A method includes determining a respective position of each of one or more mobile platforms of a plurality of mobile platforms forming a cluster. The mobile platforms include aircraft or spacecraft. The method includes, based on the respective positions of the one or more mobile platforms of the cluster, controlling each mobile platform of the one or more mobile platforms to transmit a respective signal. A combination of the respective signals form a communications cell that is spatially localized at a location of a target terrestrial device, the communications cell configured to provide communications coverage for the target terrestrial device.

A method for performing a handover operation includes using one or more processors of a non-terrestrial node to initiate communication with a first terrestrial node of a network, the terrestrial node having a first unique node identifier and a cell identifier and store a mapping that associates the first unique node identifier with the cell identifier. The method also includes using the one or more processors to receive an indicator that the mapping is subject to change and update the mapping to associate a second unique node identifier of a second terrestrial node of the network with the cell identifier based on the received indicator.

This disclosure provides systems, devices, apparatus, and methods, including computer programs encoded on storage media, for GNSS validity reporting in NTNs. A UE may transmit, to a network entity, a report of a validity duration for GNSS tracking information. The GNSS tracking information may be associated with an NTN including the UE and the network entity. The report may include an indication of a remaining time period of the validity duration based on a threshold. The UE may switch to an RRC idle mode based on the report of the validity duration. The RRC idle mode may be switched to after an expiration of the remaining time period of the validity duration or based on an RRC release message received from the network entity.

An illustrated embodiment disclosed herein is a method for downlink scheduling. The method includes scheduling, by a satellite, one or more protocol data units (PDUs) in a slot, determining, by the satellite, whether available capacity of the slot is less than a predetermined threshold, responsive to determining that the available capacity of the slot is not less than the predetermined threshold, scheduling, by the satellite, a second one or more PDUs in the slot, and responsive to determining that the available capacity of the slot is less than that the predetermined threshold, transmitting, by the satellite, the slot to an endpoint. In some embodiments, the one or more PDUs are associated with a first spreading factor (SF). In some embodiments, the first SF is lower than a second SF. In some embodiments, the second one or more PDUs are associated with the second SF.

An illustrated embodiment disclosed herein is a method for downlink scheduling. The method includes scheduling, by a satellite, one or more protocol data units (PDUs) in a slot, determining, by the satellite, whether available capacity of the slot is less than a predetermined threshold, responsive to determining that the available capacity of the slot is not less than the predetermined threshold, scheduling, by the satellite, a second one or more PDUs in the slot, and responsive to determining that the available capacity of the slot is less than that the predetermined threshold, transmitting, by the satellite, the slot to an endpoint. In some embodiments, the one or more PDUs are associated with a first spreading factor (SF). In some embodiments, the first SF is lower than a second SF. In some embodiments, the second one or more PDUs are associated with the second SF.

Methods and systems are described for providing end-to-end beamforming. For example, end-to-end beamforming systems include end-to-end relays and ground networks to provide communications to user terminals located in user beam coverage areas. The ground segment can include geographically distributed access nodes and a central processing system. Return uplink signals, transmitted from the user terminals, have multipath induced by a plurality of receive/transmit signal paths in the end to end relay and are relayed to the ground network. The ground network, using beamformers, recovers user data streams transmitted by the user terminals from return downlink signals. The ground network, using beamformers generates forward uplink signals from appropriately weighted combinations of user data streams that, after relay by the end-end-end relay, produce forward downlink signals that combine to form user beams.

Methods and systems are described for providing end-to-end beamforming. For example, end-to-end beamforming systems include end-to-end relays and ground networks to provide communications to user terminals located in user beam coverage areas. The ground segment can include geographically distributed access nodes and a central processing system. Return uplink signals, transmitted from the user terminals, have multipath induced by a plurality of receive/transmit signal paths in the end to end relay and are relayed to the ground network. The ground network, using beamformers, recovers user data streams transmitted by the user terminals from return downlink signals. The ground network, using beamformers generates forward uplink signals from appropriately weighted combinations of user data streams that, after relay by the end-end-end relay, produce forward downlink signals that combine to form user beams.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) receives a set of Random Access preambles, determines its UAV status, and selects a Random Access preamble from the set of Random Access preambles. In some cases, the set of Random Access preambles are allocated for use by UAVs and are common to a plurality of neighboring cells. The UAV transmits the selected Random Access preamble to multiple neighboring cells. One of the neighboring cells that received the selected Random Access preamble transmits a Random Access Response to the UAV. The UAV determines which cell sent the Random Access Response, reselects to the cell that sent the Random Access Response, and transmits a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Connection Establishment Request to the reselected cell. Upon completion of a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure, the reselected cell becomes the serving cell for the UAV.

A controller, which is a communication device, includes: a transfer unit including a function of transferring data received from a first terminal to another communication device via wireless communication; and a determination unit configured to determine whether first information is included in the data received by the transfer unit, the first information indicating that the data is to be multicast. The transfer unit is further configured to multicast the data to a second terminal when the determination unit determines that the first information is included in the data, the second terminal and the first terminal being different terminals.

According to the method and the apparatus, a first device generates a first synchronization sequence and/or a second synchronization sequence, where the first synchronization sequence is different from any sequence of a third synchronization sequence set, and/or the second synchronization sequence is different from any sequence of a fourth synchronization sequence set.