NTN Paging Alignment Using Coverage Time Windows
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Solution Overview
Problem
In a non-terrestrial network (NTN) with discontinuous coverage due to satellite movement, alignment of paging occasions between the network and user equipment (UE) is challenging, leading to missed paging messages when UE moves to areas with no network coverage during designated time periods.
Innovation Solution
Implementing coverage time window-based paging alignment by reporting and utilizing coverage time window information to align paging messages between network devices and UE, ensuring messages are sent within specific coverage time windows corresponding to the UE's location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the network device sends paging messages based on fixed network coverage time periods, then the network can maintain stable paging operations in each cell, but the terminal device may miss paging messages when moving between cells with different coverage time periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the paging occasion determination adaptive rather than fixed. The network device dynamically adjusts the paging occasion for a terminal device based on the terminal's current location and the coverage time period of the current cell. This allows the paging mechanism to adapt to terminal mobility and changing network coverage conditions, resolving the contradiction between stable network operations and adaptability to movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through location information reporting. The terminal device reports its location information to the network device, which then uses this feedback to determine the appropriate paging occasion based on the current cell's coverage time period. This feedback loop ensures that paging messages are sent at times when the terminal is actually within network coverage, improving delivery reliability while accommodating mobility.
2Reliability
If the terminal device monitors paging messages continuously, then no paging messages will be missed, but the terminal device consumes excessive energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by having the terminal device monitor paging messages only at specific paging occasions rather than continuously. The network device determines these paging occasions based on the terminal's location and the current cell's coverage time period, creating an optimized periodic monitoring schedule that balances reliability with energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the timing parameter of paging monitoring based on location. Instead of using a fixed monitoring schedule, the system adjusts the paging occasion timing according to the terminal's current cell and coverage time period. This parameter change ensures that monitoring occurs only when the terminal is within network coverage, avoiding wasted energy on monitoring during periods when no coverage is available.
3Reliability
If the network uses location-based paging occasion determination, then paging messages can be aligned with terminal coverage, but the system requires additional location information reporting and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by having the terminal device autonomously report its location information to the network. This eliminates the need for the network to actively query or track terminal locations through complex mechanisms. The terminal self-provides the necessary location data, which the network then uses to determine appropriate paging occasions, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high alignment accuracy.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application relates to the communication field, and discloses a paging method and apparatus. In the method, a terminal device and a core network device may negotiate at least one piece of coverage time window information, and then the core network device sends a first paging message carrying the at least one piece of coverage time window information to an access network device. The access network device determines, based on the at least one piece of coverage time window information, a coverage time window for sending a paging message, and sends a second paging message to the terminal device in the corresponding coverage time window. This implements coverage time window-based paging alignment between the terminal device and a network.