System and method for efficient scanning of satellite coverage utilizing 3gpp-based systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025070857-A1
Application number	US-202318456344-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 25, 2023
Priority date	Aug 25, 2023
Publication date	Feb 27, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

The technology disclosed herein relates to enhancing satellite coverage and improving user device experiences. For example, the technology discussed herein can include establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection between a first satellite and a user device (e.g., an active or idle RRC connection). Based on the RRC connection, the first satellite can generate a message (e.g., an RRC connection release message) that includes a next satellite pass parameter within a field of the message. Based on the satellite transmitting the next satellite pass parameter to the user device, the user device can initiate one or more user device actions. For example, the user device can initiate a timer corresponding to scanning for a frequency band of the second satellite corresponding to the next satellite pass parameter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A system for enhancing satellite coverage, the system comprising:
one or more processors corresponding to a first satellite; and computer memory storing computer-usable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection between the first satellite and a user device, the user device being located within a particular geographical area; and
transmitting a message to the user device, the message including a next satellite pass parameter within a field of the message, the next satellite pass parameter corresponding to a service provided by a second satellite, via a frequency band, to the user device within the particular geographical area.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the message is an RRC connection release message.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the next satellite pass parameter is a frequency band identifier for the frequency band of the second satellite.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the next satellite pass parameter is a duration of time until the second satellite will provide the service to the user device within the particular geographical area.

5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the message further includes, within a second field, a service gap parameter corresponding to a duration of time that neither the first satellite nor the second satellite will provide the service to the user device within the particular geographical area.

6 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise:
based on transmitting the message to the user device and prior to the duration of time, until the second satellite will provide the service to the user device, ending:
establishing a second RRC connection between the first satellite and the user device; and
based on the second RRC connection, transmitting an RRC connection release message to the user device, the RRC connection release message including an updated duration of time, within a field of the RRC connection release message, until the second satellite will provide the service to the user device, the updated duration of time being a shorter time than the duration of time.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
receiving a first message from the user device, the first message including a first location of the user device within a first field of the first message; receiving a second message from the user device, the second message including a second location of the user device within a second field of the second message; and based on the first location, the second location, and a time at which the first message and the second message were received, determining the next satellite pass parameter to include in the field of the message.

8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the next satellite pass parameter is a particular time at which the second satellite will provide the service to the user device within the particular geographical area.

9 . A method for enhancing satellite coverage, the method comprising:
establishing a first radio resource control (RRC) connection between a first satellite and a user device located within a particular geographical area; and transmitting a message to the user device, the message including a next satellite pass parameter within a field of the message, the next satellite pass parameter corresponding to a next satellite pass of the user device from the first satellite to a second satellite.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the next satellite pass parameter is a duration of time until the second satellite will provide a service to the user device, via a frequency band, within the particular geographical area.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the message further includes a second field having a frequency band identifier for the frequency band of the second satellite.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the message further includes a third field having a service gap parameter indicating a period of time in which the user device will not receive service from the first satellite and the second satellite.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , further comprising establishing a second RRC connection between the first satellite and the user device based on transmitting the message to the user device and prior to the period of time in which the user device will not receive service from the first satellite and the second satellite.

14 . The method according to claim 9 , further comprising determining the next satellite pass parameter to include in the field of the message based on determining a location of the user device.

15 . One or more non-transitory computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:
establishing, via a user device located at particular geographical area, a radio resource control (RRC) connection with a first satellite; receiving, via the user device, a message from the first satellite, the message including a next satellite pass parameter within a field of the message, the next satellite pass parameter corresponding to a next satellite pass of the user device from the first satellite to a second satellite; and causing an action by the user device based on receiving the user device receiving the message.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer storage media of claim 15 , wherein the next satellite pass parameter corresponds to time at which the second satellite will provide a service, via a frequency band, to the user device within the particular geographical area, and wherein the action includes initiating, by the user device, a timer associated with scanning for the frequency band, the timer being based on the time in which the second satellite will provide the service.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer storage media of claim 15 , wherein the next satellite pass parameter is a frequency band identifier for a frequency band that the second satellite is transmitting for the particular geographical area, and wherein the action includes scanning, by the user device, based on the frequency band identifier.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer storage media of claim 17 , wherein the message further includes a duration of time until the user device is within a threshold range of the frequency band of the second satellite, the duration of time being within a second field of the message, and wherein the user device initiates the scanning upon the duration of time ending.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer storage media of claim 15 , wherein the next satellite pass parameter is a duration of time until the second satellite will provide a service to the user device within the particular geographical area, and wherein the action includes transmitting an RRC connection request to the second satellite based on receiving the message and based on the duration of time.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer storage media of claim 19 , wherein the message further includes a frequency band identifier for a frequency band corresponding to the service provided to the user device by the second satellite, the frequency band identifier being within a second field, and wherein the user device transmits the RRC

Assignees

• T Mobile Innovations Llc

Inventors

• Dreiling Ryan P

Classifications

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04B7/18541

  for handover of resources · CPC title

• H04B7/18563

  Arrangements for interconnecting multiple systems (data switching networks H04L12/00) · CPC title

• H04B7/18539

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

• H04B7/18513 Primary

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