Handoff for non-geosynchronous satellite communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9762314-B2
Application number	US-201514856933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 17, 2015
Priority date	May 1, 2015
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Various aspects of the disclosure relate to handoff of a user terminal in communication with a gateway through a satellite in a non-geosynchronous satellite communication system. In some aspects, a gateway and a user terminal use a satellite and beam transition table to determine when to handoff the user terminal from one beam to another and/or from one satellite to another. In some aspects, a user terminal sends capability information, location information, or other information to a gateway whereby, based on this information, the gateway generates a satellite and beam transition table and/or selects a handoff procedure for the user terminal. In some aspects, handoff of a user terminal to a different satellite involves the user terminal conducting satellite signal measurements and sending a measurement message to the gateway. In some aspects, the gateway generates a new satellite and beam transition table as a result of receiving a measurement message.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of communication for an apparatus, comprising:
receiving a first signal comprising capability information for a user terminal;
generating satellite and beam transition information that specifies a time to start and a time to terminate communication with a particular beam of a particular satellite, wherein the generation of the satellite and beam transition information is based on the capability information for the user terminal; and
sending a second signal comprising the satellite and beam transition information to the user terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generation of the satellite and beam transition information is further based on at least one of: location information for the user terminal, ephemeris information, a restriction due to an incumbent system, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the location information comprises a current location for the user terminal or a motion vector for the user terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the capability information indicates at least one of: whether the user terminal can sense multiple beams, whether the user terminal can sense multiple satellites, an inter-beam tune time for the user terminal, an inter-satellite tune time for the user terminal, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generation of the satellite and beam transition information is triggered based on at least one of: handoff of the user terminal to a different satellite, receipt of a measurement message from the user terminal, or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing handoffs for the user terminal to different beams and at least one satellite based on the satellite and beam transition information.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a measurement message from the user terminal; and
determining, based on the measurement message, whether to modify the satellite and beam transition information.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the modification of the satellite and beam transition information comprises advancing a handoff or delaying a handoff.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selecting a handoff procedure for the user terminal based on the capability information.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the selection of the handoff procedure comprises enabling or disabling monitoring for a measurement message from the user terminal based on whether the user terminal is dual sense capable.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a satellite network portal in communication with at least one non-geosynchronous satellite.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a time of a handoff of the user terminal; and
transferring user queues prior to the handoff.

13. An apparatus for communication comprising:
a memory device; and
a processing circuit coupled to the memory device and configured to:
receive a first signal comprising capability information for a user terminal;
generate satellite and beam transition information that specifies a time to start and a time to terminate communication with a particular beam of a particular satellite, wherein the generation of the satellite and beam transition information is based on the capability information for the user terminal; and
send a second signal comprising the satellite and beam transition information to the user terminal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
generate the satellite and beam transition information based on at least one of: location information for the user terminal, ephemeris information, a restriction due to an incumbent system, or any combination thereof.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the capability information indicates at least one of: whether the user terminal can sense multiple beams, whether the user terminal can sense multiple satellites, an inter-beam tune time for the user terminal, an inter-satellite tune time for the user terminal, or any combination thereof.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
perform handoffs for the user terminal to different beams and at least one satellite based on the satellite and beam transition information.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
receive a measurement message from the user terminal; and
determine, based on the measurement message, whether to modify the satellite and beam transition information.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein, to modify the satellite and beam transition information, the processing circuit is further configured to advance a handoff or delay a handoff.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
select a handoff procedure for the user terminal based on the capability information.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein, to select the handoff procedure, the processing circuit is further configured to enable or disable whether the apparatus monitors for a measurement message from the user terminal based on whether the user terminal is dual sense capable.

21. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processing circuit is further configured to:
determine a time of a handoff of the user terminal; and
transfer user queues prior to the handoff.

22. An apparatus for communication comprising:
means for receiving a first signal comprising capability information for a user terminal;
means for generating satellite and beam transition information that specifies a time to start and a time to terminate communication with a particular beam of a particular satellite, wherein the generation of the satellite and beam transition information is based on the capability information for the user terminal; and
means for sending a second signal comprising the satellite and beam transition information to the user terminal.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:
means for performing handoffs for the user terminal to different beams and at least one satellite based on the satellite and beam transition information.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:
means for receiving a measurement message from the user terminal; and
means for determining, based on the measurement message, whether to modify the satellite and beam transition information.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:
means for selecting a handoff procedure for the user terminal based on the capability information.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:
means for determining a time of a handoff of the user terminal; and
means for transferring user queues prior to the handoff.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for an apparatus, including code to:
receive a first signal comprising capability information for a user terminal;
generate satellite and beam transition information that specifies a time to start and a time to terminate communication with a particular beam of a particular satellite, wherein the generation of the satellite and beam transition information is based on the capability information for the user terminal; and
send a second signal comprising the satellite and beam transition information to the user terminal.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Ulupinar Fatih
• Purkayastha Punyaslok

Classifications

• H04W36/0083

  Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists · CPC title

• H04W84/06

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

• H04B7/18541 Primary

  for handover of resources · CPC title

• H04W36/00837

  Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off · CPC title

• H04W36/0085

  Hand-off measurements · CPC title