Virtual tracking or registration areas for non terrestrial networks

1. A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising:

a processor configured to:

identify virtual tracking area (VTA) to tracking area (TA) (VTA-TA) mapping information indicating mappings between (i) TA identifiers (TAIs) associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) entity and (ii) VTAs associated with geographical areas as a function of time, wherein the VTA-TA mapping information is identified based on:

information received from the NTN entity via a dedicated signaling or a broadcast signaling including system information blocks (SIBs), or a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), or

information received from a terrestrial network (TN) entity via the dedicated signaling or the broadcast signaling including the SIBs, or the MBMS; and

identify one or more TAIs at an instant or during a time period based on the VTA-TA mapping information; and

a transceiver operably coupled to the processor, the transceiver configured to:

transmit a radio resource control (RRC) request message including the one or more TAIs; and

receive an RRC response message corresponding to the RRC request message based on the one or more TAIs, wherein the RRC response message includes a virtual registration area (VRA).

2. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive the VTA-TA mapping information via licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or shared spectrum, and

transmit, using the RRC request message, measurement results corresponding to a serving cell where the UE belongs to based on the one or more TAIs, the measurement results further corresponding to one or more neighbor cells when the UE detects the one or more neighbor cells.

3. The UE of claim 1 , wherein:

the transceiver is further configured to transmit the RRC request message including location information of the UE associated with a timestamp in a form of at least one of a global cell identifier (ID) or global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-based UE location to enable the NTN entity to identify the VTA or a set of VTAs that the VRA covers;

the RRC request message is a first RRC-encapsulated non-access stratum (NAS) signaling message for a registration and attach request;

the RRC response message is a second RRC-encapsulated NAS signaling message for a registration and attach accept; and

the timestamp is used for identification of the set of VTAs and the VRA based on the VTA-TA mapping information.

4. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive the VTA-TA mapping information using a NAS signaling message including a registration accept message, an attach accept message, a downlink NAS transport message or a tracking area update (TAU) message; and

receive a TAI list corresponding to a regular registration area or the VRA,

wherein common information for the one or more TAIs of the TAI list is separately identified to enable compact representation of information related to the one or more TAIs in the TAI list.

5. The UE of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor is further configured to detect a change in the VRA for a mobility registration update using a TAI list associated with the VRA,

the transceiver is further configured to, in response to detecting the change in the VRA, transmit the RRC request message containing a NAS signaling message that includes a registration request or a TAU request,

the NAS signaling message includes a TAI, a version number of the VTA-TA mapping information, and a timestamp.

6. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive system information to obtain a compact neighbor list and a set of parameters associated with the compact neighbor list and movement-based offsets when an RRC state of the UE is an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state, wherein the processor is further configured to perform a cell search and a cell reselection based on the received system information; or

receive the set of parameters associated with the compact neighbor list and the movement-based offsets when the RRC state of the UE is an RRC connected state via a dedicated signaling, wherein the processor is further configured to identify measurement results to be transmitted to the NTN entity.

7. The UE of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

search for cells in the compact neighbor list based on an indication from the NTN entity;

identify a movement offset value associated with the cells in the compact neighbor list, wherein the movement offset value is selected based on movement of the NTN entity; and

determine a rank of neighbor cells in the compact neighbor list for a cell reselection based on the movement offset value and cell measurement information.

8. A base station (BS) in a wireless communication system, the BS comprising:

a processor; and

a transceiver operably coupled to the processor, the transceiver configured to:

receive, from a user equipment (UE), a radio resource control (RRC) request message including one or more tracking area identities (TAIs) identified at an instant or during a time period base on virtual tracking area (VTA) to tracking area (TA) (VTA-TA) mapping information that indicates mappings between (i) TAIs associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) entity and (ii) VTAs associated with geographical areas as a function of time, wherein the VTA-TA mapping information is indicated based on:

information transmitted from the NTN entity via a dedicated signaling or a broadcast signaling including system information blocks (SIBs), or a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), or

information transmitted from a terrestrial network (TN) entity via the dedicated signaling or the broadcast signaling including the SIBs, or the MBMS; and

transmit, to the UE, an RRC response message corresponding to the RRC request message based on the one or more TAIs, wherein the RRC response message includes a virtual registration area (VRA), and

wherein the RRC request message and the RRC response message include a non-access stratum (NAS) signaling message.

9. The BS of claim 8 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

transmit the VTA-TA mapping information via licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or shared spectrum;

receive, using the RRC request message, measurement results corresponding to a serving cell where the UE belongs to based on the one or more TAIs, the measurement results further corresponding to one or more neighbor cells when the UE detects the one or more neighbor cells; and

transmit, to the NTN entity, a message based on the received RRC request message, wherein the message for the NTN entity includes UE location information in a form of at least one of a global cell identifier (ID), the one or more TAIs, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-based UE location.

10. The BS of claim 8 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive location information of the UE associated with a timestamp in a form of at least one of a global cell ID, the one or more TAIs, or a GNSS-based UE location to enable the NTN entity to identify the VTA or a set of VTAs that a virtual registration area (VRA) covers;

the RRC request message is a first RRC-encapsulated NAS signaling message for a registration and attach request;

the RRC response message is a second RRC-encapsulated NAS signaling message for a registration and attach accept; and

the timestamp is used for identification of the set of VTAs and the VRA based on the VTA-TA mapping information.

11. The BS of claim 8 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

transmit a TAI list corresponding to a regular registration area or the VRA, wherein common information for the one or more TAIs of the TAI list being is separately identified to enable compact representation of information related to the one or more TAIs in the TAI list; and

transmit the VTA-TA mapping information using the NAS signaling message that includes a registration accept message, an attach accept message, or a tracking area update (TAU) message.

12. The BS of claim 8 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive the NAS signaling message including a registration request or a TAU request;

receive the RRC request message encapsulating the NAS signaling message that includes a TA ID, a version number of the VTA-TA mapping information, and a timestamp; and

receive a TA change-based TA update information if the UE detects a change in the VRA.

13. A method of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

identifying virtual tracking area (VTA) to tracking area (TA) (VTA-TA) mapping information indicating mappings between (i) TA identifiers (TAIs) associated with a non-terrestrial network (NTN) entity and (ii) VTAs associated with geographical areas as a function of time, wherein the VTA-TA mapping information is identified based on:

information received from the NTN entity via a dedicated signaling or a broadcast signaling including system information blocks (SIBs), or a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), or

information received from a terrestrial network (TN) entity via the dedicated signaling or the broadcast signaling including the SIBs, or the MBMS;

identifying one or more TAIs at an instant or during a time period based on the VTA-TA mapping information;

transmitting a radio resource control (RRC) request message including the one or more TAIs; and

receiving an RRC response message corresponding to the RRC request message based on the one or more TAIs, wherein the RRC response message includes a virtual registration area (VRA).

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving the VTA-TA mapping information via licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or shared spectrum; and

transmitting, using the RRC request message, measurement results corresponding to a serving cell where the UE belongs to based on the one or more TAIs, the measurement results further corresponding to one or more neighbor cells when the UE detects the one or more neighbor cells.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

transmitting the RRC request message including location information of the UE associated with a timestamp in a form of at least one of a global cell identifier (ID) or global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-based UE location to enable the NTN entity to identify the VTA or a set of VTAs that the VRA covers,

wherein:

the RRC request message is a first RRC-encapsulated non-access stratum (NAS) signaling message for a registration and attach request;

the RRC response message is a second RRC-encapsulated NAS signaling message for a registration and attach accept; and

the timestamp is used for identification of the set of VTAs and the VRA based on the VTA-TA mapping information.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving the VTA-TA mapping information using a NAS signaling message including a registration accept message, an attach accept message, a downlink NAS transport message, or a tracking area update (TAU) message;

receiving a TAI list corresponding to a regular registration area or the VRA, wherein common information for the one or more TAIs of the TAI list is separately identified to enable compact representation of information related to the one or more TAIs in the TAI list;

detecting a change in the VRA for a mobility registration update using a TAI list associated with the VRA; and

in response to detecting the change in the VRA, transmitting the RRC request message containing a NAS signaling message that includes a registration request or a TAU request, wherein the NAS signaling message includes a TAI, a version number of the VTA-TA mapping information, and a timestamp.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving system information to obtain a compact neighbor list and a set of parameters associated with the compact neighbor list and movement-based offsets when an RRC state of the UE is an RRC idle state or an RRC inactive state, and performing a cell search and a cell reselection based on the received system information; or

receiving the set of parameters associated with the compact neighbor list and the movement-based offsets when the RRC state of the UE is an RRC connected state via a dedicated signaling, and identifying measurement results to be transmitted to the NTN entity; and

searching for cells in the compact neighbor list based on an indication from the NTN entity;

identifying a movement offset value associated with the cells in the compact neighbor list, wherein the movement offset value is selected based on movement of the NTN entity; and

determining a rank of neighbor cells in the compact neighbor list for a cell reselection based on the movement offset value and cell measurement information.