Handover for unmanned aerial vehicles

An apparatus for a user equipment (UE) incorporated into an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the apparatus comprising:

• a processor, wherein the processor is configured to cause the UE to:
• derive location information relating the UE's location in a defined three-dimensional geographic region from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals, inertial navigation system signals, cellular network signals, or a combination thereof, wherein the derived location information indicates the UE's location in the defined three-dimensional geographic region as defined by longitude, latitude;
• and elevation coordinates;
• compute a handover parameter set as a function of the location information, wherein the handover parameter set includes one or more preferred beamforming directions for the UE to use in scanning neighboring cells and measuring their link qualities for possible handover, wherein computing the handover parameter set includes querying a database that relates location information to one or more attributes that constitute the handover parameter set using the location information as a key, wherein the database is constructed by sampling the defined three-dimensional geographic region during a drone flight to learn the one or more preferred beamforming directions for the UE to use for a particular location;
• encode flight control commands that route the UAV through the defined three-dimensional geographic region, wherein the encoded flight control commands route the UAV to reduce a number of handovers;
• and
• control the directionality of a directional antenna in accordance with the one or more preferred beamforming directions for the UE to use.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions to cause a processor of a base station configured to operate as a serving cell for a user equipment (UE) configured as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for operation in a three-dimensional (3D) region, upon execution of the instructions by the processor, to:

• decode location information received from the UE that indicates the UE's location in the 3D region as defined by longitude, latitude;
• and elevation coordinates;
• compute a handover parameter set as a function of the location information, wherein the handover parameter set includes one or more preferred beamforming directions for the UE to use in scanning neighboring cells and measuring their link qualities for possible handover, wherein computing the handover parameter set includes querying a database that relates location information to one or more attributes that constitute the handover parameter set using the location information as a key, wherein the database is constructed by sampling the 3D region during a drone flight to learn the one or more preferred beamforming directions for the UE to use for a particular location;
• encode flight control commands for transmission to the UE that route the UAV through the 3D region, wherein the encoded flight control commands are to route the UAV so as to reduce a number of handovers;
• and
• encode the computed handover parameter set for transmission to the UE.