In a method and apparatus for inter-satellite communications, transmissions between a satellite and neighboring satellites that share an orbital plane occur via an aft antenna or a forward antenna and transmissions between the satellite and neighboring satellites that do not share an orbital plane occur via the aft antenna or the forward antenna timed during orbital plane crossings. This occurs even if the total path length and number of links is higher than inter-satellite communications that use side-to-side transfers.

According to some embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device operating in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) comprises obtaining a first timing advance (TA) value for uplink transmission in the NTN. The first TA value comprises a reference TA value. The method further comprises obtaining a trigger condition for reporting a TA used by the wireless device for uplink transmission in the NTN and autonomously obtaining an adjusted TA value for uplink transmission. The adjusted TA is obtained via autonomous adjustment to the reference TA value based on a propagation delay between the wireless device and a serving satellite of the NTN. The method further comprises, upon determining the trigger condition for reporting the TA is satisfied, reporting the adjusted TA to a network node.

A method of scheduling wake up times for terminals in a satellite communication system using satellite ephemeris data in order to extend battery life of terminals is described. The terminal periodically evaluates the stored ephemeris data to determine whether it is valid, recently valid, or invalid. When the ephemeris data is valid the terminal can schedule wake up times to either transmit or receive updated ephemeris data. For recently valid ephemeris data the terminal calculates BB possible satellite pass windows and schedules wake up time. For invalid data the terminal wakes and listens periodically with a period that is less than the expected satellite pass duration. It may repeat this process several times before sleeping for an amount of time less than the expected satellite pass duration and repeating. Additional gateway beacons may be used to provide ephemeris data, and satellites may also provide information on beacon locations.

An enhanced L-band Digital Aeronautical Communications System (LDACS) may include LDACS ground stations; and Alternate Positioning, Navigation and Timing (A-PNT) beacon transmitters positioned on the ground; and LDACS airborne stations. The LDACS airborne station may be configured to communicate with the LDACS ground stations, and determine A-PNT information based upon the plurality of A-PNT beacon transmitters.

A Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) system is provided. The MEC system includes a user equipment (UE), an MEC device, and a core network. The MEC device includes a relay User Plane Function (UPF) module, a first UPF module, and a second UPF module. The core network performs a UPF path management corresponding to the UE based on a notification of the MEC device. When the UE attaches to a network, the MEC device establishes an idle session between the UE and the relay UPF module. When the MEC device determines that a service for the UE needs to be switched from the first UPF module to the second UPF module and the second UPF module has not been activated, the MEC device notifies the core network to switch the service for the UE from the first UPF module to the relay UPF module first.

A system and method for orienting a communications antenna are disclosed. The method includes: segmenting a receive phase array antenna into N sub-arrays with M-antenna elements in each sub-array; receiving, a known signal, by each of the M-antenna elements of at least four (4) of the N-sub-arrays; scanning in a direction of the known signal by applying a beam weight associated with each of the M elements in each of the at least 4-sub-arrays to obtain M-weighted signals for each of the at least 4-sub-arrays; combining the M-weighted signals for each of the at least 4-sub-arrays into signals A, B, C and D, respectively; generating an azimuth difference signal per a weighted sum of (A+B) and (C+D) and an elevation difference signal per a weighted sum of (A+C) and (B+D); computing the weights of the azimuth difference signal, such that the azimuth difference signals is driven to a zero signal; and computing the weights of the elevation difference signal, such that the elevation difference signal is driven to a zero signal. N is greater than or equal to four (4) and M is greater than or equal to one (1).

A method for resource allocation in a multi-beam satellite LTE network includes determining, via a communication processor, a per sub-frame resource block (RB) threshold value on a per-beam and per-LTE carrier basis, based on a total transmission power and shared power amplifiers available to multiple beams of a space vehicle while ensuring that power amplifiers operate in a linear amplification region. The method further includes communicating the LTE per subframe RB threshold value to a downlink LTE scheduler function within the eNode-B to ensure that the count of subframe level RB allocations is less than the determined LTE per subframe RB threshold value.

The present application relates to a Doppler shift compensation method and device. The method includes: indicating by a network side, to a terminal side, Doppler compensation reference information preset for each beam cell in a satellite coverage area, so that a terminal accessing the beam cell can timely obtain a terminal side Doppler compensation value.

A user equipment (UE) associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) is disclosed. The UE comprises a processor configured to determine a first time offset, based on processing a timing offset indication signal comprising the first time offset or an associated parameter, received from a base station. In some embodiments, the first time offset is indicative of a time delay in downlink (DL) to uplink (UL) interaction between the UE and the base station. The processor is further configured to determine a second time offset, based on processing a subsequent timing offset indication signal comprising the second time offset or an associated parameter, received from the base station at a subsequent time instance. In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to update the first time offset with the second time offset.

A multiple-access transceiver handles communications with mobile stations in environments that exceed mobile station design assumptions without necessarily requiring modifications to the mobile stations. One such environment is in Earth orbit. The multiple-access transceiver is adapted to close communications with mobile stations while exceeding mobile station design assumptions, such as greater distance, greater relative motion and/or other conditions commonly found where functionality of a terrestrial transceiver is to be performed by an orbital transceiver. The orbital transceiver might include a data parser that parses a frame data structure, a signal timing module that adjusts timing based on orbit to terrestrial propagation delays, frequency shifters and a programmable radio capable of communicating from the Earth orbit that uses a multiple-access protocol such that the communication is compatible with, or appears to the terrestrial mobile station to be, communication between a terrestrial cellular base station and the terrestrial mobile station.