Wireless communication system, base-station and user-side-device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11363545-B2
Application number	US-202016797556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2020
Priority date	Aug 22, 2017
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

A wireless communication system has at least one user-side-device and a base-station. The at least one user-side-device and the base-station are configured to communicate with each other via a satellite applying a timing-advance-value (TA) for synchronizing an uplink of the communication. The base-station is configured to provide the at least one user-side-device with a satellite-connecting-signal concerning an uplink towards the satellite, the satellite-connecting-signal providing configuration information in order to establish and adjust the uplink to the satellite. The at least one user-side-device is configured to perform an adjustment of the timing-advance-value for a pre-compensation of at least one synchronization offset of an uplink in case the at least one user-side-device receives the satellite-connecting-signal, the satellite-connecting-signal including a granting-signal indicating the user-side-device the allowance to adjust the timing-advance-value. Responsive to the granting-signal, the at least one user-side-device is configured to automatically adjust the timing-advance-value for an unlimited time or for a certain period of time, until the at least one user-side-device receives a new TA adjustment configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wireless communication system, comprising:
at least one user-side-device and a base-station,
wherein the at least one user-side-device and the base-station are configured to communicate with each other via a satellite applying a timing-advance-value (TA value) for synchronizing an uplink of communication,
wherein the base-station is configured to provide the at least one user-side-device with a satellite-connecting-signal concerning the uplink towards the satellite, the satellite-connecting-signal providing configuration information in order to establish and adjust the uplink to the satellite,
wherein the at least one user-side-device is configured to perform an adjustment of the timing-advance-value for a pre-compensation of at least one synchronization offset of the uplink in case the at least one user-side-device receives the satellite-connecting-signal, the satellite-connecting-signal comprising a granting-signal indicating the at least one user-side-device an allowance to adjust the timing-advance-value,
wherein, responsive to the granting-signal, the at least one user-side-device is configured to automatically adjust the timing-advance-value on its own for an unlimited time or for a certain period of time, until the at least one user-side-device receives a new TA value adjustment configuration, and
wherein the at least one user-side-device is configured to adjust the timing-advance-value based on one or more of:
historical timing-advance-values,
a drift-value of the timing-advance-value,
a drift-characteristic of the timing-advance-value, and
a vector of timing-advance-values.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein, responsive to the granting-signal, the TA value adjustment is
performed at a plurality of certain times or certain points in time immediately or with a certain offset in time after receipt of the granting-signal, or at the certain points in time for a certain duration or time period, or
performed at a plurality of arbitrary or random times or arbitrary or random points in time after receipt of the granting-signal, or at the arbitrary or random points in time for a certain duration or time period, or
started immediately or with a certain offset in time after receipt of the granting-signal, and continues for a certain duration or time period or until receipt of a further signaling to stop the TA value adjustment or prediction.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one user-side-device is configured to predict or adjust the timing-advance-value for a shared uplink among a plurality of pieces of user-equipment.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein
the at least one user-side-device comprises a data-storage, and
the at least one user-side-device is configured to adjust the timing-advance-value based on previous timing-advance-values or characteristics affecting the timing-advance-value stored in the data-storage.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one user-side-device is configured to
use a plurality of component carriers, CCs, or a plurality of bandwidth parts, BWPs to provide for a plurality of uplink communication links, each uplink communication link comprising a respective CC or BWP, the plurality of uplink communication links being via a single satellite or via a plurality of satellites,
adjust the timing-advance-value
jointly for all the CCs or BWPs when the plurality of uplink communication links are via the single satellite, or
individually for the CCs or BWPs when the plurality of uplink communication links are via the plurality of satellites, and

use the plurality of uplink communication links in a simultaneous way or in an alternating way.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 5 , wherein
an intermediary-device and a user-equipment are combined, or
the intermediary-device is at the satellite with software-defined processing payloads, or
the intermediary-device is comprised by a user-equipment, or
the intermediary-device is a separate unit, or
the intermediary-device is comprised by the satellite.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one user-side-device adjusting the timing-advance-value is a user-equipment.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein
the wireless communication system comprises at least one intermediary-device and a plurality of pieces of user-equipment,
the at least one user-side-device adjusting the timing-advance-value is the at least one intermediary-device,
the plurality of pieces of user-equipment are configured to send signals directly to the satellite or via the at least one intermediary-device,
the at least one intermediary-device is configured to serve as an alignment-entity, and
the at least one intermediary-device is configured to align the signals by processing the signals based on the timing-advance-value.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein
the wireless communication system comprises at least one intermediary-device and a plurality of pieces of user-equipment,
the at least one user-side-device adjusting the timing-advance-value is the at least one intermediary-device,
the plurality of pieces of user-equipment are connected with the at least one intermediary-device,
the at least one intermediary-device is configured to serve as an alignment-entity, and
the at least one intermediary-device is configured to provide the connected plurality of pieces of user-equipments with the timing-advance-values.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 1 , wherein
the wireless communication system comprises at least one user-equipment and an intermediary-device,
the at least one user-side-device adjusting the timing-advance-value is the intermediary-device,
the intermediary-device is configured to serve as a relay,
the at least one user-equipment is configured to communicate with the base-station via the intermediary-device, and
the intermediary-device is configured to predict or adjust the timing-advance-value based on a change or relative movement between the intermediary-device and the at least one user-equipment affecting the timing-advance-value.

11. The wireless communication system of claim 10 , wherein
the wireless communication system comprises at least one intermediary-device and a plurality of pieces of user-equipment,
the at least one user-side-device predicting or adjusting uplink-settings is the at least one intermediary-device,
the plurality of pieces of user-equipment are configured to send signals to the base-station via the at least one intermediary-device,
the at least one intermediary-device is configured to serve as an alignment-entity, and
the at least one intermediary-device is configured to align the signals with respect to one or more of time, frequency, code and other resources by processing the signals based on handover-information.

12. The wireless communication system of claim 10 , wherein
the wireless communication system comprises at least one intermediary-device and a plurality of pieces of user-equipment,
the at least one user-side-device predicting or adjusting uplink-settings is the at least one intermediary-device,
the plurality of pieces of user-equipment are connected with the at least one intermediary-device via a wireless connection or via a wired connection, wherein the at least one intermediary-device is configured to serve as an alignment-entity, and
the at least one intermediary-device is configured to provide the connected plurality of pieces of user-equipment with handover-information.

Assignees

• Fraunhofer Ges Forschung

Inventors

• Heyn Thomas
• Datta Rohit
• Rohde Christian
• Roth-Mandutz Elke

Classifications

• H04W56/0045

  compensating for timing error by altering transmission time · CPC title

• H04B7/18508 Primary

  with satellite system used as relay, i.e. aeronautical mobile satellite service · CPC title

• H04W56/0005 Primary

  synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks · CPC title

• H04B7/18541

  for handover of resources · CPC title

• H04B7/2125

  Synchronisation · CPC title