Non-Terrestrial Uplink Offload for Time-of-Flight Interference

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing terrestrial base stations experience time of flight interference due to phenomena like tropospheric ducting, leading to communication failures, increased latency, and reduced network performance, which conventional mitigation techniques often exacerbate network congestion or require complex planning.

Innovation Solution

Diverting a portion of the victim base station's traffic to non-terrestrial networks, such as satellites, allowing victim UEs to maintain uplink or complete connections with non-terrestrial nodes while retaining downlink connections with terrestrial base stations to mitigate interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional mitigation techniques are used to address time of flight interference, then interference effects are reduced, but network congestion increases or complex planning is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork performanceVSAvoidmitigation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces non-terrestrial network nodes (satellites, drones, balloons) as intermediary communication paths between terrestrial base stations and user equipment. These intermediary nodes provide alternative communication routes that bypass the harmful time of flight interference affecting terrestrial networks, thereby improving network reliability without requiring complex mitigation planning or techniques

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Area of stationary object

If non-terrestrial networks are integrated with terrestrial networks, then coverage area is expanded, but time of flight interference occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidtime of flight interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the communication network into distinct terrestrial and non-terrestrial network components, allowing user equipment to be served by either network type depending on interference conditions. This segmentation enables the system to expand coverage through non-terrestrial networks while avoiding time of flight interference by routing traffic through appropriate network segments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by allowing different parts of the network to operate with different characteristics - terrestrial networks provide coverage in areas without interference, while non-terrestrial networks provide coverage in areas with time of flight interference. The system dynamically selects which network type to use based on local interference conditions, thereby expanding overall coverage while avoiding harmful interference effects

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS20250386392A1Non-terrestrial network utilization during time of flight interference

Publication Date: 2025.12.18 T MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods for mitigating time of flight interference are provided. Based on a determination that time of flight interference may occur or is occurring at a victim base station, a node of a non-terrestrial network is identified. Based on the determination and the identification, a victim UE connects to the node of the non-terrestrial network. In aspects, the victim UE forms an uplink connection with the node of the non-terrestrial network while maintaining a downlink connection with the victim base station. In other aspects, the victim UE forms a complete connection with the node of the non-terrestrial network.