NTN Timing Advance Adjustment for Bundled Reference Signals

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Solution Overview

Problem

In non-terrestrial networks, timing advance (TA) adjustments disrupt the consistency and continuity of transmission power, leading to inefficiencies in uplink data transmission and channel estimation performance due to the bundling of reference signals.

Innovation Solution

A method for a user equipment (UE) to receive a downlink signal, determine a timing advance (TA) adjustment parameter, and perform the TA adjustment procedure at a specific start time to transmit bundled reference signals, ensuring the difference in reception timing is within the adjustment parameter range.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the terminal performs repeated transmission of transport block across multiple uplink slots, then the reliability of uplink data transmission is improved, but the consistency and continuity of transmission power are disrupted during TA adjustment procedure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of uplink data transmissionVSAvoidconsistency and continuity of transmission power
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal determines in advance whether to perform TA adjustment procedure by checking if the difference value is within the range of adjustment parameter before initiating the adjustment. This preliminary determination prevents power disruption during critical transmission periods while maintaining reliability benefits of repeated transmissions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the terminal performs TA adjustment procedure to maintain timing accuracy, then the timing precision is improved, but the transmission power continuity is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetiming precisionVSAvoidcontinuity of transmission power
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal performs preliminary determination of whether TA adjustment is needed by checking if the difference value falls within the adjustment parameter range. This advance check allows the terminal to schedule TA adjustment at appropriate times that do not disrupt transmission power continuity, thereby maintaining both timing precision and power stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If the terminal bundles reference signals for channel estimation, then the channel estimation performance is improved, but the TA adjustment procedure cannot be performed in actual TDW

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel estimation performanceVSAvoidability to perform TA adjustment
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal determines in advance whether to perform TA adjustment by checking the difference value against the adjustment parameter range before initiating the adjustment procedure. This preliminary action enables the terminal to perform TA adjustment at appropriate times without disrupting reference signal bundling, thus maintaining both channel estimation performance and TA adjustability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4657934A1Method and device for timing adjustment in non-terrestrial network
Publication Date: 2025.12.03 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP4657934A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4657934A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4657934A1 patent drawingFigure 2A

AI summary

A method and a device for timing adjustment in a non-terrestrial network are disclosed. This method of a user equipment (UE) may comprise the steps of: receiving a downlink (DL) signal from a base station; acquiring an adjustment parameter which is included in the downlink signal and is set by the base station for TA control; determining whether a difference value acquired using TA information of the UE is within the adjustment parameter range, so as to determine a start point of a TA adjustment procedure; performing the TA adjustment procedure at the start point of the TA adjustment procedure; and using the adjusted TA so as to transmit a bundled reference signal to the base station.