Management of ephemeris, time, delays, and ta for an ntn

Abstract

A method for operating a user equipment (UE) comprises receiving system information including: information corresponding to location coordinates for a non-terrestrial network (NTN) gateway; information corresponding to a processing delay between the UE and a base station (BS); and information corresponding to a reference point location; determining a timing advance based on a timing difference between the reference point location and the BS; and transmitting a timing advance report based on the determined timing advance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A user equipment (UE), comprising:
 a transceiver configured to:
 receive system information including:
 information corresponding to location coordinates for a non-terrestrial network (NTN) gateway; 
 information corresponding to a processing delay between the UE and a base station (BS); and 
 information corresponding to a reference point location; and 
 
   a processor operably connected to the transceiver, the processor configured to determine a timing advance based on a timing difference between the reference point location and the BS;   wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit a timing advance report based on the determined timing advance.   
     
     
         2 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to:
 transmit the timing advance report autonomously when a condition is met or when random access is carried out;   transmit the timing advance report periodically; or   transmit the timing advance report in response to a command from the BS.   
     
     
         3 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the timing advance report via a radio resource control (RRC) message or via a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE). 
     
     
         4 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein the system information includes long-term ephemeris data, wherein a change in the long-term ephemeris data is conveyed via a flag. 
     
     
         5 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to receive position and velocity data comprised in the system information at a first periodicity and a second periodicity, respectively. 
     
     
         6 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein when the system information includes a disable-s-IntraSearchP parameter, the processor is configured to search for a neighbor cell. 
     
     
         7 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the system information includes neighbor cell selection information, and   the processor, based on the neighbor cell selection information, is configured to prioritize incoming cells over outgoing cells.   
     
     
         8 . The UE of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the system information further includes elliptical cell information comprising a center, a minor axis or a semi-minor axis, and a major axis or a semi-major axis, of an inner area of a serving cell;   the processor is further configured to determine, based on the elliptical cell information and a location of the UE, whether the UE is within the inner area of the serving cell; and   when the UE is outside the inner area of the serving cell and when a signal measurement of a neighbor cell satisfies a threshold value, the processor is configured to send a measurement report or select the neighbor cell as the serving cell.   
     
     
         9 . A base station (BS), comprising:
 a processor configured to:
 generate system information including:
 information corresponding to location coordinates for a non-terrestrial network (NTN) gateway; 
 information corresponding to a processing delay between a user equipment (UE) and a base station; and 
 information corresponding to a reference point location; and 
 
   a transceiver operably connected to the processor, the transceiver configured to:
 transmit the system information; and 
 receive a timing advance report based on a timing advance, 
   wherein the timing advance is based on a timing difference between the reference point location and the base station.   
     
     
         10 . The BS of  claim 9 , wherein the transceiver is configured to:
 receive the timing advance report autonomously when a condition is met or when random access is carried out;   receive the timing advance report periodically; or   receive the timing advance report in response to a command from the BS.   
     
     
         11 . The BS of  claim 9 , wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the timing advance report via a radio resource control (RRC) message or via a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE). 
     
     
         12 . The BS of  claim 9 , wherein the system information includes long-term ephemeris data, wherein a change in the long-term ephemeris data is conveyed via a flag. 
     
     
         13 . The BS of  claim 9 , wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit position and velocity data comprised in the system information at a first periodicity and a second periodicity, respectively. 
     
     
         14 . The BS of  claim 9 , wherein a disable-s-IntraSearchP parameter included in the system information is used to search for a neighbor cell. 
     
     
         15 . The BS of  claim 9 , wherein the system information includes neighbor cell selection information indicating prioritization of incoming cells over outgoing cells. 
     
     
         16 . The BS of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the system information further includes elliptical cell information comprising a center, a minor axis or a semi-minor axis, and a major axis or a semi-major axis, of an inner area of a serving cell; and   when an indication is received that a user equipment (UE) is outside the inner area of the serving cell and when a signal measurement of a neighbor cell satisfies a threshold value, a measurement report is received or the neighbor cell is selected as the serving cell.   
     
     
         17 . A method for operating a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:
 receiving system information including:
 information corresponding to location coordinates for a non-terrestrial network (NTN) gateway; 
 information corresponding to a processing delay between the UE and a base station (BS); and 
 information corresponding to a reference point location; 
   determining a timing advance based on a timing difference between the reference point location and the BS; and   transmitting a timing advance report based on the determined timing advance.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 transmitting the timing advance report autonomously when a condition is met or when random access is carried out;   transmitting the timing advance report periodically; or   transmitting the timing advance report in response to a command from the BS.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising transmitting the timing advance report via a radio resource control (RRC) message or via a Medium Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the system information includes long-term ephemeris data, wherein a change in the long-term ephemeris data is conveyed via a flag.