Terminal Location Reporting via GNSS Peer Timing in NTN
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solutions fail to accurately determine and report the location of terminal devices incapable of using satellite positioning systems, leading to suboptimal mobility management in non-terrestrial networks.
Innovation Solution
Terminal devices without satellite positioning capabilities determine their location using reference time points from GNSS-equipped peers through synchronized communication processes, calculating radio transmission delays and geometric triangulation to obtain accurate positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If terminal devices use satellite positioning systems for location determination, then location accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces GNSS-capable terminal devices as intermediaries to provide location information to GNSS-incapable devices. The GNSS-capable devices receive satellite positioning signals, determine their own locations, and then share this location information with other terminals through device-to-device communication. This mediator approach allows the network to achieve accurate location determination without requiring every terminal to have complex and expensive GNSS hardware.
2Reliability
If all terminal devices are equipped with satellite positioning capabilities, then location determination reliability is improved, but device cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes GNSS-capable terminal devices serve multiple functions: they act as both regular communication terminals and as location determination sources for the network. These multi-functional devices can provide location information not only for themselves but also assist other GNSS-incapable terminals in achieving reliable location determination, thereby reducing the need for universal GNSS equipment across all terminals.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring every terminal to independently obtain satellite positioning information, the patent allows GNSS-incapable terminals to copy location information from nearby GNSS-capable terminals through device-to-device communication. This copying mechanism achieves reliable location determination for all terminals without requiring each device to have its own GNSS receiver.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional location reporting methods are used for GNSS-incapable devices, then device compatibility is maintained, but location accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses GNSS-capable terminal devices as intermediaries to bridge the gap between satellite positioning systems and GNSS-incapable terminals. These intermediary devices receive accurate satellite-based location information and relay it to terminals that cannot directly access satellite positioning, thereby maintaining device compatibility while significantly improving location accuracy for GNSS-incapable devices.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for location determining and reporting of a terminal device and a mobility measurement report based on a location of a terminal device. In a method for communication, a first terminal device incapable of using a satellite positioning system receives, from a second terminal device capable of using the satellite positioning system, a first message indicating a first time point of the satellite positioning system when the first message is transmitted. The first terminal device transmits, to the second terminal device, a responsive message to the first message after a predefined delay from receiving the first message. The first terminal device receives, from the second terminal device, a second message indicating a reference time point of the satellite positioning system when the second message is received by the first terminal device. With the embodiments of the present disclosure, a terminal device incapable of using a satellite positioning system can determine its accurate location and report the location to a network device, so as to optimize the mobility management of the terminal device.