A positioning terminal transmits terminal position information to a position authentication device. The position authentication device acquires a digitized positioning signal and a positioning augmentation signal as the same data as data used by the positioning terminal device to calculate a positioning position and a positioning time included in the terminal position information. The position authentication device calculates a corresponding position corresponding to the positioning position included in the terminal position information and a corresponding time corresponding to the positioning time included in the terminal position information, based on the acquired digitized positioning signal and positioning augmentation signal, and compares the corresponding position with the positioning position and compares the corresponding time with the positioning time.

Various arrangements are presented for using an estimated timing advance for user equipment communications. A location of an instance of user equipment may be determined. An estimated distance between the user equipment and a communication satellite may be determined using the determined location of the user equipment and an estimated satellite location. An estimated timing offset using the calculated estimated distance may be determined. An uplink data frame may be transmitted by the user equipment to the satellite such that a timing of transmission of the uplink data frame is based on the calculated estimated timing offset.

A whole-airspace satellite search method and device based on a phased array antenna are provided. The present disclosure combines electronic scanning implemented by the phased array antenna with mechanical scanning implemented by a mechanical actuator. As for low-orbit satellite communication, the present disclosure achieves rapid search and aiming through the phased array antenna, and solves the problem of limited electronic scanning angle of the phased array antenna through a servo system of the mechanical actuator. On the other hand, the present disclosure supports whole-airspace search and aiming of high, medium, and low-orbit satellites through the combination of the electronic scanning implemented by the phased array antenna and the mechanical scanning implemented by the mechanical actuator.

The disclosure relates in some aspects to location reporting and paging for satellite communication. In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a user terminal (UT) sending a message to report information about the UT's location. A threshold may be used to control whether (e.g., when) the UT reports its location. The location information may be used to enforce area (e.g., country) restrictions for the UT. In one aspect, the disclosure relates to forwarding paging messages between network access controllers. For example, a network access controller that is not able to page a UT may forward a paging message to another network access controller. In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a list of paging areas that indicates where a UT need not perform a paging area update.

A satellite communication system includes a non-geostationary satellite configured to provide a first plurality of non-articulated spot beams that comprise a Field of Regard. The satellite further configured to provide a steerable spot beam that can be steered to establish communication with a gateway outside and in front of the Field of Regard and maintain communication while the satellite and the Field of Regard moves over and past the gateway including after the gateway is outside of and behind the Field of Regard.

Synchronization technology is implemented for a satellite communication system. Master clock information is accessed at a terrestrial location. A timing message based on the master clock information is transmitted from the terrestrial location to a satellite as the satellite is in orbit. The satellite is synchronized to the master clock based on the timing message. A beacon signal is transmitted from the satellite toward Earth. The beacon signal includes timing information. The beacon signal is received at a ground based gateway. The gateway is synchronized to the satellite based on the beacon signal. Communication is sent from the gateway to a terminal via the satellite. The communication includes timing data. The terminal is synchronized to the gateway based on the timing data.

In an aspect, a user equipment (UE) determines a target orientation associated with the UE for a two-way satellite communication session that provides a line of sight (LOS) alignment between an antenna of the UE with a satellite antenna, determines a current orientation associated with the UE, determines difference information associated with a difference between the current orientation of the UE and the target orientation of the UE; and transmits, to a user feedback component, an instruction to provide user feedback that is based on the difference information and that comprises non-visual user feedback or visual feedback that is separate from a display screen of the UE.

A satellite communication system provides for handovers between satellites and multiple gateways. Terminals communicate with a first gateway via a first satellite as beams of the first satellite traverse the region. A second gateway is in communication with the first satellite and hands over to a second satellite. The first gateway is at a first location. The second gateway is at a second location separated from the first location in the orbital direction. Terminals handover to the second satellite as beams of the second satellite begin to traverse the region, and the terminals start connecting to and communicating with the second gateway via the second satellite. After all of the terminals of the plurality of terminals handover to the second satellite, the first gateway hands over to the second satellite and then the terminals in the region communicate with the first gateway via the second satellite.

Facilitating multi-slot frequency hopping can comprise generating configuration data associated with configuring a mobile device with a multi-slot operation, associated with slots of the mobile device, for sending uplink channel control data or traffic channel data. Additionally, facilitating multi-slot frequency hopping can comprise transmitting the configuration data to the mobile device, resulting in a multi-slot configuration of the mobile device, wherein the configuration data comprises hopping patterns to be used by the slots.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for a paging alert channel for a satellite access network. In some implementations, a communication device operates in an idle or inactive state. The communication device performs discontinuous reception to intermittently monitor a wireless communication channel designated for receiving paging messages. The communication device determines that a synchronization signal for the wireless communication channel is not received during monitoring in the discontinuous reception. In response to the determination, the communication device monitors a paging alert channel designated for paging alerts, wherein the monitoring comprises tuning a receiver of the communication device to selectively monitor the paging alert channel to receive signals during a series of frames such that the communication device accumulates repeated transmissions of paging alert signals sent in the series of frames.