NTN NB-IoT Emergency Alerts with Location-Based Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems, particularly in non-terrestrial networks (NTN), fail to reliably transmit emergency alerts such as ETWS and CMAS alerts to narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) equipped user equipments (UEs), leading to degraded system performance due to undefined network nodes, lack of location registration, and potential delivery of stale alerts.
Innovation Solution
A UE in NTN mode transmits a request to register for emergency alerts, indicating its GNSS location, and receives an emergency alert message with a reference location, displaying it only when within a threshold distance, thereby utilizing existing NR/LTE SIB modules and incorporating geofencing to filter applicable alerts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If emergency alerts are transmitted to NTN NB-IoT equipped UEs using existing systems, then alert delivery is attempted, but the alerts become stale and unreliable due to lack of location registration and undefined network nodes
Solution Approach 1:
The UE performs preliminary location registration with the NTN network node before emergency alerts are transmitted. The UE sends its current location information to the network node, which stores this location data and uses it to determine whether to transmit alerts. This preliminary action ensures that when alerts are received, they are relevant to the UE's current location rather than being stale information from a previous location.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the UE periodically updates its location information to the NTN network node. The network node uses this feedback to determine alert relevance by comparing the UE's current location with the location associated with received alerts. This feedback loop ensures alert freshness and reliability by preventing delivery of stale alerts to UEs that have moved away from the alert area.
2Reliability
If all emergency alerts are transmitted to UEs regardless of location, then complete alert coverage is achieved, but system resources are wasted on irrelevant alerts
Solution Approach 1:
The NTN network node applies local quality by transmitting emergency alerts selectively to specific UEs based on their current location. Instead of broadcasting alerts to all UEs in the network, the node compares the alert's reference location with each UE's registered location and only transmits alerts to UEs whose locations match the alert area. This localized approach ensures alert relevance while minimizing system resource waste on irrelevant alert transmissions.
3Reliability
If location registration is implemented for emergency alerts, then alert relevance is improved, but network node complexity increases due to additional registration procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The NTN network node utilizes existing multi-functional capabilities already present in NTN networks, specifically the location determination and signaling infrastructure used for other purposes such as mobility management and positioning services. By leveraging these existing universal functions, the system implements location registration for emergency alerts without adding significant complexity to the network node. The same location tracking mechanisms serve multiple purposes including emergency alert relevance determination.
Data Source
AI summary
Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a user equipment (UE) may transmit, via a non-terrestrial network (NTN), a request to register for emergency alerts. The UE may receive, via the NTN and based at least in part on the request, an emergency alert message and a reference location associated with the emergency alert message. The UE may provide the emergency alert message for display based at least in part on a current location associated with the UE being within a threshold distance from the reference location. Numerous other aspects are described.