Method and apparatus for measurement of TAI updates in an NTN

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

a transceiver configured to receive, from a base station (BS), a system information block (SIB) including multiple tracking area identities (TAIs) and an indication of whether to include a UE location in a non-access stratum (NAS) registration/tracking area update operation; and

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

determine whether to include the UE location based on the indication;

identify information for the UE location; and

generate a radio resource control (RRC) message including the information for the UE location, wherein the RRC message encapsulates a NAS message,

wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit, to the BS, the RRC message including the information for the UE location.

2. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the information for the UE location comprises at least one of GNSS-based UE location information, a TAI of the UE, and a cell identification (ID) of the UE.

3. The UE of claim 2 , wherein:

the processor is further configured to generate the GNSS-based UE location information with an accuracy level of the UE location.

4. The UE of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the GNSS-based UE location information to include at least one of:

a time stamp associated with the UE location;

an estimated UE speed; and

an estimated UE travel direction.

5. The UE of claim 1 , wherein:

the transceiver is further configured to receive the SIB including the TAIs that comprises a first set of tracking areas (TAs) and a second set of TAs;

the first set of TAs is a current set of TAs identified by a current beam from a cell of the BS; and

the second set of TAs is a reserved set of TAs for the cell of the BS.

6. The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the TAIs including a common part of TAIs located in common portions of broadcasting signal received from the BS and a dedicated part of TAIs located in specific portions of the broadcasting signal received from the BS.

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

receiving, from a base station (BS), a system information block (SIB) including multiple tracking area identities (TAIs) and an indication of whether to include a UE location in a non-access stratum (NAS) registration/tracking area update operation;

determining whether to include the UE location based on the indication;

identifying information for the UE location;

generating a radio resource control (RRC) message including the information for the UE location, wherein the RRC message encapsulates a NAS message; and

transmitting, to the BS, the RRC message including the information for the UE location.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the information for the UE location comprises at least one of GNSS-based UE location information, a TAI of the UE, and a cell identification (ID) of the UE.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising generating the GNSS-based UE location information with an accuracy level of the UE location.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising generating the GNSS-based UE location information including at least one of:

a time stamp associated with the UE location;

an estimated UE speed; and

an estimated UE travel direction.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving the SIB including the TAIs that comprises a first set of tracking areas (TAs) and a second set of TAs,

wherein:

the first set of TAs is a current set of TAs identified by a current beam from a cell of the BS; and

the second set of TAs is a reserved set of TAs for the cell of the BS.

12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising identifying the TAIs including a common part of TAIs located in common portions of broadcasting signal received from the BS and a dedicated part of TAIs located in specific portions of the broadcasting signal received from the BS.

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

a processor configured to generate an indication indicating whether to include a user equipment (UE) location; and

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

transmit, to a UE, a system information block (SIB) including multiple tracking area identities (TAIs) and the indication in a non-access stratum (NAS) registration/tracking area update operation, and

receive, from the UE, a radio resource control (RRC) message including information for the UE location, wherein the RRC message encapsulates a NAS message.

14. The BS of claim 13 , wherein the information for the UE location comprises at least one of GNSS-based UE location information, a TAI of the UE, and a cell identification (ID) of the UE.

15. The BS of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the GNSS-based UE location information with an accuracy level of the UE location.

16. The BS of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify the GNSS-based UE location information including at least one of:

a time stamp associated with the UE location;

an estimated UE speed; and

an estimated UE travel direction.

17. The BS of claim 13 , wherein:

the transceiver is further configured to transmit the SIB including the TAIs that comprises a first set of tracking areas (TAs) and a second set of TAs;

the first set of TAs is a current set of TAs identified by a current beam from a cell of the BS; and

the second set of TAs is a reserved set of TAs for the cell of the BS.

18. The BS of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the TAIs including a common part of TAIs located in common portions of broadcasting signal for transmitting to the UE and a dedicated part of TAIs located in specific portions of the broadcasting signal for transmitting to the UE.

19. The BS of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine the TAIs based on the UE location;

select access and mobility management function/mobile management entity (AMF/MME) based on the TAIs; and

send, to the AMF/MME, an initial UE message/uplink NAS transport using a next generation application protocol/S1 application protocol (NGAP/S1AP).

20. The BS of claim 19 , wherein the initial UE message/uplink NAS transport includes at least one of UE-reported location information, a set of gNB determined TAIs, a physical cell global ID, and a virtual cell global ID.