication systems and / or non-terrestrial communication systems. Communication system 100 can provide high availability and robustness through the joint operation of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. For example, integrating non-terrestrial communication systems (or components thereof) into terrestrial communication systems can form a heterogeneous network that can be considered as having multiple layers. Heterogeneous networks can achieve better overall performance through efficient multi-link joint operation between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, more flexible function sharing, and faster physical layer link switching.

[0066] Terrestrial communication systems and non-terrestrial communication systems can be considered as subsystems of a communication system.

[0067] and Figure 1 The example shown is the same, in Figure 2 In the example shown, communication system 100 may include ED 110a to 110d (collectively referred to as ED 110) and RAN 120a and 120b. Furthermore, communication system 100 may also include a non-terrestrial communication network 120c. Communication system 100 may also include one or more of a core network 130, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 140, the Internet 150, and other networks 160. RAN 120a and 120b include corresponding RAN nodes, such as base stations (BS) 170a and 170b, which may be collectively referred to as terrestrial transmit and receive points (T-TRP) 170a and 170b (collectively referred to as T-TRP 170). In some implementations, non-terrestrial communication network 120c includes RAN nodes, such as access node 172, which may be collectively referred to as non-terrestrial transmit and receive point (NT-TRP) 172. As can be inferred from the similarity of the reference numerals in the accompanying drawings, the non-terrestrial communication network 120c can be considered a radio access network that shares operational similarities with RANs 120a and 120b. In some other implementations, the non-terrestrial communication network 120c may include at least one non-terrestrial network (NTN) device and at least one corresponding terrestrial network device, wherein the at least one NTN device acts as a transport layer device, and the at least one corresponding terrestrial network device acts as a RAN node, which communicates with the ED through the NTN device. Furthermore, an NTN gateway (i.e., referred to as a terrestrial network device) may exist on the ground, which also acts as a transport layer device communicating with the NTN device and the RAN node, and the RAN node communicates with the ED through the NTN device and the NTN gateway. In some implementations, the NTN gateway and the RAN node may reside in the same device.

[0068] Any ED 110 can be used alternatively or additionally to connect to, access, or communicate with any T-TRP 170a and 170b, NT-TRP 172, Internet 150, Core Network 130, PSTN 140, other network 160, or any combination thereof. In some examples, ED 110a can communicate with T-TRP 170a via interface 190a for uplink (UL) and / or downlink (DL) transmission. In some examples, ED 110a, 110b, and 110d can also communicate directly with each other via one or more sidelink (SL) air interfaces 190b. In some examples, ED 110d can communicate with NT-TRP 172 via interface 190c for uplink and / or downlink transmission.

[0069] Air interfaces 190a and 190b can use similar communication technologies, such as any suitable wireless access technology. For example, communication system 100 can implement one or more channel access methods in air interfaces 190a and 190b, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), space division multiple access (SDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), or single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) (also known as discrete fourier transform spread OFDMA (DFT-s-OFDMA)). Air interfaces 190a and 190b can employ other higher-dimensional signal spaces, which may involve combinations of orthogonal and / or non-orthogonal dimensions.

[0070] The 190c air interface enables communication between the ED 110d and one or more NT-TRP 172s via a wireless link or simply via a link. For some examples, the link is a dedicated connection for unicast transmission, a connection for broadcast transmission, or a connection for multicast transmission between a group of ED 110s and one or more NT-TRP 172s.

[0071] RANs 120a and 120b communicate with the core network 130 to provide various services, such as voice, data, and other services, to EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c. RANs 120a and 120b, and / or the core network 130, can communicate directly or indirectly with one or more other RANs (not shown), which may or may not be directly served by the core network 130, and may or may not use the same radio access technology as RANs 120a and / or RAN 120b. The core network 130 can also serve as a gateway access between (i) RANs 120a and 120b, and / or EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c and (ii) other networks (e.g., PSTN 140, Internet 150, and other networks 160). Furthermore, some or all of EDs 110a, 110b, and 110c may include the ability to communicate with different wireless networks via different radio links using different radio technologies and / or protocols. Instead of wireless communication (or other than wireless communication), ED 110a, 110b, and 110c can also communicate with service providers or exchanges (not shown) via wired communication channels and with the Internet 150. PSTN 140 may include a circuit-switched telephone network for providing plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 150 may include a network of computers and / or subnets (internal networks) and incorporate protocols such as Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). ED 110a, 110b, and 110c may be multimode devices capable of operating under various wireless access technologies and include multiple transceivers required to support these technologies.

[0072] Furthermore, the communication system 100 may also include a sensing agent (not shown) to manage sensed data from ED 110 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172. In some implementations, the sensing agent is located within T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172. In other implementations, the sensing agent is a separate node with an interface for communicating with core network 130 and / or RAN 120a to 120c (e.g., T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172).

[0073] Figure 3Another example is shown of a device 310 that wirelessly communicates with at least one of two devices in a communication system (e.g., devices 320a and 320b, referred to as device 320). In some embodiments, the communication system in this example may be communication system 100. Device 310 may be a UE (e.g., Figure 2 (ED 110 in the text). Device 320a can be a terrestrial network device (e.g., such as ED 110). Figure 2 The T-TRP 170 shown), device 320b can be a non-terrestrial network device (e.g., such as...). Figure 3 (NT-TRP 172 shown). However, this application is not limited in this respect. For example, according to the present invention, device 320a may be NT-TRP, device 320b may be T-TRP, or both device 320a and device 320b may be T-TRP or NT-TRP. ED 110 is described below as an example of device 310, T-TRP 170 is described as an example of device 320a, and NT-TRP 172 is described as an example of device 320b. It should be noted that the number of devices 310 may be one or more, and the number of devices 320a and / or devices 320b may be one or more. For example, one ED 110 may be served by only one T-TRP 170 (or one NT-TRP 172), or by more than one T-TRP 170, or by more than one NT-TRP 172, or by one or more T-TRP 170 and one or more NT-TRP 172.

[0074] The ED 110 is used to connect people, objects, and machines. It can be widely used in various scenarios, such as cellular communication, device-to-device (D2D), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), peer-to-peer (P2P), machine-to-machine (M2M), machine-type communications (MTC), Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), metaverse, digital twins, industrial control, autonomous driving, telemedicine, smart grids, smart furniture, smart offices, smart wearables, smart transportation, smart cities, drones, robots, remote sensing, passive sensing, positioning, navigation and tracking, autonomous delivery, and mobility.

[0075] Each ED 110 represents any end-user equipment suitable for wireless operation and may include (or be referred to as, but not limited to) devices such as: user equipment / device (UE), wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile station, fixed or mobile subscriber unit, cellular phone, station (STA), MTC equipment, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, laptop, computer, tablet, wireless sensor, consumer electronics, smartbook, vehicle, automobile, truck, bus, train, or IoT device, wearable device (e.g., watch, glasses, head-mounted device, etc.), industrial equipment, apparatus including the aforementioned devices or devices within the aforementioned devices (e.g., communication module, modem, or chip), etc. Next-generation ED110 may be referred to using other terms. Base stations 170a and 170b are terrestrial network equipment and will be referred to hereinafter as T-TRP 170. Similarly, Figure 3 As shown, the NTN device will be referred to as NT-TRP 172 below. Each ED 110 connected to T-TRP 170 and / or NT-TRP 172 can be dynamically or semi-statically started (i.e., established, activated, or enabled), shut down (i.e., released, deactivated, or disabled), and / or configured in response to one or more of connectivity availability and connectivity necessity.

[0076] like Figure 3 As shown, ED 110 includes a transmitter 201 and a receiver 203 coupled to one or more antennas 204. Only one antenna 204 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may be integrated together, for example, as a transceiver. The transceiver is used to output or modulate data or other content for transmission by at least one antenna 204 or a network interface controller (NIC). The transceiver is also used to demodulate data or other content received through at least one antenna 204. Each transceiver includes any suitable structure for generating signals for wireless or wired transmission and / or processing signals received wirelessly or wiredly. Each antenna 204 includes any suitable structure for transmitting and / or receiving wireless or wired signals. The transceiver may also be referred to as an interface for input and output operations.

[0077] like Figure 3As shown, ED 110 includes at least one memory 208. Only one memory 208 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. Memory 208 stores instructions and data used, generated, or acquired by ED 110. For example, memory 208 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein, and executed by one or more processing units (e.g., one or more processors 210). Each memory 208 includes any suitable one or more volatile and / or non-volatile storage and retrieval devices. Any suitable type of memory can be used, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, optical disk, subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory stick, secure digital (SD) memory card, and on-processor cache, etc.

[0078] ED 110 may also include one or more input / output devices (not shown) or interfaces (e.g., connected to...). Figure 1 (Wired interface of Internet 150 in the network). Input / output devices or interfaces support interaction with users or other devices in the network. Each input / output device or interface includes any suitable structure for providing or receiving information from the user and / or for network interface communication. Suitable structures include, for example, speakers, microphones, keypads, keyboards, displays, touchscreens, etc.

[0079] like Figure 3As shown, ED 110 also includes at least one processor 210. Only one processor 210 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. Processor 210 performs (or controls ED 110 to perform) operations described herein as being performed by ED 110. As shown below and elsewhere in the invention, for example, processor 210 performs or controls ED 110 to perform the following operations: receive transport blocks (TBs), use resources for decoding one TB in the received TBs, release resources for decoding another TB in the received TBs, and / or receive configuration information for configuration resources. Specifically, these operations may include: operations related to preparing to send uplink transmissions to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170; operations related to processing downlink transmissions received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170; and operations related to processing bidirectional sidelink transmissions with another ED 110. Processing operations related to preparing to send uplink transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, transmission beamforming, and symbol generation for transmission. Processing operations related to downlink transmissions may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. Processing operations related to downlink transmissions may include operations such as transmit / receive beamforming, modulation / demodulation, and encoding / decoding of symbols. According to embodiments, downlink transmissions may be received by receiver 203 using receive beamforming, and processor 210 may extract signaling from the downlink transmissions (e.g., by detecting and / or decoding signaling). An example of signaling may be a reference signal transmitted by NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 210 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction indications (e.g., beam angle information (BAI)) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 210 may perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as operations related to detecting synchronization sequences, decoding, and acquiring system information. In some embodiments, the processor 210 may perform channel estimation, for example, using reference signals received from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170.

[0080] Although not shown, processor 210 may be part of transmitter 201 and / or receiver 203. Although not shown, memory 208 may be part of processor 210.

[0081] The processing components of processor 210, transmitter 201, and receiver 203 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 208). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 210, transmitter 201, and receiver 203 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmable field-programmable gate array (FPGA), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or hardware accelerator (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU) or artificial intelligence (AI) accelerator).

[0082] In some implementations, ED 110 may be a device (also called a component), such as a communication module, modem, chip, or chipset, which includes at least one processor 210 and an interface or at least one pin. In this scenario, the transmitter 201 and receiver 203 may be replaced by an interface or at least one pin, wherein the interface or at least one pin is used to connect the device (e.g., the chip) to other devices (e.g., chips, memory, or buses). Therefore, sending information to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or another ED 110 can be referred to as sending information to an interface or at least one pin, or as sending information to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or another ED 110 via an interface or at least one pin, while receiving information from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or another ED 110 can be referred to as receiving information from an interface or at least one pin, or as receiving information from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or another ED 110 via an interface or at least one pin. This information may include control signaling and / or data.

[0083] In some implementations, the T-TRP 170 can use other names, such as base station, base transceiver station (BTS), wireless base station, network node, network device, network-side device, transmit / receive node, NodeB, evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), home eNodeB, next-generation NodeB (gNB), transmission point (TP), site controller, access point (AP), wireless router, relay station, ground node, ground network device, ground base station, base band unit (BBU), remote radio unit (RRU), active antenna unit (AAU), remote radio head (RRH), central unit (CU), distributed unit (DU), positioning node, etc. The T-TRP 170 can be a macro base station (BS), micro BS, relay node, host node, or a combination thereof. T-TRP 170 may refer to the aforementioned equipment or to a device within the aforementioned equipment (e.g., a communication module, modem, or chip).

[0084] In some embodiments, the CU (or CU control plane (CP) and CU user plane (UP)), DU, or RU may use other names. For example, in an open RAN (ORAN) system, the CU may also be called an open CU (open CU, O-CU), the DU may also be called an open DU (open DU, O-DU), the CU-CP may also be called an open CU-CP (open CU-CP, O-CU-CP), the CU-UP may also be called an open CU-UP (open CU-UP, O-CU-CP), and the RU may also be called an open RU (open RU, O-RU). Any of the CU (or CU-CP, CU-UP), DU, or RU may be implemented by software modules, hardware modules, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

[0085] In some embodiments, the various parts of T-TRP 170 may be distributed. For example, some modules of T-TRP 170 may be located at the far end of the device housing the antenna of T-TRP 170 and may be coupled to the device housing the antenna via a communication link (not shown) sometimes referred to as a fronthaul (e.g., a common public radio interface (CPRI)). Therefore, in some embodiments, the term T-TRP 170 may also refer to network-side modules that perform processing operations such as determining the location of ED 110, resource allocation (scheduling), message generation, and encoding / decoding, which are not necessarily part of the device housing the antenna of T-TRP 170. These modules may also be coupled to other T-TRPs. In some embodiments, T-TRP 170 may actually be multiple T-TRPs operating together to serve ED 110, for example, through cooperative multicast transmission.

[0086] like Figure 3 As shown, the T-TRP 170 includes at least one transmitter 252 and at least one receiver 254 coupled to one or more antennas 256. Only one antenna 256 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas may be panels. The transmitter 252 and receiver 254 may be integrated as a transceiver. The T-TRP 170 also includes at least one processor 260. Only one processor 260 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion.

[0087] The operations performed by processor 260 include those related to: preparing to transmit downlink transmissions to ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110, preparing to transmit return transmissions to NT-TRP 172 and / or another T-TRP 170, and processing transmissions received via return from NT-TRP 172 and / or another T-TRP 170. Processing operations related to preparing to transmit downlink or return transmissions may include encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing transmissions received in the uplink or via return may include receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. Processor 260 may also perform operations related to network access (e.g., initial access) and / or downlink synchronization, such as generating the contents of a synchronization signal block (SSB) and generating system information. In some embodiments, processor 260 also generates an indication of beam direction (e.g., BAI), which scheduler 253 can schedule for transmission. Processor 260 performs other network-side processing operations described herein, such as determining the location of ED 110, determining the deployment location of NT-TRP 172, etc. In some embodiments, processor 260 can generate signaling, for example, for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110 and / or one or more parameters of NT-TRP 172. Any signaling generated by processor 260 is transmitted by transmitter 252.

[0088] Scheduler 253 may be coupled to or integrated into processor 260. Scheduler 253 may be included within T-TRP 170 or may operate separately from T-TRP. Scheduler 253 may schedule uplink, downlink, lateral link, and / or backlink transmissions, including issuing scheduling authorizations and / or configuring unscheduled (“configuration authorization”) resources.

[0089] like Figure 3 As shown, the T-TRP 170 also includes at least one memory 258 for storing information and (optionally) data. Only one memory 258 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. The memory 258 stores instructions and data used, generated, or acquired by the T-TRP 170. For example, the memory 258 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein, and executed by the processor 260.

[0090] Although not shown, processor 260 may constitute part of transmitter 252 and / or receiver 254. Furthermore, although not shown, processor 260 may implement scheduler 253. Although not shown, memory 258 may constitute part of processor 260.

[0091] The processing components of processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 258). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 260, scheduler 253, transmitter 252, and receiver 254 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmed FPGA, hardware accelerator (e.g., GPU or AI accelerator), or ASIC.

[0092] When T-TRP 170 is a device (also referred to as a component, such as a communication module, modem, chip, or chipset in a device), it includes at least one processor and an interface or at least one pin. In this scenario, transmitter 252 and receiver 254 can be replaced by an interface or at least one pin, wherein the interface or at least one pin is used to connect the device (e.g., a chip) to other devices (e.g., chips, memory, or buses). Therefore, sending information to NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or ED 110 can be referred to as sending information to an interface or at least one pin, while receiving information from NT-TRP 172 and / or T-TRP 170 and / or ED 110 can be referred to as receiving information from an interface or at least one pin. This information may include control signaling and / or data.

[0093] Although the NT-TRP 172 is shown as an example of a drone only, the NT-TRP 172 can be implemented in any suitable non-terrestrial form, such as satellites and high-altitude platforms including international mobile telecommunications base stations and unmanned aerial vehicles. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the NT-TRP 172 may be used with other names, such as non-terrestrial node, non-terrestrial network device, or non-terrestrial base station.

[0094] like Figure 3 As shown, the NT-TRP 172 includes at least one transmitter 272 and at least one receiver 274 coupled to one or more antennas 280. Only one antenna 280 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. Alternatively, one, some, or all of the antennas 280 may be panels. The transmitter 272 and receiver 274 may be integrated as a transceiver.

[0095] like Figure 3As shown, NT-TRP 172 may also include at least one processor 276. Only one processor 276 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. The operations performed by processor 276 include operations related to: preparing to transmit downlink transmissions to ED 110, processing uplink transmissions received from ED 110, preparing to transmit backhaul transmissions to T-TRP 170 and / or another NT-TRP 172, and processing transmissions received from T-TRP 170 and / or another NT-TRP 172 via backhaul. Processing operations related to preparing to transmit downlink or backhaul transmissions may include operations such as encoding, modulation, precoding (e.g., MIMO precoding), transmit beamforming, and generating symbols for transmission. Processing operations related to processing transmissions received in the uplink or via backhaul may include operations such as receive beamforming, demodulation, and decoding of received symbols. In some embodiments, processor 276 performs transmit beamforming and / or receive beamforming based on beam direction information (e.g., BAI) received from T-TRP 170. In some embodiments, processor 276 may generate signaling, for example, for configuring one or more parameters of ED 110. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 implements physical layer processing but does not implement higher-layer functions, such as those in the medium access control (MAC) layer or radio link control (RLC) layer. Since this is merely an example, NT-TRP 172 may more generally implement higher-layer functions in addition to physical layer processing.

[0096] like Figure 3 As shown, the NT-TRP 172 may also include at least one memory 278 for storing information and (optionally) data. Only one memory 278 is shown in the figure to avoid congestion. For example, the memory 278 may store software instructions or modules for implementing some or all of the functions and / or embodiments described herein, and be executed by the processor 276.

[0097] Although not shown, processor 276 may form part of transmitter 272 and / or receiver 274. Although not shown, memory 278 may form part of processor 276.

[0098] The processing components of processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 may each be implemented by the same or different one or more processors for executing instructions stored in memory (e.g., memory 278). Alternatively, some or all of the processing components of processor 276, transmitter 272, and receiver 274 may be implemented using dedicated circuitry such as a programmed FPGA, hardware accelerator (e.g., GPU or AI accelerator), or ASIC. In some embodiments, NT-TRP 172 may actually be multiple NT-TRPs operating together, for example, via cooperative multicast service ED 110.

[0099] When NT-TRP 172 is a device within a unit (e.g., a communication module, modem, chip, or chipset), it includes at least one processor and an interface or at least one pin. In this scenario, transmitter 272 and receiver 257 can be replaced by an interface or at least one pin, wherein the interface or at least one pin is used to connect the device (e.g., a chip) to other devices (e.g., chips, memory, or a bus). Therefore, sending information to T-TRP 170 and / or another NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 can be referred to as sending information to an interface or at least one pin, while receiving information from T-TRP 170 and / or another NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 can be referred to as receiving information from an interface or at least one pin. This information may include control signaling and / or data.

[0100] T-TRP 170, NT-TRP 172 and / or ED 110 may include other components, but for clarity these components have been omitted.

[0101] It should be noted that the term "transmit / receive point (TRP)" used in this article can refer to either T-TRP or NT-TRP. Alternatively, T-TRP can be called terrestrial network TRP ("TNTRP"), or NT-TRP can be called non-terrestrial network TRP ("NTNTRP").

[0102] It should be noted that, for simplicity, the term "signaling" used in this document can also be referred to as control signaling, control message, control information, or message. Signaling between a BS (e.g., network node 170) and a terminal or sensing device (e.g., ED 110), or between different terminals or sensing devices (e.g., between ED 110i and ED 110j), can be carried in physical layer signaling (also known as dynamic signaling), which is transmitted in the physical layer control channel. For the downlink, physical layer signaling can be referred to as downlink control information (DCI) transmitted in the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). For the uplink, physical layer signaling can be referred to as uplink control information (UCI) transmitted in the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). For sidelinks, signaling between different terminals or sensing devices (e.g., between ED 110i and ED 110j) can be referred to as sidelink control information (SCI) transmitted in the physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH). This signaling can be carried in higher-layer (e.g., above the physical layer) signaling, which is transmitted in physical layer data channels. For example, for downlink signaling, it is transmitted in the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH); for uplink signaling, it is transmitted in the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH); and for sidelink signaling, it is transmitted in the physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH). Higher-layer signaling can also be referred to as static signaling or semi-static signaling. Higher-layer signaling can be radio resource control (RRC) protocol signaling or media access control-control element (MAC-CE) signaling. Signaling can be included in a combination of physical layer signaling and higher layer signaling.

[0103] It should be noted that in this invention, when "information" and "message" are different, they can be carried in a single message or in more than one single message.

[0104] The embodiments of this application can be applied to any communication scenario in which one or more transmitting devices communicate with one or more receiving devices. In a first example, the transmitting device may be a network device (e.g., T-TRP or NT-TRP) or a chip within that network device, and the receiving device may be a terminal device (e.g., ED) or a chip within that terminal device. In a second example, the transmitting device may be a network device or a chip within that network device, and the receiving device may be another network device or a chip within that network device. In a third example, the transmitting device may be a terminal device or a chip within that terminal device, and the receiving device may be another terminal device or a chip within that terminal device. This application does not limit the scope of the embodiments. The following embodiments are illustrated using one transmitting device and one receiving device as an example.

[0105] For illustrative purposes, the following text is combined with Figures 4 to 6 This section provides a detailed explanation of specific scenarios in which one or more of the aforementioned T-TRPs communicate with one or more of the aforementioned NT-TRPs.

[0106] Figure 4 One possible scenario is illustrated where the TRP communicates with the NT-TRP, which is part of a satellite constellation. For example, the satellite constellation comprises multiple satellite orbits, ensuring consistent wireless coverage of the Earth, with multiple satellites potentially in each orbit. The T-TRP can connect to the core network via a terrestrial gateway, while the satellite constellation can connect to the core network via a dedicated non-terrestrial gateway. Devices such as the UE can connect to and communicate with the T-TRP and / or the NT-TRP, depending on factors such as traffic load, radio link quality, and congestion.

[0107] Figure 5 Another possible scenario is illustrated, in which the NT-TRP effectively acts as a gateway for the terrestrial T-TRP. For example, satellites in a satellite constellation communicate with the core network via radio links through non-terrestrial gateways located on the ground, while the non-terrestrial gateways can communicate with the core network using wired links (e.g., fiber optic links). The T-TRP communicates with the satellites via radio links, and the satellites communicate with each other using free-space optical links (e.g., using lasers). Devices such as UEs can connect to and communicate with the T-TRP and / or NT-TRP, depending on conditions such as traffic load, radio link quality, and congestion.

[0108] Figure 6Another possible scenario is illustrated, in which the NT-TRP communicates with the T-TRP via the core network. For example, a satellite in a satellite constellation can first communicate with a dedicated non-terrestrial gateway, which then communicates with the core network. The core network can then relay power-saving commands from the satellite to the T-TRP via a dedicated terrestrial gateway. Devices such as the UE can connect to and communicate with the T-TRP and / or the NT-TRP, depending on conditions such as service load, radio link quality, and congestion.

[0109] It should be noted that the above scenarios are for illustrative purposes only, and the embodiments of this application can also be applied to other communication scenarios, which are not limited by this application.

[0110] Figure 7 Units or modules in devices or apparatuses such as ED 110, T-TRP 170, or NT-TRP 172 are shown. According to... Figure 7 One or more steps of the method provided herein can be performed by corresponding units or modules. For example, a signal can be transmitted by a transmitting unit or transmitting module. A signal can be received by a receiving unit or receiving module. A signal can be processed by a processing unit or processing module. Other steps can be performed by an artificial intelligence (AI) module or a machine learning (ML) module. The corresponding units or modules can be implemented using hardware, one or more components or devices executing software, or a combination thereof. For example, one or more of these units or modules can be circuits such as integrated circuits. Examples of integrated circuits include programmed FPGAs, GPUs, or ASICs. For example, one or more of these units or modules can be logical, such as logical functions executed by circuits, a portion of an integrated circuit, or software instructions executed by a processor. It should be understood that if these modules are implemented using software executed by a processor, etc., these modules can be retrieved by the processor, in whole or in part, individually or collectively, for processing, in single or multiple instances, and these modules themselves can include instructions for further deployment and instantiation.

[0111] Additional details regarding ED 110, T-TRP 170, and NT-TRP 172 are known to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these details are omitted herein.

[0112] This invention targets devices such as UEs, IoT devices, and automobiles. The envisioned network scenario types may include terrestrial TRPs (e.g., base stations) and / or non-terrestrial TRPs (e.g., drones, balloons, high-altitude platform stations (HAPS), satellites), as well as any such devices supporting wireless access technologies such as 5G NR, future 6G, or other technologies.

[0113] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments of this application, the terms involved in this application are explained briefly below.

[0114] 1. Beam angular information (BAI) Beam angular information (BAI) indicates the angular direction in which the line of sight of a Tx / Rx spatial filter (or the beam generated by the Tx / Rx spatial filter) of a receiving device (e.g., a UE) points. BAI can be used as an identifier to refer to a Tx / Rx spatial filter (or beam) whose line of sight points in the angular direction indicated by the BAI.

[0115] BAI quantization values ​​can correspond to angles, such as the zenith domain, the elevation domain, or a combination of both. It should be noted that the elevation and zenith domains are related (using degrees) by the following relationship:

[0116] Zenith angle is the angular direction represented in the zenith domain, while elevation angle is the angular direction represented in the elevation domain. Elevation angle can also be called azimuth angle.

[0117] The receiving device can be equipped with various sensors, such as gyroscopes and inclinometers, which enable it to determine the position of the sky and / or the direction of true north. Therefore, the receiving device can determine the zenith angle and / or azimuth angle without connecting to any specific navigation system. Thus, the receiving device can be configured with a list or table of BAIs for DL / UL communication and / or radio resource management (RRM) / mobility measurements, where each BAI can be a quantized value corresponding to a given angular direction in the azimuth / zenith domain (or some combination of these two domains). For each BAI configured for the receiving device, the receiving device can generate a Tx / Rx spatial filter or (equivalently) Tx / Rx beam that corresponds to the angular direction provided by the BAI along its line of sight.

[0118] For example, the receiving device can be configured with a BAI in the zenith domain (whose quantization value is set to "000"), which can correspond to a zenith angle of 0 degrees (i.e., pointing towards the sky). Then, the UE can generate a Tx / Rx beam with its line of sight pointing to the 0-degree zenith angle, i.e., the Tx / Rx beam pointing towards the sky.

[0119] It should be noted that “beam angle information” can be equated with “beam angle indication”, making the two terms interchangeable. BAI can refer to “beam angle information” or “beam angle indication”.

[0120] The following is a brief explanation of the problem that this application aims to solve.

[0121] In traditional cellular systems such as 5G NR, the UE can receive, detect, and measure reference signals such as SS / PBCH blocks and non-zero-power channel state information reference signals (NZP CSI-RS). These reference signals are based on pseudo-random noise (PRN) binary sequences (e.g., Gold sequences) and can be initialized using either a common scrambling identifier or a UE-specific scrambling identifier. For example, the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS) sequences are initialized using the physical cell identity (PCI) value, which is the common scrambling identifier. The NZPCSI-RS sequences are initialized using a UE-specific scrambling identifier configured by the network for the UE.

[0122] 5G NR Rel-17 introduces support for non-terrestrial networks by introducing several enhancements to the following: timing relationship of timing advance, reference timing of channel state information (CSI) resources, transmission timing of DCI for scheduling PUSCH, transmission timing of random access response carried by PUSCH, and transmission timing of HARQ-ACK on PUCCH.

[0123] In new communication systems such as 5G NR Rel-17, NTN support has been introduced, enabling UEs to support DL / UL communication with NTN devices (e.g., satellites) in so-called “bend” scenarios, where TN devices on the ground (e.g., BS) send signals to NTN devices in space, and the NTN devices reflect the signals back to the UE on the ground. Figure 8An example of a pipe bending scenario is shown. Figure 8 As shown, the base station is located behind the NTN gateway on the ground. The NTN gateway sends transmissions to the satellite (this link is called the "feeder" link), and the satellite sends transmissions to the UE on the ground (this link is called the "service" link). Based on this scenario, the UE can communicate with the NTN equipment.

[0124] To assist the UE in performing NTN operations, additional support has been introduced. For example, dedicated signaling related to NTN has been introduced. Higher-layer signaling such as RRC incorporates signaling satellite ephemeris, satellite position, satellite signal polarization, timing advance offset, system information block (SIB), and satellite epoch to support NTN operations. Other introduced features include expanding the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process to 32 stages to accommodate scenarios with significant propagation delays and disabling HARQ-ACK feedback. Furthermore, 5G NRRel-17 introduces a scheme combining closed-loop and open-loop timing advance compensation, where the closed-loop portion is controlled by the network and the open-loop portion is executed by the UE. Compensation from the UE can be based on knowledge of satellite ephemeris (e.g., satellite orbital angles).

[0125] In 5G NR Rel-18, NTN support is further enhanced, introducing coverage enhancements for NTN, network-verified UE location, and support for TN-to-NTN and NTN-to-NTN mobile scenarios. Satellites transmit multiple beams to the ground, each of which can be associated with a given "physical cell identifier." Furthermore, satellites transmit beams in a "fixed" manner, meaning that the satellite does not steer its beams in a given direction; instead, the beams "slide" across the Earth's surface, so from the perspective of devices on the ground, these beams appear to be "moving."

[0126] However, unlike terrestrial network (TN) equipment, NTN equipment is constantly moving and therefore only within line-of-sight of a UE on the ground for a limited time. Taking low Earth orbit (LEO) NTN access as an example, an LEO satellite may be within line-of-sight of a given device on the ground for a duration of several minutes. Therefore, any information sent or broadcast by the satellite to the ground device becomes outdated within minutes and needs constant updating for satellite communication to function properly (due to constantly changing uplink synchronization TAs and the need to acquire or reacquire downlink synchronization). This results in high signaling overhead between the satellite and the ground device simply to maintain the communication link. Therefore, reducing the resource overhead of NTN communication is a pressing issue.

[0127] Furthermore, NTN communication presents other challenges. For instance, mobility measurements (equivalently known as radio resource management (RRM) measurements) are affected by the movement of NTN equipment along its trajectory. This is because signals transmitted by NTN equipment at different locations on the trajectory experience significantly different propagation delays, impacting the timing at which these measurements can be performed. TN equipment supports the assumption that the timing of the serving cell is applied to all neighboring cells when performing RRM / mobility measurements, due to the relatively short distance the signal travels to the UE relative to the speed of light. However, this assumption no longer holds true for NTN equipment, as the distance is significantly longer and the NTN equipment is constantly moving. This effectively causes the UE to "lose" the reference signal used for RRM measurements because it is earlier or later than the actual time indicated by higher-layer signaling. This disrupts the entire RRM / mobility framework, as the UE will be unable to perform RRM / mobility measurements correctly. Therefore, preventing the receiving device from losing signals transmitted by the NTN equipment is also a problem that needs to be addressed.

[0128] Furthermore, NTN devices transmit beams in a "fixed" manner, meaning that the NTN device may not steer its beam in a given direction; instead, the beam "slides" across the Earth's surface, making it appear to be "moving" from the perspective of devices on the ground. This "sliding" of the beams transmitted by the NTN device across the Earth's surface triggers mobility and handover processes whenever a receiving device is at the edge between two beams. Since an RRC connection needs to be re-established upon entering the target cell, mobility and handover processes can cause delays and interruptions, which can negatively impact the overall user experience. Therefore, reducing the latency of NTN communication is also a problem that needs to be addressed.

[0129] Furthermore, other communication systems such as 6G are expected to integrate large-scale satellite constellations, potentially containing thousands or tens of thousands of satellites in a given constellation. However, if too many satellites are located in the same orbital plane at the same altitude, there is a risk of satellite collisions at convergence points. For example, in large-scale constellation scenarios, this could lead to a problem known as "Kessler syndrome," where debris from a single collision causes more collisions, resulting in even more debris. Therefore, how to increase the number of NTN devices that can be used for NTN communication is also a problem that needs to be addressed.

[0130] Furthermore, the support for NTN introduced in 5G NR Rel-17 is based on a non-transparent design, meaning that each satellite is actually treated as a serving cell by devices such as UEs, IoT devices, and vehicles. Devices can also know the satellite's ephemeris and its location at any given time because the satellite explicitly broadcasts this information in System Information Block 19 (SIB19), which is sent by the satellite to provide auxiliary information for NTN access to devices such as UEs (i.e., UE accesses the NTN and is served by the NTN). This results in a non-transparent radio access design, which hinders the smooth integration of transmit diversity schemes, multi-TRP transmission schemes, and distributed satellite systems.

[0131] Furthermore, the method supporting NTN in 5G NR Rel-17 is based on assigning a unique Physical Cell Identity (PCI) to different beams. Combined with the use of fixed beams, this creates two types of interference problems in reference signal measurements and / or physical layer channel communication. The first problem is "PCI confusion," which occurs when two or more adjacent beams use the same PCI. The second problem is "PCI conflict," which occurs when adjacent beams use the same PCI as the serving beam. Both problems can occur when beams transmitted from different satellites begin to overlap.

[0132] Furthermore, as LEO satellites travel along their orbits, they inevitably move away from a given coverage area, and all UEs within that area need to undergo a mobility process to maintain connectivity with, for example, LEO satellites. This inherently introduces latency because an RRC connection to the target satellite must be re-established, and this problem is exacerbated in NTN LEO scenarios because this handover is continuous. Therefore, every time a handover is required, the UE's connection to, for example, LEO satellites is interrupted and reset, degrading the UE's user experience.

[0133] Furthermore, TN and NTN are treated as “separate” networks by the UE because they are considered independent “public land mobile networks” (PLMNs) with their own unique codes. PLMN information consists of a mobile country code (MCC) and a mobile network code (MNC), which are unique numbers assigned by the ITU-T. In 5G NR, the UE needs to scan all RF channels, detect the strongest cells, and find available PLMNs in order to report them to the non-access stratum (NAS) layer and register with the appropriate PLMN. This necessitates the UE running initial access procedures for both terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.

[0134] Therefore, this application provides a communication method in which a timing reference associated with the beam used by the receiving device to receive system frames is configured for the receiving device. Thus, the receiving device can receive or detect system frames transmitted by the NTN device at appropriate times. In other words, the receiving device does not require additional synchronization to receive or detect system frames transmitted by the NTN device. Therefore, the resource overhead of NTN communication can be reduced. The following is in conjunction with... Figure 9 This describes the communication method provided in this application.

[0135] The embodiments described herein illustrate information sufficient to practice the claimed subject matter and explain methods for practicing such subject matter. Upon reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the claimed subject matter and will recognize that the application of these concepts is not specifically mentioned herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications are within the scope of this invention and the appended claims.

[0136] For all embodiments or examples in this application, it is assumed that the NTN devices (e.g., NT-TRPs) are synchronized with each other. For example, if it is, for instance, 12 noon for a given NT-TRP in the constellation, then it is 12 noon for all NT-TRPs in the constellation. Similarly, if a given NT-TRP performs its scheduling operation, for example, every 1 millisecond, then all NT-TRPs can perform their scheduling operations at the same time. Similarly, if a given NT-TRP starts transmitting its system frames at, for instance, 12 noon, and each frame has a duration of, for example, 10 milliseconds, then all NT-TRPs can transmit their system frames at the same time and for the same duration.

[0137] Furthermore, the receiving device (e.g., UE) can be connected to the network, i.e., the UE can have an RRC connection to the network and be in connected mode, or the UE can be not connected to the network, i.e., the UE is in idle mode or inactive mode. Alternatively, the UE can be in a power mode associated with having an RRC connection (for connected mode), or the UE can be in a power mode unrelated to having an RRC connection (for idle or inactive mode).

[0138] Figure 9 A schematic flowchart of a communication method 900 according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The communication method 900 can be applied to the communication system described above.

[0139] At step S910, the transmitting device transmits first configuration information. Correspondingly, the receiving device receives the first configuration information.

[0140] The first configuration information is used to configure a timing reference associated with the beam for the receiving device, so as to assist the receiving device in using the beam to receive / detect / measure reference signals.

[0141] Specifically, the first configuration information may indicate a timing reference associated with the beam of the receiving device. The timing reference is the start time at which the receiving device uses the beam associated with that timing reference to receive system frames transmitted by the NTN device. In other words, based on the timing reference associated with the beam, the receiving device can determine when to begin detecting system frames in the direction the line of sight of that beam is pointing.

[0142] The beam associated with the timing reference can be indicated by an identifier, which can be included in the first configuration information. In some embodiments of this application, the beam identifier can be a BAI. The BAI can be used to refer to a beam whose line of sight points in the angular direction indicated by the BAI (or a Tx / Rx spatial filter used to generate the beam).

[0143] In some implementations of this application, the receiving device may be configured with a beam-associated BAI prior to S910. For example, prior to S910, the receiving device may receive third configuration information. The third configuration information includes a BAI associated with the first beam, which indicates the angular direction.

[0144] To assist the UE (i.e., the receiving device) in establishing an RRC connection with the NT-TRP, the UE may need to generate a transmit / receive beam toward the NT-TRP (in order to, for example, receive a reference signal transmitted by the NT-TRP). A BAI table can be provided for the receiving device in RRC connection mode using higher-layer signaling in the zenith domain (e.g., RRC signaling). Table 1 shows an example of such a table.

[0145] Table 1:

[0146] As shown in Table 1, each zenith angle corresponds to an absolute angular direction (e.g., degrees) and can be interpreted as the angular direction in which the receiving device can steer its beam such that the line of sight of the beam points in that angular direction. It is assumed that 0 degrees in the zenith domain corresponds to a beam pointing vertically towards the sky. Each angular direction is associated with a BAI provided as a 4-bit codeword. It should be noted that in this example, the codeword width is 4 bits because Table 1 contains 15 entries; in other examples, BAI tables with more or fewer entries may use codewords of different widths, which is not limited in this application. The receiving device can use any one or more entries in the BAI table to steer its spatial receiving beam in the directions specified in those entries.

[0147] In this case, third configuration information can be provided as shown in the following example. Depending on the purpose of the beam, the BAI associated with the beam can include a serving BAI and a candidate BAI. The beam associated with the serving BAI can also be named the serving beam, which the receiving device can use to receive / detect / decode physical layer channels (e.g., PDCCH and / or PDSCH) and transmit physical layer channels (e.g., PUCCH and / or PUSCH). Furthermore, the receiving device can also use the serving beam to receive / detect / measure reference signals (e.g., SSB and / or NZP CSI-RS). The beam associated with the candidate BAI can also be named the candidate beam, which the receiving device can use to receive / detect / measure reference signals used for RRM / mobility measurements (e.g., SSB and / or NZP CSI-RS).

[0148] The first example is that the network uses higher-level signaling (e.g., RRC signaling) to configure a "Serving Zenit BAI List" for the receiving device to assist it in performing its communication functions with the NTN. An example of such higher-level signaling is provided below: servingZenithBAIlist = { bai#0 = 0101, bai#1 = 0110, bai#2 = 0111, bai#3 = ​​1000, bai#4 = 1001 } The above high-level signaling example configures the receiving device with a Serving Zenit BAI list including five beams. Each beam can be a transmit / receive beam that steers in the direction indicated by the corresponding entry in the Serving Zenit BAI list parameters. For example, the first beam (represented by bai#0) can be steered with a zenith angle of -20 degrees, the second beam (represented by bai#1) can be steered with a zenith angle of -10 degrees, the third beam (represented by bai#2) can be steered with a zenith angle of 0 degrees, the fourth beam (represented by bai#3) can be steered with a zenith angle of 10 degrees, and the fifth beam (represented by bai#4) can be steered with a zenith angle of 20 degrees. In the case where a zenith angle of 0 degrees corresponds to the direction in which the UE's beam is perpendicular to the sky, the configuration result of the above example can... Figure 10 As shown in the image.

[0149] A second example is where the network uses higher-level signaling (e.g., RRC signaling) to configure a "candidate Zenit BAI list" for the receiving device to assist it in performing its beam management or mobility management functions using the NTN. An example of such higher-level signaling is provided below: candidateZenithBAIlist = { bai#0 = 0001, bai#1 = 0010, bai#2 = 0011, bai#3 = ​​0100, bai#4 = 1010, bai#5 = 1011, bai#6 = 1100, bai#7 = 1101 } The above high-level signaling example configures the receiving device with a candidate zenith BAI list including eight beams. Each beam can be a transmit / receive beam that is steered in the direction indicated by the corresponding entry in the candidate zenith BAI list parameters. For example, the first beam (represented by bai#0) can be steered using a zenith angle of -60 degrees, similarly, the second beam (represented by bai#1) can be steered using a zenith angle of -50 degrees, and so on. In the case where a zenith angle of 0 degrees corresponds to the direction in which the UE's beam is perpendicular to the sky, the configuration result of the above example can be... Figure 11 As shown in the image.

[0150] Please note that the device transmitting the first configuration information and the third configuration information can be a terrestrial network device or a non-terrestrial network device. When the transmitting device is a non-terrestrial network device, it can be different from the non-terrestrial network device that transmits the system frame.

[0151] The following examples will explain in detail how to provide the first configuration information.

[0152] It should be noted that the first configuration information may indicate one or more timing references, each timing reference being associated with a beam of the receiving device. In some implementations, different timing references indicated by the first configuration information may be associated with different beams of the receiving device; in other implementations of this application, different timing references indicated by the first configuration information may be associated with the same beam.

[0153] For example, the first configuration information may indicate a first timing reference associated with a first beam, which is the start time for the receiving device to use the first beam to receive system frames transmitted by the NTN device. The first configuration information may also indicate a third timing reference associated with a third beam, which is the start time for the receiving device to use the third beam to receive system frames. In this example, the first beam and the third beam may be different beams or the same beam. When the first beam and the third beam are the same beam, the receiving device can use both the first beam and the third beam to receive system frames transmitted by NTN devices located at different altitudes in the orbital plane, as will be explained in detail in the embodiments below.

[0154] It should be noted that the system frame mentioned in this application is merely a representation of a time unit to illustrate the role of a timing reference. In some other embodiments, the timing reference may also be the start time at which the receiving device uses a beam to receive other types of time units (e.g., subframes, time slots, symbols, etc.), and this application does not limit this to that. Furthermore, the term "receive system frame" mentioned in this application refers to receiving one or more signals whose positions in the time domain correspond to the time units represented by the system frame.

[0155] The timing reference can be indicated by the first configuration information in an absolute or relative manner.

[0156] In some implementations, to further assist the UE (i.e., the receiving device) in using the serving BAI to receive / detect / measure reference signals, the network may also configure a set of timing references for the UE, each timing reference being associated with one of the serving BAIs.

[0157] In some implementations of this application, the timing reference associated with the beam is indicated in an absolute manner by first configuration information. That is, the start time at which the receiving device is expected to use the beam to receive system frames is configured for the receiving device. Therefore, the accuracy of the configured timing reference can be improved.

[0158] For example, the first configuration information may include a first timing reference and an identifier for a first beam. The timing reference included in the first configuration information may provide an absolute time defined in some reference calendar (e.g., a Gregorian calendar starting at midnight on January 1, 2000, or a Gregorian calendar starting at midnight on January 1, 1900). Such absolute time may also be referred to as "epoch" time because it is relative to some well-known reference definition. The absolute time can inform the receiving device of the expected time when the receiving device is to receive the reference frame / time slot / symbol, and can be provided to the receiving device using higher-layer signaling. Example 1 illustrates an example of higher-layer parameters for configuring the timing reference associated with the serving beam in an absolute manner.

[0159] [Example 1] servingBaiTimingReference = { timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 0, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0111, timingReference = 15:00:00:000:000:000 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 1, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0110, timingReference = 15:00:00:000:026:667 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 2, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1000, timingReference = 15:00:00:000:026:667 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 3, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0101, timingReference = 15:00:00:000:100:000 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 4, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1001, timingReference = 15:00:00:000:100:000 } } The above high-level signaling example configures a list named "servingBaiTimingReference" for the receiving device, which includes five timing references for different service BAIs. It should be noted that in Embodiment 1, the number of entries in "servingBaiTimingReference" matches the number of entries in the service zenith BAI list, but other embodiments of this application may not be limited in this respect.

[0160] As shown in Example 1, each entry in "servingBaiTimingReference" (represented by timingReference) may include one or more of the following parameters: timing reference identifier (represented by timingReferenceIdentity), reference system number (represented by referenceSystemFrameNumber), BAI (represented by bai), and timing reference (represented by timingReference).

[0161] The timing reference identifier is optional and is used to distinguish entries in the list. For example, the timing reference identifier can be an integer.

[0162] The reference system frame number is optional and is used as an identifier for the system frame. The reference system number can indicate the system frame whose time should begin in the timing reference indication within the same entry. It should be noted that the reference system frame number is just one example of a system frame identifier; other parameters can also be used as system frame identifiers, and this application does not limit this.

[0163] As previously explained, BAI is used as an identifier to indicate the beam associated with the timing reference within the same entry.

[0164] It should be noted that since BAI can be used as an identifier for a beam, in embodiments of this application, the term "BAI" can also be used to refer to a beam whose line of sight points in the direction indicated by the BAI.

[0165] The timing reference is the expected start time of a system frame, indicated by the system number. This time can be provided with a certain precision, up to 1 nanosecond in this embodiment. For example, the timing reference format can be [aa]:[bb]:[cc]:[ddd]:[eee]:[fff], where "aa" represents hours, "bb" represents minutes, "cc" represents seconds, "ddd" represents milliseconds, "eee" represents microseconds, and "fff" represents nanoseconds.

[0166] It should be noted that the timing reference format shown in Example 1 is merely an example, and other formats may also be considered; this application does not limit this. For example, the timing reference format could also be [aaaa]:[bbb]:[cc]:[dd]:[ee]:[fff]:[ggg]:[hhh]:[iii], where "aaaa" represents year, "bbb" represents day, "cc" represents hour, "dd" represents minute, "ee" represents second, "fff" represents millisecond, "ggg" represents microsecond, "hhh" represents nanosecond, and "iii" represents picosecond.

[0167] In the example shown in Embodiment 1, the third service beam pointing to the sky (where BAI = 0111 and is represented by bai#2) has a timing reference starting at 15:00:00:000:000:000 (i.e., 3 PM). This higher-level configuration should be interpreted as follows: the receiving device expects to receive system frames (where reference system frame number = 0) using the third service beam, and the system frames will start exactly at 15:00:00:000:000:000. Similarly, the receiving device expects to receive system frames (where frame number = 0) using the second service beam (where BAI = 0110 and is represented by bai#1), and the system frames will start exactly at 15:00:00:000:026:667. Similarly, the receiving device is expected to receive the system frame (where frame number = 0) using the first service beam (where BAI = 0101 and is represented by bai#0), and the system frame will start exactly at 15:00:00:000:100:000.

[0168] In other embodiments of this application, the timing reference associated with the beam is indicated in a relative manner by first configuration information. That is, the delay of the timing reference relative to a specific timing reference (as a reference) is configured for the receiving device. Therefore, the complexity of configuring the timing reference can be reduced.

[0169] For example, the first configuration information may include a timing reference offset and an identifier for the first beam. The timing reference offset is the delay of the first timing reference relative to a second timing reference, which is the start time of the receiving device using the second beam to receive system frames.

[0170] In this example, the second beam can be named the reference beam, and the BAI used to indicate the reference beam can be named the reference BAI. In some embodiments, the reference beam (i.e., the reference BAI) can be predefined in the protocol. In some embodiments, the reference beam can be indicated by configuration information sent by the network. In some embodiments, the reference beam can be indicated by first configuration information.

[0171] It should be noted that the second timing reference is special and different from other timing references (e.g., the first or third timing reference in this application). Other timing references are the start time for the receiving device to use a specific beam to receive a specific system beam. This means that the receiving device will begin using the specific beam to receive the specific system beam at the specific time indicated by these timing references, but whether the receiving device will successfully receive these specific beams is not important. However, the second timing reference is a "baseline" timing reference for other timing references. Therefore, the second timing reference is the start time for the receiving device to use a reference beam to receive system frames, meaning that the receiving device must receive the correct system frame using the reference beam at the time indicated by the second timing reference.

[0172] In some embodiments of this application, the receiving device may first perform initial access and detect a first beam using a reference beam. Assuming the receiving device successfully detects the first signal, it knows the time-domain location of the first signal within the system frame and the exact time the first signal was detected. Therefore, the receiving device can obtain a timing reference associated with the reference beam (i.e., the second timing reference in this example).

[0173] The first signal is a signal that always occupies a known position in the system frame. The first signal can be, but is not limited to, SSB or NZP CSI-RS.

[0174] The timing reference offset included in the first configuration information can be positive or negative relative to the timing reference associated with the reference beam. Therefore, when determining the timing reference associated with the reference beam, the timing references associated with other beams are simply shifted or offset versions of that timing reference. Example 2 illustrates an example of configuring high-level parameters for the timing reference associated with the serving beam in a relative manner.

[0175] [Example 2] servingBaiTimingReference = { timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 0, referenceBai = true, bai = 0111 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 1, bai = 0110, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:026:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 2, bai = 1000, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:026:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 3, bai = 0101, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:100:000 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 4, bai = 1001, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:100:000 } } The above high-level signaling example configures a list named "servingBaiTimingReference" for the receiving device, which includes five timing references for different service BAIs. It should be noted that in Embodiment 2, the number of entries in "servingBaiTimingReference" matches the number of entries in the service zenith BAI list, but other embodiments of this application may not be limited in this respect.

[0176] As shown in Example 2, each entry in "servingBaiTimingReference" (represented by timingReference) may include one or more of the following parameters: timing reference identifier (represented by timingReferenceIdentity), reference BAI field (represented by referenceBai), BAI (represented by bai), and timing reference offset (represented by timingReferenceOffset).

[0177] The timing reference identifier is optional and is used to distinguish entries in the list. For example, the timing reference identifier can be an integer.

[0178] The Reference BAI field is optional and is a Boolean value used to indicate the reference BAI (i.e., the reference beam). For example, the reference BAI field can indicate the beam whose zenith angle matches the zenith angle of the first signal (e.g., SSB or NZP CSI-RS) detected during initial access.

[0179] As previously explained, BAI is used as an identifier to indicate the beam associated with the timing reference within the same entry.

[0180] The timing reference offset is the time delay corresponding to the expected start of a system frame (relative to a timing reference associated with a reference beam). This time delay can be provided with a certain precision, up to 1 nanosecond in this embodiment. For example, the format of the timing reference offset can be [aa]:[bb]:[cc]:[ddd]:[eee]:[fff], where "aa" represents hours, "bb" represents minutes, "cc" represents seconds, "ddd" represents milliseconds, "eee" represents microseconds, and "fff" represents nanoseconds. It should be noted that the format of the timing reference offset shown in Embodiment 2 is only an example, and other formats can also be considered; this application does not limit it.

[0181] In the example shown in Embodiment 2, the third service beam pointing to the sky (where BAI = 0111 and is represented by bai#2) is configured as the reference beam. This higher-layer configuration should be interpreted as follows: if the receiving device detects an SSB in a system frame using the third service beam during initial access, and the system frame begins at 15:00:00:000:000:000 (i.e., 3 PM), the receiving device expects to receive the same system frame using the second service beam (where BAI = 0110 and is represented by bai#1), and the system frame will begin at 15:00:00:000:026:667 (delayed by 00:00:00:000:026:667 relative to 3 PM). Similarly, the receiving device is expected to receive the same system frame using the first service beam (where BAI = 0101 and is represented by bai#0), and the system frame will begin at 15:00:00:000:100:000 (00:00:00:000:100:000 relative to 3 p.m.).

[0182] It should be noted that in Embodiment 2, bai#2 is configured as the reference beam for illustrative purposes only. In some other implementations, other beams can be configured as the reference beam. For example, bai#1 can be configured as the reference beam as shown below: servingBaiTimingReference = { timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 0, referenceBai = true, bai = 0110 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 1, bai = 0111, timingReferenceOffset = -00:00:00:000:026:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 2, bai = 1000, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:000:000 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 3, bai = 0101, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:073:333 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 4, bai = 1001, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:073:333 } } In the example shown in Embodiment 2, a second serving beam with a zenith angle of -10 degrees (where BAI = 0110 and is represented by bai#1) is configured as the reference beam. This higher-layer configuration should be interpreted as follows: If the receiving device detects an SSB in a system frame using the second serving beam during initial access (e.g., at 15:00:00:000:036:667), and the system frame begins at 15:00:00:000:026:667, the receiving device anticipates receiving the same system frame using a third serving beam (where BAI = 0111 and is represented by bai#2), and this system frame will begin at 15:00:00:000:000:000. Similarly, the receiving device anticipates receiving the same system frame using a first serving beam (where BAI = 0101 and is represented by bai#0), and this system frame will begin at 15:00:00:000:100:000.

[0183] It should be noted that in Embodiment 2, the reference beam is indicated by the reference BAI field, which can be set to true to indicate that the BAI in the same entry is the reference BAI. However, in some embodiments, the reference BAI field may not be included in the first configuration information. That is, the reference beam can be indicated by other methods.

[0184] For example, in some possible implementations, all entries in "servingBaiTimingReference" may include the same parameters (e.g., timing reference identifier, BAI, and timing reference offset, etc.), and the timing reference for the corresponding BAI configured with a timing reference identifier equal to 0 may correspond to, for example, the start of a system frame in which the SSB is first detected. Therefore, the reference BAI field may not be included.

[0185] For example, in some possible implementations, all entries in "servingBaiTimingReference" may include the same parameters (e.g., timing reference identifier, BAI, and timing reference offset, etc.), and the timing reference corresponding to the BAI configured with a timing reference offset equal to 0 may correspond to, for example, the start of a system frame in which the SSB is first detected. Therefore, the reference BAI field may also be omitted.

[0186] It should be noted that in Embodiment 2, the entry in "servingBaiTimingReference" may include other parameters described in this application. For example, the reference system frame number used as the identifier of the system frame is also optional in Embodiment 2. When the receiving device receives a system frame, the identifier of the system frame can be used to verify whether the received system frame is the expected system frame. Therefore, the accuracy of configuring the time reference can be improved.

[0187] The advantage of this approach is that configuring the timing reference associated with the beam in a relative manner helps reduce the complexity of the receiving device, because the receiving device can use one timing reference as a "baseline" for all other timing references. In a practical scenario, this "baseline" could be the timing of the first successful detection by the receiving device of the SSB used to complete the initial access.

[0188] In some possible implementations, the above configuration can be sent from the network to the UE (i.e., the receiving device) via broadcast information. For example, the network can send the above configuration to the UE when the UE is in idle mode or inactive mode. Such broadcast information can be included in, for example, a master information block (MIB), a system information block (SIB), or a multicast paging message.

[0189] In some embodiments of this application, the first configuration information may also be used to configure the timing reference associated with the candidate beam in an absolute and / or relative manner as explained above.

[0190] For example, to further assist the UE (i.e., the receiving device) in using the candidate BAI to receive / detect / measure reference signals, the network can also configure a set of timing references for the UE that are associated with one of the candidate BAIs.

[0191] The absolute timing reference scheme for the candidate BAI is similar to that for the service BAI. The only difference is that, in this example, higher-layer signaling is used to configure the candidateBaiTimingReference, and the service BAI is replaced by the candidate BAI.

[0192] Example 3 illustrates an example of high-level parameters for configuring the timing reference associated with the candidate beam in an absolute manner.

[0193] [Example 3] candidateBaiTimingReference = { timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 0, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0100, timingReference = 15:00:00:000:266:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 1, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1010, timingReference = 15:00:00:000:266:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 2, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0011, timingReference = 15:00:00:000:556:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 3, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1011, timingReference = 15:00:00:000:556:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 4, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0010, timingReference = 15:00:00:000:966:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 5, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1100, timingReference = 15:00:00:000:966:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 6, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0001, timingReference = 15:00:00:001:600:000 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 7, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1101, timingReference = 15:00:00:001:600:000 } } The above-described high-level signaling example configures a list named "candidateBaiTimingReference" for the receiving device, which includes eight timing references for different candidate BAIs. It should be noted that in embodiment 3, the number of entries in "candidateBaiTimingReference" matches the number of entries in the candidate zenith BAI list, but other embodiments of this application may not be limited in this respect.

[0194] As shown in Example 3, each entry in "candidateBaiTimingReference" (represented by timingReference) may include one or more of the following parameters: timing reference identifier (represented by timingReferenceIdentity), reference system number (represented by referenceSystemFrameNumber), BAI (represented by bai), and timing reference (represented by timingReference).

[0195] In the example shown in Embodiment 3, the fourth candidate beam with a zenith angle of -30 degrees (where BAI = 0100 and is represented by bai#3) has a timing reference starting at 15:00:00:000:266:667. This higher-level configuration should be interpreted as follows: the receiving device intends to use the fourth candidate beam to receive system frames (where reference system frame number = 0), and the system frames will start exactly at 15:00:00:000:266:667. Similarly, the receiving device intends to use the fifth candidate beam (where BAI = 1010 and is represented by bai#4) to receive system frames (where frame number = 0), and the system frames will start exactly at 15:00:00:000:026:667, and so on.

[0196] The relative timing reference scheme for candidate BAIs is similar to that for service BAIs.

[0197] Example 4 illustrates an example of high-level parameters for configuring timing references associated with candidate beams in a relative manner.

[0198] [Example 4] candidateBaiTimingReference = { timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 0, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0100, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:266:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 1, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1010, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:266:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 2, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0011, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:556:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 3, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1011, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:556:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 4, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0010, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:966:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 5, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1100, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:966:667 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 6, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0001, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:001:600:000 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 7, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1101, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:001:600:000 } } The above high-level signaling example configures a list named "candidateBaiTimingReference" for the receiving device, which includes eight timing references for different service BAIs. It should be noted that in embodiment 4, the number of entries in "candidateBaiTimingReference" matches the number of entries in the candidate zenith BAI list, but other embodiments of this application may not be limited in this respect.

[0199] As shown in Example 4, each entry in "candidateBaiTimingReference" (represented by timingReference) may include one or more of the following parameters: timing reference identifier (represented by timingReferenceIdentity), reference BAI field (represented by referenceBai), BAI (represented by bai), and timing reference offset (represented by timingReferenceOffset). Optionally, each entry in "candidateBaiTimingReference" may also include a reference system frame number used as an identifier for the system frame.

[0200] It should be noted that the reference BAI (i.e., reference beam) used to indicate the timing reference associated with the candidate beam can be the serving BAI (i.e., serving beam). In other words, all timing reference offsets (including those associated with the serving beam and those associated with the candidate beam) can be provided relative to the same timing reference. Therefore, the reference beam may not need to be reconfigured in "candidateBaiTimingReference".

[0201] In the example shown in Example 4, it is assumed that the serving beam pointing to the sky (where BAI = 0111) is configured as the reference beam. This higher-layer configuration should be interpreted as follows: if the receiving device has already detected an SSB in a system frame using the reference beam during initial access, and the system frame begins at 15:00:00:000:000:000 (i.e., 3 PM), the receiving device expects to receive the same system frame using a third candidate beam (where BAI = 0011 and is represented by bai#2), and this system frame will begin at 15:00:00:000:556:667 (delayed by 00:00:00:000:556:667 relative to 3 PM). Similarly, the receiving device is expected to receive the same system frame using the second candidate beam (where BAI = 0010 and is represented by bai#1), and the system frame will begin at 15:00:00:000:966:667 (delayed by 00:00:00:000:966:667 relative to 3 p.m.).

[0202] According to the above embodiments, the timing reference associated with different beams may be different. This reflects that as the zenith angle of the NTN device changes, the distance between the NTN device and the receiving device also changes, and this affects the propagation delay, thereby affecting the expected time to receive system frames. Figure 12 A schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the beam and the time reference is shown.

[0203] like Figure 12As shown, assume that the NTN device (e.g., a satellite) moves from left to right along an orbital plane (shown as the "satellite orbit"). The receiving device is shown as having a set of transmit / receive beams that may correspond to a serving BAI and / or a candidate BAI. The transmit / receive beams corresponding to the serving BAI are shown in light gray, while the transmit / receive beams corresponding to the candidate BAIs are shown in dark gray. Each of these transmit / receive beams intersects the satellite orbit at a given point, which is shown as a dashed line intersecting the satellite orbit. These points are... Figure 12 The points are represented as circles, and each point can correspond to a timing reference with a given BAI. If the receiving device is configured with a timing reference in an absolute manner, an absolute timing reference for each BAI can be provided to the receiving device. If the receiving device is configured with a timing reference in a relative manner, a timing reference offset for each BAI can be provided to the receiving device, where one of the BAIs serving can be in the... Figure 12 The reference BAI is shown as a square in the middle, and all other BAIs can be provided with a timing reference relative to the reference BAI.

[0204] According to the above embodiments, timing references can be applied to different types of beams, including serving beams for receiving reference signals and / or receiving or transmitting physical layer channels, or candidate beams for receiving reference signals. Therefore, the scenarios in which the technical solutions can be applied can be expanded.

[0205] In some embodiments of this application, a timing reference range can be configured for the receiving device, which informs the receiving device of the boundaries to which the timing reference applies. Therefore, the complexity of configuring a timing reference can be reduced.

[0206] For example, the first configuration information may include a timing reference range. The timing reference range may indicate an angular direction range, and the first timing reference is valid when the angular direction of the NTN device relative to the receiving device is within this angular direction range.

[0207] The timing reference range can be provided to the receiving device based on one or more of the embodiments 1 to 4 described above. That is, the timing reference range can be included in the entries in the list above, such as "servingBAITimingReference" and / or "candidateBAITimingReference". In other words, in the following embodiments, the receiving device can be configured with multiple serving BAIs and candidate BAIs, and for each serving BAI and candidate BAI, the receiving device can also be configured with a corresponding timing reference in an absolute or relative manner. Figure 13 A schematic diagram is shown of the BAI and timing reference provided for the receiving device.

[0208] like Figure 13 As shown, the receiving device first detects the NTN device located vertically above the receiving device. Figure 13 The SSB transmitted by the dot in the square shown is configured in a relative manner with a timing reference associated with the beam, and the reference BAI points to the NTN device that transmits the SSB detected by the receiving device.

[0209] In this context, each timing reference associated with a given BAI can have a certain effective range within which the receiving device can assume the timing reference is suitable for detecting / measuring / decoding reference signals and / or physical layer channels (if applicable). For example, a higher-layer signaling parameter (e.g., timingReferenceRange) can be used to provide the timing reference range, which can represent the effective timing reference range as a zenith angle range (e.g., in degrees). Example 5 illustrates an example of a higher-layer parameter for configuring the timing reference range.

[0210] [Example 5] servingBaiTimingReference = { timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 0, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, referenceBai = true, bai = 0111, timingReferenceRange = 5 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 1, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0110, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:026:667, timingReferenceRange = 5 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 2, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1000, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:026:667, timingReferenceRange = 5 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 3, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0101, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:100:000, timingReferenceRange = 5 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 4, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1001, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:100:000, timingReferenceRange = 5 } } The above high-level signaling example configures a list called "servingBaiTimingReference" for the receiving device, which includes five timing references for different BAI services. As shown in Example 5, each entry in "servingBaiTimingReference" (represented by timingReference) may include a parameter of the timing reference range (represented by timingReferenceRange), which can represent the effective range of the timing reference as a zenith angle range (e.g., in degrees).

[0211] In Embodiment 5, the timing reference range is 5 degrees, meaning that the timing reference within the same entry can be applied to an angle range of + / - 5 degrees from the zenith angle indicated by the BAI within the same entry. For example, for a beam with a zenith angle of 10 degrees (where BAI = 1000), the receiving device can detect / measure / decode the reference signal and / or physical layer channel within a range of 5 to 15 degrees based on the same timing reference (delayed by 00:00:00:000:026:667 relative to the timing reference of the reference beam). It should be noted that the timing reference range can be other values, such as integer values, floating-point values, or values ​​in other formats.

[0212] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of a timing reference range provided for a receiving device is shown. It should be noted that Embodiment 5 is merely an example illustrating the timing reference range. The timing reference range may also be included in entries within lists with other formats (e.g., the lists shown in Embodiments 1, 3, or 4), and this application is not limiting in this regard.

[0213] In some embodiments of this application, quantized values ​​can be used to provide a timing reference range. In this case, the UE can also be configured with a table providing various values ​​for the timing reference range (e.g., in degrees) and corresponding quantized entries. Table 2 shows an example of such a table.

[0214] Table 2:

[0215] As shown in Table 2, each timing reference range can be associated with a 2-bit codeword. It should be noted that in this example, the codeword has a 2-bit width because the timing reference range is limited to four values ​​(+ / - 1 degree, + / - 2 degrees, + / - 5 degrees, and + / - 10 degrees); in other examples, codewords with different widths can be used to represent timing reference ranges with more or fewer values, and this application does not limit this. In this case, the codewords in Table 2 can be used to replace the corresponding timing reference values ​​in the higher-layer signaling to configure the timing reference range. For example, “timingReferenceRange = 5” in Embodiment 5 can be replaced with “timingReferenceRange = 10” (based on the value of the 2-bit codeword in Table 2).

[0216] The advantage of this approach is that configuring the timing reference range helps reduce the complexity of the receiving device, as the receiving device is aware of the applicable boundaries of a given timing reference. Therefore, the receiving device does not need to perform any timing adjustments and can simply continue to detect / measure / decode the reference signal and / or physical layer channel based on the timing reference corresponding to the BAI.

[0217] It should be noted that the same scheme for a specific timing reference range of BAI may also be applicable to candidate BAI.

[0218] In some embodiments of this application, as described above, the different timing references indicated by the first configuration information can be associated with the same beam because these different timing references can be associated with NTN devices located on orbital planes at different altitudes.

[0219] In this context, the function of spatial partitioning is introduced. Spatial partitioning is an abstract concept used to describe the space above the receiving device. Figure 15 A schematic diagram of spatial partitioning is shown. (For example...) Figure 15 As shown, spatial partitioning can cover multiple beam pointing directions and multiple orbital planes at different altitudes. Spatial partitioning can be divided into multiple individual spatial partitions by a combination of angular beam direction and timing reference. When an NTN device is located in one of these individual spatial partitions, the receiving device can use the same timing reference.

[0220] To assist the UE (i.e., the receiving device) in performing its communication functions with the NTN, the network can use higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling) to configure "spatial partitioning" for the UE. Example 6 illustrates an example of higher-layer parameters for configuring timing references based on spatial partitioning.

[0221] [Example 6] spacePartition = { partition = { partitionIdentity = 0, bai = 0111, referencePartition = true, timingReferenceRange = 5 } partition = { partitionIdentity = 1, bai = 0111, timingReferenceOffset = -00:00:00:000:016:667, timingReferenceRange = 5 } partition = { partitionIdentity = 2, bai = 0111, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:016:667 timingReferenceRange = 5 } ... } As shown in Example 6, each entry in the list named “spacePartition” (represented by partition) may include one or more of the following parameters: partition identifier field (represented by partitionIdentity), BAI (represented by bai), timing reference offset (represented by timingReferenceOffset), and timing reference range (represented by timingReferenceRange).

[0222] The partition identifier field can be an integer, used to distinguish individual space partitions.

[0223] As previously explained, BAI is used as an identifier to indicate the beam associated with the timing reference within the same entry.

[0224] As previously explained, timing reference offset can be used to indicate timing reference in a relative manner.

[0225] As previously explained, the timing reference range can be used to indicate the zenith angle range to which the timing reference applies.

[0226] Optionally, a single spatial partition can be designated as a reference partition to configure other timing references in a relative manner. It should be noted that through the configuration of spatial partitions, multiple individual spatial partitions may experience the same propagation delay due to the isotropic nature of electromagnetic wave propagation, and different points at different orbital altitudes may have the same distance relative to a given UE. However, only one single spatial partition can still be configured as a reference partition, because this single spatial partition is the one from which the receiving device will successfully detect the SSB.

[0227] It should be noted that Example 6 only shows three entries; for clarity, other entries have been omitted. However, the first configuration information may include more entries, and the BAI values ​​in different entries may be different; this application does not limit this.

[0228] The advantage of this approach is that the space-partition-based configuration allows the receiving device to understand various orbital planes spanning several orbital altitudes and use appropriate timing references based on the timing references of the reference partitions. This is necessary in large-scale constellations because it is practically difficult (if not impossible) to place all NTN devices at the same altitude without risking them colliding with each other and potentially causing a chain reaction known as "Kessler syndrome."

[0229] In some embodiments of this application, the timing reference can be configured based on the capabilities of the receiving device.

[0230] For example, a UE can indicate in its UE capability report the maximum number of reference signals it can detect / measure / decode from the Serving NT-TRP. The network can configure the UE such that the number of Serving BAIs and corresponding timing references configured for the UE is less than the maximum number of reference signals indicated by the UE in its capability report.

[0231] For example, a UE can indicate in its UE capability report the maximum number of reference signals it can detect / measure / decode from candidate NT-TRPs. The network can configure the UE such that the number of candidate BAIs and corresponding timing references configured for the UE is less than the maximum number of reference signals indicated by the UE in its capability report.

[0232] For example, the UE can indicate the threshold of the view cone in its UE capability report, for instance, by using the maximum zenith angle. The network can configure the UE such that the configured serving BAI and corresponding timing reference are confined within the view cone. Similarly, the network can configure the UE such that the configured candidate BAI and corresponding timing reference are located outside the view cone.

[0233] In some embodiments of this application, the timing reference configured for the receiving device may be associated with other types of BAI.

[0234] For example, the network can provide higher-layer signaling to UEs within its coverage area with information about timing reference assumptions corresponding to a given BAI. It can be assumed that the UE is in idle mode or inactive mode, or in a power mode associated with functional light sleep, microsleep, deep sleep, or very deep sleep, or other forms of sleep. Therefore, the BAI is not a "serving" BAI because UEs do not use it to perform DL / UL communications to receive or transmit UE-specific data. Such BAIs can be called "public" BAIs because they are used to provide higher-layer signaling shared by all UEs within the coverage area. The higher-layer signaling provided by the network can be provided, for example, in a master information block (MIB), system information block (SIB), or paging message. The purpose of providing such higher-layer signaling to UEs on the ground, even when they may be in a sleep state, may be to enable the UE to perform measurements, such as detecting an incoming NT-TRP or appropriate NT-TRP within the line-of-sight cone, so that the UE can quickly connect to the appropriate NT-TRP.

[0235] In some embodiments of this application, the time unit that can be used to describe the timing reference offset can be, for example, an integer number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols (reference time relative to the reference BAI), a fractional number of OFDM symbols (reference time relative to the reference BAI), an integer number of time slots (reference time relative to the reference BAI), a fractional number of time slots (reference time relative to the reference BAI), an integer number of micro-time slots (reference time relative to the reference BAI), or a fractional number of micro-time slots (reference time relative to the reference BAI). Another example of a time unit that can be used to describe the timing reference offset can be, for example, represented as... An integer number of general time units, which are defined as ,in and .

[0236] In some embodiments of this application, the first configuration information may be sent using higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling).

[0237] In some embodiments of this application, the first configuration information can be sent via broadcast information. For example, when the receiving device is in idle or inactive mode, the network can send the first configuration information to the receiving device. Such broadcast information can be included in, for example, MIB, SIB, or multicast paging messages.

[0238] At S920, the receiving device receives a system frame based on the first configuration information.

[0239] At the timing reference indicated by the first configuration information, the receiving device may begin receiving / detecting / decoding physical layer channels (e.g., PDCCH and / or PDSCH) to receive / detect / measure reference signals (e.g., SSB and / or NZP CSI-RS) using the beam associated with the timing reference. It should be noted that physical layer channels and / or reference signals may be carried in the system frame.

[0240] In this application, a timing reference associated with the beam used by the receiving device to receive system frames is configured for the receiving device. This enables the receiving device to more accurately detect / measure / decode reference signals and / or physical layer channels, because a proper timing reference means that the UE will not "miss" the reference signal or physical layer channel. Furthermore, the receiving device does not require additional synchronization to receive or detect system frames transmitted by the NTN device. Therefore, the resource overhead of NTN communication can be reduced.

[0241] In some embodiments, after S910, the timing reference configured for the receiving device can be updated. That is, at S930, the transmitting and receiving devices can perform the following operations.

[0242] Optionally, at S930, the transmitting device sends second configuration information to the receiving device. Accordingly, the receiving device receives the second configuration information from the transmitting device.

[0243] Suppose that the first timing reference indicated by the first timing reference is the start time when the receiving device uses the first beam to receive system frames transmitted by the first NTN device. In this case, the second configuration information can indicate a fourth timing reference associated with the first beam. The fourth timing reference is the start time when the receiving device uses the first beam to receive system frames transmitted by a third NTN device, the first NTN device and the third NTN device having different orbital altitudes.

[0244] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of updating the timing reference is shown. For example... Figure 16 As shown, for some NTN devices such as LEO, the NTN device with which the receiving device communicates may no longer be suitable for communication purposes because the LEO orbital plane may not rotate synchronously with the Earth's rotation around itself. This means that the receiving device may observe NTN devices belonging to different orbital planes at different times, depending on their own position and the Earth's rotation. In this case, it may be necessary to provide the receiving device with an updated timing reference so that it can continue to properly detect / measure / decode reference signals and / or physical layer channels. For example, the receiving device may need to update its timing reference corresponding to a first orbital altitude (e.g., 600 km) to a timing reference corresponding to a second orbital altitude (e.g., 550 km).

[0245] It should be noted that when the timing reference associated with the beam needs to be updated, the BAI associated with the beam (as indicated by the third configuration information as described above) can remain the same. Only the timing reference changes, because different orbital altitudes may correspond to different propagation delays, and therefore the timing reference offset relative to a given reference BAI will also be different.

[0246] In some embodiments of this application, the second configuration information may be sent using higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC signaling) or MAC layer signaling (e.g., MAC-CE command).

[0247] Example 7 illustrates an example of high-level parameters used to update the timing reference to match a new orbital altitude of 550 km.

[0248] [Example 7] servingBaiTimingReference = { timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 0, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, referenceBai = true, bai = 0111, timingReferenceRange = 5 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 1, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0110, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:025:333, timingReferenceRange = 5 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 2, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1000, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:025:333, timingReferenceRange = 5 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 3, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0101, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:096:000, timingReferenceRange = 5 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 4, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1001, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:096:000, timingReferenceRange = 5 } } As shown in Example 7, the receiving device is still configured with five service BAIs, but the timing reference has been updated to match the assumptions that are valid for NTN equipment located at an orbital altitude of 550 km.

[0249] It should be noted that Example 6 is merely one example of a high-level parameter used to update the timing reference. However, the high-level parameter used to update the timing reference may have other formats. For example, any of the formats of the first configuration information described above, or combinations thereof, can be used as the format of the second configuration information, and this application does not limit this.

[0250] Example 8 illustrates an example of a MAC-CE command used to update the timing reference to match a new orbital altitude of 550 km.

[0251] [Example 8]

[0252] As shown in Example 8, each timing reference configuration may include 5 rows, where each row may be an octet (i.e., 8 bits, from the most significant bit on the left to the least significant bit on the right). The first row may include a timing reference identifier. The second row may include a timing reference integer value for the seconds field. The third row may include a timing reference integer value for the millisecond field. The fourth row may include a timing reference integer value for the microsecond field. The fifth row may include a timing reference integer value for the nanosecond field. The first five rows relate to a timing reference configuration identified by the timing reference identifier field, and the next five rows may relate to another timing reference configuration identified by the timing reference identifier field.

[0253] Optionally, the MAC-CE command may also include a field with a quantized value indicating the range of the new timing reference that the receiving device can expect to apply.

[0254] Optionally, the MAC-CE command may also include a timing reference update field for a candidate BAI, which can be identified using the BAI field in the higher-level signaling configuration.

[0255] Optionally, the MAC-CE command may also include a timing reference offset field for a given timing reference entry, which may be identified using a timing reference identifier field. The timing reference offset value may include multiple rows, which may include integer timing reference offset values ​​in fields such as seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, and nanoseconds.

[0256] The advantage of doing this is that by updating the timing reference, the receiving device can connect to and switch to NTN devices located on orbital planes at different altitudes. This is necessary in large-scale constellations because it is practically difficult (if not impossible) to place all NTN devices at the same altitude without risking them colliding with each other and potentially causing a chain reaction known as "Kessler syndrome".

[0257] It should be noted that after updating the timing reference, the receiving device will receive system frames based on the new timing reference instead of the previous timing reference. That is, after S930, the receiving device can perform the following operations at S940.

[0258] Optionally, at S940, the receiving device receives a system frame based on the second configuration information.

[0259] It should be noted that in some implementations, the UE can be configured with a BAI-specific timing advance similar to a BAI-specific timing reference (i.e., the timing reference associated with the beam in this application). The difference is that the BAI-specific timing advance will be used for UL communication purposes (e.g., transmitting a sounding reference signal, a physical uplink control channel, and / or a physical uplink shared channel). The configuration can be provided to the UE using higher-layer signaling (e.g., RRC), which may include a higher-layer parameter, such as timingAdvance, corresponding to the time at which the UE must adjust its uplink timing for its UL transmission so that it arrives simultaneously with the start time of the DL system frame. This timing advance can be set, for example, twice the propagation delay between the UE and a given NT-TRP. The higher-layer signaling may also include a timing advance offset parameter, such as timingAdvanceOffset, corresponding to the offset to be added to the timing advance so that the UE further advances its UL transmission. Example 9 illustrates an example of a higher-layer parameter for configuring a timing advance associated with a serving beam.

[0260] [Example 9] servingBaiTimingReference = { timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 0, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, referenceBai = true, bai = 0111, timingReferenceRange = 5, timingAdvance = 00:00:00:004:000:000, timingAdvanceOffset = 00:00:00:000:000:000 }, timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 1, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0110, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:026:667, timingReferenceRange = 5, timingAdvance = 00:00:00:004:053:334, timingAdvanceOffset = 00:00:00:000:000:000 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 2, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1000, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:026:667, timingReferenceRange = 5, timingAdvance = 00:00:00:004:053:334, timingAdvanceOffset = 00:00:00:000:000:000 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 3, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 0101, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:100:000, timingReferenceRange = 5, timingAdvance = 00:00:00:004:200:000, timingAdvanceOffset = 00:00:00:000:000:000 } timingReference = { timingReferenceIdentity = 4, referenceSystemFrameNumber = 0, bai = 1001, timingReferenceOffset = 00:00:00:000:100:000, timingReferenceRange = 5, timingAdvance = 00:00:00:004:200:000, timingAdvanceOffset = 00:00:00:000:000:000 } } As shown in Example 9, each entry of each timing reference (represented by `timingReference`) associated with a given BAI is also associated with a given timing advance (represented by `timingAdvance`). The `timingAdvance` field may include a time whose format follows a format similar to, for example, the `timingReferenceOffset` field. The `timingAdvanceOffset` field may also include a time whose format follows a format similar to, for example, the `timingReferenceOffset` field. If a higher-level configuration is provided for the UE that includes a higher-level parameter `timingAdvance` field associated with a given BAI, the UE can adjust its uplink timing for its UL transmissions (e.g., sounding reference signals, physical uplink control channels, physical uplink shared channels) based on the value indicated by the `timingAdvance` field. If a higher-level configuration is provided for the UE that includes a higher-level parameter `timingAdvanceOffset` field associated with a given BAI, the UE can adjust its uplink timing for its UL transmissions (e.g., sounding reference signals, physical uplink control channels, physical uplink shared channels) based on the value indicated by the `timingAdvanceOffset` field. If such a high-level configuration is provided to the UE, the UE can perform downlink and uplink communication with the NT-TRP.

[0261] In some implementations, if the UE is provided with a high-level parameter `servingBaiTimingReference` that includes one or more high-level parameters `timingReferences`, the UE can perform DL and / or UL communication. DL communication may include the UE receiving / detecting / measuring DL reference signals (e.g., SS / PBCH blocks and / or NZP CSI-RS), and may also include the UE receiving / detecting / decoding PDCCH and / or PDSCH. UL communication may include the UE transmitting UL reference signals (e.g., probe reference signals), and may also include the UE transmitting PUCCH and / or PUSCH.

[0262] In some implementations, NT-TRP can send one of the primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and physical broadcast channel (PBCH) instead of the entire SS / PBCH block (which includes all three of the above).

[0263] In some implementations, the high-level parameters `timingAdvance` and `timingAdvanceOffset` can be integer values, where each integer value corresponds to a given time unit, which can be, for example, seconds, milliseconds, microseconds, nanoseconds, or expressed as... The universal time unit.

[0264] In some implementations, if the UE is provided with a list of higher-level parameters represented by servingBaiTimingReference and carrying one or more entries represented by timingReference (where each entry includes a higher-level parameter timingReference field and a higher-level parameter bai field), the UE can perform DL communication using the beam corresponding to the BAI indicated by the bai field by adjusting its downlink timing according to the value provided by the timingReference field.

[0265] In some implementations, if the UE is provided with a list of higher-layer parameters represented by `servingBaiTimingReference`, carrying one or more entries represented by `timingReference` (where each entry includes a higher-layer parameter `timingReferenceOffset` field and a higher-layer parameter `bai` field), the UE can adjust its downlink timing according to the value provided by the `timingReferenceOffset` field to perform DL communication using the beam corresponding to the BAI indicated by the `bai` field. The downlink timing can be relative to the downlink timing obtained by the UE from the first detected SS / PBCH block during initial access.

[0266] In some implementations, if higher-layer parameters are provided to the UE (where the entry represented by timingReference includes the higher-layer parameter referenceBai field set to true), the UE can use the downlink timing obtained by the UE from the first detected SS / PBCH block during initial access to perform DL communication.

[0267] In some implementations, it may be desirable to provide the UE with a list of higher-level parameters represented by `servingBaiTimingReference`, which carries at least one entry represented by `timingReference`, and this entry carries a higher-level parameter `referenceBai` field set to true. Otherwise, the UE may treat higher-level signaling as invalid, and the UE may assume that the same downlink timing reference is used on all BAIs.

[0268] In some implementations, if the UE is provided with a list of higher-layer parameters represented by `candidateBaiTimingReference` and carrying one or more entries represented by `timingReference` (where each entry includes a higher-layer parameter `timingReferenceOffset` field and a higher-layer parameter `bai` field), the UE can perform beam management (or alternatively, mobility) measurements to detect incoming NT-TRPs by adjusting its downlink timing according to the value provided by the `timingReferenceOffset` field. The downlink timing can be relative to the downlink timing obtained by the UE from the first detected SS / PBCH block during initial access.

[0269] In some implementations, a dedicated MAC-CE command for updating the timing advance field can be used to signal the UE to update its timing advance assumptions. For example, the MAC-CE command can indicate a new timing reference to be applied for each BAI, as shown in Example 10.

[0270] [Example 10]

[0271] As shown in Example 10, each timing reference configuration may include 5 rows, where each row may be an octet (i.e., 8 bits, from the most significant bit on the left to the least significant bit on the right). The first row may include a timing reference identifier. The second row may include an integer value for the timing advance in the seconds field. The third row may include an integer value for the timing advance in the milliseconds field. The fourth row may include an integer value for the timing advance in the microseconds field. The fifth row may include an integer value for the timing advance in the nanoseconds field. The first five rows relate to a timing advance configuration identified by the timing reference identifier field, and the next five rows may relate to another timing advance configuration identified by the timing reference identifier field.

[0272] In some implementations, the MAC-CE command may include a field to distinguish between a MAC-CE command that updates the timing reference and a MAC-CE command that updates the timing advance. This field may be a 1-bit field, such as “TR / TA”, where a value of “1” indicates that the MAC-CE command is used to update the timing reference, and a value of “0” indicates that the MAC-CE command is used to update the timing advance.

[0273] In some implementations, the system frames sent by NT-TRP can be referred to as radio frames.

[0274] In some implementations, the higher-layer signaling for timing reference may include a higher-layer parameter, such as "distance," which may be configured to provide a value that the UE may expect to provide regarding the distance of the NT-TRP. The UE may expect this distance relative to itself or relative to the location of an anchor point on the ground. The value of the "distance" higher-layer parameter may be, for example, an integer value or a floating-point value.

[0275] In some implementations, higher-layer signaling for spatial partitioning may include a higher-layer parameter, such as "distance," which can be configured to provide a value that the UE may expect to be at the distance of the NT-TRP. The UE may expect this distance relative to itself or relative to the location of an anchor point on the ground. The value of the "distance" higher-layer parameter can be, for example, an integer value or a floating-point value.

[0276] In some implementations, the higher-layer signaling for timing reference may include a higher-layer parameter called, for example, "validity period," which can be configured to provide a value for a time interval that the UE may consider valid for the corresponding timing reference. The UE may regard the start of this validity period as the time when the UE receives higher-layer signals from the network.

[0277] In some implementations, higher-layer signaling for spatial partitions may include a higher-layer parameter, such as a "validity period," which can be configured to provide a value for a time interval that the UE may consider valid for the corresponding spatial partition. The UE may regard the start of this validity period as the time when the UE receives higher-layer signals from the network.

[0278] In some implementations, the UE can indicate the maximum number of timing references it can process and maintain in its UE capability report. The network can configure the UE such that the number of timing references configured for the UE is less than the maximum number of timing references indicated by the UE in its capability report.

[0279] In some implementations, the UE can indicate the maximum number of spatial partitions it can handle and maintain in its UE capability report. The network can configure the UE such that the number of spatial partitions configured for the UE is less than the maximum number of spatial partitions indicated by the UE in its capability report.

[0280] The above text combined Figures 9 to 16 The communication method according to embodiments of this application is described in detail below, and will be combined with Figures 17 to 21 The transmitting apparatus and receiving apparatus according to embodiments of this application are described in detail.

[0281] In some aspects of the present invention, a device / chipset system is provided, comprising components (e.g., at least one processor) for implementing a method implemented by a UE of the present invention (or implemented at a UE of the present invention). The device / chipset system may be a UE (i.e., a terminal device) or a module / component within a UE. Specifically, the at least one processor may execute instructions stored in a computer-readable medium to implement the method.

[0282] Figure 17 A schematic block diagram of a transmitting apparatus 10 according to one embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 17 As shown, the transmitting device 10 includes: Transceiver module 11 is used to send first configuration information, which indicates a first timing reference associated with a first beam, and the first timing reference is the start time of the receiving device receiving system frames sent by the NTN device using the first beam.

[0283] Therefore, the receiving device can receive or detect system frames sent by the NTN device at the appropriate time. In other words, the receiving device does not require additional synchronization to receive or detect system frames sent by the NTN device. This reduces the resource overhead of NTN communication.

[0284] The transmitting device 10 in the embodiments of this application can correspond to the transmitting device in the communication method described in the embodiments of this application above, and the management operations and / or functions of each module of the transmitting device 10 and other management operations and / or functions are intended to implement the corresponding steps of the above method. For the sake of brevity, further details are omitted.

[0285] The transceiver module 11 in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by a transceiver.

[0286] like Figure 18 As shown, the transmitting device 20 may include a transceiver 21. Optionally, the transmitting device 20 may also include a processor 22 and / or a memory 23. The memory 23 may be used to store instruction information, or to store code and instructions to be executed by the processor 22.

[0287] In some aspects of the invention, a device / chipset system is provided, comprising components (e.g., at least one processor) for implementing methods implemented by a network device (e.g., a base station) of the invention (or at a network device (e.g., a base station) of the invention). The device / chipset system may be a network device or a module / component within a network device. Specifically, the at least one processor may execute instructions stored in a computer-readable medium to implement the method.

[0288] Figure 19 A schematic block diagram of a receiving device 30 according to one embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 19 As shown, the receiving device 30 includes: Transceiver module 31 is used to receive the first configuration information; Processing module 32 is used to receive system frames based on the first configuration information.

[0289] The receiving device 30 in the embodiments of this application can correspond to the receiving device in the communication method described in the embodiments of this application above, and the management operations and / or functions of each module of the receiving device 30 and other management operations and / or functions are intended to implement the corresponding steps of the above method. For the sake of brevity, further details are omitted.

[0290] The transceiver module 31 in the embodiments of this application can be implemented by a transceiver, and the processing module 32 can be implemented by a processor.

[0291] like Figure 20 As shown, the receiving device 40 may include a transceiver 41. Optionally, the receiving device 40 may also include a processor 42 and / or a memory 43. The memory 43 may be used to store instruction information, or to store code and instructions to be executed by the processor 42.

[0292] Processor 22 or processor 42 may be an integrated circuit chip and have signal processing capabilities. In the embodiments, the various steps in the above method embodiments can be implemented by hardware integrated logic circuits in the processor or by software instructions. Processing module 21 may be a general-purpose processor, digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. All methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in these embodiments of this application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or the processor may be any conventional processor, etc. The steps of the methods disclosed in the embodiments of this invention can be directly executed and completed by a hardware decoding processor, or they can be executed and completed using a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software modules may reside in storage media known in the art, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, or registers. The storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and combines the processor's hardware to complete the steps of the above method.

[0293] In embodiments of the present invention, memory 23 or memory 43 can be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, and may include both volatile and non-volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM) and is used as an external cache. By way of example, but not limitation, many forms of RAM can be used, such as Static RAM (SRAM), Dynamic RAM (DRAM), Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), Enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchronous Link DRAM (SLDRAM), and Direct Rambus RAM (DR RAM). The storage in the systems and methods described herein is intended to include, but is not limited to, these and any other suitable storage.

[0294] In some aspects of the invention, a system is provided that includes at least one of means in a UE (or at the UE) of the invention or in a network device of the invention. For example... Figure 21 As shown, system 50 includes: The transmitting device 10 and the receiving device 20 according to embodiments of the present application.

[0295] In some aspects of the invention, a method is provided performed by a system comprising at least one of means in a UE (or at the UE) of the invention and means in a network device (or at the network device) of the invention.

[0296] An embodiment of this application also provides a computer storage medium that can store program instructions to perform any of the above methods.

[0297] Alternatively, the storage medium may specifically be memory 23 or 43.

[0298] In some aspects of the invention, a computer program comprising instructions is provided. When executed by a processor, these instructions cause the processor to implement the method of the invention.

[0299] In some aspects of the invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided that stores instructions. When executed by a processor, these instructions cause the processor to implement the methods of the invention.

[0300] The solutions described in this invention are applicable to next-generation (e.g., sixth generation, 6G or higher) networks or traditional (e.g., 5G, 4G, 3G or 2G) networks.

[0301] It should be understood that any module, component, or device disclosing executable instructions herein may include or otherwise access one or more non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage media for storing information, such as computer / processor-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and / or other data. A non-exhaustive list of examples of non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage media includes: magnetic tape cartridges, magnetic tape, disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices; compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital video disc or digital multifunction disc (i.e., DVD), Blu-ray Disc™, or other optical storage devices; volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented using any method or technology; random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, or other storage technologies. Any such non-transitory computer / processor storage medium may be part of a device or apparatus, or may be accessed or connected to a device or apparatus. Computer / processor-readable / executable instructions used to implement the methods, applications, or modules described herein may be stored by such non-transitory computer / processor-readable storage media or otherwise preserved.

[0302] Those skilled in the art will recognize that, in conjunction with the various examples described in connection with the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the units and algorithm steps can be implemented using electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether these functions are performed using hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but should not consider that the embodiments are beyond the scope of this application.

[0303] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for convenience and brevity, the specific working process of the above-described systems, devices, and units can be referred to the corresponding process in the above-described method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0304] In the several embodiments provided in this application, the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the described apparatus embodiments are merely examples. For instance, unit partitioning is a logical functional partitioning, and other partitioning methods can be used in actual embodiments. For example, multiple units or components can be merged or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not performed. Furthermore, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed can be implemented through some communication interface. Indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units can be implemented electronically, mechanically, or otherwise.

[0305] The units described as individual components may or may not be physically separate; the components shown as units may or may not be physical units, that is, these components may be located in one unit or distributed among multiple network units. Some or all of these units may be selected based on actual needs to achieve the purpose of the embodiment.

[0306] Furthermore, the functional units in the embodiments of this application can be integrated into a processing unit, and each of these units can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit.

[0307] When these functions are implemented as software functional units and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The technical solution of this application can be implemented in the form of a software product. The software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions for instructing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes any medium capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a removable hard disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, etc.

[0308] It should be noted that the message in this invention can be replaced with information, which can be carried in a single message or in more than one single message.

[0309] Unless otherwise specified, the terms “apparatus” and “equipment” are used interchangeably, as are the terms “identifier” and “identifier”.

[0310] In this invention, when used in conjunction with the terms "comprising" or "including" in the claims and / or specification, the word "a" or "an" may refer to "one," but it also has the same meaning as "one or more," "at least one," and "one or more," unless the context clearly specifies otherwise. Similarly, the word "another" may refer to at least a second or more, unless the context clearly specifies otherwise.

[0311] In this invention, when used before the same term (e.g., ED or operation step), the words "first," "second," etc., do not imply an order or sequence of the terms. For example, "first ED" and "second ED" refer to two different EDs unless otherwise specified, and similarly, "first step" and "second step" refer to two different operation steps unless otherwise specified, but this does not mean that the first step must occur before the second step. The actual order depends on the logical relationship between the two steps.

[0312] The terms “coupling” or “connection” as used herein may have several different meanings depending on the context in which they are used. For example, the terms “coupling” or “connection” as used herein may indicate that two elements or devices are directly connected to each other or connected to each other via mechanical elements through one or more intermediate elements or devices, depending on the specific context.

[0313] It should be noted that the expression "at least one of A or B" used in this document is interchangeable with the expression "A and / or B". This expression refers to a list in which A, or B, or both A and B can be selected. Similarly, the expression "at least one of A, B, or C" used in this document is interchangeable with "A and / or B and / or C" or "A, B, and / or C". This expression refers to a list in which the following can be selected: A or B or C, or both A and B, or both A and C, or both B and C, or all of A, B, and C, where " / " means "or". The same principle applies to longer lists with the same format.

[0314] This invention includes various embodiments, not only method embodiments but also other embodiments, such as apparatus embodiments and embodiments related to non-transitory computer-readable storage media. Each embodiment may individually or in combination include the features disclosed herein.

[0315] The terms “receive,” “detect,” and “decode” used in this document can have several different meanings depending on the context in which they are used. For example, without specific indication, the term “receive” can indicate that information (e.g., DCI or MAC-CE, RRC signaling, or TB) has been successfully received by the receiving node, meaning that the receiving side correctly detected and decoded the information. In this scenario, “receive” can encompass both “detect” and “decode,” or it can indicate the same thing; for example, “receive paging” means that the paging was correctly decoded and successfully obtained, and correspondingly, “received paging” means that the receiving side did not detect and / or decode the paging. “Not received paging” means that the receiving side attempted to detect and / or decode the paging but was unsuccessful in obtaining it. The term “receive” can sometimes indicate that a signal has arrived at the receiving side, but this does not necessarily mean that the information in the signal has been correctly detected and decoded. In this case, the receiving side needs to detect and decode the signal to obtain the information carried in it. In this scenario, “receive,” “detect,” and “decode” can indicate different processes by which the receiving side obtains the information.

[0316] Although the present invention has referenced illustrative embodiments, it is not intended to be interpreted in a limiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to this specification. When two or more embodiments are combined, not all features of the embodiments to be combined are necessary for the combination.

[0317] Alternatively or additionally, features disclosed herein in the context of any particular embodiment may be implemented in other embodiments. For example, alternatively or additionally, method embodiments may be implemented in apparatus, system, and / or computer program product embodiments. Furthermore, although embodiments have been described primarily in the context of methods and apparatus, other implementations are contemplated, such as instructions stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media. Such media may store programs or instructions to perform any of the methods consistent with the present invention.

[0318] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Any variations or substitutions that are readily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this invention are within the scope of protection of this invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of this invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method executed by a receiving device, characterized in that, include: Receive first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information indicates a first timing reference, the first timing reference being associated with a first beam, and the first timing reference being the start time at which the receiving device uses the first beam to receive system frames from a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device; The system frame is received based on the first configuration information.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first configuration information includes the first timing reference and the identifier of the first beam.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first configuration information includes a timing reference offset and an identifier for the first beam. The timing reference offset is the delay of the first timing reference relative to a second timing reference, and the second timing reference is the start time of the receiving device using the second beam to receive the system frame.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second beam is indicated by the first configuration information, and the method further includes: The first signal is detected using the second beam; The second timing reference is obtained based on the time-domain position of the first signal in the system frame and the start time of the receiving device using the second beam to detect the first signal.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first signal is the synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SSB).

6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that, The identifier of the first beam is the beam angle information (BAI) of the first beam, and the BAI of the first beam indicates the angular direction of the first beam.

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that, The first configuration information also includes the identifier of the system frame.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The first beam includes a serving beam and / or a candidate beam.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The first configuration information includes a timing reference range, which indicates an angular direction range. When the angular direction of the NTN device relative to the receiving device is within the angular direction range, the first timing reference is valid.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The first configuration information also indicates a third timing reference associated with a third beam, which is the start time at which the receiving device uses the third beam to receive the system frame.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, The NTN device is a first NTN device, and the third timing reference is the start time at which the receiving device uses the third beam to receive the system frame from the second NTN device. The first NTN device and the second NTN device have different orbital altitudes.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, The first configuration information is received using Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The NTN device is a first NTN device, and the method further includes: The receiver receives second configuration information, wherein the second configuration information indicates a fourth timing reference associated with the first beam, and the fourth timing reference is the start time at which the receiver uses the first beam to receive the system frame from a third NTN device, wherein the first NTN device and the third NTN device have different orbital altitudes.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that, The second configuration information is received using RRC signaling and / or Media Access Control-Control Element (MAC-CE) signaling.

15. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The method further includes: Receive third configuration information, wherein the third configuration information includes a BAI associated with the first beam, the BAI indicating angular direction.

16. A communication method performed by a transmitting device, characterized in that, include: Send first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information indicates a first timing reference, the first timing reference being associated with a first beam, and the first timing reference being the start time at which the receiving device uses the first beam to receive system frames from a non-terrestrial network (NTN) device.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first configuration information includes the first timing reference and the identifier of the first beam.

18. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that, The first configuration information includes a timing reference offset and an identifier for the first beam. The timing reference offset is the delay of the first timing reference relative to a second timing reference, and the second timing reference is the start time of the receiving device using the second beam to receive the system frame.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that, The second beam is indicated by the first configuration information. The second beam is used to detect the first signal. The second timing reference is obtained based on the time domain position of the first signal in the system frame and the start time of the receiving device using the second beam to detect the first signal.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that, The first signal is the synchronization signal / physical broadcast channel block (SSB).

21. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 20, characterized in that, The identifier of the first beam is the beam angle information (BAI) of the first beam, and the BAI of the first beam indicates the angular direction of the first beam.

22. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 21, characterized in that, The first configuration information also includes the identifier of the system frame.

23. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 22, characterized in that, The first beam includes a serving beam and / or a candidate beam.

24. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 23, characterized in that, The first configuration information includes a timing reference range, which indicates an angular direction range. When the angular direction of the NTN device relative to the receiving device is within the angular direction range, the first timing reference is valid.

25. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 24, characterized in that, The first configuration information also indicates a third timing reference associated with a third beam, which is the start time at which the receiving device uses the third beam to receive the system frame.

26. The method according to claim 25, characterized in that, The NTN device is a first NTN device, and the third timing reference is the start time at which the receiving device uses the third beam to receive the system frame from the second NTN device. The first NTN device and the second NTN device have different orbital altitudes.

27. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 26, characterized in that, The first configuration information is sent using Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

28. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 27, characterized in that, The NTN device is a first NTN device, and the method further includes: Send second configuration information, wherein the second configuration information indicates a fourth timing reference associated with the first beam, the fourth timing reference being the start time at which the receiving device uses the first beam to receive the system frame from a third NTN device, the first NTN device and the third NTN device having different orbital altitudes.

29. The method according to claim 28, characterized in that, The second configuration information is sent using RRC signaling and / or Media Access Control-Control Element (MAC-CE) layer signaling.

30. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 29, characterized in that, The method further includes: Send third configuration information, wherein the third configuration information includes a BAI associated with the first beam, the BAI indicating angular direction.

31. An apparatus, characterized in that, The apparatus includes a processor coupled to a memory storing one or more instructions executable on the processor, the one or more instructions, when executed, causing the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

32. An apparatus, characterized in that, The apparatus includes functions or units for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

33. A communication system, characterized in that, It includes a transmitting device and a receiving device, wherein the receiving device performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15, and the transmitting device performs the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

34. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, It includes one or more instructions, wherein when the one or more instructions are executed on a computer, the computer performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15 or the method according to any one of claims 16 to 30.

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