Timing advance reporting method and apparatus

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of terrestrial network communications. Provided are a timing advance reporting method and apparatus. The method comprises: a terminal device generating an information unit on the basis of an estimated timing advance, and sending the information unit to a non-terrestrial network device, wherein the information unit comprises a first feature field and a second feature field, the first feature field comprising data of a first dimension, and the second feature field comprising data of a second dimension. In the present application, data of different dimensions is determined on the basis of a timing advance, such that the timing advance reporting precision can be improved, and optimization design requirements of the non-terrestrial network device can be met.

Description

A method and apparatus for timed advance reporting

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent No. 202411777395.6, filed on December 5, 2024, entitled “A Method and Apparatus for Timed Advance Reporting”, all contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of non-terrestrial network communication technology, and in particular to a method and apparatus for timed advance reporting. Background Technology

[0003] When communicating in a terrestrial network, network equipment sends timing advance information to the user equipment (UE) via a Timing Advance Command (TAC) MAC CE. This allows the UE to adjust its uplink transmission time based on the timing advance (TA) information. In non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), the propagation delay between UEs and network equipment is much longer, ranging from a few milliseconds to hundreds of milliseconds, depending on the altitude of the spaceborne or airborne platform and the type of payload in the NTN. Therefore, for NTN systems, 3GPP Rel-17 / 18 modified the timing design of NR (New Radio) from the physical layer to higher layers, including a timing advance mechanism to handle such long propagation delays.

[0004] To achieve synchronization during initial access and in connected mode, the UE calculates the round-trip time (RTT) of the service link based on its own location information (obtained from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)) and satellite ephemeris information, and autonomously pre-compensates for timing advance. If the UE lacks valid GNSS location information and valid satellite ephemeris information, it cannot initiate random access and communicate with network equipment until both GNSS location information and satellite ephemeris information are regained. NTN defines that the UE reports timing advance via Timing Advance Report (MAC CE) to allow the network side to obtain timing advance information to guide subsequent uplink scheduling optimization, etc.

[0005] In 5G NTN, network devices use the parameter ta-Report to indicate whether terminal devices need to perform timing advance reporting. Terminal devices report timing advance via Timing Advance Report MAC CE. The network side uses the reported timing advance as a reference for the terminal to schedule uplink transmission resources. Therefore, the unit of the timing advance reported in the existing technology is the slot length, and the accuracy of the timing advance cannot meet the optimization design requirements of network devices. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application addresses the problem that the reporting accuracy of timing advance in the prior art is low and cannot meet the optimization design requirements of non-terrestrial network equipment.

[0007] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the first aspect of this application provides a timed advance reporting device for use in terminal equipment, the device comprising:

[0008] The processing module is used to generate an information unit based on the timing advance estimated by the terminal device, wherein the information unit includes a first feature domain and a second feature domain, the first feature domain including data in a first dimension, and the second feature domain including data in a second dimension.

[0009] The transmitting module is used to transmit the information unit to a non-terrestrial network device.

[0010] A second aspect of this application also provides a method for timed advance reporting for a terminal device, comprising:

[0011] An information unit is generated based on the timing advance estimated by the terminal device, wherein the information unit includes a first feature domain and a second feature domain, the first feature domain including data in a first dimension, and the second feature domain including data in a second dimension;

[0012] The information unit is sent to a non-terrestrial network device.

[0013] A third aspect of this application also provides a timed advance reporting device for non-terrestrial network equipment, the device comprising:

[0014] A receiving module is used to receive an information unit sent by a terminal device, wherein the information unit includes a first feature field and a second feature field, the first feature field includes data in a first dimension, the second feature field includes data in a second dimension, and the data in the first dimension and the data in the second dimension are used to determine the timing advance estimated by the terminal device.

[0015] A fourth aspect of this application also provides a method for timed advance reporting, used in non-terrestrial network devices, the method comprising:

[0016] The terminal device receives an information unit, wherein the information unit includes a first feature field and a second feature field, the first feature field includes data in a first dimension, the second feature field includes data in a second dimension, and the data in the first dimension and the data in the second dimension are used to determine the timing advance estimated by the terminal device.

[0017] The fifth aspect of this application also provides a communication system, including: terminal equipment and non-terrestrial network equipment;

[0018] The terminal device is used to generate an information unit based on the estimated timing advance, wherein the information unit includes a first feature domain and a second feature domain, the first feature domain including data in a first dimension and the second feature domain including data in a second dimension; and to send the information unit to a non-terrestrial network device;

[0019] The non-terrestrial network device is used to receive the information unit.

[0020] The timing advance reporting method and apparatus provided in this application generate information units based on the timing advance estimated by the terminal device. The information unit includes a first feature domain and a second feature domain. The first feature domain includes data with a first dimension, and the second feature domain includes data with a second dimension. By sending the information unit to a non-terrestrial network device, timing advance can be enhanced, thereby improving the accuracy of timing advance reporting.

[0021] To make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 shows the data structure diagram of the MAC CE timely advance reporting in the prior art;

[0024] Figure 2 shows a structural diagram of the communication system according to an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 3 shows the first data structure diagram of the MAC CE timed advance reporting in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 4 shows the second data structure diagram of the MAC CE timed advance reporting in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 5 shows the third data structure diagram of the MAC CE timed advance reporting in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 6 shows the fourth data structure diagram of the MAC CE timed advance reporting in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 7 shows a flowchart of the terminal device-side timed advance reporting method according to an embodiment of this application;

[0030] Figure 8 shows a first flowchart of the timed advance reporting method for non-terrestrial network equipment in an embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 9 shows a second flowchart of the timed advance reporting method for non-terrestrial network equipment in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 10 shows a third flowchart of the timed advance reporting method for non-terrestrial network equipment in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 11 shows a structural diagram of the terminal device side timed advance reporting device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 12 shows a first structural diagram of the non-terrestrial network equipment side timed advance reporting device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 13 shows a second structural diagram of the non-terrestrial network device side timed advance reporting device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 14 shows a third structural diagram of the non-terrestrial network equipment side timed advance reporting device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 15 shows a structural diagram of the terminal device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0039] It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, apparatus, product, or device that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0040] This specification provides the operational steps of the methods described in the embodiments or flowcharts, but based on conventional or non-inventive labor, more or fewer operational steps may be included. The order of steps listed in the embodiments is merely one possible execution order among many and does not represent the only possible execution order. In actual system or device products, the methods shown in the embodiments or drawings can be executed sequentially or in parallel.

[0041] It should be noted that the information involved in this application (including but not limited to user terminal device information, user personal information, etc.) is information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties, and the acquisition, transmission, storage, use and processing of the relevant data comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the relevant countries and regions.

[0042] It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, certain software, components, models, and other existing solutions in the industry may be mentioned. These should be considered as exemplary, and their purpose is only to illustrate the feasibility of implementing the technical solution of this application. However, it does not mean that the applicant has used or necessarily used such a solution. Unless otherwise specified, in this application, "network side" refers to the non-terrestrial network equipment side, "terminal side" refers to the terminal equipment side, "base station side" refers to the non-terrestrial network equipment side, and "user location information" and "terminal location information" both refer to the terminal equipment location information.

[0043] The terminal device described in this application is a device capable of communicating with non-terrestrial network devices, including satellite equipment, high-altitude platform equipment, and other related equipment (such as 3GPP equipment, IoT NTN equipment, NR NTN equipment, etc.).

[0044] In 5G NTN, the parameter ta-Report indicates whether the terminal device needs to perform timing advance reporting. The terminal device reports the timing advance amount through the Timing Advance Report (MAC CE). According to Figure 6.1.3.56-1 (38.321), the specific definition of the Timing Advance Report MAC CE is shown in Figure 1. The Timing Advance Report MAC CE contains two bytes, namely the first byte Oct1 and the second byte Oct2. The first byte Oct1 contains two reserved bits R, which are set to zero. The timing advance in the first byte Oct1 and the second byte Oct2 is defined as greater than or equal to the timing advance amount T within FR1 (frequency range of 450MHz-6GHz). TA The smallest integer, in units of the slot length when the subcarrier spacing is 15kHz, occupies 14 bits. Therefore, in the prior art, the accuracy of the timing advance reporting is the slot (the time segment for transmitting data).

[0045] In 5G NTN, the timing advance reported by the network side is used for terminal scheduling uplink transmission resources (frequency resources). In the following scenarios, the network side needs to obtain a higher precision timing advance, and timing advance with a precision of time slots cannot meet the network side's requirements:

[0046] Scenario 1: Before the network obtains the user's location information or when the obtained user location information has expired, beam pointing optimization is performed based on precise timing advance to improve the performance of users at the edge of the beam position. Specifically, when the beam is pointed at the center point of the beam position for transmission, the beam gain at the edge of the beam position is several dB (power gain unit) lower than that at the center point of the beam position.

[0047] Scenario 2: Determining whether a user terminal device is in an edge position without relying on terminal location information. Specifically, the network side can determine whether a user terminal device is in an edge position based on accurate timing advance, beam pointing and other information, and then optimize guidance for coverage enhancement, mobility management and so on.

[0048] Scenario 3: The GNSS signals of terminal devices are easily interfered with or spoofed. The network side needs higher precision timing lead to improve the robustness of uplink time and frequency synchronization in NTN, to prevent uplink timing inaccuracies when GNSS is unavailable in connected mode. Of course, this only applies to terminal devices that are already in connected mode when GNSS interference begins.

[0049] As can be seen from the above analysis, the timing advance obtained by the existing network side is in units of time slots, and its accuracy cannot meet the timing advance requirements in the above scenario examples.

[0050] To address the aforementioned technical problems, one embodiment of this application provides a communication system, as shown in FIG2, including: a terminal device 201 and a non-terrestrial network device 202.

[0051] Terminal device 201 generates an information unit based on a timing advance, wherein the information unit includes a first feature field and a second feature field, the first feature field including data with a first dimension and the second feature field including data with a second dimension; and sends the information unit to non-terrestrial network device 202. Specifically, sending the information unit to non-terrestrial network device 202 includes: sending the information unit to non-terrestrial network device 202 for the first time when terminal device 201 performs initial random access. For example, sending the information unit to non-terrestrial network device 202 during a Physical Random Access (PRACH) channel or a connection request message (msg3).

[0052] The non-terrestrial network device 202 is used to receive information units, extract timing advance from the information units, and perform optimization based on the timing advance, such as beam pointing optimization, optimized guidance coverage enhancement, mobility management, etc.

[0053] This embodiment can enhance timing advance by splitting the timing advance into data of different dimensions, thereby improving the accuracy of timing advance reporting and supporting necessary optimization designs for terminal devices on the system or network side.

[0054] The timing advance reported by terminal device 201 is calculated by terminal device 201. The following uses satellite communication as an example to illustrate the specific calculation process of timing advance.

[0055] In 5G NTN, after completing SIMB19 demodulation detection, the terminal device can obtain the ephemeris information of the local (serving) satellite. This ephemeris information includes six orbital elements, which can be used to determine the satellite's current accurate position. After obtaining the local ephemeris information, the terminal device can extrapolate to obtain the ephemeris information for a specific moment, such as the transmission time of PRACH or msg3. By combining the ephemeris information with its own location information, the terminal device can estimate the distance from the satellite to the terminal device at that moment, and then calculate the timing advance based on this distance.

[0056] Currently, in 5G NTN, Timing Advance Reports (TARs) are loaded via msg3 during random access. Furthermore, in connected mode, event-triggered Timing Advance Reports are also supported.

[0057] In NTN, the total timing advance on the terminal side is determined by the following formula (refer to 38.211): T TA =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +N TA,offset )×T c ;

[0058] Among them, T TA This is the total timing advance. T C =0.509ns is a time unit in NR.

[0059] N TA The timing advance amount is the amount of information that the base station detects and sends to the terminal device via uplink signals such as preamble or sounding reference signal (SRS) (and sends it to the terminal device via TAC).

[0060] N TA,common It is used to compensate for the transmission delay of the link between the satellite and the ground base station when the satellite acts as a relay, and is configured through high-level parameters.

[0061] N TA,offset The frequency band location and duplex mode configuration for uplink data transmission on the terminal equipment side are determined. For specific parameter values, please refer to Table 7.1.2-2 of 3GPP 38.133.

[0062] N TA,UE-specific This refers to the timing advance of the link between the terminal device and the satellite, estimated by the terminal device based on its own and satellite position information, which is compensated by the terminal itself.

[0063] As can be seen, among the four parameters mentioned above, only N... TA,UE-specific These are parameters unknown on the network side. To reduce the number of bits occupied by advance timing reporting, after receiving the advance timing reporting instruction from the base station, the terminal device can also only report its own estimated timing advance, i.e., N, to the base station. TA,UE-specific .

[0064] With T c The formula for calculating the timing advance in units is as follows: N TA，total =(N TA +N TA,UE-specific +N TA,common +N TA,offset );

[0065] Report in advance on a regular basis, if using T c The fractional part within 1ms requires at least 21 bits. Therefore, in T... c Reporting with a precision of 1ms per unit results in a large number of bits being required for reporting.

[0066] To save reporting bits while ensuring that the distance error is within an acceptable range, this application proposes the above-mentioned scheme of splitting the timing advance estimated by the terminal device to obtain data of different dimensions, and setting the data of different dimensions in different feature domains. Based on this design, reporting bits can be saved while improving reporting accuracy.

[0067] In one embodiment of this application, the precision of the first dimension is lower than that of the second dimension. For example, the first dimension is milliseconds (ms), and the second dimension is microseconds (μs), thereby providing more space for the second dimension and improving reporting accuracy. In a further embodiment, the information unit is carried in two bytes. In one specific embodiment, the first feature field includes at least 4 bits, and the second feature field includes at least 10 bits. For example, the first dimension is milliseconds (ms), and the second dimension is 1 / (15*2048) milliseconds. In a further embodiment, the information unit is carried in four nodes.

[0068] In one embodiment of this application, the lengths of the first and second dimensions, the first feature domain, and the second feature domain are configured by the non-terrestrial network device. In specific implementations, this can be configured by the communication protocol between the non-terrestrial network device and the terminal device, or it can be dynamically configured by the non-terrestrial network device. For example, when the non-terrestrial network device requires high-precision timing advance, it can send indication information of the lengths of the first and second dimensions, the first feature domain, and the second feature domain to the terminal device.

[0069] In one embodiment of this application, the information unit further includes a parameter field, wherein the parameter field is provided with indication information, which is used to indicate the data format of the feature field. Specifically, the data format includes data units and data length.

[0070] In some implementations, the parameter threshold is configured by non-terrestrial network devices. In specific implementations, the parameter threshold can be stored in reserved bits in the information unit, such as the first two reserved bits in Figures 3 to 6.

[0071] Taking Figure 3 as an example, the reserved bit RR is the parameter threshold. When the parameter threshold is 00, the data format is as shown in Figure 3, the data length is two bytes, the unit of the first feature field is milliseconds, and the unit of the second feature field is microseconds. When the parameter threshold is 01, the data format is as shown in Figure 4, the data length is four bytes, the unit of the first feature field is milliseconds, and the unit of the second feature field is T. s , among which, T s =64T c 1ms = 15 * 2048T s Or 1s = 15K * 2048T s15K represents the subcarrier spacing. When the parameter threshold is 10, the data format is shown in Figure 5, with a data length of 4 bytes. The first feature field occupies 4 bits, with its dimension being milliseconds. The second feature field occupies 14 bits, with its dimension being microseconds. The third feature field occupies 6 bits, containing integer data of the Doppler frequency shift. The fourth feature field occupies 8 bits, containing fractional data of the Doppler frequency shift. When the parameter threshold is 11, the data format is shown in Figure 6, with a data length of 6 bytes. The first feature field occupies 14 bits, with its dimension being milliseconds. The second feature field occupies 16 bits, with its dimension being Ts. The third feature field occupies 6 bits, containing integer data of the Doppler frequency shift. The fourth feature field occupies 8 bits, containing fractional data of the Doppler frequency shift.

[0072] In one embodiment of this application, the first dimension is milliseconds (ms), the second dimension is microseconds (μs), and the information unit is sent in a two-byte MAC CE format.

[0073] In a MAC CE, the first two bits of the first byte are reserved. The four bits following the reserved bits in the first byte of a MAC CE are used to store data of the first dimension. The remaining bits in a MAC CE are used to store data of the second dimension. The specific format of a MAC CE is shown in Figure 3.

[0074] In low-Earth orbit communication systems, the time delay from satellite to terminal is generally no more than 15ms. That is, 4 bits can represent the data delay in milliseconds, and the remaining 10 bits represent the delay of the remaining data in microseconds, excluding the data in milliseconds.

[0075] In the scheme shown in Figure 3, the transmission distance error is approximately 300 meters. For beams with a radius of approximately 10 kilometers or larger, the difference in SNR received by terminal devices 300 meters apart is negligible. Compared to existing TAR systems, this scheme does not require additional bits. However, the timing advance (TA) representation range is limited to within 16 ms, making it suitable for low-Earth orbit communication systems but unusable for higher-orbit satellite communication systems.

[0076] In one embodiment of this application, the first dimension is milliseconds, and the second dimension is the basic time unit T defined by 3GPP. s , among which, T s =64T c 1ms = 15 * 2048T s Or 1s = 15K * 2048T s 15K represents the subcarrier spacing. The first feature field includes at least 14 bits, and the second feature field includes at least 16 bits.

[0077] In practice, the information unit is transmitted in a four-byte MAC CE format. The first two bits of the first byte in the MAC CE are reserved bits. The remaining bits of the first byte and the second byte are used to store data of the first dimension. The third and fourth bytes of the MAC CE are used to store data of the second dimension.

[0078] Specifically, if we take T s =64T c If reporting is done in units, the distance error between the satellite and the terminal is controlled to be around 10 meters. Compared to reporting in units of T... c Compared to a distance error of approximately 0.15m, this can save 6 bits.

[0079] N TA,UE-specific Break it down into milliseconds (ms, 1ms = 15 * 2048T) s Data in units of ) and in T s Data in units, i.e.: N TA,UE-specific,ms =mod(N) TA,UE-specific (64*15*2048); N TA,UE-specific,Ts =(N TA,UE-specific -N TA,UE-specific,ms *64*15*2048) / 64; N TA,UE-specific,ms Report using the existing fields (14 bits) of the Timing Advance Report MAC CE, as shown in Oct1 and Oct2 in Figure 4. N TA,UE-specific,Ts Two additional 8-bit bytes (16 bits) need to be added to the existing fields of MAC CE for reporting, as shown in Oct3 and Oct4 in Figure 4.

[0080] For the scheme in Figure 4, the Timing Advance Command (TAC) can also be used to issue N. TA In the manner of 16.64T c / 2 μ That is, 16·T s / 2 μ The data is distributed in units. Taking a subcarrier spacing of 30kHz as an example, that is, in units of 8·T... s The unit is T. It can be seen that even saving 3 bits here still cannot reduce the number of bytes. Therefore, the scheme shown in Figure 4 uses T... s Using the unit TA, this scheme is not limited by the number of bits and is applicable to all NTN systems.

[0081] It is important to note here that if the timing advance definition in the existing TAR field is consistent with the definition in the time slot, then the solution shown in Figure 4 will use milliseconds (ms, 1ms = 15 * 2048T). sThe data portion, previously in units of ), is now in units of time slots. This scheme does not limit the timing advance N estimated by the terminal equipment. TA,UE-specific The specific method of splitting.

[0082] In one embodiment of this application, in addition to reporting the timing advance, the timing advance reporting can also report the Doppler shift. The network side can perform a rough location of the terminal device based on the Doppler shift and the timing advance. It should also be noted that the scope of this application is not limited to the scenario examples described herein, nor does it limit the method by which the network side uses the timing advance and Doppler shift information.

[0083] The Doppler frequency shift is determined by the terminal equipment, and the specific determination process can be referred to the existing technology. This application does not limit it in this regard.

[0084] Specifically, the information unit also includes: a third feature domain and a fourth feature domain; the third feature domain includes integer data of the Doppler frequency shift, and the fourth feature domain includes fractional data of the Doppler frequency shift.

[0085] In some embodiments of this application, the information unit is sent in a multi-byte MAC CE format;

[0086] Two bytes of the MAC CE are used to store the Doppler frequency shift;

[0087] In this byte, the first two bits are reserved bits, the remaining bits are used to store the integer data of the Doppler shift, and the other byte is used to store the fractional data of the Doppler shift.

[0088] In one specific implementation, in a low-Earth orbit satellite communication system, taking a satellite orbital altitude of 600km as an example, the maximum Doppler frequency shift in the satellite's direction of movement is generally less than 15ppm. The Doppler frequency shift is reported to the base station by adding two 8-bit bytes (16 bits) to the MAC CE (Modular Component Estimation) in advance. As shown in Figure 5, the first two bits of the third byte are reserved bits; the remaining six bits of the third byte represent the integer part of the Doppler frequency shift in ppm; the eight bits of the fourth byte represent the fractional part of the Doppler frequency shift in ppm; the first two bits of the first byte are reserved bits; the four bits of the first byte represent the timing advance in milliseconds; the remaining bits in the first byte and the second byte represent the remaining part of the timing advance in microseconds.

[0089] Based on the scheme shown in Figure 4, two 8-bit bytes are added for Doppler frequency shift (FO) reporting, as shown in Figure 6. The first two bits of the first byte are reserved bits; the remaining bits of the first byte and the second byte represent timing advance data in milliseconds; the third and fourth bytes represent timing advance data in T... sThe remaining portion of the timing advance in units of ppm; the first two bits in the fifth byte are reserved bits; the other 6 bits in the fifth byte represent the integer part of the Doppler shift in ppm; the 8 bits in the sixth byte represent the fractional part of the Doppler shift in ppm.

[0090] In the schemes shown in Figures 5 and 6, the Doppler frequency offset accuracy is 8 bits with decimal places retained. This is a specific embodiment. In satellite communication systems with clearly defined orbital altitudes, the number of bits in the integer part can be appropriately reduced to further improve accuracy.

[0091] It should be clarified that this application does not restrict the timing of early triggering and reporting mechanisms; for example, the existing TA reporting mechanism of 3GPP can be used.

[0092] In one embodiment of this application, to enable the network side to obtain the timing advance value earlier, the timing advance estimated by the terminal device, or the timing advance and frequency offset, can be reported to the network side in the first message sent by the terminal device during initial random access. There are two possible processing methods:

[0093] (1) If the first message in the initial random access procedure is Msg1, it can be carried and sent to the network side together with the PRACH preamble sequence in a manner similar to Msg3 carrying TAR MAC CE.

[0094] (2) If the first message in the initial random access procedure is MsgA, then the timing advance value or timing advance value and frequency offset are sent to the network side as part of the PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel) in MsgA.

[0095] In existing NTN technologies, location-based mobility management and uplink synchronization rely on the GNSS-based location information reported by the terminal device. When existing terminal device location information reporting schemes may be unusable due to violations of personal privacy data regulations or GNSS interference, the timing advance enhancement reporting method proposed in this application can provide the network side with higher precision timing advance values, enabling the network side to combine GNSS operation enhancement with beam position information.

[0096] Because the near-far effect is not significant in satellite communication systems, relying on signal strength and quality to determine cell coverage in terrestrial networks becomes less accurate. Since the satellite's trajectory and coverage area are fixed, using distance (i.e., a high-precision timing advance value) as the method for determining cell coverage is more accurate in satellite communication systems.

[0097] The first, second, third, and fourth feature domains, as well as the parameter threshold, described in this application are used to distinguish between timing advance, Doppler shift, and feature domain data parameters (data dimensions, data length, and data format, etc.). In specific implementations, the first, second, third, and fourth feature domains, as well as the parameter threshold, may be given other names. For example, the parameter threshold in this application is the first feature domain, and the first, second, third, and fourth feature domains are respectively the second, second, third, fourth, and fifth feature domains. Any scheme that splits the timing advance according to different dimensions, or splits the Doppler shift according to integers and decimals, falls within the scope of protection of this application.

[0098] In one embodiment of this application, a method for timed advance reporting on the terminal device side is also provided, as shown in Figure 7, including:

[0099] Step 701: Generate an information unit based on the timing advance estimated by the terminal device, wherein the information unit includes a first feature domain and a second feature domain, the first feature domain including data in a first dimension, and the second feature domain including data in a second dimension.

[0100] Step 702: Send the information unit to the non-terrestrial network device.

[0101] The precision of the first dimension is lower than that of the second dimension.

[0102] The lengths of the first and second dimensions, the first feature domain, and the second feature domain are configured by the non-terrestrial network device.

[0103] In one embodiment of this application, the information unit further includes a parameter threshold, wherein the parameter threshold is provided with indication information, which is used to indicate the data dimensions, data length and data format of the feature domain.

[0104] In practice, the parameter threshold is configured by the non-terrestrial network device.

[0105] In one embodiment of this application, the first dimension is millisecond, and the second dimension is microsecond;

[0106] The first feature field includes at least 4 bits, and the second feature field includes at least 10 bits.

[0107] In one embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG3, the information unit is sent in a two-byte MAC CE format;

[0108] In MAC CE, the first two bits of the first byte are reserved bits. The four bits after the reserved bits in the first byte of MAC CE are used to store data of the first dimension. The remaining bits in MAC CE are used to store data of the second dimension.

[0109] In one embodiment of this application, the first dimension is millisecond, and the second dimension is a basic time unit, such as T as defined by 3GPP. s That is, 1 / (15*2048) milliseconds;

[0110] The first feature field includes at least 14 bits, and the second feature field includes at least 16 bits.

[0111] In one embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG4, the information unit is sent in a four-byte MAC CE format;

[0112] In MAC CE, the first two bits of the first byte are reserved bits. The remaining bits in the first byte and the second byte are used to store data of the first dimension. The third and fourth bytes of MAC CE are used to store data of the second dimension.

[0113] In one embodiment of this application, the information unit further includes: a first feature field, a second feature field, a third feature field, and a fourth feature field.

[0114] The first feature domain includes data in a first dimension, and the second feature domain includes data in a second dimension. The data in the first dimension and the data in the second dimension are determined based on the timing advance.

[0115] The third feature domain includes integer data of the Doppler frequency shift, and the fourth feature domain includes fractional data of the Doppler frequency shift.

[0116] In one embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG5, the information unit is sent in a four-byte MAC CE format;

[0117] In the MAC CE, the first two bits of the first byte are reserved bits. The four bits following the reserved bits in the first byte of the MAC CE are used to store data of the first dimension. The remaining bits of the first byte and the second byte of the MAC CE are used to store data of the second dimension. The first two bits of the third byte of the MAC CE are reserved bits. The remaining bits of the third byte of the MAC CE are used to store the integer data of the Doppler frequency shift. The fourth byte of the MAC CE is used to store the fractional data of the Doppler frequency shift. The process of splitting the integer and fractional data of the Doppler frequency shift can be referred to the aforementioned embodiment, and will not be detailed here.

[0118] In one embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG6, the information unit is sent in a six-byte MAC CE format.

[0119] In MAC CE, the first two bits of the first byte are reserved. The remaining bits of the first byte and the second byte are used to store data in the first dimension (ms). The third and fourth bytes are used to store data in the second dimension (T). s In the data of MAC CE, the first two bits of the fifth byte are reserved bits, the remaining bits of the fifth byte of MAC CE are used to store the integer data of Doppler frequency shift, and the sixth byte of MAC CE is used to store the fractional data of Doppler frequency shift.

[0120] This application provides four feasible solutions as shown in Figures 3 to 6, which are respectively labeled as Solution 1, Solution 2, Solution 3, and Solution 4. In actual system applications, Solution 1 and Solution 2, or Solution 2 and Solution 4, can be selected according to specific needs. This application does not require the simultaneous use of all feasible solutions. Furthermore, Figures 3 to 6 are only some specific embodiments; those skilled in the art can obtain embodiments not limited to those shown in Figures 3 to 6.

[0121] In one embodiment of this application, step 702, sending the information unit to the non-terrestrial network device, includes: sending the information unit to the non-terrestrial network device for the first time when the terminal device performs initial random access.

[0122] In one embodiment of this application, a method for timed advance reporting applied to non-terrestrial network devices is also provided, as shown in Figure 8, including:

[0123] Step 801: Receive information unit sent by terminal device, wherein the information unit includes a first feature field and a second feature field, the first feature field includes data in a first dimension, the second feature field includes data in a second dimension, and the data in the first dimension and the data in the second dimension are used to determine the timing advance estimated by the terminal device.

[0124] In some embodiments, the information unit further includes a third feature field and a fourth feature field. The third feature field includes integer data of the Doppler frequency shift, and the fourth feature field includes fractional data of the Doppler frequency shift. In specific implementations, the information unit is composed in the order of the first feature field, the second feature field, the third feature field, and the fourth feature field.

[0125] In one embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG9, the timed advance reporting method applied to non-terrestrial network devices further includes:

[0126] Step 901: Send first indication information to the terminal device. The first indication information is used to indicate the lengths of the first dimension and the second dimension, and the first feature domain and the second feature domain.

[0127] In one embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG10, the timed advance reporting method applied to non-terrestrial network devices further includes:

[0128] Step 1001: Send second indication information to the terminal device. The second indication information is used to indicate the information in the parameter threshold of the information unit.

[0129] In one embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG11, a timed advance reporting device for a terminal device is also provided, the device comprising:

[0130] Processing module 1101 is used to generate an information unit based on the timing advance estimated by the terminal device, wherein the information unit includes a first feature domain and a second feature domain, the first feature domain including data in a first dimension, and the second feature domain including data in a second dimension.

[0131] The sending module 1102 is used to send the information unit to the non-terrestrial network device. In specific implementation, the sending module sends the information unit to the non-terrestrial network device for the first time when the terminal device performs initial random access.

[0132] The precision of the first dimension is lower than that of the second dimension.

[0133] The lengths of the first and second dimensions, the first feature domain, and the second feature domain are configured by the non-terrestrial network device.

[0134] In one embodiment of this application, the information unit further includes a parameter threshold, which is provided with indication information. This indication information indicates the data dimensions, data length, and data format of the feature domain. The data length of the parameter threshold is determined based on the timing advance and / or the number of Doppler frequency shift transmission schemes. In implementation, the parameter threshold can be configured by non-terrestrial network equipment or pre-agreed according to a protocol.

[0135] In one embodiment of this application, the first dimension is millisecond, and the second dimension is microsecond;

[0136] The first feature field includes at least 4 bits, and the second feature field includes at least 10 bits.

[0137] As shown in Figure 3, the information unit is transmitted in two-byte MAC CE format;

[0138] In MAC CE, the first two bits of the first byte are reserved bits. The four bits after the reserved bits in the first byte of MAC CE are used to store data of the first dimension. The remaining bits in MAC CE are used to store data of the second dimension.

[0139] In one embodiment of this application, the first dimension is milliseconds, and the second dimension is the basic time unit defined by 3GPP.

[0140] The first feature field includes at least 14 bits, and the second feature field includes at least 16 bits.

[0141] As shown in Figure 4, the information unit is sent in a four-byte MAC CE format;

[0142] In MAC CE, the first two bits of the first byte are reserved bits. The remaining bits in the first byte and the second byte are used to store data of the first dimension. The third and fourth bytes of MAC CE are used to store data of the second dimension.

[0143] In one embodiment of this application, the information unit includes: a first feature domain, a second feature domain, a third feature domain, and a fourth feature domain. The first feature domain includes data in a first dimension, the second feature domain includes data in a second dimension, and the data in the first and second dimensions are determined by the timing advance. The third feature domain includes integer data of the Doppler frequency shift, and the fourth feature domain includes fractional data of the Doppler frequency shift.

[0144] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 5, the information unit is transmitted in a four-byte MAC CE format. The first two bits of the first byte in the MAC CE are reserved bits. The four bits following the reserved bits in the first byte of the MAC CE are used to store data of the first dimension. The remaining bits of the first byte and the second byte are used to store data of the second dimension. The first two bits of the third byte in the MAC CE are reserved bits. The remaining bits of the third byte are used to store integer data of the Doppler shift. The fourth byte in the MAC CE is used to store fractional data of the Doppler shift.

[0145] In some implementations, as shown in Figure 6, the information unit is sent in a six-byte MAC CE format.

[0146] In MAC CE, the first two bits of the first byte are reserved. The remaining bits of the first byte and the second byte are used to store data in the first dimension (ms). The third and fourth bytes are used to store data in the second dimension (T). s In the data of MAC CE, the first two bits of the fifth byte are reserved bits, the remaining bits of the fifth byte of MAC CE are used to store the integer data of Doppler frequency shift, and the sixth byte of MAC CE is used to store the fractional data of Doppler frequency shift.

[0147] In one embodiment of this application, a timed advance reporting device for non-terrestrial network equipment is also provided, as shown in FIG12, comprising:

[0148] The receiving module 1201 is used to receive an information unit sent by a terminal device. The information unit includes a first feature field and a second feature field. The first feature field includes data in a first dimension, and the second feature field includes data in a second dimension. The data in the first dimension and the data in the second dimension are used to determine the timing advance estimated by the terminal device.

[0149] In some embodiments, the information unit further includes a third feature field and a fourth feature field. The third feature field includes integer data of the Doppler frequency shift, and the fourth feature field includes fractional data of the Doppler frequency shift. In specific implementations, the information unit is composed in the order of the first feature field, the second feature field, the third feature field, and the fourth feature field.

[0150] In one embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG13, the timed advance reporting device for the non-terrestrial network equipment side further includes:

[0151] The first sending module 1301 is used to send first indication information to the terminal device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the length of the first dimension and the second dimension, and the length of the first feature domain and the second feature domain.

[0152] In one embodiment of this application, as shown in FIG14, the timed advance reporting device for the non-terrestrial network equipment side further includes:

[0153] The second sending module 1401 is used to send second indication information to the terminal device, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate information in the parameter threshold of the information unit.

[0154] Based on the above embodiments, the non-terrestrial network device obtains the timing advance N estimated by the terminal device. TA,UE-specific And after the Doppler frequency shift, also according to N TA N TA,common N TA,offset and N TA,UE-specific The total timing advance is calculated; the location information of the terminal equipment is determined based on the total timing advance and Doppler frequency shift; and the beam pointing is optimized based on the location information of the terminal equipment.

[0155] The process of determining the location information of the terminal device based on the total timing advance and Doppler shift includes: determining the transmission delay based on the total timing advance; calculating the first elevation angle of the terminal device from the satellite to the nadir point based on the transmission delay and the satellite's orbital altitude; calculating the first azimuth angle of the satellite's movement direction from the nadir point to the terminal device based on the first elevation angle, Doppler shift, satellite carrier frequency, and satellite speed; and determining the location information of the terminal device based on the first elevation angle and the first azimuth angle.

[0156] Specifically, the first pitch angle is calculated using the following formula:

[0157] θ0 = arccos(SO / (τ0·c));

[0158] Where θ0 is the first pitch angle, SO is the orbital altitude of the satellite, τ0 is the transmission delay, and c is the speed of light.

[0159] Calculate the candidate included angle using the following formula:

[0160] Where, φ 01 φ is the first candidate included angle. 02 f is the second candidate angle. o For Doppler frequency shift, f c Here, c is the satellite carrier frequency, v is the satellite's moving speed, and θ0 is the first elevation angle.

[0161] Based on the wavelength information of the terminal device, a first azimuth angle is determined from a first candidate angle and a second candidate angle. Specifically, this includes: determining a second azimuth angle from the satellite's top-down view, showing the direction of satellite movement via the nadir point to the beam center point; calculating the differences between the first candidate angle, the second candidate angle, and the second azimuth angle; and selecting the candidate angle with the smallest difference as the first azimuth angle.

[0162] This embodiment enables satellite network devices to automatically estimate the location information of terminal devices, ensuring service continuity of communication system architectures that heavily rely on terminal location information. It avoids situations where the network cannot determine the location of a terminal device because the terminal fails to report its location information to the network side in a timely manner. Simultaneously, it protects user privacy.

[0163] Furthermore, the non-terrestrial network equipment also performs the following operations: Based on the beam position information of the terminal device, it determines the second elevation angle from the satellite to the nadir point; it calculates the difference between the first and second elevation angles; if the difference is greater than a preset value, the terminal device's position information is deemed invalid; if the difference is less than or equal to the preset value, the terminal device's position information is deemed valid. After determining the terminal device's position information to be valid, it optimizes the beam pointing based on the terminal device's position information. After determining the terminal device's position information to be invalid, it uses the beam position information of the terminal device to determine the beam pointing.

[0164] Based on the above embodiments, after obtaining high-precision timing advance, the angle between the beam and the direction of satellite motion (also known as the azimuth angle based on the direction of satellite motion), non-terrestrial network devices can determine whether the terminal device is in an edge position without relying on the terminal device's location information, even if the terminal device's location information is unknown. This allows the system or network side to perform some necessary optimization designs for terminals in edge positions.

[0165] Based on the above embodiments, non-terrestrial network devices optimize beam pointing for single or multiple terminal devices by using the high-precision timing advance estimated by the terminal device and the TA information from the satellite to the center point of the beam position where the terminal device is located.

[0166] In one embodiment of this application, a terminal device is also provided. As shown in FIG15, the terminal device 1502 may include one or more processors 1504, such as one or more central processing modules (CPUs), each processing module being able to implement one or more hardware threads. The terminal device 1502 may also include any memory 1506 for storing any kind of information such as code, settings, data, etc. Non-limitingly, for example, the memory 1506 may include any type of RAM, any type of ROM, flash memory device, hard disk, optical disk, etc. More generally, any memory can use any technology to store information. Further, any memory can provide volatile or non-volatile retention of information. Further, any memory may represent a fixed or removable component of the terminal device 1502. In one case, when the processor 1504 executes associated instructions stored in any memory or combination of memories, the terminal device 1502 can perform any operation of the associated instructions. The terminal device 1502 also includes one or more drive mechanisms 1508 for interacting with any memory, such as hard disk drive mechanisms, optical disk drive mechanisms, etc.

[0167] Terminal device 1502 may further include an input / output module 1510 (I / O) for receiving various inputs (via input device 1512) and providing various outputs (via output device 1514). A specific output mechanism may include a presentation device 1516 and an associated graphical user interface 1518 (GUI). In other embodiments, the input / output module 1510 (I / O), input device 1512, and output device 1514 may be omitted, and the device may function solely as a terminal device in a network. Terminal device 1502 may also include one or more network interfaces 1520 for exchanging data with other devices via one or more communication links 1522. One or more communication buses 1524 couple the components described above together.

[0168] Communication link 1522 can be implemented in any way, such as via a local area network, a wide area network (e.g., the Internet), a point-to-point connection, or any combination thereof. Communication link 1522 may include any combination of hardwired links, wireless links, routers, gateway functions, name servers, etc., governed by any protocol or combination of protocols.

[0169] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, which, when executed by a processor, performs the steps of the above-described method.

[0170] This application also provides a computer-readable instruction, wherein when a processor executes the instruction, the program therein causes the processor to perform the method described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0171] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0172] It should also be understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this application generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0173] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in this application can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the composition and steps of each example have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0174] Those skilled in the art will clearly understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, the specific working processes of the systems, devices, and units described above can be referred to the corresponding processes in the foregoing method embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0175] In the embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatuses, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the couplings or direct couplings or communication connections shown or discussed may be indirect couplings or communication connections through some interfaces, apparatuses, or units, or they may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms of connection.

[0176] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of the embodiments of this application, depending on actual needs.

[0177] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0178] If the integrated unit is implemented as a software functional unit and sold or used as an independent product, it can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or all or part of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0179] This application uses specific embodiments to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of this application. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

Claims

1. A timing advance reporting apparatus for a terminal device, wherein, The apparatus comprises: a processing module configured to generate an information unit according to a timing advance estimated by the terminal device, wherein the information unit comprises a first feature field and a second feature field, the first feature field comprises data of a first dimension, and the second feature field comprises data of a second dimension; a sending module configured to send the information unit to a non-ground network device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The precision of the first dimension is lower than the precision of the second dimension.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein, The first dimension is millisecond, and the second dimension is microsecond.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, The information unit is carried in two bytes.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first dimension is millisecond, and the second dimension is 1 / (15*2048) millisecond.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein, The information unit is carried in four bytes.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The information unit further comprises a parameter threshold, and the parameter threshold is provided with indication information indicating a data format of a feature field.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, The data format comprises a data dimension and a data length.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The information unit further comprises a third feature field and a fourth feature field. The third feature field comprises integer data of a Doppler shift, and the fourth feature field comprises decimal data of the Doppler shift. 10.A timing advance reporting method, applied to a terminal device, wherein, The apparatus comprises: a processing module configured to generate an information unit according to a timing advance estimated by the terminal device, wherein the information unit comprises a first feature field and a second feature field, the first feature field comprises data of a first dimension, and the second feature field comprises data of a second dimension; a sending module configured to send the information unit to a non-ground network device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein, The precision of the first dimension is lower than the precision of the second dimension.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, The first dimension is millisecond, and the second dimension is microsecond.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, The information unit is carried in two bytes.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first dimension is millisecond, and the second dimension is 1 / (15*2048) millisecond.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, The information unit is carried in four bytes.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein, The information unit further comprises a parameter threshold, and the parameter threshold is provided with indication information indicating a data format of a feature field.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The data format comprises a data dimension and a data length.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein, The information unit further comprises a third feature field and a fourth feature field. The third feature field comprises integer data of a Doppler shift, and the fourth feature field comprises decimal data of the Doppler shift. 19.A timing advance reporting apparatus for a non-terrestrial network device, comprising: The apparatus comprises: a receiving module configured to receive an information unit sent by a terminal device, wherein the information unit comprises a first feature field and a second feature field, the first feature field comprises data of a first dimension, and the second feature field comprises data of a second dimension, and the data of the first dimension and the data of the second dimension are used to determine a timing advance estimated by the terminal device. 20.A timing advance reporting method for a non-terrestrial network device, wherein, The method comprises: receiving an information unit sent by a terminal device, wherein the information unit comprises a first feature field and a second feature field, the first feature field comprises data of a first dimension, and the second feature field comprises data of a second dimension, and the data of the first dimension and the data of the second dimension are used to determine a timing advance estimated by the terminal device.

21. A communication system, wherein, The apparatus comprises: a terminal device and a non-ground network device; The terminal device is configured to generate an information unit according to the estimated timing advance, wherein the information unit comprises a first characteristic field and a second characteristic field, the first characteristic field comprises data of a first dimension, and the second characteristic field comprises data of a second dimension; and transmit the information unit to a non-ground network device. The non-ground network device is configured to receive the information unit.

Images