Minimizing signaling load during handover for NTN

1. A method performed by a wireless device for handover in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) from a source cell to a target cell, the method comprising:

receiving a conditional handover configuration for one or more potential target cells, the conditional handover configuration comprising a condition for handover comprising a timing advance threshold value;

comparing a timing advance between the wireless device and a cell with the timing advance threshold value; and

based on the comparison of the timing advance between the wireless device and the cell with the timing advance threshold value, performing handover to the target cell,

wherein the handover to the target cell is completed without a random access procedure when the target cell has a timing advance equal to the timing advance threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the timing advance between the wireless device and the cell comprises a timing advance between the wireless device and the source cell;

comparing the timing advance comprises determining the timing advance is greater than the timing advance threshold value; and

performing the handover to the target cell is based on the determination that the timing advance is greater than the timing advance threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the timing advance between the wireless device and the cell comprises an estimated timing advance between the wireless device and one of the one or more potential target cells;

comparing the timing advance comprises determining the timing advance is less than or equal to the timing advance threshold value; and

performing the handover to the target cell is based on the determination that the timing advance is less than or equal to the timing advance threshold value.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the conditional handover configuration further comprises a timing advance estimation accuracy threshold and performing the handover to the target cell is further dependent on the timing advance estimation accuracy of the wireless device being greater than or equal to the timing advance estimation accuracy threshold when determining that the timing advance between the wireless device and the target cell is less than or equal to the timing advance threshold value.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the conditional handover configuration further comprises a duration threshold and performing the handover to the target cell is further dependent on determining that the timing advance between the wireless device and the target cell is less than or equal to the timing advance threshold value for at least the duration threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the conditional handover configuration comprises receiving a conditional handover command from a network node.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the handover to the target cell is completed without the random access procedure when the wireless device meets a timing advance estimation accuracy for accessing the target cell.

8. A wireless device capable of performing handover in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) from a source cell to a target cell, the wireless device comprising processing circuitry operable to:

receive a conditional handover configuration for one or more potential target cells, the conditional handover configuration comprising a condition for handover comprising a timing advance threshold value;

compare a timing advance between the wireless device and a cell with the timing advance threshold value; and

based on the comparison of the timing advance between the wireless device and the cell with the timing advance threshold value, perform handover to the target cell,

wherein the handover to the target cell is completed without a random access procedure when the target cell has a timing advance equal to the timing advance threshold value.

9. The wireless device of claim 8 , wherein:

the timing advance between the wireless device and the cell comprises a timing advance between the wireless device and the source cell;

the processing circuitry is operable to:

compare the timing advance by determining the timing advance is greater than the timing advance threshold value; and

perform the handover to the target cell based on the determination that the timing advance is greater than the timing advance threshold value.

10. The wireless device of claim 8 , wherein:

the timing advance between the wireless device and the cell comprises an estimated timing advance between the wireless device and one of the one or more potential target cells;

the processing circuitry is operable to:

compare the timing advance by determining the timing advance is less than or equal to the timing advance threshold value; and

perform the handover to the target cell based on the determination that the timing advance is less than or equal to the timing advance threshold value.

11. The wireless device of claim 10 , wherein the conditional handover configuration further comprises a timing advance estimation accuracy threshold and the processing circuitry is operable to perform the handover to the target cell dependent on the timing advance estimation accuracy of the wireless device being greater than or equal to the timing advance estimation accuracy threshold when determining that the timing advance between the wireless device and the target cell is less than or equal to the timing advance threshold value.

12. The wireless device of claim 10 , wherein the conditional handover configuration further comprises a duration threshold and the processing circuitry is operable to perform the handover to the target cell dependent on determining that the timing advance between the wireless device and the target cell is less than or equal to the timing advance threshold value for at least the duration threshold.

13. The wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the processing circuitry is operable to receive the conditional handover configuration by receiving a conditional handover command from a network node.

14. The wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the handover to the target cell is completed without the random access procedure when the wireless device meets a timing advance estimation accuracy for accessing the target cell.

15. A method performed by a wireless device for handover in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) from a source cell to a target cell, the method comprising:

determining a random access occasion of a plurality of random access occasions based on an identifier of the wireless device; and

transmitting a random access preamble in the determined random access occasion,

wherein the plurality of random access occasions comprises j random access occasions indexed from 0 to j−1 and determining the random access occasion comprises selecting the random access occasion with an index equal to the identifier of the wireless device modulo j.

16. A wireless device capable of performing handover in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) from a source cell to a target cell, the wireless device comprising processing circuitry operable to:

determine a random access occasion of a plurality of random access occasions based on an identifier of the wireless device; and

transmit a random access preamble in the determined random access occasion,

wherein the plurality of random access occasions comprises j random access occasions indexed from 0 to j−1 and the processing circuitry is operable to determine the random access occasion by selecting the random access occasion with an index equal to the identifier of the wireless device modulo j.