UV-Plane Beam Mapping for Non-Terrestrial Networks in 3GPP System-Level Simulations

TL;DR

This paper explains how UV-plane beam mapping is used in 3GPP system-level simulations to account for Earth's curvature effects on satellite-based non-terrestrial networks, aiding in deployment strategies.

Contribution

It provides a detailed process for projecting UEs on the UV-plane onto Earth's surface, enhancing understanding of beam and user equipment placement in NTNs.

Findings

Provides a comprehensive UV-plane projection method

Guidelines for beam and UE deployment in NTNs

Improves accuracy of system-level performance evaluation

Abstract

Due to the high altitudes and large beam sizes of satellites, the curvature of the Earth's surface can impact system-level performance. To consider this, 3GPP introduces the UV-plane beam mapping for system-level simulations of non-terrestrial networks (NTNs). This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how beams and user equipments (UEs) are placed on the UV-plane and subsequently mapped to the Earth's surface. We present a general process of projecting UEs on the UV-plane onto the Earth's surface. This process could offer a useful guideline for beam and UE deployment when evaluating the system-level performance of NTNs.