US 12,244,402 B2
Satellite coverage change handling
Amit Malik, Palatine, IL (US); Liwa Wang, Morris Plains, NJ (US); Timothy Curtis, Chandler, AZ (US); Alan Matten, Chicago, IL (US); Andrew Repoza, Naperville, IL (US); and Zai Chen, Naperville, IL (US)
Assigned to Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy, Espoo (FI)
Filed by Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy, Espoo (FI)
Filed on Jul. 20, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/224,105.
Claims priority of application No. 20225682 (FI), filed on Jul. 22, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0031016 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. H04B 7/185 (2006.01); H04W 16/26 (2009.01); H04W 36/32 (2009.01); H04W 48/04 (2009.01); H04W 48/10 (2009.01)
CPC H04B 7/18541 (2013.01) [H04W 16/26 (2013.01); H04W 36/322 (2023.05); H04W 48/04 (2013.01); H04W 48/10 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
performing by a network entity managing a first cell of a mobile network and a second cell of said mobile network, the first cell covering a geographical area, and the second cell covering said geographical area:
maintaining assignment of a first satellite beam corresponding to a first passing satellite to said first cell, a first satellite beam coverage of said first satellite beam overlapping with said geographical area,
determining entrance of a second satellite beam coverage of a second satellite beam corresponding to a second passing satellite into said geographical area,
at least one of,
receiving signaling indicative of that said second satellite beam is available in said second cell,
receiving, from a terminal, a measurement report indicative of that said second cell is available for said terminal, or
receiving, from said terminal, an indication of said second cell as being a handover candidate and
assigning said second satellite beam to said second cell,
deciding to trigger handover of said terminal located within said second satellite beam coverage within said geographical area and served with said first cell to said second cell,
determining to release said assignment of said first satellite beam to said first cell,
releasing said assignment of said first satellite beam to said first cell, wherein the releasing comprises controlling said first cell to perform broadcast cell barring;
starting a cell barring timer; and
stopping broadcasting said broadcast cell barring and removing the cell barring upon expiration of said cell barring timer;
determining entrance of a third satellite beam coverage of a third satellite beam corresponding to a third passing satellite into said geographical area,
assigning said third satellite beam to said first cell, deciding to trigger handover of said terminal located within said third satellite beam coverage within said geographical area and served with said second cell to said first cell,
wherein all handovers of all terminals served by said first cell to said second cell are completed within a satellite overlap time, no resource overload occurs on a baseband unit, physical random access channel congestion is minimized, and only contention free preambles are used.