Apparatus and Methods for Mobility Management in Hybrid Terrestrial-Satellite Mobile Communications Systems
First Claim
1. A wireless communications method comprising:
- establishing communications between a terminal and a terrestrial base station;
receiving a request to monitor a satellite base station from the terminal at the terrestrial base station;
granting the request; and
receiving monitoring information for the satellite base station corresponding to the request at the terrestrial base station.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Communications between a terminal and a terrestrial base station are established. The terrestrial base station receives a request to monitor a satellite base station from the terminal. The terrestrial base station grants the request and receives monitoring information for the satellite base station corresponding to the request. Granting of the request may include suspending transmission from the terrestrial base station to the terminal for a period of time sufficient to allow the terminal to request the monitoring information from the satellite base station and receiving monitoring information may include receiving the requested monitoring information at the terrestrial base station via a communications path not including the terminal. Suspending transmission from the terrestrial base station to the terminal may be followed by resuming transmission to the terminal before receiving the monitoring information at the terrestrial base station. The communications path not including the terminal may include a terrestrial Access Service Network Gateway serving the terrestrial base station and a satellite Access Service Network Gateway serving the satellite base station. Handover techniques are also described.
163 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A wireless communications method comprising:
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establishing communications between a terminal and a terrestrial base station; receiving a request to monitor a satellite base station from the terminal at the terrestrial base station; granting the request; and receiving monitoring information for the satellite base station corresponding to the request at the terrestrial base station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A mobility management method for wireless communications, the method comprising:
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receiving a first handoff request message for a handoff to a satellite base station from a terminal at a terrestrial base station; transmitting a corresponding second handoff request message from the terrestrial base station to a controller of the satellite base station from the terrestrial base station; receiving a first handoff confirmation message corresponding to the second handoff request message from the controller of the satellite base station at the terrestrial base station; and transmitting a corresponding second handoff confirmation message to the terminal from the terrestrial base station. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A wireless communications system comprising:
a terrestrial base station configured to establish communications with a terminal, to receive a request to monitor a satellite base station from the terminal at the terrestrial base station, and to receive monitoring information for the satellite base station corresponding to the request. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A wireless communications system comprising
a terrestrial base station configured to receive a first handoff request message for a handoff to a satellite base station from a terminal at a terrestrial base station, to transmit a corresponding second handoff request message to a controller of the satellite base station, to receive a first handoff confirmation message corresponding to the second handoff request message from the controller of the satellite base station at the terrestrial base station and to transmit a corresponding second handoff confirmation message to the terminal from the terrestrial base station.
Specification