Communication device, communication method, and integrated circuit

Abstract

To achieve appropriate timing control according to the propagation delay between a terminal and a base station.SOLUTION: A communication device is a second communication device that includes: a control circuit that generates first information and second information that control transmission timing of signal transmission in a first communication device, where a unit of the second information is finer than a unit of the first information; and a transmission circuit that transmits the first information and the second information to the first communication device. The transmission timing is further controlled by third information, the third information is determined based on the location of the first communication device and the location of the second communication device, and when a value related to the second information is greater than or equal to a threshold, the second communication device receives fifth information related to the second information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to communication devices, communication methods, and integrated circuits. [Background technology]

[0002] In the standardization of 5G, new radio access technology (NR) was discussed at 3GPP, and the NR Release 15 (Rel.15) specification was published. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] 3GPP, TR 38.821, V16.0.0 “Solutions for NR to support non-terrestrial networks (NTN) (Release 16)” [Non-Patent Document 2] 3GPP, TS 38.321, V15.8.0 “Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol specification (Release 15)” [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] However, there is room for consideration regarding appropriate timing control in response to propagation delays between terminals and base stations.

[0005] Non-limiting embodiments of this disclosure contribute to the provision of a communication device, a communication method, and an integrated circuit that can achieve appropriate timing control in response to propagation delay between a terminal and a base station. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A communication device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a control circuit that generates first information and second information for controlling the transmission timing of signal transmission in a first communication device, wherein the unit of the second information is finer than the unit of the first information, and a transmission circuit that transmits the first information and the second information to the first communication device, wherein the transmission timing is further controlled by third information, the third information is determined based on the position of the first communication device and the position of the second communication device, and the second communication device receives fifth information relating to the second information when the value relating to the second information is greater than or equal to a threshold.

[0007] These comprehensive or specific embodiments may be implemented as systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, or recording media, or as any combination of systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, and recording media. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, appropriate timing control can be achieved in response to the propagation delay between the terminal and the base station.

[0009] Further advantages and effects of one aspect of this disclosure will be made apparent from the specification and drawings. Such advantages and / or effects are provided by several embodiments and features described in the specification and drawings, but not all of them are necessarily provided in order to obtain one or more identical features. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating an example of a four-step random access procedure. [Figure 2] A diagram illustrating an example of timing adjustment based on terminal location information and satellite orbit information. [Figure 3] A diagram showing an example of transmission slot timing. [Figure 4] Block diagram showing some example configurations of the terminal. [Figure 5] Block diagram showing some example configurations of base stations. [Figure 6] Block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 7] Block diagram showing an example of the base station configuration according to Embodiment 1 [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of a sequence chart related to timing control in Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of timing adjustment using cell-specific TA offset values ​​and timing adjustment values ​​based on position information. [Figure 10] This diagram shows an example of timing adjustment using each TA, including TA command 2. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of timing adjustment using information including Kadj and UE. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of a sequence chart related to timing control in Embodiment 2. [Figure 13] Diagram of a representative architecture of a 3GPP NR system [Figure 14] Schematic diagram showing the functional separation between NG-RAN and 5GC. [Figure 15] Sequence diagram of the RRC connection setup / reconfiguration procedure [Figure 16] This schematic diagram illustrates usage scenarios for high-capacity, high-speed communication (eMBB: enhanced Mobile Broadband), massive machine type communications (mMTC: massive machine type communications), and highly reliable, ultra-low-latency communications (URLLC: Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications). [Figure 17] Block diagram illustrating an exemplary 5G system architecture for a non-roaming scenario. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [Expansion to non-terrestrial networks (NTN: Non-Terrestrial Network)] Release 15 (Rel.15) of New Radio Access Technology (NR) is specified as a radio access technology for terrestrial networks. On the other hand, NR is being considered for extension to non-terrestrial networks (NTN), such as communications using satellites and / or high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) (e.g., Non-Patent Document 1). In an NTN environment, for example, a terminal and a base station communicate wirelessly via satellite. Hereinafter, the wireless link between the terminal and the satellite may be referred to as a "service link," and the wireless link between the satellite and the base station may be referred to as a "feeder link."

[0013] In an NTN environment, the satellite coverage area (e.g., one or more cells) for ground terminals or aircraft terminals is formed by beams from the satellite. The round-trip time for radio wave propagation between the terminal and the satellite is determined by the satellite's altitude (e.g., up to approximately 36,000 km) and / or the angle from the terminal, i.e., the relative positions of the satellite and the terminal. Furthermore, if the base station is located on a ground gateway (GW), the round-trip time for radio wave propagation between the base station and the terminal is the sum of the round-trip time for radio wave propagation between the satellite and the ground gateway.

[0014] For example, Non-Patent Literature 1 states that NTN's round-trip time (RTT) for radio wave propagation between a base station and a terminal can take up to approximately 540 ms. Non-Patent Literature 1 also states that a maximum delay difference of approximately 10 ms can occur depending on the location of the terminal within the beam (cell). The maximum delay difference refers to, for example, the difference between the round-trip time between the terminal furthest from the satellite and the satellite itself, and the round-trip time between the terminal closest to the satellite and the satellite itself.

[0015] [Random Access Procedure] In 5G NR, terminals use random access channels for transmission, such as for initial access and data transmission requests. For example, the random access procedure is performed using a four-step random access method (also called 4-step RACH (Random Access Channel) or 4-Step CBRA (Contention Based Random Access)).

[0016] Figure 1 shows an example of a four-stage random access procedure. In four-stage random access, for example, as shown in Figure 1, the terminal (UE) transmits a Preambe signal for the PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) to the base station (gNB) during the first stage transmission (MSG1). The MSG1 transmission by the terminal is performed at the transmission timing (slot timing or RACH Occasion) notified by the base station for each cell. In the following, transmitting a PRACH signal (e.g., a Preamble signal) may be abbreviated as "transmitting PRACH" or "transmitting PRACH." Similarly, receiving a PRACH signal may be described as "receiving PRACH" or "receiving PRACH." The transmission and reception of signals on other channels may also be abbreviated in a similar manner.

[0017] The base station receives and decodes MSG1, and in the second stage of transmission (MSG2), notifies the terminal of scheduling information including the RA response (Random Access response (RAR)) to the PRACH Preamble signal and the uplink transmission timing of MSG3.

[0018] The terminal receives and decodes MSG2, and in the third stage transmission (MSG3), uses the scheduling information instructed by MSG2 to notify the base station of information necessary for establishing a connection, such as information about the terminal (e.g., terminal ID). MSG3 is notified, for example, in PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel). The information notified by MSG3 may also be called RRC (Radio Resource Control) connection request information.

[0019] The base station receives and decodes MSG3, and in the fourth stage transmission (MSG4), it notifies the base station of a connection establishment response, etc.

[0020] [Timing adjustment] In 5G NR, the transmission timing of terminals is controlled so that the reception timing of signals transmitted from different terminals within a cell falls within a certain time period at the base station. For example, this certain time period is within the Cyclic Prefix (CP) of an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) signal or a DFT-S-OFDM (Discrete Fourier Transform-Spread-OFDM) signal.

[0021] In random access procedures, the transmission of MSG1 by a terminal is performed at the transmission timing (RACH Occasion) notified by the base station for each cell. Here, the terminal determines the transmission timing based on the reception timing of a synchronization signal called SSB (Synchronization Signal Block) transmitted from the base station on the downlink. Therefore, the reception timing at the base station will deviate from the reception timing expected by the base station, depending on the propagation delay between the base station and the terminal. Here, the reception timing expected by the base station is, for example, the reception timing determined based on the transmission timing (RACH Occasion) notified by the base station for each cell.

[0022] Therefore, in MSG2, the base station transmits information to the terminal to correct (adjust) the timing. This information for correcting (adjusting) the timing is sometimes called a TA (Timing Advance) command (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 2). Based on the TA command included in MSG2, the terminal corrects the transmission timing of MSG3 and subsequent signals. In addition, if the base station detects a timing discrepancy in the reception of signals from MSG3 onward, it transmits a TA command to the terminal.

[0023] NTN's communication between base stations and terminals is long-distance, resulting in larger propagation delays between base stations and terminals, and larger differences in propagation delays between terminals, compared to terrestrial cellular systems. The difference in propagation delays between terminals corresponds, for example, to the difference between the propagation delay between a certain base station A and a certain terminal a, and the propagation delay between base station A and a different terminal b.

[0024] Therefore, the reception timing of PRACH signals transmitted from different terminals varies significantly at the base station, complicating the reception processing at the base station. Furthermore, the TA commands specified in Rel.15 may not be able to compensate for propagation delays occurring in the NTN environment. Additionally, widening the range of TA command values ​​to compensate for large propagation delays increases the amount of information (e.g., the number of bits) required for TA command notification.

[0025] Therefore, for example, it is being considered that the terminal calculates the propagation delay based on the distance between the terminal and the satellite estimated using the terminal's position information obtained by GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and the satellite's position information obtained from satellite orbit information (satellite ephemeris), and that the terminal autonomously adjusts its timing.

[0026] Figure 2 shows an example of timing adjustment based on terminal location information (UE location information) and satellite orbit information (satellite ephemeris).

[0027] Figure 2 illustrates the downlink (DL) transmit slot and uplink (UL) receive slot of a base station (gNB), as well as the DL receive slot and UL transmit slot of a terminal (UE). The horizontal axis in Figure 2 represents the time axis.

[0028] Figure 2 shows that the propagation delay from the transmission timing of a signal at a base station to the reception timing of that signal at a terminal is represented by the feeder link propagation delay and the service link propagation delay. Figure 2 also shows that the terminal adjusts the signal transmission timing using a Terminal Arrangement (TA) determined based on the terminal's location information and satellite orbit information. In Figure 2, the TA is, for example, equivalent to twice the service link propagation delay.

[0029] However, terminal timing adjustments based on the distance between the satellite and the terminal compensate for delays between the terminal and the satellite (i.e., the service link), but do not compensate for delays between the base station located at the ground gateway (GW) and the satellite (i.e., the feeder link). Furthermore, in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) environments between the satellite and the terminal, the propagation delay calculated using positional information may differ from the actual propagation delay, which includes reflections and / or diffraction that occur in non-line-of-sight environments.

[0030] Furthermore, in 5G NR, the timing of the transmission slot is specified in Rel.15.

[0031] Figure 3 shows an example of transmit slot timing. Figure 3 shows an example of transmit slot timing for terrestrial cellular networks as defined in Rel. 15, and an example of transmit slot timing being considered by NTN.

[0032] Figure 3 illustrates the DL transmit slot and UL receive slot of a base station (gNB), and the DL receive slot and UL transmit slot of a terminal (UE). The horizontal axis in Figure 3 represents the time axis.

[0033] In Figure 3, according to the Rel.15 transmission slot timing specification, in the nth slot, a signal including DCI (Downlink Control Information) is transmitted from the base station to the terminal, and in the n+K2th slot, a PUSCH signal is transmitted from the terminal to the base station.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, NTN uses an offset K to compensate for the longer propagation delay compared to terrestrial cellular networks, in relation to the Rel.15 transmission slot timing specification. offset,cell (K offset It is being considered to establish a (sometimes abbreviated as K) system. For example, K offset This is reported for each cell.

[0035] On the other hand, because the round-trip time (RTT) between the terminal and the satellite differs depending on the terminal's position within the cell, even with an offset to compensate for the longer propagation delay compared to terrestrial cellular networks, some terminals may not be able to transmit in time, or may have to wait for a long time before transmitting.

[0036] Furthermore, the study considering both timing control using TA and transmission slot control is insufficient.

[0037] Therefore, in a non-limiting embodiment of this disclosure, for example, in an environment where propagation delay between a terminal and a base station increases, such as in an NTN environment, both timing control using a TA and transmission slot control are considered to realize appropriate timing control according to the propagation delay between the terminal and the base station.

[0038] (Embodiment 1) [Overview of the communication system] A communication system according to one embodiment of this disclosure comprises a terminal 100 (corresponding to a transmitting device) and a base station 200 (corresponding to a receiving device).

[0039] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a partial configuration example of terminal 100. In terminal 100 shown in Figure 4, the control unit 109 controls the transmission timing based on first information relating to the control of the signal transmission timing in signal transmission units and second information relating to the control of the transmission timing in units finer than the transmission unit. The wireless transmission unit 105 transmits signals based on the transmission timing control by the control unit 109.

[0040] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a partial configuration example of the base station 200. In the base station 200 shown in Figure 5, the control unit 209 controls the reception timing based on first information relating to the control of the signal reception timing in the signal reception unit and second information relating to the control of the transmission timing in units finer than the reception unit. The wireless receiving unit 202 receives signals based on the reception timing control by the control unit 209.

[0041] [Device Configuration] Next, we will explain an example configuration of terminal 100.

[0042] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of terminal 100 according to this embodiment 1. Terminal 100 includes a PRACH generation unit 101, a data generation unit 102, a location information acquisition unit 103, a timing adjustment unit 104, a wireless transmission unit 105, an antenna 106, a wireless reception unit 107, and a demodulation / decoding unit 108. The PRACH generation unit 101, the data generation unit 102, the location information acquisition unit 103, the timing adjustment unit 104, and the demodulation / decoding unit 108 may be included in the control unit 109.

[0043] The PRACH generation unit 101 determines the PRACH transmission resource from, for example, candidate PRACH transmission resources available within the cell of the base station 200. For example, the PRACH generation unit 101 sets the time and frequency resources and Preamble numbers to be used for PRACH transmission based on information about available time and frequency resources and Preamble number groups. Information about available time and frequency resources and Preamble number groups is notified, for example, from the base station 200.

[0044] The data generation unit 102 generates an uplink transmission data stream, time and frequency resources for data signal transmission allocated from the base station 200, and data signals to be transmitted by MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme).

[0045] The location information acquisition unit 103 acquires the location information of the terminal 100 (latitude, longitude, altitude, etc.) and the location information of the communication partner's satellite using GNSS functions such as GPS. The location information acquisition unit 103 calculates the distance between the terminal 100 and the satellite and outputs the calculated distance information to the timing adjustment unit 104. The satellite's location information may be obtained, for example, by acquiring orbital information and / or time information, known as satellite ephemeris, in advance.

[0046] The timing adjustment unit 104 adjusts the reception timing of the received signal and the transmission timing of the transmitted signal. For example, the timing adjustment unit 104 adjusts the transmission timing based on information notified or broadcast from the base station 200 and / or information calculated by the timing adjustment unit 104.

[0047] For example, the timing adjustment unit 104 calculates the propagation delay time between the satellite and the terminal 100 from the distance information output from the position information acquisition unit 103 and the radio wave propagation speed. Then, the timing adjustment unit 104 adjusts the transmission timing based on one or more combinations of the reception timing of the signal transmitted from the base station 200, the calculated propagation delay time, the cell-common timing adjustment value announced by the base station 200, and the timing adjustment value of the terminal 100 (e.g., TA value) notified by the base station 200. The timing adjustment may differ depending on the channel and / or the signal being transmitted. For example, the timing adjustment may differ depending on PRACH, PUSCH, PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and SRS (Sounding Reference Signal). Examples of timing adjustment will be described later.

[0048] The wireless transmission unit 105 performs transmission processing such as D / A conversion and upconversion on the signal output from the PRACH generation unit 101 and the data signal output from the data generation unit 102. The wireless transmission unit 105 transmits the wireless signal obtained through the transmission processing from the antenna 106 to the base station 200 at a transmission timing adjusted by the timing adjustment unit 104.

[0049] The wireless receiver 107 receives a signal from the base station 200 via the antenna 106 at a reception timing adjusted by the timing adjustment unit 104. The received signal may be, for example, a downlink signal of PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) or PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel). The received signal may also contain data and / or control information. The wireless receiver 107 performs reception processing such as downconversion and A / D conversion on the received signal and outputs the processed signal to the demodulation / decoding unit 108.

[0050] The demodulation / decoding unit 108 performs demodulation and decoding of the signal output from the wireless receiver unit 107. For example, the demodulation / decoding unit 108 demodulates and decodes the PRACH response data signal. For example, if the demodulated and decoded information includes information regarding transmission timing and reception timing, the demodulation / decoding unit 108 outputs the information to the timing adjustment unit 104.

[0051] [Base station configuration] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a base station 200 according to this embodiment 1. The base station 200 includes an antenna 201, a wireless receiving unit 202, a data receiving processing unit 203, a PRACH detection unit 204, a timing control information generation unit 205, a data generation unit 206, a data transmission processing unit 207, and a wireless transmission unit 208. The data receiving processing unit 203, the PRACH detection unit 204, the timing control information generation unit 205, the data generation unit 206, and the data transmission processing unit 207 may be included in the control unit 209.

[0052] The wireless receiving unit 202 receives data signals and PRACH signals from terminal 100 via antenna 201, performs reception processing such as down-conversion and A / D conversion, and outputs the processed signals to data reception processing unit 203 and PRACH detection unit 204.

[0053] The data reception processing unit 203 performs demodulation and decoding on received data signals other than PRACH. The data reception processing unit 203 may also perform channel estimation and timing estimation based on the received data signals. The data reception processing unit 203 outputs information regarding the estimated timing to the timing information generation unit 205.

[0054] The PRACH detection unit 204 performs correlation processing on the received PRACH Preamble signal with a replica signal of the Preamble signal generated using the sequence number corresponding to the set Preamble number and the cyclic shift amount, thereby detecting the PRACH Preamble signal and estimating the transmission timing and reception timing.

[0055] The correlation processing in the PRACH detection unit 204 may be performed in the time domain to calculate the delay profile, or it may be performed in the frequency domain by performing correlation processing (division) and then IFFT (Inversed Fourier Transform) to calculate the delay profile. The calculated delay profile may be used to estimate the transmission timing and / or reception timing.

[0056] The PRACH detection unit 204 outputs information regarding the estimated transmission timing and / or reception timing to the timing information generation unit 205. For example, the PRACH detection unit 204 calculates the difference between the reference timing of the base station 200 and the arrival timing of the received signal, and outputs the calculation result to the timing information generation unit 205.

[0057] The timing information generation unit 205 generates a TA command for terminal 100 based on the information output from the PRACH detection unit 204 and the data reception processing unit 203 (for example, the timing estimation result). There may be multiple types of TA commands. The timing information generation unit 205 also generates a cell-common timing adjustment value. The cell-common timing adjustment value is generated based on, for example, the size of the cell formed by the satellite beam, the length of the feeder link, and the feeder link delay amount, at least one of these.

[0058] The data generation unit 206 generates downlink data signals to the terminal 100, including user data, synchronization signals, system information (notification information), individual control information (e.g., RRC control information), and MAC control information. The data generation unit 206 outputs the generated downlink data signals to the data transmission processing unit 207.

[0059] The data transmission processing unit 207 encodes and modulates the downlink data signal output from the data generation unit 206 and the information output from the timing information generation unit 205, and outputs the modulated signal to the wireless transmission unit 208.

[0060] The wireless transmission unit 208 performs transmission processing such as D / A conversion, upconversion, and amplification on the signal output from the data transmission processing unit 207, and transmits the resulting wireless signal from the antenna 201.

[0061] [Example of timing adjustment] Next, the timing adjustment in this embodiment 1 will be described. Terminal 100 performs timing adjustment using one or more timing adjustment values.

[0062] As an example, two timing adjustments are performed: one with relatively fine granularity and another with relatively coarse granularity.

[0063] In relatively fine-grained timing adjustments, terminal 100 performs transmission timing adjustments on a sample-by-sample basis. A sample-by-sample basis may be, for example, the basic sample time Tc (=0.509 ns) described in Section 4.1 of TS38.211 V15.8.0. For example, the transmission timing is adjusted so that it is received at base station 200 within the CP length of a PUSCH OFDM symbol or PRACH symbol. In relatively coarse-grained timing adjustments, terminal 100 performs transmission timing adjustments on a slot and / or OFDM symbol basis. The time unit for coarse timing adjustments may be an integer multiple of the basic sample time Tc, or it may be a time unit such as 1 μs or 1 ms. For example, at base station 200, the transmission timing is adjusted so that it is received in the slot or OFDM symbol assumed by base station 200.

[0064] Examples of timing adjustment values ​​for fine-grained adjustments include the following: • Timing adjustment value based on location information calculated by the device • Timing adjustment value calculated by leading path tracking on the terminal. • Timing adjustment value (Fine TA command) based on TA command 1 transmitted from the base station.

[0065] Furthermore, the timing adjustment values ​​for making coarser adjustments include, for example, the following values. • Cell-specific timing adjustment value (cell-specific TA offset) reported from the base station. • Individual timing adjustment values ​​(K) notified from the base station to each terminal adj,UE ) • Timing adjustment value based on TA command 2 transmitted from the base station (Coarse TA command)

[0066] Of the timing adjustment values ​​mentioned above, the timing adjustment value calculated by leading path tracking at the terminal will be explained in Embodiment 2.

[0067] Next, we will explain an example of timing control using the timing adjustment values ​​mentioned above.

[0068] Figure 8 shows an example of a sequence chart relating to timing control in this embodiment 1. Figure 8 shows an example of the signals (or channels used for transmitting and receiving signals) transmitted and received between the terminal 100 (UE) and the base station 200 (gNB), and the timing adjustment values ​​used by the UE for signal transmission. The following describes each process from step 101 (S101) to S109 in Figure 8.

[0069] <s101> The base station (gNB) transmits SSB and SIB (System Information Block). SSB and SIB may be transmitted periodically. The SSB includes synchronization signals and cell-specific basic control information (e.g., Master Information Block). The SIB includes cell-specific information for terminals to access the base station, etc. The SIB may also include information indicating the satellite's position (e.g., satellite ephemeris). The SIB includes cell-specific TA offsets and slot offsets (K) indicating the data allocation slot positions. offset,cell ) is included.

[0070] <s102> The terminal receives the SSB and SIB and transmits the PRACH for initial access. Here, the terminal adjusts the transmission timing of the PRACH. For example, the terminal performs timing adjustment using the value of the cell-specific TA offset notified from the base station and the timing adjustment value based on the position information calculated by the terminal. The timing adjustment value based on the position information is a terminal-specific adjustment value and may be described as "TA based on GNSS / ephemeris" or "GNSS / ephemeris based TA".

[0071] Here, an example of calculating the timing adjustment value based on the position information will be described. The terminal acquires the position information of the terminal using a GNSS function or the like. The terminal calculates the distance between the satellite and the terminal from the position information of the satellite held or notified and the position information of the terminal. Then, the terminal calculates the one-way propagation delay time by dividing the calculated distance by the radio wave propagation speed (for example, 3×10 8 [m / s]). Twice the calculated propagation delay time corresponds to the round-trip propagation delay time (Round Trip Time: RTT). The calculated round-trip propagation delay time is the timing adjustment value based on the position information. Note that the timing adjustment value based on the position information may be a value obtained by adding the processing delay time of the terminal and / or the base station to the calculated round-trip propagation delay time.

[0072] The value obtained by adding the cell-specific TA offset value notified from the base station to the timing adjustment value based on the position information becomes the TA value.

[0073] For example, the terminal determines the value TA final used for timing adjustment using Equation (1), Equation (2), and Equation (3). Note that TA final determined by Equation (1), TA NTN_offset determined by Equation (2), and TA coarse determined by Equation (3) may be in units of ns (nano second), for example.

Equation

[0074] The first term on the right-hand side of equation (1) above is the same as in the Rel.15 NR specification. Furthermore, as described in TS38.211 V15.8.0 Section 4.1, Tc = 0.509ns, and N TA This is a correction value based on the TA command transmitted from the base station. For example, in the case of PRACH transmission, N TA N becomes zero. TAoffset This is an offset value used for timing adjustments between different base stations. The TA value is calculated using equation (1). final For example, the T described in section 4.3.1 of TS38.211V15.8.0 TA This is synonymous with the first term of equation (1), which is the same as in the Rel.15 NR specification, and the correction term TA for NTN is expressed by equation (2). NTN_offset This will be an addition to the existing Rel.15 NR specification, allowing for extension to NTN with minimal changes.

[0075] TA location This represents the round-trip propagation delay time calculated based on location information. For example, TA location This can be represented as ns.

[0076] Equation (3) 10 6 / 2 μ The term represents the slot length for the parameter μ representing the subcarrier interval, and the unit may be expressed in ns, for example. For example, the parameter μ representing the subcarrier interval is defined as μ = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 for subcarrier intervals of 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, and 240 kHz, respectively. 6 / 2 μ The term is a type of scaling value and may be any other value.

[0077] M offset,cell This is the cell-specific TA offset. The cell-specific TA offset indicates, for example, the number of slots to shift. coarse This offset, described later, is set to zero when transmitting PRACH. Note that these offsets may indicate the offset time (e.g., in milliseconds) instead of the number of slots. In the case of an offset indicating time, the offset and the slot length are represented by 10. 6 / 2 μ Multiplication with the term does not have to occur, or it may be multiplied or divided by another coefficient.

[0078] Note that in equation (1), the correction term TA NTN_offset It can also be normalized by Tc and expressed as shown in equation (4) below.

number

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in equation (2) above, TA NTN_offset Within that, the timing adjustment value TA is based on location information. location The timing adjustment value TA is based on the cell-specific offset and coarse offset notified from the base station. coarse This disclosure includes, but is not limited to, location-based timing adjustment values ​​TA. location is, N TA Include it in TA NTN_offset This may include only timing adjustment values ​​based on cell-specific offsets and / or coarse offsets notified by the base station.

[0080] The terminal calculates the above TA value (TA) from the reference reception timing of the downlink such as SSB. final The uplink signal is transmitted at an earlier timing to compensate for the difference.

[0081] Figure 9 shows an example of timing adjustment using cell-specific TA offset values ​​and timing adjustment values ​​based on position information.

[0082] Figure 9 illustrates the DL transmit slot and UL receive slot of a base station (gNB), and the DL receive slot and UL transmit slot of a terminal (UE). The horizontal axis in Figure 9 represents the time axis.

[0083] Figure 9 shows an example of an uplink signal transmitted at a transmission timing that is advanced by the TA value from the reference reception timing of the downlink. The TA value in Figure 9 is represented by the sum of the cell-specific offset value and the timing adjustment value based on position information.

[0084] Furthermore, "DL-UL timing difference due to feeder link delay" in Figure 9 shows the DL-UL timing difference caused by feeder link delay when cell-specific offset values ​​are not used.

[0085] By using cell-specific TA offset values, base stations can reduce DL-UL timing differences caused by, for example, feeder link delays.

[0086] The round-trip propagation delay in satellite communications can result in DL-UL timing differences of several hundred ms. Depending on the base station implementation, managing DL-UL timing differences can be difficult. As mentioned above, by using cell-specific TA offsets, DL-UL timing differences can be controlled to a manageable extent by the base station (e.g., within 10 ms). In the case of non-geostationary satellites such as LEO, the propagation delay of the feeder link changes according to the position of the non-geostationary satellite, which changes over time. Therefore, a cell-specific TA offset value that corrects the shortest delay amount of the feeder link delay time may be used. Since the DL-UL timing difference only needs to be corrected to a degree that can be easily managed by the base station, by notifying the terminal of values ​​with coarse granularity, such as per slot and per OFDM symbol, the increase in notification overhead can be suppressed, and it is possible to handle long-latency environments of satellite communications such as NTN environments.

[0087] Furthermore, the information broadcast from the base station (e.g., SIB) may include the time rate of change of the feeder link propagation delay time (Timing drift rate). The terminal calculates the current time TA offset (i.e., TA) from the cell-specific TA offset and time rate of change broadcast from the base station. NTN_offset You may calculate ).

[0088] <s103> The base station receives the PRACH and detects the difference between the base station reference timing and the PRACH reception timing. The base station determines a TA command 1 (Fine TA command in Figure 8) to correct the timing corresponding to the detected difference and transmits a PDSCH containing the determined TA command 1. TA command 1 may be, for example, a TA command similar to Rel.15 NR. The response to the terminal in S103, which includes TA command 1, may also be called a RACH response (RAR).

[0089] The CP length of PRACH is set to a value longer than the CP length of PUSCH. Therefore, even if PRACH is received within the CP length of PRACH, the reception timing of the PUSCH transmitted by the terminal after PRACH at the base station may fall outside the CP length. In this step, the base station sends TA command 1 to control the terminal's transmission timing so that it falls within the CP length of PUSCH.

[0090] <s104> The terminal transmits a PUSCH signal within the time and frequency resources specified by the RAR. The time resources are notified by the base station via SIB. offset,cell This corresponds to the slot number that has been offset by the amount, and the terminal transmits at the timing when it will be received in the slot with this slot number at the base station. At this time, the terminal further adjusts the timing from the timing of PRACH transmission according to the notified TA command 1. For example, in equation (1), N TA The TA was determined using the value of TA command 1. final Use this to adjust the timing and send a PUSCH message.

[0091] Furthermore, the terminal may notify the base station of timing information (TA value report in Figure 8). For example, the terminal determines the TA using equation (1). final It may also be announced that the TA is an unknown value at the base station. NTN_offset or TA location This may also be notified. In either case, the notification is rounded to a coarse granularity, such as in slot length units or OFDM symbol length units. For example, the conversion to a coarse granularity can be done using round or floor operations. This notification is used by the base station to control the allocation slots for PUSCH and / or HARQ-ACK, so it may be a notification with a coarse granularity, such as in slot units. By using a coarse granular notification, the notification overhead can be reduced. In addition, the timing information that the terminal notifies the base station is TA final TA NTN_offset or TA location Alternatively, these values ​​may be normalized by the slot length and expressed as relative values ​​from, for example, values ​​notified to the entire cell by broadcast information. For example, the values ​​notified to the entire cell by broadcast information are cell-specific K values ​​indicating the transmission timing of PUSCH and HARQ-ACK relative to the timing of DCI and PDSCH. offset,cell It may also be possible for the terminal to use PUSCH or HARQ-ACK. offset,cell Information may be notified that is expressed as a relative value of how far back (e.g., by slot) the transmission can be made from the cell-specific timing set by the system. Expressing the information notified by the terminal as a relative value can reduce notification overhead. In addition, since the propagation delay amount changes as the satellite moves and the terminal's transmission timing also changes, the rate of change of the propagation delay amount and transmission timing, for example, the time it takes for the timing to change by one slot length (e.g., the number of slots), may also be notified. This allows the base station to calculate the timing change for each terminal due to the satellite's movement, and thus the terminal-specific timing offset value K described later can be used. adj,UE It can be properly controlled. Also, the terminal is TA location Alternatively, location information obtained via GNSS can be notified, or TA location Both the signal and location information may be notified. The location information to be notified may be, for example, location information with a granularity of about 1 km, or location information limited to the decimal values ​​of latitude and longitude, so that the calculation error of the propagation delay is less than or equal to a predetermined value. For example, the location information to be notified may have a granularity corresponding to the slot length (or subcarrier interval) so that the calculation error of the propagation delay is less than or equal to the slot length. In addition, the location information may be reused from information used for bandover control, etc.

[0092] <s105> The base station transmits information for resolving conflicts in random access and / or RRC configuration information using PDSCH. For example, the base station transmits a MAC CE that includes TA command 2 (Coarse TA command in Figure 8). TA command 2 is, for example, a timing adjustment command with granularity on a slot-by-slot basis. In S104, the base station sets TA command 2 based on the TA value information notified from the terminal.

[0093] For example, the larger the TA value notified from the terminal to the base station, the longer the propagation delay; therefore, the base station may set the TA command 2 notified to the terminal to a smaller value. In this case, the slots allocated by DCI for PUSCH and / or HARQ-ACK will be the later timing slots, i.e., slots with larger slot numbers. The terminal can send PUSCH or HARQ-ACK after receiving DCI or PDSCH and having sufficient preparation time for transmission.

[0094] On the other hand, the smaller the TA value notified by the terminal, the shorter the propagation delay, so TA command 2 can be a larger value. In this case, the slots for PUSCH and / or HARQ-ACK will be earlier timing slots, i.e., slots with smaller slot numbers. If the propagation delay is relatively short, even if the terminal is adjusted to an earlier timing with TA command 2, it can still send PUSCH or HARQ-ACK after receiving DCI or PDSCH and having sufficient preparation time to transmit. For example, K offset,cell If the setting is adjusted to match the propagation delay at the terminal furthest from the satellite within the cell, the TA command 2 notified to the terminal furthest from the satellite may be set to zero. In this case, terminals closer to the satellite may be notified with a larger value for TA command 2. This type of control enables lower latency transmission for terminals closer to the satellite.

[0095] Furthermore, if location information is notified from the terminal in S104, the base station may estimate the terminal's TA value based on the notified location information and set TA command 2 in the same manner as described above.

[0096] Additionally, TA command 2 may be included in the RRC configuration information and sent.

[0097] <s106> The terminal adjusts the timing for subsequent PUSCH and HARQ-ACK transmissions using the M in equation (2). coarse The TA value determined by setting it to the value notified by TA command 2 (TA of equation (1)) final Use ).

[0098] Figure 10 shows an example of timing adjustment using each TA, including TA command 2.

[0099] Figure 10 illustrates the DL transmit slot and UL receive slot of a base station (gNB), and the DL receive slot and UL transmit slot of a terminal (UE). The horizontal axis in Figure 10 represents the time axis.

[0100] In Figure 10, "Coarse TA" indicates the TA notified by TA command 2. In Figure 10, "Fine TA" indicates the TA notified by TA command 1. "TA based on GNSS / ephemeris" and "Cell specific TA offset" in Figure 10 may be the same as "TA based on GNSS / ephemeris" and "Cell specific TA offset" shown in Figure 9, respectively.

[0101] Furthermore, "Cell specific timing" in Figure 10 is the timing of the base station's PUSCH reception in the case of transmissions that do not use TA command 2, such as the transmission of msg3 mentioned above. For example, within a given cell, it is set to a timing that allows transmission even for the terminal furthest from the satellite, taking into account the round-trip propagation delay time. On the other hand, because the timing is adjusted for the furthest terminal, it results in unnecessary delays for terminals closer to the satellite. As shown in Figure 10, by using coarse TA notified by TA command 2, the transmission and reception timing of PUSCH can be made earlier than the Cell specific timing.

[0102] Here, M in equation (2) coarse This may be converted according to the granularity of TA command 2. For example, if the granularity is in OFDM symbol units, the value notified by TA command 2 (value in slot units) may be converted to an OFDM symbol unit value by dividing it by 14, which is the number of OFDM symbols per slot.

[0103] <S107、S108> If the satellite and / or terminal move beyond a certain distance threshold, the terminal recalculates the propagation delay using GNSS position information and position information from the satellite ephemeris, and calculates the TA in equation (1). location Update and transmit uplink. location The update may be performed not only when the satellite and / or terminal move beyond a threshold, but also, for example, at predetermined intervals. Alternatively, TA location The update may be performed both when the satellite and / or terminal move beyond a threshold and at predetermined intervals.

[0104] Also, TA location The update may be performed based on the change in the detection timing of the first path of the received signal from the base station. TS38.133 V15.6.0 section 7 for terrestrial networks uses a timing one TA value earlier than the downlink timing (i.e., the timing of the first path of the received signal) as the reference timing, and the timing error, which is the difference between the reference timing and the transmission timing, is a predetermined value T. e It is stated that the transmission timing should be adjusted so as not to exceed a certain value. In NTN, the downlink timing changes with the movement of the satellite, so the reference timing changes. Therefore, in this method, the difference between the reference timing and the transmission timing is set to a predetermined value (T e ) so that it does not exceed TA location The TA value is updated, and transmission is performed using the updated TA value at the transmission timing. Similar to terrestrial networks, the timing error is set to a predetermined value (T e ) so as not to exceed the limit, the terminal side will TA location By updating the settings, the change in reception timing from terminals observed at the base station will fall below a predetermined value, allowing for base station reception processing similar to that of terrestrial networks, thus enabling the sharing and simplification of base station equipment.

[0105] TA location The update frequency and period, or the threshold for travel distance, may be notified by the base station. Instead of the travel distance threshold, the amount of change in the TA value associated with travel may be notified. location The update frequency and period, or the threshold for the distance traveled, may be predetermined values.

[0106] Furthermore, if the round-trip propagation delay changes by more than a predetermined value (for example, more than the time equivalent to 1 / 2 slot), the terminal may notify the base station of the corrected timing value information and / or location information, similar to S104. If the round-trip propagation delay does not change by more than a predetermined value, the terminal may transmit user data without notifying the corrected timing value information and / or location information. Here, for example, when notifying the terminal's location information, even if the propagation delay changes due to satellite movement, the base station can determine the amount of change in TA based on the previously notified terminal location information for stationary terminals or terminals whose movement is below a threshold. Therefore, it is possible to avoid frequently notifying the terminal's location information and reduce the overhead of notifying location information.

[0107] <s109> If the base station detects that the round-trip propagation delay of a terminal has changed by more than a predetermined value (for example, by more than one slot), it will send TA command 2 to change the assigned slot for the terminal's PUSCH and / or HARQ-ACK.

[0108] As shown in the sequence chart above, the terminal performs two types of timing adjustments: relatively fine-grained timing adjustments and relatively coarse-grained timing adjustments. Furthermore, the terminal performs different timing adjustments depending on the channel and / or the signal being transmitted.

[0109] The information notified from the base station to the terminal in the above sequence diagram is an example, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the information notified by TA command 2 in S105 and S109 above may be an offset value (K) for the assigned slot instead of a TA command. adj,UE ) may be notified by the offset value (K adj,UE ) is, for example, a timing adjustment value specific to each terminal.

[0110] Offset value (K adj,UE If notified by ), M in formula (2) coarse It may not be used or may be set to zero. Also, the offset value (K adj,UE If notified by ), the terminal will assign the PUSCH slot to "n + K2 + K offset,cell - K adj,UE This is interpreted as follows: Here, n is the slot from which the DCI assigning PUSCH was sent, and K2 is the value notified by the DCI. For example, K2 is set to the time required to prepare for PUSCH transmission after receiving the DCI, and / or the time until the next available uplink slot for transmission. Offset value (K adj,UE ) can take negative values. Also, the offset value (K adj,UE ) is K offset,cell It may also be expressed by a relative value from (K adj,UE ) may be used not only for assigning PUSCH but also for notifying PDSCH of a slot for HARQ-ACK. Also, the base station may tell the terminal (K offset,cell - K adj,UE ) The value K corresponding to offset,UE The device will be notified, and the terminal will be K offset,cell Instead, K was notified from the base station. offset,UE You can also use values.

[0111] Figure 11 shows K adj,UE This figure shows an example of timing adjustment using information including this.

[0112] Figure 11 illustrates the DL transmit slot and UL receive slot of a base station (gNB), and the DL receive slot and UL transmit slot of a terminal (UE). The horizontal axis in Figure 11 represents the time axis.

[0113] In Figure 11, the terminal selects the PUSCH allocation slot from the slot designated as "Cell specific timing" to K adj,UE The slot is determined to be shifted by the offset value.

[0114] Note that in Figure 11, when determining the allocation slot for PUSCH, K adj,UE While examples of the use of offset values ​​have been shown, this disclosure is not limited to these examples. For example, in determining the transmit slot for HARQ-ACK transmission and / or SRS, K adj,UE The offset value may be applied. When the offset value is applied to HARQ-ACK transmission, n may be the PDSCH slot targeted by HARQ-ACK. Also, when the offset value is applied to SRS transmission, n may be the DCI slot instructing SRS transmission. Instead of a TA command, K offset,cell Since information indicating the offset from is notified, the amount of information to be notified can be reduced. The granularity of the offset to be notified can be in slot units or OFDM symbol units. Using OFDM symbol units allows for finer timing control. Also, depending on the channel and / or signal, K adj,UE The offset value may be left unapplied, or a different offset value may be used.

[0115] In this embodiment 1, by performing both fine-grained and coarse-grained timing control, the increase in notification overhead is suppressed, and terminal transmission timing control suitable for satellite communication environments with long propagation delays and large differences in propagation delays between terminals can be achieved.

[0116] (Embodiment 2) In this second embodiment, timing adjustment is performed by path tracking.

[0117] [Device Configuration] The configuration of the terminal according to this second embodiment may be the same as the configuration of the terminal 100 shown in the first embodiment. However, processing in the timing adjustment unit 104 of the terminal 100 shown in the first embodiment is added.

[0118] The timing adjustment unit 104 tracks the reception timing of SSB, PDCCH, PDSCH, or TRS (Tracking RS) received by the wireless receiver unit 107 and calculates a timing adjustment value corresponding to the amount of change in the reception timing. If multiple paths (for example, delayed waves) are detected, the reception timing to be tracked may be the timing of the first path. The timing adjustment unit 104 then performs timing adjustment using one or more of the timing adjustment values ​​calculated based on path tracking and the timing adjustment values ​​shown in Embodiment 1.

[0119] [Example of timing adjustment] Next, the timing adjustment in this second embodiment will be described.

[0120] For example, the terminal uses equations (5) and (6) to determine the value TA used for timing adjustment. final Determine the TA determined by equation (5). final For example, the unit can be nanoseconds (ns).

number

[0121] In addition, in Formula (5) and Formula (6), for parameters similar to those in Formula (1), Formula (2), and Formula (3), the description is omitted. Formula (5) is the same as Formula (1), but the second term on the right side is represented by Formula (6). In the right side of Formula (6), TA path is added to the parameter on the right side of Formula (2). TA path is the value of timing adjustment by path following.

[0122] The terminal may selectively use a case where timing adjustment based on position information is performed according to the terminal's uplink transmission channel and / or transmission timing, and a case where, in addition to the timing adjustment based on position information, timing adjustment by path following is performed. For example, in the case of performing timing adjustment based on position information (in other words, the case where timing adjustment is not performed by path following), TA path may be set to zero. Which of the two cases to use may be instructed to the terminal by control information from the base station. Alternatively, rules may be defined in advance, and the terminal may selectively use them according to the defined rules.

[0123] For example, examples of applying the two cases are shown below.

[0124] aThe case of performing timing adjustment based on position information, that is, the case where timing adjustment by path following is not performed, is, for example, the following cases. ]>·PRACH transmission ·SRS transmission ·The first transmission after waking up from the sleep period (long sleep and / or short sleep) of DRX ·The first transmission after the TA valid timer expires ·Transmission in the IDLE or INACTIVE state

[0125] Furthermore, the following are examples of cases where timing adjustments are performed based on location information and timing adjustments are performed by following the path. • RRC_CONNECTED status • Sending a message for the second time or later after waking up from sleep mode

[0126] Next, we will explain an example of timing control using the timing adjustment values ​​mentioned above.

[0127] Figure 12 shows an example of a sequence chart relating to timing control in this second embodiment. Similar to Figure 8, Figure 12 shows an example of the signals (or channels used for transmitting and receiving signals) transmitted and received between the terminal 100 (UE) and the base station 200 (gNB), and the timing adjustment values ​​used by the UE for signal transmission. Note that in Figure 12, the same reference numbers are used for processes similar to those in Figure 8, and explanations may be omitted.

[0128] <s201> The gNB (base station) transmits SSB and SIB. The SSB and SIB may be transmitted periodically. The SSB contains signals for synchronization and cell-specific basic control information. Also, the SIB contains cell-specific information for the terminal to access the base station, etc. Further, information indicating the position of the satellite (e.g., satellite ephemeris) may be included in the SIB. The cell-specific TA offset is included in the SIB.

[0129] <S204 and S205> Based on the position information in the PRACH transmission (S102 in FIG. 12), the terminal stores the SSB reception timing (first path timing) in the calculation of the timing adjustment value TA location Then, the terminal receives the SSB, PDCCH, or PDSCH at a certain interval and monitors the change in the timing of the first path. When there is a certain change, the terminal changes (updates) the transmission timing. Let the amount of change in the path timing be Δ path In this case, the terminal determines that TA path = 2×Δ path In equation (3), the terminal uses each timing adjustment value including TA path to determine TA final and performs timing adjustment using the determined TA final to transmit PUSCH.

[0130] Also, when the amount of change in the reception timing of the path exceeds a threshold, the terminal may update the timing. The interval for updating the TA value and / or the threshold of the amount of change for determining whether to update the TA value may be specified by the base station or determined in advance.

[0131] Similar to Embodiment 1, the terminal notifies the base station of timing information (e.g., at least one of the TA value and position information) (TA value report in FIG. 12). For example, the terminal reports TA location and TA path The sum of these values ​​may be notified. Alternatively, the terminal may round the value to a coarse granularity, such as in units of slot length or OFDM symbol length, as in Embodiment 1, and notify the result.

[0132] The terminal will go to sleep if there is no data to communicate. For the sleep operation, the same DRX operation as described in Rel.15 NR in TS38.321 may be used. Note that the terminal's sleep is not limited to communication sleep when there is no data to communicate; it may also be interpreted as, for example, CPU sleep.

[0133] <s206> The terminal obtains its location information in its first transmission after waking up from sleep (for example, a PUSCH transmission). If the satellite's position has changed, the terminal uses the changed satellite's position information. Then, the terminal... location Update the settings, adjust the timing, and send a PUSCH transmission. Note that the terminal here is the TA. path Set it to zero (reset or clear it).

[0134] <s207> After the terminal wakes up from sleep, the position of the satellite or the terminal is likely to have changed. Therefore, the terminal may notify the base station of the timing information (e.g., TA value). Whether to notify the base station of the timing information may be specified by the base station (notified in SIB) depending on the type of satellite (geostationary satellite, non-geostationary satellite), etc., or may be set for each terminal depending on the moving speed and / or type of the terminal, etc., or may be notified for each terminal.

[0135] <S208 and S209> Similar to S204 and S205, the terminal updates the TA path by path tracking. Here, the terminal does not need to update the TA location .

[0136] As in the sequence chart described above, the terminal performs two timing adjustments: a relatively fine-grained timing adjustment and a relatively coarse-grained timing adjustment. Also, the terminal performs different timing adjustments according to the channel and / or the signal to be transmitted. Also, the terminal determines the TA path by path tracking, and performs timing adjustment using the timing adjustment value including the TA path .

[0137] Although an example in which the terminal sleeps in S206 and wakes up (wake up) in S207 has been shown, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the same applies to the return from IDLE or INACTIVE, or the return from the expiration of the TA timer. The TA timer may be the timeAlignmentTimer described in TS38.321 V15.8.0.

[0138] In the sequence chart described above, as in Embodiment 1, K offset,cell , K adj,UE , and the TA command 2 (coarse TA) may be used, may not be used, or a predetermined value may be used. The base station may explicitly notify of invalidation or may notify a predetermined value. <F

[0139] In this embodiment 2, by performing both fine-grained and coarse-grained timing control, the increase in notification overhead is suppressed, and terminal transmission timing control suitable for satellite communication environments with long propagation delays and large differences in propagation delays between terminals can be achieved. Furthermore, in this embodiment 2, appropriate terminal transmission timing control can be achieved by using timing adjustment values ​​based on path tracking in the timing control.

[0140] When timing adjustments are made using terminal and satellite position information (e.g., GNSS / ephemeris position information), errors occur in non-line-of-sight environments (e.g., environments where there are no direct waves but reflected or diffracted waves arrive) compared to the actual propagation path. This error can be corrected by TA commands transmitted from the base station, but if the timing adjustment using GNSS / ephemeris position information is redone every time the terminal or satellite position changes, errors will occur again, and the correction with TA commands will have to be redone again.

[0141] Therefore, by performing corrections using path tracking instead of frequently readjusting timing based on GNSS / ephemeris position information, the accuracy of timing control can be maintained, and frequent transmission of TA commands from the base station can be avoided. In addition, overhead can be reduced along with improved timing accuracy. Furthermore, in cases where no signal has been received for a long period, such as during sleep mode, and / or the first transmission after some functions have been disabled, there is a high possibility that path tracking has not been achieved. In such cases, performing timing adjustments based on GNSS / ephemeris position information can maintain a certain level of timing accuracy.

[0142] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above.

[0143] Although the embodiments described above were explained using an NTN environment (e.g., a satellite communication environment) as an example, this disclosure is not limited thereto. This disclosure may also be applied to other communication environments (e.g., LTE and / or NR terrestrial cellular environments).

[0144] Furthermore, the "...part" in the above-described embodiment may be a "...circuitry", a "...device", a "...unit", or a "...module".

[0145] Furthermore, Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 may be used in combination.

[0146] In the above embodiment, an example using GNSS such as GPS (i.e., position detection using satellite signals) is described, but position detection may also be performed using ground cellular base stations, WiFi signals and / or Bluetooth® signals, acceleration sensors, or a combination thereof. In addition to latitude and longitude, the position information may also include altitude information. Furthermore, the position information may be values ​​of a separately defined coordinate system. Altitude information may be obtained from a barometric pressure sensor or the like.

[0147] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the terminal notifies the base station of at least one of the TA value and location information. However, the timing of the notification (notification trigger) may differ from that of the above embodiment. For example, the notification trigger may be based on other indicators, such as the change in channel quality, instead of the change in TA value or location. For example, RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power), RSRQ (Reference Signal Received Quality), SINR (Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio), etc., may be used as channel quality. The indicators used and the thresholds for the change amounts may be configured by the base station.

[0148] Furthermore, the base station may instruct which information to transmit, such as TA values ​​and location information.

[0149] Cell-specific TA offset and K offset,cell These may notify the difference from the value notified by the cell parameter (for example, the value corresponding to the RTT near the center of the cell). Notifying the difference can reduce the amount of information to be notified.

[0150] In the above embodiment, the TA command 1, which controls with fine granularity, may use the TA command of Rel15 NR without changing its granularity and range. By using it without changing the granularity and range, the amount of implementation changes between the terminal and the base station can be reduced. In addition, the granularity and range of TA command 2 may be notified from the base station via SIB or the like. This allows notification of TA command 2 to be implemented with an appropriate number of bits (for example, the minimum number of bits) depending on the cell size and satellite altitude, thereby reducing notification overhead. offset Ya K adj,UE The granularity and range may also be notified from the base station via SIB or similar means.

[0151] TA command 1 may be expressed as a relative value to TA command 1 transmitted at the previous transmission timing, or as a control value relative to the TA value transmitted at the previous transmission timing. In this case, N in equation (1) TA This uses the cumulative value of the TA command 1 values ​​received so far. Furthermore, TA command 2 may be expressed as a relative value from TA command 2 transmitted at the previous transmission timing, or as a control value relative to the TA value transmitted at the previous transmission timing. In this case, M in equation (2) coarse This uses the accumulated value of the TA command 2 values ​​received so far.

[0152] Cell-specific TA offset and / or K offset,cell This may be a beam-specific value associated with the SSB. In this case, the amount of information to be notified may be reduced by notifying the difference from the value notified on a cell-by-cell basis. It may also be called a common timing offset.

[0153] The signals and / or information broadcast from the base station may be transmitted in SSB and / or SIB, or in a manner that can be received by multiple terminals, for example, in a group-common DCI format (DCI format 2_x, etc.). Furthermore, if multiple terminals use the same timing adjustment value by notifying multiple terminals of TA command 1 and / or TA command 2 together, TA command 1 and / or TA command 2 may be transmitted in a group-common DCI format (DCI format 2_x, etc.).

[0154] Furthermore, although the above embodiment uses two types of timing adjustment values ​​with different granularity and range, they may be the same in granularity and range, or one of them may be different. Also, three or more types of timing adjustment values ​​with different granularity and range may be used. In addition, the cell-specific TA offset may be used for purposes other than those described above. For example, a fine-grained adjustment value may be used as an offset value added to absorb errors in terminal position information and / or satellite position information. NTN_offset This may include both fine-grained and coarse-grained adjustment elements.

[0155] Furthermore, control by TA commands of NR Rel.15 (for example, N as described in TS38.213 section 4.2) TA ) A timing adjustment value with a finer granularity and a timing adjustment value with a coarser granularity may be used. Alternatively, a timing adjustment value with a Tc granularity and a timing adjustment value with a coarser granularity may be used. Furthermore, the coarser granularity timing adjustment value may be the granularity of the slot length and / or the OFDM symbol length. The slot length and / or OFDM symbol length may be values ​​that depend on the SCS (subcarrier spacing) or values ​​that do not depend on it.

[0156] Furthermore, the base station may notify the terminal of granularity information such as the scaling factor (coefficient) of the cell-specific TA offset. For example, the terminal may use the notified cell-specific TA offset value multiplied by the scaling factor as the TA offset value. By adjusting the scaling factor according to the operating environment, such as the beam size, the range of the TA offset value can be adjusted using the same number of bits for the cell-specific TA offset in the broadcast information.

[0157] In the above embodiment, timing adjustment based on GNSS / ephemeris position information and timing adjustment by path tracking are performed autonomously by the terminal, not by commands from the base station. The base station detects the reception timing of the signal received from the terminal, but if the reception timing changes significantly within the averaging window during detection, the accuracy of reception timing detection may deteriorate. Therefore, the timing adjustment performed autonomously by the terminal may have a minimum interval and / or minimum timing change range defined, and the terminal may be set to change within the defined range. In addition, information regarding the minimum interval and / or minimum change range may be notified from the base station to the terminal.

[0158] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the terminal may perform timing adjustments based on GNSS / ephemeris position information and path tracking triggered by instructions from the base station.

[0159] The cell may be an area defined by the received power of SSB and / or CSI-RS transmitted by the base station (or satellite), or it may be an area defined by its geographical location. Furthermore, the cell in the above embodiment may be replaced by a beam defined by SSB.

[0160] Satellite ephemeris information, which is information about the position of a satellite, may be broadcast through system information or other means, or it may be held in advance by the terminal (or base station). The terminal (or base station) may also update the Satellite ephemeris information when communication is possible. The terminal (or base station) may also determine the position of the satellite using other information. Furthermore, the Satellite ephemeris information, as information indicating the position of the satellite, may be in a format called TLE (Two Line Elements) format, or it may be PV (Position and Velocity) information, which is information about position and velocity / direction of movement.

[0161] In the above embodiment, a case in which location information can be used was described. However, for terminals without GNSS functionality and / or terminals that cannot obtain information regarding the position of satellites, timing control may be performed according to cell-common timing control information broadcast from the base station instead of timing control based on location information. In this case, the base station may transmit timing control information corresponding to the propagation delay amount near the center of the cell.

[0162] In the case of PUSCH assignment via Configured Grant, i.e., not PUSCH assignment via DCI, the slot timing of PUSCH transmission is not adjusted in relation to the DCI reception timing, so the terminal may send PUSCH without using TA command 2.

[0163] The uses of cell-specific TA offsets, TA command 1, TA command 2, and TA value notifications from the terminal are not limited to those described above.

[0164] In systems using multiple cells, component carriers, or transmission / reception points, where there are multiple TA groups (TAGs), the TA control described in this embodiment may be performed for each TA group. Furthermore, some parameters, such as cell-specific TA offsets, may be common to all TA groups.

[0165] Although the timing adjustment values ​​based on positional information are described as fine-grained timing adjustment values, they may also be considered coarse-grained timing adjustment values ​​depending on the accuracy of the positional information.

[0166] A base station may be referred to as a gNodeB or gNB. A terminal may be referred to as a UE.

[0167] Slots may be replaced with time slots, mini slots, frames, subframes, etc.

[0168] <5G NR System Architecture and Protocol Stack> 3GPP is continuing work on the next release of fifth-generation mobile phone technology (also simply called "5G"), which includes the development of new radio access technologies (NR) operating in the frequency range up to 100 GHz. The initial version of the 5G standard was completed at the end of 2017, which will enable the prototyping and commercial deployment of devices (e.g., smartphones) that comply with the 5G NR standard.

[0169] For example, the system architecture as a whole assumes an NG-RAN (Next Generation - Radio Access Network) with gNBs. The gNBs provide the UE-side termination for the user plane (SDAP / PDCP / RLC / MAC / PHY) and control plane (RRC) protocols of the NG radio access. The gNBs are connected to each other by Xn interfaces. Furthermore, the gNBs are connected to the NGC (Next Generation Core) by Next Generation (NG) interfaces, more specifically to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) (e.g., a specific core entity performing AMF) by NG-C interfaces, and to the UPF (User Plane Function) (e.g., a specific core entity performing UPF) by NG-U interfaces. The NG-RAN architecture is shown in Figure 13 (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300 v15.6.0, section 4).

[0170] The NR user plane protocol stack (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300, section 4.4.1) includes the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol (see section 6.4 of TS 38.300)) sublayer, RLC (Radio Link Control (see section 6.3 of TS 38.300)) sublayer, and MAC (Medium Access Control (see section 6.2 of TS 38.300)) sublayer, which are terminated on the network side in gNB. Additionally, a new Access Stratum (AS) sublayer (SDAP: Service Data Adaptation Protocol) is introduced on top of PDCP (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300, section 6.5). Furthermore, a control plane protocol stack is defined for NR (see, for example, TS 38.300, section 4.4.2). An overview of Layer 2 functionality is described in section 6 of TS 38.300. The functions of the PDCP sublayer, RLC sublayer, and MAC sublayer are listed in sections 6.4, 6.3, and 6.2 of TS 38.300, respectively. The functions of the RRC layer are listed in section 7 of TS 38.300.

[0171] For example, the Medium-Access-Control layer handles scheduling and scheduling-related functions, including the multiplexing of logical channels and the handling of various neural networks.

[0172] For example, the Physical Layer (PHY) is responsible for coding, PHY HARQ processing, modulation, multi-antenna processing, and mapping signals to appropriate physical time-frequency resources. The Physical Layer also handles the mapping of transport channels to physical channels. The Physical Layer provides services to the MAC layer in the form of transport channels. A physical channel corresponds to a set of time-frequency resources used for transmitting a particular transport channel, and each transport channel is mapped to a corresponding physical channel. For example, physical channels include uplink physical channels such as PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel), PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), and PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and downlink physical channels such as PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), and PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel).

[0173] Use cases / deployment scenarios for NR may include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine type communications (mMTC), each with diverse requirements in terms of data rate, latency, and coverage. For example, eMBB is expected to support peak data rates (20 Gbps on the downlink and 10 Gbps on the uplink) and effective (user-experienced) data rates approximately three times that of IMT-Advanced. URLLC, on the other hand, imposes more stringent requirements for ultra-low latency (0.5 ms for UL and DL respectively for user plane latency) and high reliability (1-10⁻⁵ within 1 ms). Finally, mMTC may preferably require high connectivity density (1,000,000 devices / km² in urban environments), wide coverage in harsh environments, and extremely long-lasting batteries (15 years) for low-cost devices.

[0174] Therefore, an OFDM neurology suitable for one use case (e.g., subcarrier spacing, OFDM symbol length, cyclic prefix (CP) length, number of symbols per scheduling interval) may not be effective for other use cases. For example, low-latency services may preferably require a shorter symbol length (and thus a larger subcarrier spacing) and / or fewer symbols per scheduling interval (also known as TTI) than mMTC services. Furthermore, deployment scenarios with large channel delay spreads may preferably require a longer CP length than scenarios with short delay spreads. The subcarrier spacing may be optimized on a case-by-case basis to maintain similar CP overhead. There may be one or more subcarrier spacing values ​​supported by NR. Accordingly, subcarrier spacings of 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz, etc. are currently being considered. The symbol length Tu and subcarrier spacing Δf are directly related by the equation Δf = 1 / Tu. Similar to LTE systems, the term “resource element” can be used to mean the smallest resource unit consisting of one subcarrier for the length of one OFDM / SC-FDMA symbol.

[0175] In the new 5G-NR wireless system, resource grids for subcarriers and OFDM symbols are defined for each neurology and each carrier, for both the uplink and downlink. Each element of the resource grid is called a resource element and is identified based on the frequency index in the frequency domain and the symbol position in the time domain (see 3GPP TS 38.211 v15.6.0).

[0176] <Functional separation between NG-RAN and 5GC in 5G NR> Figure 14 shows the functional separation between NG-RAN and 5GC. The logical nodes of NG-RAN are gNB or ng-eNB. 5GC has logical nodes AMF, UPF, and SMF.

[0177] For example, gNB and ng-eNB host the following main functions: - Radio resource management functions such as radio bearer control, radio admission control, connection mobility control, and dynamic allocation (scheduling) of resources to UEs on both uplink and downlink; - Compression, encryption, and integrity protection of the IP header of the data; - Selection of the AMF when the UE attaches if routing to the AMF cannot be determined from the information provided by the UE; - Routing of user plane data toward UPF; - Routing of control plane information to AMF; - Setting up and disconnecting connections; - Scheduling and sending paging messages; - Scheduling and transmission of system notification information (originating from AMF or Operation, Admission, Maintenance functions (OAM)); - Setting up measurements and measurement reporting for mobility and scheduling; - Transport-level packet marking on the uplink; - Session management; - Support for network slicing; - Management of QoS flows and mapping to data radio bearers; - Support for UEs in the RRC_INACTIVE state; - NAS message delivery function; - Sharing of wireless access network; - Dual connectivity; - Close cooperation between NR and E-UTRA.

[0178] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) hosts the following main functions: - A function to terminate Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling; - Security of NAS signaling; - Security control of Access Stratum (AS); - Core Network (CN) node-to-node signaling for mobility between 3GPP access networks; - Reachability of the UE in idle mode (including control and execution of paging retransmissions); - Management of registration areas; - Support for intra-system and inter-system mobility; - Access authentication; - Access authorization including roaming permission checks; - Mobility management and control (enrollment and policies); - Support for network slicing; - Selection of Session Management Function (SMF).

[0179] Furthermore, the User Plane Function (UPF) hosts the following main functions: - Anchor points for intra-RAT mobility / inter-RAT mobility (where applicable); - External PDU (Protocol Data Unit) session points for interconnection with data networks; - Routing and forwarding of packets; - Packet inspection and enforcement of policy rules in the user plane. - Reporting traffic usage; - Uplink classifier to support routing of traffic flow to data networks; - Branching Point for supporting multi-homed PDU sessions; - QoS processing for the user plane (e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement); - Verification of uplink traffic (mapping to the QoS flow of the SDF); - Downlink packet buffering and triggering function for downlink data notification.

[0180] Finally, the Session Management Function (SMF) hosts the following main functions: - Session management; - IP address allocation and management for the UE; - Selection and control of the UPF; - Traffic steering setting function in the User Plane Function (UPF) for routing traffic to the appropriate destination; - Enforcement of control plane policies and QoS; - Notification of downlink data.

[0181] <Procedures for RRC connection setup and reconfiguration> Figure 15 shows some of the interactions between the UE, gNB, and AMF (5GC entity) in the NAS part when the UE transitions from RRC_IDLE to RRC_CONNECTED (see TS 38.300 v15.6.0).

[0182] RRC is a higher-layer signaling protocol used for configuring UEs and gNBs. During this transition, the AMF prepares UE context data (including, for example, PDU session context, security key, UE Radio Capability, UE Security Capabilities, etc.) and sends it to the gNB along with an Initial Context Setup Request. The gNB then activates AS security together with the UE. This is done by the gNB sending a SecurityModeCommand message to the UE, to which the UE responds with a SecurityModeComplete message. Subsequently, the gNB sends an RRCReconfiguration message to the UE, and upon receiving an RRCReconfigurationComplete from the UE, the gNB reconfigures itself to set up the Signaling Radio Bearer 2 (SRB2) and Data Radio Bearer (DRB). For signaling-only connections, the RRCReconfiguration step is omitted because SRB2 and DRB are not set up. Finally, gNB notifies AMF that the setup procedure is complete with an Initial Context Setup Response.

[0183] Accordingly, this disclosure provides a 5th Generation Core (5GC) entity (e.g., AMF, SMF, etc.) comprising a control circuit that establishes a Next Generation (NG) connection with a gNodeB during operation, and a transmission unit that sends an initial context setup message to the gNodeB via the NG connection during operation so that a signaling radio bearer between the gNodeB and the user equipment (UE) is set up. Specifically, the gNodeB transmits Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, including an Information Element (IE), to the UE via the signaling radio bearer. The UE then transmits on the uplink or receives on the downlink based on the resource allocation setting.

[0184] <IMT Usage Scenarios from 2020 Onward> Figure 16 shows some use cases for 5G NR. The 3rd generation partnership project for new radio (3GPP NR) is considering three use cases envisioned by IMT-2020 to support a wide variety of services and applications. The first phase of specification development for enhanced mobile-broadband (eMBB) has been completed. Current and future work will include expanding eMBB support, as well as standardization for ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). Figure 16 shows some examples of conceptual use scenarios for IMT beyond 2020 (see, for example, ITU-R M.2083 Figure 14).

[0185] URLLC use cases have stringent performance requirements, such as throughput, latency, and availability. URLLC use cases are envisioned as one of the key technologies to enable future applications such as wireless control of industrial production or manufacturing processes, telemedicine surgery, automation of power transmission and distribution in smart grids, and traffic safety. The ultra-high reliability of URLLC is supported by identifying technologies that meet the requirements set by TR 38.913. In NR URLLC in Release 15, a key requirement is that the target user plane latency is 0.5 ms for UL (uplink) and 0.5 ms for DL ​​(downlink). The general URLLC requirement for a single packet transmission is a block error rate (BLER) of 1E-5 for a 32-byte packet size when the user plane latency is 1 ms.

[0186] From a physical layer perspective, reliability can be improved in many ways. Current room for reliability improvement includes defining a separate CQI table for URLLC, a more compact DCI format, and PDCCH iterations. However, this room for improvement may expand towards achieving ultra-high reliability as NR becomes more stable and developed (in terms of critical requirements for NR URLLC). Specific use cases for NR URLLC in Release 15 include augmented reality / virtual reality (AR / VR), e-health, e-safety, and mission-critical applications.

[0187] Furthermore, the technical enhancements targeted by NR URLLC aim to improve latency and reliability. Technical enhancements for latency improvement include configurable neurology, non-slot-based scheduling with flexible mapping, grant-free (configured grant) uplink, slot-level iteration on data channels, and preemption on downlink. Preemption means that a transmission for which a resource has already been allocated is stopped, and that allocated resource is used for other transmissions with lower latency / higher priority requirements that are requested later. Thus, transmissions that were already permitted are replaced by later transmissions. Preemption is applicable regardless of the specific service type. For example, a transmission of service type A (URLLC) may be replaced by a transmission of service type B (eMBB, etc.). Technical enhancements for reliability improvement include a dedicated CQI / MCS table for the 1E-5 target BLER.

[0188] A key characteristic of mMTC (massive machine type communication) use cases is the extremely large number of connected devices that typically transmit relatively small amounts of data that are less susceptible to latency. These devices require low cost and very long battery life. From a noise reduction (NR) perspective, utilizing a very narrow bandwidth is one solution that saves power from the user interface (UE) and extends battery life.

[0189] As mentioned above, the scope of reliability improvements in NR is expected to broaden. High reliability or very high reliability is a critical requirement in all cases, for example, for URLLC and mMTC. Several mechanisms can improve reliability from both a radio and network perspective. Generally, there are two to three key areas that can help improve reliability. These areas include compact control channel information, data channel / control channel repetition, and diversity in the frequency, time, and / or spatial domains. These areas are generally applicable to reliability improvements regardless of the specific communication scenario.

[0190] Regarding NR URLLC, further use cases with more stringent requirements are envisioned, such as factory automation, transportation, and power distribution. These stringent requirements include high reliability (up to 10⁻⁶ levels), high availability, packet size up to 256 bytes, and time synchronization down to a few microseconds (depending on the use case, the value can be 1 microsecond or a few microseconds depending on the frequency range and short latency of approximately 0.5 ms to 1 ms (e.g., 0.5 ms latency in the target user plane)).

[0191] Furthermore, for NR URLLC, several technical enhancements may be available from the perspective of the physical layer. These technical enhancements include enhancements to the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) related to compact DCI, repetition of the PDCCH, and increased monitoring of the PDCCH. Also, the enhancement of Uplink Control Information (UCI) is related to the enhancement of enhanced Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) and CSI feedback. Additionally, enhancements to the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) related to mini-slot level hopping, and enhancements to retransmission / repetition may be available. The term "mini-slot" refers to a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) that contains fewer symbols than a slot (a slot has 14 symbols).

[0192] <QoS Control> The 5G Quality of Service (QoS) model is based on QoS flows and supports both QoS flows that require a guaranteed flow bit rate (Guaranteed Bit Rate QoS flows, GBR) and QoS flows that do not require a guaranteed flow bit rate (non-GBR QoS flows). Therefore, at the NAS level, a QoS flow is the finest granularity QoS differentiation in a PDU session. A QoS flow is identified within a PDU session by a QoS Flow ID (QFI) that is carried in an encapsulation header over the NG-U interface.

[0193] For each UE, the 5GC establishes one or more PDU sessions. For each UE, the NG-RAN establishes at least one Data Radio Bearers (DRB) in accordance with the PDU session, as shown above, for example, referring to Figure 15. Additional DRBs for the QoS flow of that PDU session can be configured later (when this is done is up to the NG-RAN). The NG-RAN maps packets belonging to various PDU sessions to various DRBs. NAS-level packet filters in the UE and 5GC associate UL and DL packets with QoS flows, while AS-level mapping rules in the UE and NG-RAN associate UL and DL QoS flows with DRBs.

[0194] Figure 17 shows the non-roaming reference architecture for 5G NR (see TS 23.501 v16.1.0, section 4.23). An Application Function (AF) (for example, an external application server hosting 5G services, as illustrated in Figure 16) interacts with the 3GPP core network to provide services. This may involve accessing the Network Exposure Function (NEF) to support applications that affect traffic routing, or interacting with the policy framework for policy control (e.g., QoS control) (see Policy Control Function (PCF)). Based on operator deployment, Application Functions considered trusted by the operator can interact directly with the relevant Network Functions. Application Functions not authorized by the operator to directly access the Network Functions interact with the relevant Network Functions using an external exposure framework via the NEF.

[0195] Figure 17 further illustrates the functional units of the 5G architecture, namely the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), Network Repository Function (NRF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), and Data Network (DN, e.g., operator services, internet access, or third-party services). All or part of the core network functions and application services may be deployed and operate in a cloud computing environment.

[0196] Accordingly, the Disclosure provides an application server (e.g., AF in a 5G architecture) comprising: a transmitter that, in operation, transmits a request to at least one of the 5GC functions (e.g., NEF, AMF, SMF, PCF, UPF, etc.) that includes QoS requirements for at least one of the URLLC service, eMMB service, and mMTC service, in order to establish a PDU session including a radio bearer between the gNodeB and UE in accordance with QoS requirements; and a control circuit that, in operation, performs the service using the established PDU session.

[0197] This disclosure can be implemented in software, hardware, or software in conjunction with hardware. Each functional block used in the description of the above embodiments may be implemented in part or in whole as an integrated circuit (LSI), and each process described in the above embodiments may be controlled in part or in whole by a single LSI or a combination of LSIs. An LSI may consist of individual chips, or it may consist of a single chip that includes some or all of the functional blocks. An LSI may have data inputs and outputs. Depending on the degree of integration, LSIs may be referred to as ICs, system LSIs, super LSIs, or ultra LSIs.

[0198] The method of integration is not limited to LSIs; it may also be implemented using dedicated circuits, general-purpose processors, or dedicated processors. Furthermore, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) that can be programmed after LSI manufacturing, or reconfigurable processors that allow for the reconfiguration of the connections and settings of circuit cells within the LSI, may also be used. This disclosure may be implemented as digital or analog processing.

[0199] Furthermore, if advancements in semiconductor technology or other derived technologies lead to the emergence of integrated circuit technologies that replace LSIs, then naturally, it would be possible to use those technologies to integrate functional blocks. The application of biotechnology, for example, is a possibility.

[0200] This disclosure is applicable to all types of devices, systems, and equipment having communication capabilities (collectively referred to as communication equipment). Communication equipment may include a radio transceiver and a processing / control circuit. A radio transceiver may include a receiver and a transmitter, or both as functions. A radio transceiver (transmitter, receiver) may include an RF (Radio Frequency) module and one or more antennas. The RF module may include an amplifier, an RF modulator / demodulator, or similar. Non-exclusive examples of communication devices include telephones (mobile phones, smartphones, etc.), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (laptops, desktops, notebooks, etc.), cameras (digital still / video cameras, etc.), digital players (digital audio / video players, etc.), wearable devices (wearable cameras, smartwatches, tracking devices, etc.), game consoles, digital book readers, telehealth / telemedicine devices, vehicles or mobile transport with communication capabilities (cars, airplanes, ships, etc.), and combinations of the above-mentioned devices.

[0201] Communication devices are not limited to portable or movable devices, but also include all kinds of non-portable or fixed devices, devices, and systems, such as smart home devices (appliances, lighting equipment, smart meters or measuring instruments, control panels, etc.), vending machines, and any other "things" that may exist on an IoT (Internet of Things) network.

[0202] Communication includes data communication via cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, and communication satellite systems, as well as data communication using combinations of these.

[0203] In addition, the communication device also includes devices such as a controller and a sensor that are connected or coupled to a communication device that executes the communication function described in the present disclosure. For example, a controller and a sensor that generate a control signal or a data signal used by the communication device that executes the communication function of the communication device are included.

[0204] In addition, the communication device includes infrastructure facilities such as a base station, an access point, and any other device, device, and system that communicate with or control the above-described various non-limiting devices.

[0205] The transmission device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control circuit that controls transmission timing based on first information regarding control of the transmission timing of the signal in a signal transmission unit and second information regarding control of the transmission timing in a unit finer than the transmission unit, and a transmission circuit that performs signal transmission based on the control of the transmission timing by the control circuit.

[0206] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first information is at least one of third information unique to a cell, fourth information unique to the transmission device, and fifth information that instructs timing control.

[0207] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the second information is at least one of sixth information determined based on the position of the transmission device and the position of a receiving device that is a communication partner of the transmission device, seventh information determined from the path arrival timing of a signal that reaches the transmission device, and eighth information that instructs timing control.

[0208] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when at least one of the position of the transmission device, the position of the receiving device, and the change in the first value is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the transmission circuit transmits information regarding the eighth information to the receiving device.

[0209] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the information regarding the eighth information is at least one of the eighth information, the position information of the transmitting device, and the position information of the receiving device.

[0210] A transmission method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is such that a transmitting device controls a transmission timing based on first information regarding control of the transmission timing of a signal in a signal transmission unit and second information regarding control of the transmission timing in a unit finer than the transmission unit, and performs signal transmission based on the control of the transmission timing.

[0211] The disclosure contents of the specification, drawings, and abstract included in the Japanese application of Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-022772 filed on February 13, 2020 are all incorporated herein by reference.

Industrial Applicability

[0212] One aspect of the present disclosure is useful for a wireless communication system.

Explanation of Signs

[0213] 100 Terminal 101 PRACH Generation Unit 102, 206 Data Generation Unit 103 Position Information Acquisition Unit 104 Timing Adjustment Unit 105, 208 Wireless Transmission Unit 106, 201 Antenna 107, 202 Wireless Reception Unit 108 Demodulation / Decoding Unit 109, 209 Control Unit 200 Base Station 203 Data Reception Processing Unit 204 PRACH Detection Unit 205 Timing Information Generation Unit 207 Data Transmission Processing Unit

Claims

1. A control circuit generates first and second information for controlling the transmission timing of signal transmission in a first communication device, wherein the unit of the second information is finer than the unit of the first information. A transmitting circuit that transmits the first information and the second information to the first communication device, A second communication device comprising, The transmission timing is further controlled by a third piece of information, the third piece of information is determined based on the position of the first communication device and the position of the second communication device. When the value relating to the second information is greater than or equal to a threshold, the second communication device receives fifth information relating to the second information. The second communication device.

2. The first information is determined based on the third information specific to the cell and the fourth information specific to the second communication device. The second communication device according to claim 1.

3. The fifth piece of information has a coarser precision than the second piece of information and indicates the number of slots. The second communication device according to claim 1.

4. The first unit of information is the number of slots. The second communication device according to claim 1.

5. The second communication device is First information and second information are generated to control the transmission timing of signal transmission in the first communication device, and the unit of the second information is finer than the unit of the first information. The first information and the second information are transmitted to the first communication device. The transmission timing is further controlled by a third piece of information, the third piece of information is determined based on the position of the first communication device and the position of the second communication device. When the value relating to the second information is greater than or equal to a threshold, the second communication device receives fifth information relating to the second information. Communication method.

6. The first information is determined based on the third information specific to the cell and the fourth information specific to the second communication device. The communication method according to claim 5.

7. The fifth piece of information has a coarser precision than the second piece of information and indicates the number of slots. The communication method according to claim 5.

8. The first unit of information is the number of slots. The communication method according to claim 5.

9. An integrated circuit included in the second communication device, First information and second information are generated to control the transmission timing of signal transmission in the first communication device, and the unit of the second information is finer in processing than the unit of the first information. A process of transmitting the first information and the second information to the first communication device, The transmission timing is further controlled by a third piece of information, the third piece of information is determined based on the position of the first communication device and the position of the second communication device. When the value relating to the second information is greater than or equal to a threshold, the process of receiving the fifth information relating to the second information is controlled. Integrated circuit.

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