Dynamic Random Access Channel Resources

Abstract

Dynamic random access channel resource allocation is provided. A method for dynamic random access channel resource allocation may include receiving (610) from a network entity a configuration of at least one of a plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources are available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation. The method may also include determining (620) availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources, and, when it is determined that the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is available, selecting (630) at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of the quasi-static physical random access channel resources and the dynamic physical random access channel resources.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Some exemplary embodiments may relate generally to mobile or wireless telecommunications systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) access technologies, or beyond, or other communications systems. For example, certain exemplary embodiments may relate to dynamic random access channel (RACH) resources. [Background technology]

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunications systems include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE)-Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), MultiFire, LTE-A Pro, and / or fifth-generation (5G) or new radio (NR) access technologies. A fifth-generation (5G) radio system refers to the next-generation (NG) radio system and network architecture. While 5G network technology is primarily based on new radio (NR) technology, 5G (or NG) networks can also be built based on E-UTRAN radio. NR is estimated to provide bit rates of 10 to 20 Gbit / s or more and support at least enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-based communications (mMTC). NR is expected to provide ultra-fast broadband and ultra-robust, low-latency connectivity as well as large-scale networks to support the Internet of Things (IoT). Summary of the Invention

[0003] Various exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may at least cause the apparatus to receive from a network entity a configuration of at least one of a plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available through separate activation. The apparatus may also be caused to determine availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources and, when the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is determined to be available, select at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of the semi-static physical random access channel resources and the dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0004] Some example embodiments may also provide an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may at least cause the apparatus to configure and provide, to a user equipment, at least one of a plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and a dynamic physical random access channel resource for network access. The plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available by separate activation. The apparatus may further be caused to receive, from the user equipment, a preamble for at least one resource from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of the quasi-static physical random access channel resources and the dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0005] Certain example embodiments may also provide a method that includes receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one of a plurality of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available by separate activation. The method may further include determining availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources, and, when the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is determined to be available, selecting at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of the quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0006] Various exemplary embodiments may provide a method that includes configuring and providing to a user equipment at least one of a plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available by separate activation. The method may further include receiving from the user equipment a preamble for at least one resource from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of the quasi-static physical random access channel resources and the dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0007] Some example embodiments may provide an apparatus comprising: means for receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one of a plurality of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation. The apparatus may also comprise means for determining availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources; and means for selecting, when the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is determined to be available, at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of the quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0008] Various exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus comprising means for configuring and providing to a user equipment at least one of a plurality of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation. The apparatus may also comprise means for receiving from the user equipment a preamble for at least one resource from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of the quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0009] Various exemplary embodiments may provide a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of the device, may cause the device to perform at least one or more of the methods described herein. Additionally, certain exemplary embodiments may provide a computer program including instructions that, when executed by the device, may cause the device to perform one or more of the methods described herein.

[0010] Certain exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus comprising one or more circuits configured to perform one or more of the methods described herein.

[0011] For a proper understanding of the exemplary embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating examples of a conventional two-stage random access procedure and a conventional four-stage random access procedure. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates an example of a procedure for dynamic PRACH resource control, according to various exemplary embodiments. [Figure 3] 1 is an example of a flow diagram for selecting between dynamic and quasi-static PRACH, according to various exemplary embodiments. [Figure 4] 1 is an example of a flow diagram in which a UE performs random access and is configured with dynamic PRACH resources, in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 illustrates an example procedure by which activation downlink control information preceding configured dynamic PRACH resources may occur, according to some example embodiments. [Figure 6] 1 is an example of a flow diagram of a method in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates a set of devices in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. [Figure 8] 1 is an example of a flow diagram of another method in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] It will be readily understood that the components of certain exemplary embodiments generally described herein and illustrated in the Figures may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Following are detailed descriptions of some exemplary embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and non-transitory computer program products for dynamic RACH resources. Although the devices described below and illustrated in the Figures refer to 5G or next generation NodeB (gNB) devices, the present disclosure is not limited to only gNBs. For example, the following description is applicable to any type of network access node.

[0014] In an NR network, a device such as a user equipment (UE) can initiate a communication connection between a network device such as a base station or a gNB through a random access (RA) procedure using a physical random access channel (PRACH). For example, a base station can transmit PRACH configuration information to the UE. The PRACH configuration information can indicate a condition that triggers the UE to select a two-stage RA procedure or a four-stage RA procedure. The UE can determine a reference signal received power (RSRP) value of a synchronization signal or reference signal received from the base station based on the PRACH configuration information. The UE can then select a two-stage RA procedure or a four-stage RA procedure based on the RSRP value of the synchronization signal or reference signal relative to a threshold.

[0015] Figure 1 shows examples of conventional two-stage and four-stage RA procedures. To acquire uplink (UL) synchronization or request UL radio resources, a UE can initiate the RA procedure by transmitting a preamble and waiting for a scheduled RA response (RAR) on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) identified by a random access radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI) within a specific period of time.

[0016] In the four-step RA procedure of FIG. 1 , the UE may send a preamble (also referred to as Msg1) to a network entity (also referred to as gNB) at 110. The gNB may send an RAR (e.g., Msg2) to the preamble at 112, and the UE may send a scheduled physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (also referred to as Msg3) to the gNB at 114. The gNB may acknowledge receipt of the PUSCH by sending a contention resolution (also referred to as Msg.4) to the UE at 116, and the UE may send an acknowledgment on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) to the gNB at 118.

[0017] In a two-stage RA procedure, the UE may transmit a preamble (also referred to as MsgA) to the gNB at 120, and the UE may transmit the preamble's corresponding PUSCH to the gNB at 122. In this example, Msg.1 and Msg.3 of the four-stage RA procedure are combined into one message (e.g., MsgA) and sent to the gNB. The gNB may transmit a response to the UE at 124. In the response, the gNB may combine Msg.2 and Msg.4 of the UE's four-stage RACH procedure as MsgB. The gNB transmits an acknowledgement regarding the successful RAR on the PUCCH when the cell RNTI (C-RNTI) does not exist at 126.

[0018] The preamble response (Msg.2) in the contention-based four-step procedure acknowledges the reception of the preamble, while MsgB in the two-step procedure may be directed to a single UE (i.e., resolves the contention when MsgA-PUSCH is successfully received) or may simply be a preamble response (falling back to the four-step procedure when MsgA-PUSCH is not received). To address the response to the preamble, a mapping is made from the time and frequency resources of the preamble to RA-RNTI in the four-step procedure and to MsgB-RNTI in the two-step procedure.

[0019] When PRACH congestion occurs, such as due to excessive preamble collisions, there may be several conventional procedures to compensate for the congestion. These include, for example, (1) restricting access so that the UE cannot perform random access, (2) signaling a backoff indicator in the preamble response to allow the network to indicate the wait time the UE should wait before retrying random access after a failed preamble transmission, and / or (3) configuring more PRACH resources. The access restriction and backoff indicator can directly affect the UE by delaying or preventing access. Configuring additional resources can alleviate congestion without affecting initial access delays, while simultaneously reducing resources for other types of communication.

[0020] According to 3GPP specifications, the network can semi-statically configure random access resources using system information. When the network determines that the PRACH allocation needs to be changed, such as increasing or decreasing PRACH capacity to accommodate the load, it can send a paging message to the UE. The paging message can indicate that the system information will change at the start of the next system information block (SIB) modification period. The SIB modification period can be configured in the system information as a factor (2...16) multiplied by the default paging cycle (32...256 radio frames). When the default paging cycle is configured to 256 radio frames (to increase UE power savings) and the factor is 2, a total of 512 radio frames can be used to define the SIB modification period. For example, the system configuration can be updated only every 5.12 seconds.

[0021] Changing the PRACH configuration may be a slow process that may include an indication of the system information change to the UE and the UE reading the new system information. The system information changes may be minimized so that the UE does not need to read the updated information more frequently. The SIB modification indication may indicate to all UEs in the cell that the configuration will change at the start of the next SIB modification period. This may create uncertainty as to whether the UE has read the updated configuration, as at least some UEs may have coverage issues and may not be able to read the updated SIB information in the first SIB scheduling window.

[0022] According to various exemplary embodiments, it may be advantageous to provide a more flexible and faster procedure for UEs to learn about changes in PRACH configuration. For example, certain exemplary embodiments may provide the flexibility of having a system where subsets of UE groups can keep up with changes in PRACH resource allocation.

[0023] Various exemplary embodiments may provide at least two types of PRACH resources, including, for example, (1) semi-statically configured resources that are available without separate activation, and (2) dynamic resources that become available only upon activation. Activation may be signaled in Group Common Downlink Control Information (GC-DCI) or Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling. Activation may be valid for a semi-statically configured validity period or a validity period indicated in activation signaling.

[0024] According to certain exemplary embodiments, it may be advantageous to provide activation signaling that indicates the service, use case, or UE capability to which dynamic resource activation applies. The indication may be direct or indirect. In an indirect indication, each service / use capability is mapped to a semi-statically configured resource partition, and the activation signal indicates the semi-static resource partition that is the target of the activation. For example, the activation may indicate which resource partition is to be expanded or replaced with additional resources. An activation time window may be defined. The UE may need to search for the activation indication at a limited time within a longer period. The activation time window may be determined based on the RAR time window.

[0025] According to some example embodiments, it may be advantageous to provide MAC-based activation signaling, which can be included in the RAR as a new MAC Control Element (MAC-CE) or subheader. Furthermore, activation of dynamic PRACH resources can use an existing backoff indicator value, which is a backoff indicator greater than the configured value, signifying that dynamic RACH resources are available. This allows limiting the use of dynamic resources to situations of RACH congestion while avoiding the need to specify new L1 or MAC signaling. Furthermore, switching between semi-static and dynamic resources can be performed within the random access procedure depending on the activation or validity of configured rules.

[0026] 2 illustrates an example procedure for dynamic PRACH resource control, according to various exemplary embodiments. The network can configure semi-static PRACH resources that are available when configured by system information. Additionally, there may be PRACH resources that need to be dynamically activated before they are available for use, which can be determined in several ways.

[0027] As a first example for determining the dynamic resources, one or more dynamic PRACH resources can be semi-statically configured by system information, and therefore no PRACH configuration parameters are required in the activation signal. When multiple dynamic PRACH resources are configured, the index of the activated configuration may be included in the activation message.

[0028] As a second example for determining dynamic resources, the system information may include a one-bit indication that the network supports operation with dynamic PRACH resources. Parameters for determining dynamic resources may be included in the activation signaling. A complete PRACH configuration may not be required for dynamic resources. For example, a frequency or time offset with respect to semi-static PRACH resources may be sufficient.

[0029] As a third example for determining dynamic resources, some resource parameters may be provided semi-statically and other resource parameters may be provided by dynamic signaling upon activation.

[0030] Example embodiments are not limited to only these examples and may include additional procedures for determining dynamic resources and / or any combination of procedures for determining dynamic resources.

[0031] The activation may be related to a particular UE. The related UE may be a user for which improved or enhanced service may be provided by activating dynamic PRACH resources for the related UE. The related UE may be a relatively low priority UE, and the RACH load from the low priority UE may be moved to the dynamic resources to enable improved or enhanced service on semi-statically configured resources for the remaining UEs.

[0032] There may be multiple services / use cases / functions defined for dynamic activation, and there may be different procedures for indicating which service / use case / function the dynamic activation applies to. As an example, the activation signaling may directly indicate the index of the service / use case / function. As another example, the service / use case / function may be mapped to a set of preamble identifiers (IDs), and the activation signaling may indicate the mapping from the preamble ID set to dynamic PRACH resources. As yet another example, dynamic PRACH resources may be configured for the service / use case / function and associated with the indication carried by the activation signaling. For example, services 1 and 2 may be configured with dynamic resources 1 and 2, respectively, and the activation signaling includes a first bit associated with service 1 and a second bit associated with service 2, where a signaling bit string of

[0010] activates resources for service 1 only,

[0001] activates resources for service 2, and

[0011] activates resources for both services. If X preamble IDs are available for a particular use before activation, X+64 IDs may be available after activation. For example, after activation, there are X preamble IDs in the semi-static resources and 64 preamble IDs in the dynamic resources. The determination of preamble IDs may be divided among different uses in the dynamic RACH resources, which may depend on the IDs of different services / use cases / functions and the semi-static RACH configuration of the activation signal.

[0033] Dynamic activation can be performed through GC-DCI or MAC signaling. In the case of a DCI signaling-based approach, the system information configuration for dynamic resources can include an RNTI for addressing the activation DCI. In the case of a MAC signaling-based approach, a resource activation MAC subheader or MAC CE can be defined and sent attached to the RAR message. The RAR message can include the activation subheader or can further include a response to the detected preamble.

[0034] When existing backoff (BO) signaling is used for activation, there may be multiple BO thresholds for activation. The activated dynamic resources may vary depending on the severity of the overload, e.g., the larger the indicated BO, the larger the dynamically activated resources. Furthermore, the BO threshold may vary depending on the use case, such as when a higher priority may correspond to a smaller BO threshold for activation.

[0035] An activation time window may be defined. UEs eligible to use dynamic resources may need to search for an activation indication for a limited time within a longer period. The activation time window may be determined by the UE based on the RAR time window. In DCI-based activation signaling, the activation time window may be equal to or a portion of the RAR time window corresponding to the smallest RA-RNTI (or MsgB-RNTI in the two-stage procedure) reserved for the semi-statically configured RACH resources. When the UE does not find an activation DCI in the RAR time window, the UE may assume that the dynamic resources are not active unless the validity period of a previously detected activation has expired. The activation and RAR time windows may have a common start time, but the length of the activation window may be a portion of the length of the RAR time window to minimize the UE's effort to detect the activation. As an example, the RAR window may be 10 ms or less.

[0036] In MAC-based signaling, activation can be sent, for example, in an RAR message addressed by the smallest RA-RNTI / MsgB-RNTI of the dynamic RACH resource. For example, the RA-RNTI / MsgB-RNTI of the dynamic PRACH can be derived similarly for the semi-static PRACH resource. When the UE receives an RAR addressed by the smallest RA-RNTI / MsgB-RNTI without an activation MAC subheader or MAC CE, the UE can assume that the dynamic resource is unavailable unless the validity period of the previously detected activation has expired. Indication of the dynamic RACH resource in the RAR instead of the semi-static resource can be advantageous because the UE does not need to decode the RAR message if the dynamic resource is not active. The UE can instead search for the DCI of the RAR PDSCH.

[0037] An activation validity time can also be defined. When a UE receives an activation message, it can assume that dynamic resources are available for at least the validity time. The validity time can be from the end of the slot in which the activation message is received until a certain number of slots have elapsed since the end of the activation time window in which the activation message was received. After the UE receives the activation message, the UE can use dynamic resources during the validity time without searching for an activation message again. The UE can initiate random access using semi-static PRACH resources and, if activation is detected, can switch to dynamic resources for preamble retransmission. When the activation validity ends after a preamble transmission on dynamic resources, the UE can switch to semi-static resources for preamble retransmission. In certain exemplary embodiments, the parameters defining the validity time of the activation (e.g., number of slots) may be hard-coded into the specification, or configured semi-statically through system information, or may be included in the DCI or MAC signaling by flexibly indicating one of several configured values.

[0038] In some exemplary embodiments, when random access is required, a UE that is eligible or obligated to use dynamic resources can operate in different situations. As a first example, the UE has previously detected an activation indication, and the activation validity time does not expire before the next dynamic PRACH resource. In this case, the UE can use the next dynamic PRACH resource. After transmitting the preamble, the UE can search for an activation indication while attempting to receive a preamble response. If an activation indication is received / determined, the UE can restart the timer for the activation validity.

[0039] As another example, the UE may not know whether dynamic resources are active. If the UE is instructed / requested to use dynamic resources when they are active, it searches for an activation signal from the next activation time window. When the UE does not detect activation, it can use semi-static resources for an RA attempt. When the UE is eligible to use dynamic resources but is not instructed / requested to use dynamic resources, the UE can choose to use semi-static resources or postpone the RA attempt to detect whether dynamic resources are active. If the UE chooses to attempt an RA through semi-static resources and the attempt fails, the UE can switch to dynamic resources as soon as it detects that dynamic resources are available. The detection of the availability of dynamic resources can occur at least partially simultaneously or in parallel with the search for a response to a preamble transmitted on the semi-static resources.

[0040] 3 illustrates an example flow diagram of a procedure by which a UE similar to apparatus 710 can select between a dynamic PRACH or a quasi-static PRACH, according to various exemplary embodiments. In the example of FIG. 3, the UE is requested to, or can choose to, check for activation messages when there is no valid activation at the start of the procedure.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, at 310, the UE may determine to perform an RA, and at 320, the UE may determine whether dynamic PRACH resources are configured and whether the UE is able to use the configured dynamic resources. If dynamic PRACH resources are not configured and / or when the UE is unable to use the configured dynamic resources (a "no" determination at 320), the procedure may proceed to 330. At 330, the UE may perform an RA using semi-static PRACH resources. If dynamic PRACH resources are configured and the UE is able to use the configured dynamic resources (a "yes" determination at 320), the procedure may proceed to 340.

[0042] At 340, the UE may determine whether the dynamic PRACH resource is active. When the dynamic PRACH resource is active, i.e., the UE has received activation signaling and the validity timer has not expired (determination of "yes" at 340), the procedure may proceed to 350, where an RA may be performed using the dynamic PRACH resource. When the dynamic PRACH resource is not active, i.e., the resource has not been activated or the validity time has expired after activation (determination of "no" at 340), the procedure may proceed to 360. At 360, the UE may determine / detect whether dynamic resource activation has occurred during the UE preparation time for preamble transmission. If dynamic resource activation has occurred (determination of "yes" at 360), the procedure may proceed to 370, where an RA may be performed using the dynamic PRACH resource. When no dynamic resource activation has been performed (decision "no" at 360), the procedure proceeds to 380 and the RA may be performed using semi-static PRACH resources.

[0043] 4 illustrates an example flow diagram of a procedure by which a UE similar to apparatus 710 attempts an RA using a semi-static PRACH or a dynamic PRACH, according to various exemplary embodiments. If dynamic resources are detected as active, the UE may switch to using dynamic resources when the UE fails to receive a response to a preamble transmitted on the semi-static resources, when contention resolution fails, or when the UE receives an indication of active dynamic PRACH resources.

[0044] In the example of FIG. 4, at 400, the UE may determine to perform an RA or may be instructed to perform an RA. The network may be configured with dynamic PRACH resources, and the UE may be eligible to use the dynamic PRACH resources. At 410, the UE determines whether the dynamic PRACH resources are active. When the dynamic PRACH resources are active, i.e., when the UE is receiving activation signaling and the validity timer has not expired (a "yes" decision at 410), the procedure continues at 420-440; when the dynamic PRACH resources are not active (a "no" decision at 410), the procedure continues at 470-490, as will be described in more detail below.

[0045] At 420, when the dynamic PRACH resource is active, a preamble for the dynamic PRACH resource may be used / configured and sent to the network entity for RA, and at 430, reception and activation of the RAR may be detected. If activation is detected, a validity timer for the activation validity may be reset. The UE may determine whether the preamble has been confirmed as part of receiving the RAR. When the preamble has not been confirmed, the procedure may proceed to 450. At 450, the UE may determine whether the maximum number of preambles has been reached. When the maximum number of preambles has not been reached (a "no" decision at 450), the procedure may continue back to 410. When the maximum number of preambles has been reached (a "yes" decision at 450), the procedure may continue to 460, where it may be determined that there is an RA problem, and the procedure may end.

[0046] When it is determined at 430 that the preamble is confirmed, the procedure may continue to 440. At 440, a contention resolution may be determined, which may include Msg.3 and Msg.4. Additionally, the UE may detect whether activation has occurred and, when activation is detected, reset the activation validity timer. When it is determined that contention resolution has failed, the procedure may return to 450; when it is determined that contention resolution has succeeded, the procedure may continue to successfully complete the RA.

[0047] If the dynamic PRACH resource is not active (determination of "no" at 410), the procedure may continue to 470-490. At 470, a preamble for the semi-static PRACH resource may be used / configured and sent to the network entity for RA. At 480, the UE may determine whether Msg.2 has been received and activation has occurred. If activation is detected, the UE may reset the activation validity timer. The UE may also determine from reception of Msg.2 whether the preamble has been confirmed. If the preamble has not been confirmed, the procedure may proceed to 450. If the preamble has been confirmed, the procedure may continue to 490. At 490, contention resolution may be determined, which may include Msg.3 and Msg.4. Furthermore, the UE may detect whether activation has occurred and, if activation is detected, reset the activation validity timer. If the conflict resolution is determined to be unsuccessful, the procedure may return to 450, and if the conflict resolution is determined to be successful, the procedure may continue to complete the RA normally.

[0048] FIG. 5 illustrates an example procedure in which an activation DCI preceding a configured dynamic PRACH resource may occur, according to some exemplary embodiments. In FIG. 5, a base station, such as a gNB, may transmit a DL control message, possibly before each semi-statically configured PRACH resource. For example, this DL control message may be denoted as a RACH opportunity (RO). The UE may actively monitor the DL control message, and when the base station transmits an "activate" signal, the UE may be able to use additional resources as part of the pool of resources to consider for the RA procedure. Thus, the base station may have the option to dynamically adjust PRACH capacity, and the UE may have the flexibility to read the DL control message to significantly increase the probability of avoiding RACH opportunity collisions (reducing delays) at the expense of slightly higher power consumption. The DL control message may be implemented as either a DCI using group-based signaling (G-RNTI-based DCI) or a broadcast indication, whereby the broadcast information may be associated with the specific RNTI used for monitoring.

[0049] 6 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method according to certain exemplary embodiments. In an exemplary embodiment, the method of FIG. 6 may be performed by a network element or a group of network elements in a 3GPP system, such as LTE or 5G-NR. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the method of FIG. 6 may be performed by a device, such as a UE, similar to apparatus 710 illustrated in FIG. 7.

[0050] According to various example embodiments, the method of Figure 6 may include, at 610, receiving a configuration of at least one of a plurality of semi-static and dynamic PRACH resources for network access from a network entity similar to apparatus 720. The plurality of semi-static PRACH resources are available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic PRACH resources are available with separate activation.

[0051] The method may further include determining availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic PRACH resources, at 620. The method may also include, when the at least one dynamic PRACH resource is determined to be available, selecting at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic PRACH resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic PRACH resources, at 630.

[0052] 8 illustrates an example flow diagram of a method according to certain exemplary embodiments. In an exemplary embodiment, the method of FIG. 8 may be performed by a network element or group of network elements in a 3GPP system, such as LTE or 5G-NR. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the method of FIG. 8 may be performed by a network device similar to apparatus 720 shown in FIG. 7.

[0053] 8 may include, at 810, configuring and providing at least one of a plurality of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access to a UE similar to apparatus 710. The plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation. The method may further include, at 820, receiving from the UE a preamble for at least one resource from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0054] FIG. 7 illustrates a set of apparatuses 710 and 720 according to various exemplary embodiments. In various exemplary embodiments, the apparatus 710 may be an element of a communication network or an element associated with such a network, such as a UE, a RedCap UE, an SL UE, a mobile equipment (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a fixed device, an IoT device, or other device. For example, a UE according to the various exemplary embodiments described above may be an example of the apparatus 710. It should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that the apparatus 710 may include components or functions not shown in FIG. 7 . Furthermore, the apparatus 720 may be a network, a network entity, an element of a core network, or an element of a communication network or an element associated with such a network, such as a base station, an NE, or a gNB. For example, the network and the gNB according to the various embodiments described above may be examples of the apparatus 720. It should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that the apparatus 720 may include components or functions not shown in FIG. 7 .

[0055] 7 , the apparatus 710 may include at least one processor 712 and at least one memory 714. The memory 714 may store instructions that, when executed by the processor 712, may cause the apparatus 710 to receive a configuration of at least one of a plurality of quasi-static PRACH resources and a dynamic PRACH resource for network access from a network entity similar to the apparatus 720. The plurality of quasi-static PRACH resources are available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic PRACH resources are available through separate activation. The apparatus may be further caused to determine availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic PRACH resources and, when the at least one dynamic PRACH resource is determined to be available, to select at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic PRACH resource or from a combined set of the quasi-static PRACH resources and the dynamic PRACH resources.

[0056] In some example embodiments, a dynamic resource may be determined to be available when an activation message is received activating at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource, or when the device determines that a previously received activation is still valid. Additionally, the activation message may be configured to indicate activation restrictions to apply to the service or use case for which random access is initiated, or to apply to an indicated feature or set of features of the device.

[0057] According to certain example embodiments, the configuration of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be received in the system information or at least in part through an activation message.

[0058] According to various exemplary embodiments, activation messages can be monitored in a monitoring time window defined relative to either the start of a random access opportunity or the start of a random access response window. Furthermore, activation may apply to a specific random access opportunity, or to multiple random access opportunities within a validity period specified, configured by system information, and indicated in the activation message, or to the next monitoring time window.

[0059] In some example embodiments, a new validity period may begin when an activation message is received, and the start of the validity period may be relative to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

[0060] According to various exemplary embodiments, the availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources can be determined for each preamble transmission during the random access procedure. Furthermore, when the availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources changes within the procedure, the apparatus 710 may be further caused to switch between using the dynamic physical random access channel resource and using the quasi-static dynamic physical random access channel resource depending on the availability.

[0061] In certain exemplary embodiments, the activation message is attached to a random access response message. Further, at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource can be activated when a value of a backoff indicator in the random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

[0062] 7, apparatus 720 may include at least one processor 722 and at least one memory 724. The memory 724 may store instructions that, when executed by the processor 722, may cause apparatus 720 to configure and provide at least one of a plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access to a UE similar to apparatus 710, wherein the plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources are available without separate activation and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation. Apparatus 720 may further be caused to receive, from the UE, a preamble for at least one resource from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of the quasi-static physical random access channel resources and the dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0063] According to various exemplary embodiments, apparatus 720 may be further caused to provide an activation message configured to indicate activation restrictions to apply to the service or use case for which random access is initiated or to apply to an indicated feature or set of features of apparatus 720. Additionally, the configuration of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be transmitted in the system information or at least in part through the activation message.

[0064] In some example embodiments, the activation message may be sent in a monitor time window defined relative to either the start of a random access opportunity or the start of a random access response window. Furthermore, the activation may apply to a specific random access opportunity or multiple random access opportunities within a specified validity period, a validity period configured by system information, a validity period indicated in the activation message, or a validity period for the next monitor time window.

[0065] In various exemplary embodiments, a new validity period may begin when an activation message is sent, and the start of the validity period may be relative to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

[0066] According to certain example embodiments, the activation message can be attached to a random access response message, and further, at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource can be activated when a value of a backoff indicator in the random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

[0067] The various exemplary embodiments described above may provide several technical improvements, enhancements, and / or advantages. For example, some exemplary embodiments may provide the following advantages: by activating dynamic RACH resources, (i) an activation time window is defined, thereby minimizing the effort and processing power required for a UE to search for an activation signal; (ii) activation signaling can be combined with an RAR message, thereby minimizing resource usage; (iii) flexibility can be provided to activate dynamic resources for services / usage capabilities; (iv) a procedure can be provided that reduces the complexity, and therefore processing power, of specifying and providing efficient signaling when services / usage capabilities are mapped to different partitions of semi-static resources; (v) specification effort can be minimized by using existing back-off signaling for activation; and (vi) switching between using dynamic and semi-static resources within an RA procedure can be defined, thereby minimizing delays.

[0068] In some exemplary embodiments, device 710 and / or 720 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more wireless access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some exemplary embodiments, device 710 and / or 720 may be configured to operate using one or more wireless access technologies such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or other wireless access technologies.

[0069] As shown in the example of FIG. 7 , devices 710 and / or 720 may include or be coupled to processors 712 and 722, respectively, to process information and execute instructions or operations. Processors 712 and 722 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In practice, processors 712 and 722 may include, by way of example, general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures. While FIG. 7 illustrates a single processor 712 (and 722) for each of devices 710 and / or 720, multiple processors may be used according to other exemplary embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in certain exemplary embodiments, devices 710 and / or 720 may include two or more processors capable of forming a multiprocessor system capable of supporting multiprocessing (e.g., in this case, processors 712 and 722 may be multiprocessors). According to certain exemplary embodiments, multiprocessor systems may be tightly or loosely coupled to form, for example, a computer cluster.

[0070] Processors 712 and 722 may perform functions associated with the operation of devices 710 and / or 720, respectively, including, by way of example only, precoding antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding individual bits forming communication messages, formatting information, and overall control of devices 710 and / or 720, including the processes illustrated in Figures 2-6.

[0071] Devices 710 and / or 720 may further include or be coupled to memory 714 and / or 724 (internal or external), respectively, which may be coupled to processors 712 and 722, respectively, and store information and instructions that may be executed by processors 712 and 722. Memory 714 (and memory 724) may be one or more memories, any type of memory suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, memory 714 (and memory 724) may be comprised of any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage such as a magnetic or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory computer or computer-readable medium. The instructions stored in memory 714 and memory 724 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processors 712 and 722, can cause devices 710 and / or 720 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0072] In certain exemplary embodiments, devices 710 and / or 720 may further include or be coupled to a drive or port (internal or external) configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software that is executed by processors 712 and 722 and / or devices 710 and / or 720 to perform any of the methods illustrated in FIGS. 2-6.

[0073] In some demonstrative embodiments, device 710 may include or be coupled to one or more antennas 715 for receiving downlink signals and transmitting from device 710 via an uplink. Devices 710 and / or 720 may further include transceivers 716 and 726, respectively, configured to transmit and receive information. Transceivers 716 and 726 may also include an air interface that may support multiple radio access technologies, including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The air interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., for processing symbols, such as OFDMA symbols, carried by the downlink or uplink.

[0074] For example, transceivers 716 and 726 may each be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission and demodulate received information for further processing by other elements of devices 710 and / or 720. In other exemplary embodiments, transceivers 716 and 726 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some exemplary embodiments, devices 710 and / or 720 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In certain exemplary embodiments, devices 710 and / or 720 may further include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0075] In certain exemplary embodiments, memory 714 and memory 724 store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processors 712 and 722, respectively. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 710 and / or 720. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality to device 710 and / or 720. Components of device 710 and / or 720 may be implemented in hardware or any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to certain exemplary embodiments, device 710 may be configured to communicate with device 720 via wireless or wired communication link 730 according to any radio access technology, such as NR.

[0076] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 710 and / or apparatus 720) may comprise means for performing any of the methods, processes, or variations described herein. Examples of means may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program code for causing the operations to be performed.

[0077] Certain example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus comprising means for receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one of a plurality of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation. The apparatus may also comprise means for determining availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources and / or means for selecting at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of the quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources when the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is determined to be available.

[0078] Various example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus comprising means for configuring and providing to a UE at least one of a plurality of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation. The apparatus may also comprise means for receiving from a user equipment a preamble for at least one resource from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of the quasi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0079] According to certain exemplary embodiments, processors 712 and 722 and memories 714 and 724 may be included in or form part of processing or control circuitry. Further, in some exemplary embodiments, transceivers 716 and 726 may be included in or form part of transceiver circuitry.

[0080] The term "circuitry" as used herein can refer to a hardware-only circuit implementation (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, any portion of a hardware processor with software, including a digital signal processor that operates together to cause a device (e.g., device 710 and / or 720) to perform various functions, and / or a hardware circuit and / or processor or portion thereof that uses software for operation but may not be present when not necessary for operation. As a further example, the term "circuitry" as used herein can also include simply an implementation of a hardware circuit or processor, or multiple processors, or portions of a hardware circuit or processor, and accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry can also include, for example, a baseband integrated circuit of a server, a cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0081] The computer program product may include one or more computer-executable components configured to execute some exemplary embodiments when the program is executed. The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one software code or a portion thereof. Modifications and configurations required to implement the functionality of certain exemplary embodiments may be implemented as routines that may be implemented as additional or updated software routines. The software routines may be downloaded to a device.

[0082] By way of example, the software or computer program code, or portions thereof, may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and may be stored on some kind of carrier, distribution medium, or computer-readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying a program. Such carriers may include, for example, recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optical and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunications signals, and software distribution packages. Depending on the processing power required, the computer program may be executed on a single electronic digital computer or distributed among several computers. The computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

[0083] In other exemplary embodiments, the functions may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device (e.g., device 710 and / or 720), for example, through the use of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the functions may be embodied as signals that are intangible means capable of being carried by electromagnetic signals downloaded from the Internet or other network.

[0084] According to certain exemplary embodiments, an apparatus such as a node, device, or corresponding component may be configured as a circuit, computer, or microprocessor (such as a single-chip computer element), or as a chipset, including at least a memory providing storage capacity used for arithmetic operations and an arithmetic processor for performing the arithmetic operations.

[0085] The features, structures, or characteristics of the exemplary embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more exemplary embodiments. For example, throughout this specification, the use of the phrases "particular embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," "some embodiments," or other similar terminology indicates that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, throughout this specification, the appearance of the phrases "particular embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," "some embodiments," "other embodiments," or other similar terminology does not necessarily refer to the same group of embodiments, but rather that the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more exemplary embodiments. Furthermore, throughout this specification, the terms "cell," "node," "gNB," or other similar terms may be used interchangeably.

[0086] As used herein, "at least one of the following <list of two or more elements>" and "at least one of the <list of two or more elements>" and similar expressions where a list of two or more elements is joined by "and" or "or" mean at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0087] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the above disclosure may be implemented with steps in a different order and / or hardware elements in different configurations than those disclosed. Thus, while the present disclosure has been described based on these exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative configurations will be apparent within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments. Although the above embodiments refer to 5G NR and LTE technologies, the above embodiments are also applicable to any other current or future 3GPP technologies, such as LTE-Advanced and / or fourth-generation (4G) technologies.

[0088] Partial Glossary 3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project 5G (5th Generation) 5GCN 5G Core Network 5GS 5G System ACK Acknowledgment BO Backoff CE Control Elements DCI Downlink Control Information DL Downlink EMBB Enhanced Mobile Broadband GC Group Common gNB 5G or Next Generation NodeB L1 layer 1-physical layer LTE Long Term Evolution MAC Media Access Control Msg Message MTC Machine Type Communication NR new radio PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel PRACH Physical Random Access Channel PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel RA Random Access RAN Radio Access Network RAR Random Access Response RACH Random Access Channel RedCap low functionality RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identity RO RACH Opportunity RRC Radio Resource Control UE User Equipment UL Uplink URLLC: Ultra-reliable, low-latency communication

Claims

1. at least one processor; at least one memory for storing instructions; Equipped with The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause an apparatus to at least: receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one of a plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources are available without separate activation and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation; determining availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources; selecting at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources when it is determined that the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is available; A device that allows

2. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a dynamic resource is determined to be available when an activation message activating the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is received or when the apparatus determines that a previously received activation is still valid.

3. 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the activation message is configured to indicate limitations on the activation to apply to a service or use case for which the random access is initiated or to apply to an indicated feature or set of features of the device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the configuration of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is received in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

5. the activation message is monitored within a monitoring time window defined relative to either a start of a random access opportunity or a start of a random access response window; 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the activation applies to a specific random access opportunity or multiple random access opportunities within a specified validity period, a validity period configured by system information, a validity period indicated in the activation message, or a validity period for a next monitoring time window.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is received, the beginning of the validity period being relative to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

7. the availability of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is determined for each preamble transmission during a random access procedure; 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the availability of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources changes within a procedure, the apparatus is further configured to switch between using a dynamic physical random access channel resource and using a quasi-static dynamic physical random access channel resource depending on the availability.

8. The device according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when a value of a back-off indicator in a random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

10. at least one processor; at least one memory for storing instructions; Equipped with The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause an apparatus to at least: Configuring and providing to a user equipment at least one of a plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources are available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation; receiving from the user equipment a preamble for at least one resource from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources; A device that allows

11. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, further configured to provide an activation message configured to indicate limitations on the activation to apply to a service or use case for which the random access is initiated or to apply to an indicated feature or set of features of the apparatus.

12. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the configuration of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is transmitted in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

13. the activation message is transmitted within a monitoring time window defined relative to either a start of a random access opportunity or a start of a random access response window; 13. The apparatus of claim 11 or 12, wherein the activation applies to a specific random access opportunity or opportunities within a specified validity period, a validity period configured by system information, a validity period indicated in the activation message, or a validity period for a next monitoring time window.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is sent, the beginning of the validity period being relative to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

15. The device according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when a value of a back-off indicator in a random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

17. receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one of a plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources are available without separate activation and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation; determining availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources; selecting at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources when it is determined that the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is available; A method comprising:

18. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein a dynamic resource is determined to be available when an activation message is received activating the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or when the device determines that a previously received activation is still valid.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the activation message is configured to indicate limitations on the activation to apply to a service or use case for which the random access is initiated, or to apply to an indicated feature or set of features of a device.

20. 20. The method of any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the configuration of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is received in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

21. the activation message is monitored within a monitoring time window defined relative to either a start of a random access opportunity or a start of a random access response window; 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the activation applies to a specific random access opportunity or multiple random access opportunities within a specified validity period, a validity period configured by system information, a validity period indicated in the activation message, or a validity period for a next monitoring time window.

22. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is received, the beginning of the validity period being relative to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

23. the availability of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is determined for each preamble transmission during a random access procedure; 23. The method of any one of claims 17 to 22, wherein when the availability of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources changes within a procedure, the method further comprises switching between using a dynamic physical random access channel resource and using a quasi-static dynamic physical random access channel resource depending on the availability.

24. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 23, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

25. 25. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 24, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when a value of a back-off indicator in a random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

26. Configuring and providing to a user equipment at least one of a plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources are available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation; receiving from the user equipment a preamble for at least one resource from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources; A method comprising:

27. 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising providing an activation message configured to indicate limitations on the activation to apply to a service or use case for which the random access is initiated, or to apply to an indicated feature or set of features of a device.

28. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the configuration of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is transmitted in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

29. the activation message is transmitted within a monitoring time window defined relative to either a start of a random access opportunity or a start of a random access response window; 29. The method of claim 27 or 28, wherein the activation applies to a specific random access opportunity or opportunities within a specified validity period, a validity period configured by system information, a validity period indicated in the activation message, or a validity period for a next monitoring time window.

30. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is sent, the beginning of the validity period being relative to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

31. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 30, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

32. 32. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 31, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when a value of a back-off indicator in a random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

33. means for receiving from a network entity a configuration of at least one of a plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources are available without separate activation and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation; and means for determining availability of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources; means for selecting at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources when it is determined that the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is available; An apparatus comprising:

34. 34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein a dynamic resource is determined to be available when an activation message is received activating the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or when the apparatus determines that a previously received activation is still valid.

35. 35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the activation message is configured to indicate limitations on the activation to apply to a service or use case for which the random access is initiated or to apply to an indicated feature or set of features of the apparatus.

36. The apparatus of any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the configuration of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is received in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

37. the activation message is monitored within a monitoring time window defined relative to either a start of a random access opportunity or a start of a random access response window; 37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the activation applies to a specific random access opportunity or opportunities within a specified validity period, a validity period configured by system information, a validity period indicated in the activation message, or a validity period for a next monitoring time window.

38. 38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is received, the beginning of the validity period being relative to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

39. the availability of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is determined for each preamble transmission during a random access procedure; 39. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for switching between using a dynamic physical random access channel resource and using a quasi-static dynamic physical random access channel resource depending on the availability of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources when the availability changes within a procedure.

40. The apparatus of any one of claims 34 to 39, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

41. The apparatus of any one of claims 33 to 40, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when a value of a back-off indicator in a random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

42. means for configuring and providing to a user equipment at least one of a plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and a dynamic physical random access channel resource for network access, wherein the plurality of quasi-static physical random access channel resources are available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation; and means for receiving from the user equipment a preamble for at least one resource from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of quasi-static physical random access channel resources and dynamic physical random access channel resources; An apparatus comprising:

43. 43. The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising: means for providing an activation message configured to indicate limitations on the activation to apply to a service or use case for which the random access is initiated or to apply to an indicated feature or set of features of the apparatus.

44. 44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the configuration of the at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is transmitted in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

45. the activation message is transmitted within a monitoring time window defined relative to either a start of a random access opportunity or a start of a random access response window; 45. The apparatus of claim 43 or 44, wherein the activation applies to a particular random access opportunity or opportunities within a specified validity period, a validity period configured by system information, a validity period indicated in the activation message, or a validity period for a next monitoring time window.

46. 46. ​​The apparatus of claim 45, wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is sent, the beginning of the validity period being relative to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

47. The apparatus of any one of claims 43 to 46, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

48. The apparatus of any one of claims 42 to 47, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when a value of a back-off indicator in a random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

49. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the method of any one of claims 17 to 25.

50. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform at least the method of any one of claims 26 to 32.

51. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to carry out the method of any one of claims 17 to 25.

52. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to carry out the method of any one of claims 26 to 32.

53. An apparatus comprising one or more circuits configured to carry out the method of any one of claims 17 to 25.

54. An apparatus comprising one or more circuits configured to carry out the method of any one of claims 26 to 32.

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