Terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems, apparatuses, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11979220-B2
Application number	US-202318115851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2023
Priority date	Dec 24, 2019
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates, in part, to non-terrestrial communication systems, and in some embodiments to the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. Non-terrestrial communication systems can provide a more flexible communication system with extended wireless coverage range and enhanced service quality compared to conventional communication systems. A method representative of aspects of the present application includes receiving, by an apparatus connected in a first sub-system, from a radio access network, configuration information for performing a channel condition measurement on a second sub-system, reporting, by the apparatus to the radio access network, channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system, transmitting, by the apparatus, a wireless transmission to the second sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement meeting a predefined condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by an apparatus connected in a first sub-system, from a radio access network, configuration information for performing a channel condition measurement on a second sub-system;
reporting, by the apparatus to the radio access network, channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system; and
transmitting, by the apparatus, a wireless transmission to the second sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal meeting a predefined condition,
wherein the first sub-system includes:
a terrestrial transmit and receive point (T-TRP); or
a non-terrestrial transmit and receive point (NT-TRP); and

wherein the second sub-system includes:
the T-TRP; or
the NT-TRP; and

wherein the first sub-system is different from the second sub-system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the apparatus from the radio access network, a notification; and
the transmitting, by the apparatus, a wireless transmission to the second sub-system comprising:
transmitting, by the apparatus, to the second sub-system according to the notification.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining to turn off, by the apparatus, the first sub-system.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining to turn off, by the apparatus, the first sub-system comprises:
performing, by the apparatus, channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the first sub-system; and
determining to turn off, by the apparatus, the first sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the first sub-system having a value that is below a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined condition is met when:
the channel condition measurement has a value that is equal to or above a threshold.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the threshold is defined or received from the radio access network and the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system comprises one of:
channel status information (CSI),
reference signal received power (RSRP) or
received signal strength indicator (RSSI).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first sub-system comprises a T-TRP; and
the second sub-system comprises a NT-TRP,
the apparatus has connected to the T TRP responsive to the channel condition measurement on a downlink reference signal received from the T-TRP being equal to or above a first threshold, and
the predefined condition is met when the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system is equal to or above a second threshold, and
the second threshold is less than the first threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NT-NTP is a TRP that is not bound to the ground and that comprises: an airborne platform; an unmanned aerial system (UAS); an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); a balloon; a quadcopter; or a satellite TRP.

9. An apparatus comprising at least one processor coupled with a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, wherein when the instructions executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus connected in a first sub-system to perform the following operations:
receiving, from a radio access network, configuration information for performing a channel condition measurement on a second sub-system;
reporting channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system; and
transmitting a wireless transmission to the second sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal meeting a predefined condition,
wherein the first sub-system includes:
a terrestrial transmit and receive point (T-TRP); or
a non-terrestrial transmit and receive point (NT-TRP); and

wherein the second sub-system includes:
the T-TRP; or
the NT-TRP; and

wherein the first sub-system is different from the second sub-system.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the apparatus to perform the following further operations:
receiving from the radio access network, a notification; and
the transmitting, by the apparatus, a wireless transmission to the second sub-system comprising:
transmitting to the second sub-system according to the notification.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the apparatus to perform the following further operation:
determining to turn off the first sub-system.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the determining to turn off the first sub-system comprises:
performing channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the first sub-system; and
determining to turn off the first sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the first sub-system having a value that is below a threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the predefined condition is met when:
the channel condition measurement has a value that is equal to or above a threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the threshold is defined or received from the radio access network; and the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system comprises one of:
channel status information (CSI),
reference signal received power (RSRP) or
received signal strength indicator (RSSI).

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the first sub-system comprises a T-TRP; and
the second sub-system comprises a NT-TRP,
the apparatus has connected to the T-TRP responsive to the channel condition measurement on a downlink reference signal received from the T-TRP being equal to or above a first threshold, and
the predefined condition is met when the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system is equal to or above a second threshold, and
the second threshold is less than the first threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the NT-NTP is a TRP that is not bound to the ground and that comprises: an airborne platform, an unmanned aerial system (UAS), an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a balloon, a quadcopter, or a satellite TRP.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor in an apparatus connected in a first sub-system, cause the apparatus to perform the following operations:
receiving, from a radio access network, configuration information for performing a channel condition measurement on a second sub-system;
reporting channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system; and
transmitting a wireless transmission to the second sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal meeting a predefined condition,
wherein the first sub-system includes:
a terrestrial transmit and receive point (T-TRP); or
a non-terrestrial transmit and receive point (NT-TRP); and

wherein the second sub-system includes:
the T-TRP; or
the NT-TRP; and

wherein the first sub-system is different from the second sub-system.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the apparatus to perform the following further operations:
receiving from the radio access network, a notification; and
the transmitting

Assignees

• Ma Jianglei
• Jia Ming
• Zhu Peiying
• Tong Wen
• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ma Jianglei
• Jia Ming
• Zhu Peiying
• Tong Wen

Classifications

• H04B7/18513 Primary

  Transmission in a satellite or space-based system · CPC title

• H04B7/18517

  Transmission equipment in earth stations · CPC title

• H04B7/18526

  Arrangements for data linking, networking or transporting, or for controlling an end to end session (data switching networks H04L12/00) · CPC title

• H04B7/18539

  Arrangements for managing radio, resources, i.e. for establishing or releasing a connection · CPC title

• H04B7/18558

  Arrangements for managing communications, i.e. for setting up, maintaining or releasing a call between stations · CPC title