Terrestrial and non-terrestrial communication systems, apparatuses, and methods
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. A method representative of aspects of the present application includes receiving, by an apparatus connected in a first sub-system, from a radio access network, configuration information for performing a channel condition measurement on a second sub-system, reporting, by the apparatus to the radio access network, channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system, transmitting, by the apparatus, a wireless transmission to the second sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement meeting a predefined condition.
1. A method comprising:
receiving, by an apparatus connected in a first sub-system, from a radio access network, configuration information for performing a channel condition measurement on a second sub-system;
reporting, by the apparatus to the radio access network, channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system; and
transmitting, by the apparatus, a wireless transmission to the second sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal meeting a predefined condition,
wherein the first sub-system includes:
a terrestrial transmit and receive point (T-TRP); or
a non-terrestrial transmit and receive point (NT-TRP); and
wherein the second sub-system includes:
the T-TRP; or
the NT-TRP; and
wherein the first sub-system is different from the second sub-system.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the apparatus from the radio access network, a notification; and
the transmitting, by the apparatus, a wireless transmission to the second sub-system comprising:
transmitting, by the apparatus, to the second sub-system according to the notification.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining to turn off, by the apparatus, the first sub-system.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the determining to turn off, by the apparatus, the first sub-system comprises:
performing, by the apparatus, channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the first sub-system; and
determining to turn off, by the apparatus, the first sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the first sub-system having a value that is below a threshold.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predefined condition is met when:
the channel condition measurement has a value that is equal to or above a threshold.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the threshold is defined or received from the radio access network and the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system comprises one of:
channel status information (CSI),
reference signal received power (RSRP) or
received signal strength indicator (RSSI).
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first sub-system comprises a T-TRP; and
the second sub-system comprises a NT-TRP,
the apparatus has connected to the T TRP responsive to the channel condition measurement on a downlink reference signal received from the T-TRP being equal to or above a first threshold, and
the predefined condition is met when the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system is equal to or above a second threshold, and
the second threshold is less than the first threshold.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NT-NTP is a TRP that is not bound to the ground and that comprises: an airborne platform; an unmanned aerial system (UAS); an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); a balloon; a quadcopter; or a satellite TRP.
9. An apparatus comprising at least one processor coupled with a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, wherein when the instructions executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus connected in a first sub-system to perform the following operations:
receiving, from a radio access network, configuration information for performing a channel condition measurement on a second sub-system;
reporting channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system; and
transmitting a wireless transmission to the second sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal meeting a predefined condition,
wherein the first sub-system includes:
a terrestrial transmit and receive point (T-TRP); or
a non-terrestrial transmit and receive point (NT-TRP); and
wherein the second sub-system includes:
the T-TRP; or
the NT-TRP; and
wherein the first sub-system is different from the second sub-system.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the apparatus to perform the following further operations:
receiving from the radio access network, a notification; and
the transmitting, by the apparatus, a wireless transmission to the second sub-system comprising:
transmitting to the second sub-system according to the notification.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the apparatus to perform the following further operation:
determining to turn off the first sub-system.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the determining to turn off the first sub-system comprises:
performing channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the first sub-system; and
determining to turn off the first sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the first sub-system having a value that is below a threshold.
13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the predefined condition is met when:
the channel condition measurement has a value that is equal to or above a threshold.
14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the threshold is defined or received from the radio access network; and the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system comprises one of:
channel status information (CSI),
reference signal received power (RSRP) or
received signal strength indicator (RSSI).
15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the first sub-system comprises a T-TRP; and
the second sub-system comprises a NT-TRP,
the apparatus has connected to the T-TRP responsive to the channel condition measurement on a downlink reference signal received from the T-TRP being equal to or above a first threshold, and
the predefined condition is met when the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system is equal to or above a second threshold, and
the second threshold is less than the first threshold.
16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the NT-NTP is a TRP that is not bound to the ground and that comprises: an airborne platform, an unmanned aerial system (UAS), an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a balloon, a quadcopter, or a satellite TRP.
17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor in an apparatus connected in a first sub-system, cause the apparatus to perform the following operations:
receiving, from a radio access network, configuration information for performing a channel condition measurement on a second sub-system;
reporting channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system; and
transmitting a wireless transmission to the second sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal meeting a predefined condition,
wherein the first sub-system includes:
a terrestrial transmit and receive point (T-TRP); or
a non-terrestrial transmit and receive point (NT-TRP); and
wherein the second sub-system includes:
the T-TRP; or
the NT-TRP; and
wherein the first sub-system is different from the second sub-system.
18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the apparatus to perform the following further operations:
receiving from the radio access network, a notification; and
the transmitting, by the apparatus, a wireless transmission to the second sub-system comprising:
transmitting to the second sub-system according to the notification.
19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the apparatus to perform the following further operation:
determining to turn off the first sub-system.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the determining to turn off the first sub-system comprises:
performing channel condition measurement of a downlink reference signal received from the first sub-system; and
determining to turn off the first sub-system responsive to the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the first sub-system having a value that is below a threshold.
21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the predefined condition is met when:
of the channel condition measurement has a value that is equal to or above a threshold.
22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the threshold is defined or received from the radio access network; and the channel condition measurement of the downlink reference signal received from the second sub-system comprises one of:
channel status information (CSI),
reference signal received power (RSRP) or
received signal strength indicator (RSSI).