Granted Patent B2

US 12,445,987 · App. 18/215,759 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Inventors: Li Niu (Guangdong, CN); Bo Dai (Guangdong, CN); Xiubin Sha (Guangdong, CN); Ting Lu (Guangdong, CN)

Assignee: ZTE Corporation

H04W56/0015G01S19/08H04W84/06

Abstract

Claims (66)

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, by a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer of a user equipment that operates in a satellite network, ephemeris information carried in system information that is broadcasted by a base station, the ephemeris information comprising at least satellite location information;

starting, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, a timer upon receiving the system information;

initiating reacquisition, by the RRC layer of the user equipment depending on an expiry of the timer, of the ephemeris information carried in the system information; and

performing an action based at least on a success status of the reacquisition,

wherein the action comprises informing a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer of the user equipment by the RRC layer that uplink synchronization is achieved upon successful reacquisition of the ephemeris information carried in the system information, and

wherein the action comprises restarting, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, the timer upon an occurrence of any one of a plurality of events, the plurality of events comprising:

(i) detecting, by the MAC layer of the user equipment, an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information,

(ii) detecting, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information,

(iii) receiving, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, from the MAC layer of the user equipment, an indication of an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information,

(iv) receiving, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, from the MAC layer of the user equipment, an instruction to acquire the ephemeris information carried in system information,

(v) sending, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, to the MAC layer of the user equipment, an indication of an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information, or

(vi) instructing, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, the MAC layer of the user equipment to acquire the ephemeris information carried in system information.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, that the uplink synchronization is lost upon the expiry of the restarted timer.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising:

clearing, by the MAC layer of the user equipment, a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) buffer in response to the uplink synchronization being lost.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising at least one of:

terminating, by the MAC layer of the user equipment, all timers related to the uplink synchronization; or

releasing, by the MAC layer of the user equipment, an uplink resource on an uplink channel, the uplink channel comprising a physical uplink control channel or a physical uplink shared channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

enabling an uplink transmission procedure upon the MAC layer being informed that the uplink synchronization is achieved.

6. A device implemented as a user equipment configured to operate in a satellite network for wireless communication, the device implemented as a user equipment comprising a memory and one or more processors, wherein the memory stores a computer program capable of running on the processor, and the processor is configured to:

receive ephemeris information carried in system information that is broadcasted by a base station, the ephemeris information comprising at least satellite location information;

start a timer upon receiving the system information;

initiate reacquisition of the ephemeris information carried in the system information depending on an expiry of the timer; and

perform an action based at least on a success status of the reacquisition,

wherein the action comprises informing a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer of the device that uplink synchronization is achieved upon successful reacquisition of the ephemeris information carried in the system information and

wherein the action comprises restarting the timer upon an occurrence of any one of a plurality of events, the plurality of events comprising:

(i) detecting, by the MAC layer of the user equipment, an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information,

(ii) detecting, by a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer of the user equipment, an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information,

(iii) receiving, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, from the MAC layer of the user equipment, an indication of an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information,

(iv) receiving, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, from the MAC layer of the user equipment, an instruction to acquire the ephemeris information carried in system information,

(v) sending, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, to the MAC layer of the user equipment, an indication of an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information, or

(vi) instructing, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, the MAC layer of the user equipment to acquire the ephemeris information carried in system information.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors that are further configured to:

determine that the uplink synchronization is lost upon the expiry of the restarted timer.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors that are configured to:

clear a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) buffer in response to the uplink synchronization being lost.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors that are configured to:

terminate all timers related to the uplink synchronization; and/or

release an uplink resource on an uplink channel, the uplink channel comprising a physical uplink control channel or a physical uplink shared channel.

10. The device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors that are configured to:

enable an uplink transmission procedure upon the MAC layer being informed that the uplink synchronization is achieved.

11. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium, carrying instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, performs a method comprising:

receiving ephemeris information carried in system information that is broadcasted by a base station, the ephemeris information comprising at least satellite location information;

starting a timer upon receiving the system information;

initiating reacquisition of the ephemeris information carried in the system information depending on an expiry of the timer; and

performing an action based at least on a success status of the reacquisition,

wherein the action comprises informing a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer of a user equipment that uplink synchronization is achieved upon successful reacquisition of the ephemeris information carried in the system information and

wherein the action comprises restarting the timer upon an occurrence of any one of a plurality of events, the plurality of events comprising:

(i) detecting, by the MAC layer of the user equipment, an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information,

(ii) detecting, by a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer of the user equipment, an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information,

(iii) receiving, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, from the MAC layer of the user equipment, an indication of an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information,

(iv) receiving, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, from the MAC layer of the user equipment, an instruction to acquire the ephemeris information carried in system information,

(v) sending, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, to the MAC layer of the user equipment, an indication of an uplink out-of-synchronization event due to a failed reception of the ephemeris information, or

(vi) instructing, by the RRC layer of the user equipment, the MAC layer of the user equipment to acquire the ephemeris information carried in system information.

12. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the uplink synchronization is lost upon the expiry of the restarted timer.

13. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the method comprises:

clearing a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) buffer in response to the uplink synchronization being lost.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the method comprises at least one of:

terminating all timers related to the uplink synchronization; or

releasing an uplink resource on an uplink channel, the uplink channel comprising a physical uplink control channel or a physical uplink shared channel.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the method comprises:

enabling an uplink transmission procedure upon the MAC layer being informed that the uplink synchronization is achieved.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (25)