Uplink Timing Alignment for NTN via Carrier Grouping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile communication networks face challenges in efficiently managing and optimizing communication protocols across diverse wireless devices and base stations, particularly in supporting multiple technologies and releases, which affects traffic handling and network performance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of advanced New Radio (NR) user plane and control plane protocol stacks, along with flexible bandwidth management and carrier aggregation techniques, enables efficient communication protocols that adapt to various wireless devices and base stations, optimizing traffic handling and network performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If timing advance values are configured for each uplink carrier separately, then uplink timing alignment precision is improved, but device complexity and configuration overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by configuring a single timing advance value that serves multiple uplink carriers simultaneously. Instead of requiring separate timing advance configurations for each carrier, one timing advance value is applied across multiple carriers, reducing configuration complexity while maintaining acceptable timing alignment. This is achieved by selecting a reference carrier and applying its timing advance value to other carriers in the uplink carrier group.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter configuration approach from individual per-carrier timing advance values to a group-based configuration where a single timing advance value is assigned to multiple carriers. This parameter change simplifies the configuration structure and reduces the number of parameters that need to be managed, directly addressing the device complexity issue while preserving timing alignment functionality.
2Device complexity
If a common timing advance value is used for multiple uplink carriers, then configuration complexity is reduced, but timing alignment precision for each carrier deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating between reference carriers and non-reference carriers in the uplink carrier group. The reference carrier maintains its own specific timing advance configuration, while non-reference carriers adopt the reference carrier's timing advance value. This localized differentiation preserves precision for the reference carrier while achieving simplification for the group as a whole.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the uplink carriers into a reference carrier and non-reference carriers. This segmentation allows the system to treat different carriers differently - the reference carrier serves as the precision anchor while non-reference carriers benefit from the simplified common configuration. The segmentation enables a balance between precision and complexity by creating a hierarchical structure.
3Measurement precision
If separate timing advance configurations are maintained for all uplink carriers, then timing alignment accuracy is improved, but signaling overhead and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing an uplink carrier group and identifying a reference carrier in advance. This preliminary configuration allows the system to avoid real-time calculations and comparisons for each carrier during operation. The reference carrier is predetermined, and its timing advance value is pre-configured, enabling other carriers to directly inherit this value without additional processing, thus reducing processing time.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple timing advance values are configured for different uplink carriers, then carrier-specific timing optimization is improved, but network configuration overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by making a single timing advance configuration serve multiple carriers through the uplink carrier group mechanism. Instead of requiring separate configurations for each carrier, the system uses one timing advance value that functions across multiple carriers, directly reducing the quantity of configuration data needed while maintaining the ability to optimize timing for the group as a whole.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless device may receive configuration parameters comprising a validity duration of a satellite ephemeris. The wireless device may also start a timer associated with the validity duration upon receiving the configuration parameters. In an embodiment, the wireless device may transmit, in an radio resource configuration (RRC) idle mode, an uplink signal via a preconfigured uplink resource in response to the timer associated with the validity duration of the satellite ephemeris running in the RRC idle mode.