US 11,700,055 B2
Timing advance for satellite-based communications using a satellite with enhanced processing capabilities
Mehdi Alasti, Reston, VA (US); Siddhartha Chenumolu, Broadlands, VA (US); Amirali Emami, Vienna, VA (US); and Mariam Sorond, Englewood, CO (US)
Assigned to DISH Network L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed by DISH Network L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed on Jan. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/153,368.
Application 17/153,368 is a continuation of application No. 16/151,936, filed on Oct. 4, 2018, granted, now 10,931,365.
Application 16/151,936 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/047,355, filed on Jul. 27, 2018, granted, now 10,624,052, issued on Apr. 14, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/670,349, filed on May 11, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0143901 A1, May 13, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04B 7/185 (2006.01); H04W 56/00 (2009.01); H04W 74/08 (2009.01); H04W 72/20 (2023.01)
CPC H04B 7/18547 (2013.01) [H04W 56/006 (2013.01); H04W 56/0045 (2013.01); H04W 74/0833 (2013.01); H04W 72/20 (2023.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for satellite-based communications, the method comprising:
determining a location of a user equipment;
calculating an estimated distance between the user equipment and a communication satellite using the determined location of the user equipment and an estimated satellite location, wherein:
the communication satellite is functioning as a distributed unit (DU) that performs one or more gNodeB functions on data received from the user equipment, the one or more gNodeB functions comprising medium access control (MAC) layer functionality, radio link control (RLC) layer functionality, or both; and
a satellite gateway system is functioning as a centralized unit (CU) that communicates with the distributed unit and performs one or more additional gNodeB functions on data received from the user equipment via the communication satellite, the one or more additional gNodeB functions comprising packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer functionality, service data adaption protocol (SDAP) layer functionality, or both;
calculating, by the user equipment, an estimated timing offset using the calculated estimated distance;
transmitting, by the user equipment, to the communication satellite, an uplink data frame such that a timing of transmission of the uplink data frame is based on the calculated estimated timing offset;
receiving, by the user equipment, a timing advance (TA) command that comprises a TA value that indicates an amount of timing error due to the estimated distance being estimated;
adjusting, by the user equipment, the calculated estimated timing advance based on the received TA value to create a corrected TA value; and
transmitting, by the user equipment, to the communication satellite, data such that a timing of transmission of the data is based on the corrected TA value.