IP Library › Granted Patent US 12666322
Granted Patent B2
US 12666322 · App. 19/273,098 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Method, terminal device and network device for non-terrestrial network satellite handover

Inventors: Ling Lyu (Shanghai, CN); Zheng Zhao (Shanghai, CN)
Assignee: Quectel Wireless Solutions Co., Ltd.
H04W36/00725H04B7/06952H04W52/367
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12666322
App. No.
19/273,098
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method, a terminal device and a network device for non-terrestrial network satellite handover are provided according to the present disclosure. One example method includes: sending first information to a first satellite network, wherein the first information comprises a plurality of first measurement results of the terminal device measuring reference signals of a plurality of beams of a second satellite network; and receiving a first handover command from the first satellite network, wherein the first handover command indicates the terminal device to perform a random access channel-less (RACH-less) satellite handover from a coverage area of the first satellite network to a coverage area of the second satellite network, wherein the first handover command comprises information of a first beam that includes at least one beam, wherein the first beam relates to one or more pre-configured resources for the RACH-less satellite handover.

Claims (40)

1 . A method for non-terrestrial network satellite handover, comprising:

sending first information to a first satellite network, wherein the first information comprises a plurality of first measurement results of reference signals of a plurality of beams of a second satellite network, wherein the second satellite network is different from the first satellite network; and

receiving a first handover command from the first satellite network, wherein the first handover command indicates a terminal device to perform a random access channel-less (RACH-less) satellite handover from a coverage area of the first satellite network to a coverage area of the second satellite network, wherein the first handover command comprises information of a first beam that includes a beam index of at least one beam of the second satellite network, wherein the first beam relates to one or more pre-configured resources for the RACH-less satellite handover.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information of the first beam comprises a beam index corresponding to a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the second satellite network, and the beam index corresponds to the first beam.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first handover command includes at least one of the following information:

a grant pre-allocated by the second satellite network;

a first resource pre-configured by the second satellite network;

a maximum signal quality reported in the coverage area received by the second satellite network and a beam index associated with the maximum signal quality;

a beam index associated with a specified signal quality reported in the coverage area received by the second satellite network;

an average value of admission power of terminal devices other than the terminal device in the second satellite network; or

a maximum value of admission power of terminal devices other than the terminal device in the second satellite network.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a first measurement result corresponding to the first beam is a maximum value among the plurality of first measurement results, or largest M values among the plurality of first measurement results.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a first measurement result corresponding to the first beam is greater than a first threshold.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more pre-configured resources comprise a first resource that is a reserved resource for the RACH-less satellite handover, and a second resource that is a scheduled uplink resource used to perform the RACH-less satellite handover.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting a downlink channel sent by the second satellite network according to the first beam in response to receiving the first handover command.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first beam is indicated by an identifier of a reference signal associated with the first beam.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the reference signals include at least one of a synchronization signal block reference signal (SSB-RS) or a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first beam is configured to carry at least one synchronization signal block for the terminal device to perform the RACH-less satellite handover, and the at least one synchronization signal block is associated with a first resource of the one or more pre-configured resources.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first handover command is a RACH-less handover command.

12 . A method for non-terrestrial network satellite handover, comprising:

receiving, at a first satellite network, first information from a terminal device, wherein the first information comprises a plurality of first measurement results of reference signals of a plurality of beams of a second satellite network, wherein the second satellite network is different from the first satellite network;

sending the first information to the second satellite network; and

sending, from the first satellite network, a first handover command to the terminal device, wherein the first handover command indicates the terminal device to perform a random access channel-less (RACH-less) satellite handover from a coverage area of the first satellite network to a coverage area of the second satellite network, wherein the first handover command comprises information of a first beam that includes a beam index of at least one beam of the second satellite network, wherein the first beam relates to one or more pre-configured resources for the RACH-less satellite handover.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the information of the first beam comprises a beam index corresponding to a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the second satellite network, and the beam index corresponds to the first beam.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the first handover command includes at least one of the following information:

a grant pre-allocated by the second satellite network;

a first resource pre-configured by the second satellite network;

a maximum signal quality reported in the coverage area received by the second satellite network and a beam index associated with the maximum signal quality;

a beam index associated with a specified signal quality reported in the coverage area received by the second satellite network;

an average value of admission power of terminal devices other than the terminal device in the second satellite network; or

a maximum value of admission power of terminal devices other than the terminal device in the second satellite network.

15 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein a first measurement result corresponding to the first beam is a maximum value among the plurality of first measurement results, or largest M values among the plurality of first measurement results.

16 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein a first measurement result corresponding to the first beam is greater than a first threshold.

17 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the one or more pre-configured resources comprise a first resource that is a reserved resource for the RACH-less satellite handover, and a second resource that is a scheduled uplink resource used to perform the RACH-less satellite handover.

18 . A method for non-terrestrial network satellite handover, comprising:

receiving, at a second satellite network, first information from a first satellite network, wherein the second satellite network is different from the first satellite network;

determining, by the second satellite network, a first beam corresponding to a terminal device, and the first beam includes at least one beam; and

sending information of the first beam to the first satellite network, wherein the first beam includes at least one beam, and the information of the first beam comprises a beam index of the at least one beam of the second satellite network, and wherein the first beam relates to one or more pre-configured resources for a RACH-less satellite handover.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the information of the first beam comprises a beam index corresponding to a synchronization signal block (SSB) of the second satellite network, and the beam index corresponds to the first beam.