The present disclosure relates, in part, to non-terrestrial communication systems, and in some embodiments to the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems. Non-terrestrial communication systems can provide a more flexible communication system with extended wireless coverage range and enhanced service quality compared to conventional communication systems.

Systems and methods for communication between user terminals and core network through satellite network and ground network are disclosed herein. The system facilitates connectivity through inter-satellite links in the satellite network. The system provides an air interface based on 5G protocols with satellite specific enhancements at lower layers, low latency, standards based physical layer design on both user and feeder links, beam-hopping design that minimizes end-to-end delay, software defined networking for route management to minimize payload complexity, efficient flow control between ground network and satellite to minimize buffering requirements in satellite payload, differentiated quality of service, advanced scheduler designs to cater to traffic types and full/half duplex terminals, end-to-end Layer 2 transport, direct user terminal to user terminal communications, adaptive modulation and coding, scalable gateway, and the like.

A method for managing the telecommunication data traffic of a very high throughput satellite communication system wherein, for each satellite, the management of a so-called n+p site diversity and/or of a load diversity is implemented in a digital transparent processor in the satellite to guarantee the availability of the very high throughput communication system.

A method, carried out by a processing device(s), is used for assisting in placing beams to cover a plurality of locations on Earth. The method comprises: grouping the plurality of locations into cliques by applying a clique problem resolution technique to an undirected graph whose vertices correspond to the plurality of locations and wherein two vertices of the undirected graph are connected by an edge if they correspond to two locations that are regarded as coverable by a single beam; assigning a beam to each of at least some of the cliques; and outputting parameters usable to control at least one beam source to form the assigned beams. The invention also relates to a system, computer program products, and a method and system for simulating a beam placement.

A system includes antennas to receive satellite signals, modems for managing data received from the antennas, and a switching unit for managing the allocation and the transmission of the data from the various antennas to the various modems, the data from any one of the antennas being able to be allocated and transmitted to any one of the modems, the system thus being able to adapt the allocation of the data such that each modem is able to continue to receive data relating to signals transmitted by one and the same satellite upon a change of position of the antennas, thereby making it possible to maintain communication to one or more given satellite communication services.

In certain embodiments, a wireless device obtains one or more NTN-related metrics for each of a plurality of cells in a non-terrestrial network and selects a cell for camping based at least in part on the one or more NTN-related metrics. The one or more NTN-related metrics comprise: a geographical distance between the wireless device and a reference point; a distance between the wireless device and the one or more satellites serving each cell; an RTT offered by the one or more satellites serving each cell; RTT variations in each cell; a requirement to pre-compensate the RTT by means of GNSS measurements; a velocity of the satellite serving each cell; an angle of elevation between the device and the satellite(s) serving each cell; a Doppler shift induced by the satellite serving each cell; a tracking area code broadcasted by the cell; and/or a signal strength/quality offset.

A method comprising determining, by a function, that a first satellite lacks processing or communication capabilities; and routing data traffic, by the function, from the first satellite to a second satellite, the second satellite having higher processing or communication capabilities than the first satellite. The processing and communication capabilities of the first and second satellite are directly related to their power availability, which is derived from solar energy means. Another method comprising determining, by a function, that a first satellite cannot provide computing or communication resources; migrating data, by the function, from the first satellite to a second satellite that can provide the computing or communication resources; computing the data, by the computing resources of the second satellite; and transmitting computed data, by the function, from the second satellite to the first satellite.

This application relates to a method of performing wireless communications between a hub station and a plurality of user terminals. The method comprises transmitting radio signals to subsets of user terminals among the plurality of user terminals with sets of active beams, wherein the active beams have beam centers that are determined based on locations of the user terminals. The method further comprises, for each of a plurality of radio resource blocks: selecting a subset of user terminals among the plurality of user terminals; for each user terminal among the subset of user terminals, determining a beam center based on a location of the respective user terminal; and transmitting, using the respective radio resource block, radio signals to the user terminals among the selected subset of user terminals, in beams corresponding to the determined beam centers. The method further relates to a corresponding hub station for performing wireless communications with a plurality of user terminals, and to a method of determining antenna parameters and a beam pattern for a hub station.

According to some embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device for non-terrestrial network (NTN) connection control comprises receiving a message comprising parameters from which the wireless device is informed that it is to disconnect from a terrestrial network (TN) and connect to one of one or more NTNs or disconnect from a NTN and connect to one of one or more TNs. Upon the parameters informing the wireless device to connect to one of one or more NTNs, the method further comprises: disconnecting from the TN; based at least in part on the one or more parameters, selecting one of the detected at least one of the one or more NTNs; and connecting to the selected NTN. Upon the parameters informing the wireless device to connect to one of one or more TNs: the method further comprises disconnecting from the NTN, and detecting, selecting, and connecting to the TN.

Techniques discussed herein may enable effective cell identification and paging within a non-terrestrial network (NTN). A base station may map logical cell identifiers, corresponding to satellites, to physical cell identifiers, corresponding to physical or geographic cells. The techniques enable cell identification and paging in both Earth-fixed cell scenarios and Earth-moving cell scenarios, and in scenarios where the satellite moves between countries.