US Patent 11937193 Timing improvements for wireless communications systems

Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) may establish uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) radio frame timing structures to efficiently account for propagation delay and propagation delay variation associated with communications in the NTN. NTNs may manage (synchronize) radio frame timing structures of base stations (e.g., satellites) and user equipment (UEs) in the NTN. Further, UEs may determine timing advance (TA) values to be applied to UL transmissions based on their respective scheduling offset (e.g., offset in UL and DL radio frame timing structures), as well as based on propagation delay or round trip time (RTT). As such, served UEs may determine UL timing such that UL transmissions from the UEs to a satellite arrives at the satellite in a time synchronized manner. In other cases, a satellite may determine UL timing, based on reception timing, such that various UEs in the NTN may implement uniform UL and DL radio frame timing structures.