NTN Handover Timing Advance Preconfiguration for Service Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication technologies in non-terrestrial networks (NTN), such as satellite communication, fail to account for timing advance (TA) changes during base station handover, leading to potential service interruptions and signaling storms due to the lack of consideration for satellite handover processes.
Innovation Solution
A communication method and apparatus that enables a terminal device to obtain a timing advance of a next base station in advance by receiving information from a first base station, which includes parameters such as location and timing advance of the second base station, allowing seamless handover and avoiding service interruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a common timing advance mechanism is used for satellite communication, then time synchronization on the receive side is ensured, but timing advance changes during satellite handover are not considered leading to service interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the source base station provide the target timing advance value to the terminal device before handover occurs. The terminal device receives the first timing advance information indicating the second timing advance value of the target base station in advance, allowing it to prepare for the timing advance change and ensure seamless handover without service interruption.
2Device complexity
If timing advance is not adjusted during satellite handover, then signaling overhead is reduced, but service interruptions and signaling storms occur
Solution Approach 1:
The source base station performs preliminary action by calculating and providing the target timing advance value to the terminal device before handover. This allows the terminal device to proactively adjust its timing advance parameter during handover without requiring multiple round-trip signaling exchanges with the target base station, thereby reducing signaling overhead while ensuring service continuity.
3Loss of time
If terminal device calculates timing advance locally, then response time is reduced, but accuracy depends on available parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The source base station performs preliminary calculation of the target timing advance value using its knowledge of network topology, satellite positions, and terminal device location. It then provides this pre-calculated value to the terminal device, which simply applies it during handover. This approach combines the accuracy of network-side calculation with the speed of terminal-side application, optimizing both precision and response time.
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a communication method and apparatus. The method includes: A terminal device receives first information sent by a first base station, where the first information includes a first timing advance of a second base station, or the first information includes a parameter used by the terminal device to obtain the first timing advance of the second base station, and the first timing advance is a timing advance used in a process of data transmission with the second base station; and the terminal device obtains the first timing advance of the second base station based on the first information.