Apparatus and methods for mobility management in hybrid terrestrial-satellite mobile communications systems

Abstract

Communications between a terminal and a terrestrial base station are established. The terrestrial base station receives a request to monitor a satellite base station from the terminal. The terrestrial base station grants the request and receives monitoring information for the satellite base station corresponding to the request. Granting of the request may include suspending transmission from the terrestrial base station to the terminal for a period of time sufficient to allow the terminal to request the monitoring information from the satellite base station and receiving monitoring information may include receiving the requested monitoring information at the terrestrial base station via a communications path not including the terminal. Suspending transmission from the terrestrial base station to the terminal may be followed by resuming transmission to the terminal before receiving the monitoring information at the terrestrial base station. The communications path not including the terminal may include a terrestrial Access Service Network Gateway serving the terrestrial base station and a satellite Access Service Network Gateway serving the satellite base station. Handover techniques are also described.