Joint TN/NTN Configuration for Wireless Coverage Gaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile wireless communication devices face challenges in maintaining reliable wireless data communications when traveling through areas with varying terrestrial and non-terrestrial network coverage, as they lack knowledge of regions with diminished or absent coverage and cannot autonomously determine the best network usage to ensure a satisfactory quality of experience.
Innovation Solution
A network node determines a joint terrestrial and non-terrestrial wireless communication configuration based on multi-network wireless coverage information, including time-based variance, to select the most suitable travel route and network usage for the device, enabling dual-connectivity mode when necessary to supplement TN-based and NTN-based wireless communication capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE autonomously determines network usage without coverage information, then device complexity is reduced, but communication reliability deteriorates due to inability to identify coverage gaps
Solution Approach 1:
A network node acts as an intermediary between the coverage information system and the UE. The network node receives coverage information from external sources, processes it to determine optimal TN/NTN configurations, and provides recommendations to the UE. This mediator approach improves communication reliability by enabling informed network selection while keeping the UE relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary determination of TN/NTN configurations before the UE actually travels through coverage areas. The network node pre-calculates optimal network usage strategies based on anticipated travel routes and coverage patterns, allowing the UE to simply follow pre-determined configuration guidance rather than making complex real-time decisions.
2Reliability
If the UE uses NTN capabilities continuously, then communication coverage is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The TN/NTN configuration is made dynamic rather than static. The network node determines configurations that adapt to the UE's travel route, switching between TN-only, NTN-only, and dual-connectivity modes based on predicted coverage conditions along the route. This dynamic approach ensures NTN is activated only when necessary for coverage, reducing energy consumption while maintaining communication reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (network selection, connectivity mode) based on spatial and temporal variables. By analyzing travel route coordinates against coverage area data, the system adjusts network configuration parameters to match actual coverage conditions, enabling NTN to be used selectively rather than continuously, thus optimizing the energy-coverage tradeoff.
3Reliability
If the UE operates in dual-connectivity mode throughout the travel route, then communication reliability is improved, but loss of energy increases due to maintaining both TN and NTN connections
Solution Approach 1:
The travel route is segmented into multiple sections with different optimal connectivity configurations. The network node divides the route based on coverage area intersections and determines specific TN/NTN configurations for each segment. This allows the UE to use dual-connectivity only in segments where both networks provide value, while using single-network modes in segments where one network suffices, reducing overall energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying dual-connectivity excessively throughout the entire route, the system applies it partially only where necessary. The network node identifies specific route segments where dual-connectivity provides meaningful reliability improvement and restricts its use to those segments, avoiding the excessive energy consumption that would result from continuous dual-connectivity operation.
4Ease of operation
If the network provides detailed coverage information and configuration recommendations, then quality of experience is improved, but information processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network node serves as an intermediary that handles complex information processing tasks. It receives raw coverage area information, processes it against travel route data, and generates simplified configuration recommendations for the UE. This mediator approach improves quality of experience through informed network selection while concentrating processing complexity in the network infrastructure rather than the UE.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed for coverage-aware joint configuration for multi-network wireless communication. The techniques can include identifying a travel route for travel of a user equipment (UE) from a start location to a destination location, obtaining multi-network wireless coverage information for the travel route, wherein the multi-network wireless coverage information includes terrestrial network (TN) wireless coverage information and non-terrestrial network (NTN) wireless coverage information, determining a joint TN/NTN wireless communication configuration for the UE for the travel route based on the multi-network wireless coverage information, and sending the joint TN/NTN wireless communication configuration to the UE.