NTN Handover Location Signaling via Source-Side Forwarding
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for improved communication of user equipment (UE) location information during handover procedures between non-terrestrial network entities in 5G NR, as existing technologies do not adequately address the challenges of efficient and timely location information exchange during UE handovers in non-terrestrial networks.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves configuring user equipment to transmit location information to a source non-terrestrial network entity, perform a handover procedure, and refrain from transmitting this information to the target entity until the handover is complete, while the source and target entities manage the handover process based on received location information without requesting additional updates from the UE.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE transmits location information to both source and target NTN entities during handover, then the target entity has complete location information for seamless handover, but the UE experiences increased signaling overhead and transmission delays
Solution Approach 1:
The source NTN entity performs preliminary actions by obtaining the UE's location information before handover and including it in the handover request message sent to the target NTN entity. This preliminary transmission of location information eliminates the need for the UE to retransmit location data to the target entity, reducing handover signaling overhead and time while ensuring the target entity has the necessary location information for seamless handover execution.
2Measurement precision
If the target NTN entity requests location information from the UE during handover, then the most current location data is obtained, but the handover procedure complexity and signaling overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The source NTN entity acts as an intermediary by obtaining the UE's location information and forwarding it to the target NTN entity through the handover request message. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for the target entity to directly request location information from the UE, simplifying the handover procedure while ensuring accurate location data is transmitted through a trusted intermediate node.
3Reliability
If the UE continuously updates location information during handover, then the target entity has real-time location data, but the network experiences increased signaling load and energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The UE's location information is obtained and transmitted in advance by the source NTN entity before handover execution. This preliminary action eliminates the need for continuous location updates during the handover process, significantly reducing UE energy consumption and network signaling load while ensuring the target entity receives the necessary location data for reliable handover execution.
Data Source
AI summary
In a non-terrestrial network (NTN), a user equipment (UE) may be configured to transmit location information associated with the UE to a source NTN entity. The UE may be further configured to perform a handover procedure from the source NTN entity to a target NTN entity after transmitting the location information to the source NTN entity. The UE may be further configured to refrain from transmitting the location information to the target NTN entity before completion of the handover procedure. The source NTN entity may be configured to receive UE location information, and transmit a message associated with handover of the UE to a target NTN entity, the message including information that is based on the UE location information.