Common timing offset signaling in a non- terrestrial network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12517263-B2
Application number	US-202217654179-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2022
Priority date	Nov 3, 2021
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a network node may transmit, and a user equipment (UE) may receive, signaling indicating one or more common timing offset parameters that are based at least in part on one or more delays between a satellite and a reference point in a non-terrestrial network (NTN). The UE may determine a transmit time for an uplink signal based at least in part on the one or more common timing offset parameters and a starting time associated with an uplink slot in which the uplink signal is to arrive at the reference point. The UE may transmit the uplink signal at the transmit time. Numerous other aspects are described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
one or more memories comprising instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to:
obtain, from a network node, signaling that indicates ephemeris information associated with a satellite;
obtain, from the network node, a system information block indicating one or more common timing offset parameters that are based at least in part on one or more delays between the satellite and a reference point in a non-terrestrial network (NTN),
wherein the reference point corresponds to a location in the NTN where a downlink and an uplink are frame aligned in time with an offset, and
wherein a transmit time is based at least in part on (i) the one or more common timing offset parameters, (ii) a starting time associated with an uplink slot in which an uplink signal is to arrive at the reference point, and (iii) an epoch time, associated with the ephemeris information, that is a starting time associated with a downlink slot, wherein the downlink slot is at the reference point; and

output the uplink signal for transmission at the transmit time.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reference point is at the network node.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reference point is in a path between the satellite and the network node.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more common timing offset parameters include at least one of:
one or more values associated with the one or more delays between the satellite and the reference point, or one or more derivatives associated with the one or more delays between the satellite and the reference point.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more common timing offset parameters include a one-way delay from the satellite to the reference point for a transmission to arrive at the reference point at the starting time associated with the uplink slot.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more common timing offset parameters include half of a round-trip delay between the reference point and the satellite for a transmission to arrive at the reference point at the starting time associated with the uplink slot.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more common timing offset parameters include a one-way delay from the reference point to the satellite for a transmission performed by the reference point at the starting time associated with the downlink slot.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more common timing offset parameters include a value associated with a distance between x and y and a speed of light.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmit time is UE-specific.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a slot duration is constant over time at the location in the NTN.

11 . An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
one or more memories comprising instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to:
output, for transmission to a user equipment (UE), signaling that indicates ephemeris information associated with a satellite,
wherein one or more delays is between the satellite and a reference point in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) and is based at least in part on the ephemeris information,
wherein the reference point corresponds to a location in the NTN where a downlink and an uplink are frame aligned in time with an offset; and

output, for transmission to the UE, a system information block indicating one or more common timing offset parameters that are based at least in part on the one or more delays between the satellite and the reference point,
wherein the one or more common timing offset parameters are further based at least in part on an epoch time, associated with the ephemeris information, that is a starting time associated with a downlink slot, wherein the downlink slot is at the reference point.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the reference point is at the apparatus.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the reference point is in a path between the satellite and the apparatus.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more common timing offset parameters include at least one of:
one or more values associated with the one or more delays between the satellite and the reference point, or one or more derivatives associated with the one or more delays between the satellite and the reference point.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more common timing offset parameters include a one-way delay from the satellite to the reference point for a transmission to arrive at the reference point at a starting time associated with an uplink slot at the reference point.

16 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more common timing offset parameters include half of a round-trip delay between the reference point and the satellite for a transmission to arrive at the reference point at a starting time associated with an uplink slot at the reference point.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more common timing offset parameters include a one-way delay from the reference point to the satellite for a transmission performed by the reference point at the starting time associated with the downlink slot.

18 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more common timing offset parameters include a value associated with a distance between x and y and a speed of light.

19 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the apparatus to:
obtain, from the UE, an uplink signal that was transmitted at a UE-specific transmit time that is based at least in part on the one or more common timing offset parameters and a starting time associated with an uplink slot in which the uplink signal is to arrive at the reference point.

20 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit, to the UE, the signaling indicating the one or more common timing offset parameters, wherein the apparatus is configured as a network node.

21 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a slot duration is constant over time at the location in the NTN.

22 . A user equipment (UE), comprising:
at least one transceiver; one or more memories comprising instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the UE to:
receive, via the at least one transceiver from a network node, signaling that indicates ephemeris information associated with a satellite;
receive, via the at least one transceiver from the network node, a system information block indicating one or more common timing offset parameters that are based at least in part on one or more delays between the satellite and a reference point in a non-terrestrial network (NTN),
wherein the reference point corresponds to a location in the NTN where a downlink and an uplink are frame aligned in time with an offset, and
wherein a transmit time is based at least in part on (i) the one or more common timing offset parameters, (ii) starting time associated with an uplink slot in which an uplink signal is to arrive at the reference point, and (iii) an epoch time, associated with the ephemeris information, that is a starting time associated with a downlink slot, wherein the downlink slot is at the reference point; and

transmit, via the at least

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Krishnamurthy Harikumar
• Wang Xiao Feng
• Ma Liangping

Classifications

• G01S19/256

  relating to timing, e.g. time of week, code phase, timing offset · CPC title

• H04W56/001 Primary

  Synchronization between nodes · CPC title

• H04W84/06

  Airborne or Satellite Networks (space-based or airborne stations H04B7/185) · CPC title

• G01S13/765

  with exchange of information between interrogator and responder · CPC title

• G01S5/0236

  Assistance data, e.g. base station almanac · CPC title