Method to determine value as timing advance and to perform handover from source cell to target cell

A user equipment configured to determine a value to be used as a timing advance in a target cell in a network comprising a satellite communication network, the user equipment being connected to a source base station corresponding to a source cell, the target cell corresponding to a target base station, the source cell and the target cell being supported by one or more satellites of the satellite communication network, at least the source cell being supported by a non-geostationary orbit satellite of the satellite communication network, the user equipment comprising:

• a processor, and
• a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, configure the user equipment to determine a value to be used as a timing advance in the target cell before connecting to the target base station based on:
• a data related to a timing advance in the source cell,
• a first parameter, said first parameter being determined by the user equipment, and
• a second parameter, said second parameter being specific to a couple of cells formed by the source cell and the target cell.

A method implemented by a network to perform a handover of a user equipment from a source cell to a target cell, the network comprising a satellite communication network, the source cell corresponding to a source base station and the target cell corresponding to a target base station, at least the source cell being supported by a non-geostationary orbit satellite of the satellite communication network, the method comprising:

• determining a parameter, said parameter being related to a value specific to a couple of cells formed by the source cell and the target cell,
• sending said parameter to at least the user equipment,
• performing the handover of the user equipment from the source cell to the target cell;
• wherein a value to be used as a timing advance in the target cell by the user equipment is dependent on said parameter and a timing advance in the source cell of the user equipment.

A network configured to perform a handover of a user equipment from a source cell to a target cell, said network comprising a source base station and a target base station, the network comprising a satellite communication network, the source cell corresponding to the source base station and the target cell corresponding to the target base station, at least the source cell being supported by a non-geostationary orbit satellite of the satellite communication network,

• the network being configured to:
• determine a parameter, said parameter being related to a value specific to a couple of cells formed by the source cell and the target cell,
• send said parameter to at least the user equipment,
• perform the handover of the user equipment from the source cell to the target cell;
• wherein a value to be used as a timing advance in the target cell by the user equipment is dependent on said parameter and a timing advance in the source cell of the user equipment.