Nokia Technologies Oy

Rafhael Medeiros De Amorim

Jeroen Wigard

Mads Lauridsen

Frank Frederiksen

Troels Emil Kolding

Shahzada Basharat Rasool

Bent Henneberg Rysgaard

István Zsolt Kovács

Tzu-Chung Hsieh

Bo Bjerrum

Konstantinos Manolakis

Stig Blücher Brink

Amol Dhere

Vladimir Vukadinovic

Kari Niemelä

Apparatus and method for communication in non-terrestrial networks are provided. Downlink transmissions are received () from one or more non-terrestrial nodes. Signal strengths and/or signal quality of the transmissions are measured () from the one or more non-terrestrial nodes. Transitions between line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight states regarding the one or more non-terrestrial nodes are determined (). Locations of the one or more non-terrestrial nodes and the apparatus are determined () and elevation and azimuth angles to the one or more non-terrestrial nodes from the apparatus are calculated (). A database of the line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight states is generated () as a function of elevation and azimuth angles and apparatus location and utilised () to determine expected line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight states for non-terrestrial nodes.

Communication in non-terrestrial networks

Aspects and embodiments relate to an apparatus and method for evaluating location of a terrestrial network node in a non-terrestrial network. In particular, one aspect provides an apparatus, comprising means for receiving an indication of propagation delay between a terrestrial network node and a non-terrestrial node in a non-terrestrial wireless communication network; means for receiving an indication of location of the non-terrestrial node; and means for evaluating location of the terrestrial network node in dependence upon the received indication of propagation delay between the terrestrial network node and the non-terrestrial node, and the indication of location of the non-terrestrial node. A further aspect provides a method of evaluating location of a terrestrial network node, and a computer program product operable, when executed on a computer, to perform that method. Aspects and embodiments recognise that having a knowledge of gNB and NTN-GW location in a non-terrestrial network can allow UE to simplify procedures in relation to the updating and tracking of forward link delay. Since it has been agreed that a network will not directly provide the gNB and/or NTN-GW location to UE, due to security and privacy reasons in some countries, apparatus can be configured to perform methods according to which a UE is operable to calculate or obtain information which can assist its ongoing operation and reduce an ongoing need to decode SIB in support of calculation of an appropriate Uplink timing advance (TA) to apply in relation to communications exchanged with a network.

Location calculation

According to an example embodiment, a client device comprises at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the client device to: detect need for random access, random access, in a non-terrestrial network to a target cell of the non-terrestrial network; identify whether the needed random access is intra-satellite or inter-satellite; in response to the needed random access being intra-satellite, perform a first random access procedure, wherein, in the first random access procedure, the client device transmits a random access preamble and a payload data in a single message; and in response to the needed random access being inter-satellite, perform a second random access procedure wherein, in the second random access procedure, the client device transmits a random access preamble and a payload data in separate messages. A client device, a network node device, methods and computer program products are disclosed.

Random access procedure selection

A method and apparatus may include identifying, by a network entity, at least one link change corresponding with at least one round trip time (RTT) change, and transmitting, by the network entity, at least one first indication of the at least one link change to at least one serving network entity. The at least one first indication is configured to cause the at least one serving network entity to transmit at least one second indication of the at least one RTT change to at least one user equipment.

Neighbor low earth orbit/high altitude platform stations inter-satellite link change and synchronization signal block measurements

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method comprising, embedding information for time synchronization to a SSB, encrypting the SSB and transmitting in a cellular communication network the encrypted SSB comprising the information for time synchronization.

Time synchronization in cellular communication networks

Growing community of inventors

Aalborg, Denmark

Rafhael Medeiros De Amorim