Method and apparatus for random access

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for random access. The method, which can be implemented by a terminal device, includes receiving information from a network node indicating an association between uplink transmission and downlink transmission in a random access procedure (e.g., an association between a shared channel opportunity and a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel block). The association is based at least in part on the configuration of random access resources (e.g., random access opportunities) and shared channel resources (e.g., shared channel opportunities) used for uplink messages (e.g., including preambles and physical uplink shared channel data) in the random access procedure. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the association between synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks and shared channel opportunities in a random access procedure can be flexibly and effectively configured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to communication networks, and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for random access. Background Art

[0002] This section introduces various aspects that may help to better understand the present disclosure. Accordingly, the contents stated in this section should be read in this manner and should not be understood as an admission of what is or is not prior art.

[0003] Communication service providers and network operators are continually faced with the challenge of delivering value and convenience to consumers (e.g., by providing compelling network services and performance). With the rapid development of networking and communication technologies, wireless communication networks such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks and New Radio (NR) networks are expected to achieve high service capacity and end-user data rates with low latency. In order to connect to a network node, a random access (RA) procedure may be initiated for a terminal device. During the RA procedure, system information (SI) and synchronization signals (SS), as well as related radio resources and transmission configurations, may be notified to the terminal device via control information from the network node. The RA procedure may enable a terminal device to establish a session for a specific service with a network node. Therefore, it is desirable to enhance the configuration and performance of the RA procedure. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This summary is provided to introduce selected concepts in a simplified form that will be further described in the following detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0005] Wireless communication networks such as NR / 5G networks are capable of supporting flexible network configurations. Various signaling methods (e.g., a four-step method, a two-step method, etc.) may be used for the RA process of a terminal device to establish a connection with a network node. For the RA process, there may be a specific association between a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel block (also referred to as an SS / PBCH block or SSB for short) and a time-frequency physical random access channel (PRACH) opportunity (also referred to as an RA opportunity or RO for short). In a two-step RA process, a terminal device may send an RA preamble together with a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) to a network node in a message (also referred to as message A or msgA for short), and receive a response message (also referred to as message B or msgB for short) from the network node. The msgA payload may be sent in a PUSCH opportunity (PO) configured with one or more resource units (RUs), and the RA preamble may be sent in the RO. It may be necessary to configure signaling transmission for the RA process more flexibly and efficiently, while achieving the association of resource configurations in the RO and PO.

[0006] Various embodiments of the present disclosure propose a solution for RA, which can support adaptive configuration for RA procedures such as a two-step RA procedure, for example, by providing flexibility for mapping SSB to PO in order to save overhead and improve the performance of the RA procedure.

[0007] It is understood that the terms "PRACH opportunity," "random access channel (RACH) opportunity," or "RA opportunity" mentioned herein may refer to time-frequency resources that can be used for preamble transmission during the RA process, which may also be referred to as a "random access opportunity (RO)." These terms may be used interchangeably in this document. According to some exemplary embodiments, an RO that can be used for preamble transmission in a two-step RA may be referred to as a two-step RO, while an RO that can be used for preamble transmission in a four-step RA may be referred to as a four-step RO.

[0008] Similarly, it is understood that the terms "PUSCH opportunity," "uplink shared channel opportunity," or "shared channel opportunity" mentioned herein may refer to the time-frequency resources that can be used for PUSCH transmission during the RA process, which may also be referred to as "physical uplink shared channel opportunity (PO)." These terms are used interchangeably in this document.

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented by a network node is provided. The method comprises determining an association between an SSB and a shared channel opportunity (e.g., a PUSCH opportunity) in an RA procedure based at least in part on a configuration of an RA opportunity and a shared channel opportunity for an uplink (UL) message including a preamble and PUSCH data in the RA procedure. The method further comprises sending information indicating the association to a terminal device.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus that can be implemented as a network node. The apparatus includes one or more processors and one or more memories including computer program code. The one or more memories and the computer program code are configured to, together with the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to at least implement any steps of the method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0011] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer readable medium having computer program code thereon, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to implement any step of the method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0012] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus that can be implemented as a network node is provided. The apparatus includes a determining unit and a sending unit. According to some exemplary embodiments, the determining unit is operable to perform at least the determining step of the method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure. The sending unit is operable to perform at least the sending step of the method according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0013] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented by a terminal device, such as a user equipment (UE), is provided. The method includes receiving information from a network node indicating an association between an SSB and a shared channel opportunity (e.g., a PUSCH opportunity) in an RA procedure. The association may be based at least in part on a configuration of the RA opportunity and the shared channel opportunity for an UL message including a preamble and PUSCH data in the RA procedure. Optionally, the method may further include implementing the RA procedure based on the information received from the network node.

[0014] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus that can be implemented as a terminal device is provided. The apparatus includes one or more processors and one or more memories including computer program code. The one or more memories and the computer program code are configured to, together with the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to at least implement any steps of the method according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0015] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer readable medium having computer program code thereon, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to implement any step of the method according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0016] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus that can be implemented as a terminal device is provided. The apparatus includes a receiving unit and an optional implementation unit. According to some exemplary embodiments, the receiving unit is operable to at least perform the receiving step of the method according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure. The implementation unit is operable to at least perform the implementation step of the method according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment, the RA process may be a two-step RA process.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment, the UL message may include a message A including a preamble and PUSCH data (eg, a RA preamble along with a msgA payload).

[0019] According to an example embodiment, the UL transmission in the shared channel opportunity may be associated with one or more preambles mapped to one or more SSBs.

[0020] According to an exemplary embodiment, the shared channel opportunity may be configured with a shared channel on which one or more receive beams of the network node associated with one or more SSBs may be used to receive data sent by the terminal device.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment, the configuration of the RA opportunity and the shared channel opportunity may include one of the following:

[0022] A one-to-one mapping of preambles in the RA opportunities to RUs in the shared channel opportunities; and

[0023] • Many-to-one mapping of preambles in the RA opportunities to RUs in the shared channel opportunities.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment, the association between the SSB and the shared channel opportunity may include mapping the SSB to a shared channel opportunity set including at least the shared channel opportunity. The shared channel opportunity set may be configured with the same resources in the time domain.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment, the SSB may be mapped to one or more preambles in the RA opportunity and associated with one or more RUs in the shared channel opportunity set.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment, the association between the SSB and the shared channel opportunity may include a mapping of a set of SSBs including the SSB to the shared channel opportunity.

[0027] According to an exemplary embodiment, the SSB may be mapped to at least a portion of a preamble in the RA opportunity and associated with at least one RU in the shared channel opportunity.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment, the SSB set may be configured to enable optimized decoding of UL transmissions of the terminal device.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment, the SSB set may be configured to have a beam difference above a predefined threshold.

[0030] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented by a network node is provided. The method includes determining configuration information for an RA procedure (e.g., a two-step RA procedure). The configuration information indicates the number of one or more SSBs associated with an RA opportunity and the number of one or more preambles in the RA opportunity and associated with a shared channel resource used for the RA procedure. The method also includes sending the configuration information to a terminal device.

[0031] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method according to the ninth aspect of the present disclosure may further include: sending signaling information to the terminal device. The signaling information may indicate an offset, which may be used to determine a starting preamble associated with a specific SSB in the RA opportunity.

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method according to the ninth aspect of the present disclosure may further include: receiving an UL message (e.g., message A) for RA sent by the terminal device. The UL message may be sent using at least one of the one or more preambles and associated shared channel resources. The at least one preamble may be identified by at least one indicator, and the at least one indicator may be determined at least in part based on the configuration information.

[0033] According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus that can be implemented as a network node. The apparatus includes one or more processors and one or more memories including computer program code. The one or more memories and the computer program code are configured to, together with the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to at least implement any steps of the method according to the ninth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0034] According to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable medium having computer program code thereon, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to implement any step of the method according to the ninth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0035] According to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure, a device that can be implemented as a network node is provided. The device includes a determining unit and a sending unit. According to some exemplary embodiments, the determining unit is operable to perform at least the determining step of the method according to the ninth aspect of the present disclosure. The sending unit is operable to perform at least the sending step of the method according to the ninth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0036] According to a thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented by a terminal device, such as a UE, is provided. The method includes receiving configuration information for an RA procedure from a network node. The configuration information indicates the number of one or more SSBs associated with an RA opportunity and the number of one or more preambles associated with a shared channel resource used for the RA procedure in the RA opportunity. The method also includes implementing the RA procedure based on the configuration information received from the network node.

[0037] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method according to the thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure may further include: receiving signaling information from the network node. The signaling information may indicate an offset, which may be used to determine a starting preamble associated with a specific SSB in the RA opportunity.

[0038] According to an exemplary embodiment, the terminal device may implement the RA process in the following manner:

[0039] determining at least one indicator for the one or more preambles based at least in part on the configuration information; and

[0040] • sending an UL message for RA to the network node by using at least one preamble of the one or more preambles and associated shared channel resources, wherein the at least one preamble is identified by the at least one indicator.

[0041] According to a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus that can be implemented as a terminal device is provided. The apparatus includes one or more processors and one or more memories including computer program code. The one or more memories and the computer program code are configured to, together with the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to at least implement any steps of the method according to the thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0042] According to a fifteenth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable medium having computer program code thereon, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to implement any step of the method according to the thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0043] According to a sixteenth aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus that can be implemented as a terminal device is provided. The apparatus includes a receiving unit and an implementation unit. According to some exemplary embodiments, the receiving unit is operable to perform at least the receiving step of the method according to the thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure. The implementation unit is operable to perform at least the implementation step of the method according to the thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure.

[0044] According to an exemplary embodiment, the shared channel resource may include shared channel resource units that are frequency division multiplexed in one or more symbols.

[0045] According to an exemplary embodiment, the number of the one or more preambles may be equal to an integer multiple of the number of the shared channel resource units.

[0046] According to an exemplary embodiment, the offset may be equal to the number of one or more preambles configured for another RA procedure (eg, a four-step RA procedure) and associated with the specific SSB.

[0047] According to a seventeenth aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented in a communication system is provided. The communication system may include a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE). The method may include: providing user data at the host computer. Optionally, the method may include: initiating, at the host computer, a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the base station. The base station may implement any steps of the method according to any of the first and ninth aspects of the present disclosure.

[0048] According to an eighteenth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system including a host computer is provided. The host computer may include processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment terminal (UE). The cellular network may include a base station having a radio interface and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry of the base station may be configured to implement any step of the method according to any of the first and ninth aspects of the present disclosure.

[0049] According to a nineteenth aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented in a communication system is provided. The communication system may include a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE). The method may include: providing user data at the host computer. Optionally, the method may include: initiating, at the host computer, a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the base station. The UE may implement any steps of the method according to any of the fifth and thirteenth aspects of the present disclosure.

[0050] According to a twentieth aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system including a host computer is provided. The host computer may include processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE). The UE may include a radio interface and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry of the UE may be configured to implement any step of the method according to any of the fifth and thirteenth aspects of the present disclosure.

[0051] According to a twenty-first aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented in a communication system is provided. The communication system may include a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE). The method may include: receiving, at the host computer, user data transmitted from the UE to the base station. The UE may implement any step of the method according to any of the fifth and thirteenth aspects of the present disclosure.

[0052] According to a twenty-second aspect of the present disclosure, a communication system including a host computer is provided. The host computer may include a communication interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a UE to a base station. The UE may include a radio interface and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry of the UE may be configured to implement any step of the method according to any of the fifth and thirteenth aspects of the present disclosure.

[0053] According to a twenty-third aspect of the present disclosure, a method implemented in a communication system is provided. The communication system may include a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment terminal (UE). The method may include: receiving, at the host computer, from the base station user data originating from a transmission received by the base station from the UE. The base station may implement any steps of the method according to any of the first and ninth aspects of the present disclosure.

[0054] According to a twenty-fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a communications system is provided, which may include a host computer. The host computer may include a communications interface configured to receive user data originating from a transmission from a UE to a base station. The base station may include a radio interface and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry of the base station may be configured to implement any step of the method according to any of the first and ninth aspects of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] The present disclosure itself, its preferred mode of use and further objects may best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0056] Figure 1A is a diagram illustrating an exemplary four-step RA process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0057] Figure 1Bis a diagram illustrating an exemplary PRACH configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0058] Figures 1C-1D is a diagram illustrating an example of association between SSB and PRACH opportunities according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0059] Figure 1E is a diagram showing an example of mapping between SSB and RA preamble codes according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0060] Figure 1F is a diagram illustrating an exemplary preamble for each SSB of each PRACH opportunity according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0061] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary two-step RA process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0062] Figures 3A-3F is a diagram illustrating an example of an association configuration for two-step RA according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0063] Figure 4A is a flowchart illustrating a method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0064] Figure 4B is a flow chart illustrating another method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0065] Figure 5A is a flow chart illustrating another method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0066] Figure 5B is a flow chart illustrating yet another method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0067] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0068] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating another apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0069] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating yet another apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0070] Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating a telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediary network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0071] Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating a host computer communicating with a UE over a partially wireless connection via a base station according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0072] Figure 11 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0073] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0074] Figure 13 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0075] Figure 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0076] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are discussed only to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and thereby implement the present disclosure, and not to imply any limitation in terms of the scope of the present disclosure. References to features, advantages or similar language throughout the specification do not mean that all features and advantages that can be implemented in accordance with the present disclosure should be in or just in any single embodiment of the present disclosure. On the contrary, language relating to the features and advantages is understood to mean that the specific features, advantages or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiments are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. In addition, the features, advantages and characteristics of the present disclosure described can be combined in one or more embodiments in any appropriate manner. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the present disclosure can be practiced without one or more specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other cases, additional features and advantages can be found in certain embodiments, which may not appear in all embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0077] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network that complies with any suitable communication standard, such as NR, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), etc. In addition, communication between terminal devices and network nodes in the communication network may be implemented according to any suitable communication protocol, including but not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), 4G, 4.5G, 5G communication protocols and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future.

[0078] The term "network node" refers to a network device in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from it. A network node may refer to a base station (BS), an access point (AP), a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), a controller, or any other suitable device in a wireless communication network. A BS may be, for example, a NodeB (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a next-generation NodeB (gNodeB or gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a repeater, a low-power node such as a femtocell or a picocell, and the like.

[0079] Some further examples of network nodes include: MSR radio equipment such as a multi-standard radio (MSR) BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmission node and / or a positioning node, etc. However, more generally, a network node may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) that is capable of, configured to, arranged to and / or operable to enable and / or provide a terminal device with access to a wireless communication network or to provide some services to a terminal device that has access to the wireless communication network.

[0080] The term "terminal device" refers to any terminal device that can access a communication network and receive services therefrom. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may refer to a mobile terminal, user equipment (UE), or other suitable device. A UE may be, for example, a subscriber station, a portable subscriber station, a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, portable computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, tablet computers, wearable devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), vehicles, and the like.

[0081] As another specific example, in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a terminal device may also be referred to as an IoT device, and may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring, sensing, and / or measurement, etc., and transmits the results of such monitoring, sensing, and / or measurement, etc. to another terminal device and / or network device. In this case, the terminal device may be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may be referred to as a machine-type communication (MTC) device in the context of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

[0082] As a specific example, a terminal device may be a UE that implements the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering equipment such as power meters, industrial machinery, or household or personal devices such as refrigerators, televisions, and personal wearables such as watches. In other scenarios, a terminal device may represent a vehicle or other equipment, such as a medical instrument capable of monitoring, sensing, and / or reporting its operating status or other functions related to its operation.

[0083] As used herein, the terms "first", "second", etc. refer to different elements. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a" and "an" are also intended to include the plural forms. The terms "include", "comprise", "have", "contain", "include" and / or "comprising" used in the text indicate the presence of the described features, elements and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or their combinations. The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The terms "one embodiment" and "embodiment" will be interpreted as "at least one embodiment". The term "another embodiment" should be understood as "at least one other embodiment". Other definitions may be included explicitly and implicitly below.

[0084] Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide a variety of telecommunication services, such as voice, video, data, messaging, and broadcast. As previously mentioned, in order to connect to a network node, such as a gNB, in a wireless communication network, a terminal device, such as a UE, may need to implement a RA procedure to exchange basic information and messages for establishing a communication link with the network node.

[0085] Figure 1A is a diagram illustrating an exemplary four-step RA process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1A As shown, a UE may detect synchronization signals (SS) by receiving 101 SSBs (e.g., primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and physical broadcast channel (PBCH)) from a gNB. The UE may decode 102 some system information (e.g., remaining minimum system information (RMSI) and other system information (OSI)) broadcast in the downlink (DL). The UE may then transmit 103 a PRACH preamble (message1 / msg1) in the uplink (UL). The gNB may reply 104 with a random access response (RAR, message2 / msg2). In response to the RAR, the UE may transmit 105 its identification information (message3 / msg3) on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). The gNB may then transmit 106 a contention resolution message (CRM, message4 / msg4) to the UE.

[0086] In this example procedure, the UE transmits message3 / msg3 on the PUSCH after receiving a timing advance command in the RAR. This allows message3 / msg3 on the PUSCH to be received with timing accuracy within the cyclic prefix (CP). Without this timing advance, a very large CP may be required to demodulate and detect message3 / msg3 on the PUSCH, unless the communication system is deployed in a cell with a very small distance between the UE and the gNB. Because the NR system can also support larger cells, a timing advance command needs to be provided to the UE, so this RA procedure requires a four-step approach.

[0087] In the NR system, the time and frequency resources on which the PRACH preamble is sent can be defined as PRACH opportunities. Different PRACH configurations can be specified for FR1 (frequency range 1) paired spectrum, FR1 unpaired spectrum, and FR2 (frequency range 2) in the case of unpaired spectrum. The specified PRACH configuration can be maintained in the PRACH configuration table. The time resources and preamble formats used for PRACH transmission can be configured by a PRACH configuration index, which indicates a row in the PRACH configuration table. For example, at least a portion of the PRACH configuration for preamble format 0 for FR1 unpaired spectrum is shown in Table 1.

[0088] Table 1

[0089]

[0090] In Table 1, the x value indicates the PRACH configuration period (in system frames), and the y value indicates the system frame within each PRACH configuration period in which the PRACH opportunity is configured. For example, if y is set to 0, it means that the PRACH opportunity is only configured in the first frame of each PRACH configuration period. The values ​​in the "Subframe Number" column indicate the subframes in which the PRACH opportunity is configured. The values ​​in the "Start Symbol" column are symbol indexes.

[0091] In the case of time division duplex (TDD), the semi-statically configured DL part and / or the actually transmitted SSB may overwrite some time domain PRACH opportunities defined in the PRACH configuration table or invalidate some time domain PRACH opportunities defined in the PRACH configuration table. More specifically, the PRACH opportunities in the UL part are always valid, and for the PRACH opportunities in a specific part (e.g., the part with flexible symbols in the NR time slot), as long as it does not precede the SSB in the RACH time slot or does not collide with the SSB, and there are at least N symbols after the last symbol of the SSB and the DL part, the PRACH opportunities in the specific part are valid. For example, N can be set to 0 or 2 according to the PRACH format and subcarrier spacing.

[0092] Figure 1B is a diagram showing an exemplary PRACH configuration according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the frequency domain, the NR system can support multiple frequency-reused PRACH opportunities in the same time domain PRACH opportunity. This is mainly due to the support of analog beam scanning in the NR system, so that the PRACH opportunities associated with one SSB are configured at the same time instance but at different frequency positions. Figure 1B As shown, the number of frequency division multiplexed (FDMed) PRACH opportunities in one time-domain PRACH opportunity can be 1, 2, 4, or 8, and the PRACH configuration period can be 10ms, 20ms, 40ms, 80ms, or 160ms. As previously described, a row in the PRACH / RACH configuration table can specify a time-domain PRACH opportunity pattern for one PRACH configuration period.

[0093] According to an exemplary embodiment, a maximum of 64 sequences can be used as RA preambles for each PRACH opportunity in each cell. Radio resource control (RRC) parameters (e.g., totalNumberOfRA-Preambles) can be used to determine how many of these 64 sequences are used as RA preambles for each PRACH opportunity in each cell. These 64 sequences can be configured by first including all available cyclic shifts of the root Zadoff-Chu sequence, and secondly, in order of increasing root index, until 64 preambles are generated for the PRACH opportunity.

[0094] According to some exemplary embodiments, an association may exist between an SSB and a PRACH opportunity. For example, a one-to-one association between an SSB and a PRACH opportunity may be supported in an NR system (e.g., one SSB per PRACH opportunity). Similarly, a one-to-many and / or many-to-one association between an SSB and a PRACH opportunity may also be supported in an NR system.

[0095] Figures 1C-1D is a diagram illustrating an example of an association between SSB and PRACH opportunities according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1C In the example of one SSB per PRACH opportunity shown, SSB0, SSB1, SSB2, and SSB3 are associated with four different PRACH opportunities. Figure 1D In the example of two SSBs per PRACH opportunity shown, SSB0 and SSB1 are associated with one PRACH opportunity, and SSB2 and SSB3 are associated with another PRACH opportunity. Figure 1C or Figure 1D The shown association between SSBs and PRACH opportunities is only by way of example, and other suitable associations between SSBs and PRACH opportunities with appropriate PRACH preamble formats may also be implemented.

[0096] According to an exemplary embodiment, the gNB transmits each SSB to the UE using a different SSB beam. In response to receiving an SSB from the gNB, the UE detects the best SSB beam and selects a PRACH preamble from one or more PRACH preambles mapped to the corresponding SSB. The UE may then transmit the selected PRACH preamble to the gNB in ​​the associated PRACH opportunity. When the gNB detects the PRACH preamble transmitted from the UE, based on the association between the PRACH preamble and the corresponding SSB mapped to the SSB beam, the gNB indirectly knows the best SSB beam for the UE, thereby enabling the best SSB beam to be used for transmitting / receiving signals to / from the UE.

[0097] According to some exemplary embodiments, the preamble associated with each SSB may be configured by two RRC parameters, ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB and totalNumberOfRA-Preambles, which may be indicated by an information element (IE) such as RACH-ConfigCommon in a system information block (e.g., SIB1). Specific rules for mapping SSBs to RA preambles may be defined. For example, N SSBs associated with one PRACH opportunity and R contention-based (CB) preambles for each SSB for each valid PRACH opportunity may be provided to the UE via the parameter ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB. If N<1, one SSB is mapped to 1 / N consecutive valid PRACH opportunities, and the R contention-based preambles with consecutive indices associated with the SSB for each valid PRACH opportunity start at preamble index 0. If N ≥ 1, then R contention-based preambles with consecutive indices associated with SSB n (0 ≤ n ≤ N-1) of each valid PRACH opportunity start at preamble index in It is provided by the parameter totalNumberOfRA-Preambles and is an integer multiple of N.

[0098] Figure 1E is a diagram showing an example of mapping between SSB and RA preamble according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, the number of PRACH slots in one PRACH configuration period is 2, the number of PRACH opportunities in one PRACH slot is 4, and the number of SSBs in one PRACH opportunity is 2. Figure 1E As shown, the mapping between SSB and PRACH preamble can be completed by consecutively associating M preambles to each SSB, where For example, the preamble can be obtained as follows:

[0099] - First, in increasing order of preamble index within a single PRACH opportunity;

[0100] - second, in increasing order of frequency resource indexes of PRACH opportunities used for frequency reuse; and

[0101] -Third, in ascending chronological order.

[0102] Figure 1Fis a diagram illustrating exemplary preambles for each SSB per PRACH opportunity according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, for each SSB, the associated preambles for each PRACH opportunity are further divided into two groups for contention-based random access (CBRA) and contention-free random access (CFRA). The number of contention-based (CB) preambles per SSB per PRACH opportunity can be signaled via an RRC parameter (e.g., CB-preambles-per-SSB). The preamble indexes for CBRA and CFRA are consecutively mapped to one SSB in one PRACH opportunity, e.g., Figure 1F shown.

[0103] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary two-step RA process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 1A The process shown in Figure 2 In the process shown, the UE can detect the SS by receiving 201 SSB (e.g., including PSS, SSS, and PBCH) from the gNB, and decoding 202 the system information broadcast in the DL (e.g., remaining minimum system information (RMSI) and other system information (OSI)). Figure 1A Compared to the four-step approach shown, implementation Figure 2 A UE using the procedure in

[10] can complete random access in just two steps. First, the UE sends 203a / 203b Message A (msgA) to the gNB. Message A includes the RA preamble and higher layer data (e.g., RRC Connection Request, possibly with some payload on the PUSCH). Second, the gNB sends 204 RAR (also known as Message B or msgB) to the UE. Message B includes UE identifier allocation, timing advance information, contention resolution information, etc.

[0104] To distinguish between legacy UEs implementing the four-step RA procedure and UEs implementing the two-step RA procedure, separate PRACH resources (defined by RO and preamble sequence) can be configured for the two-step RA procedure and the four-step RA procedure. In the two-step RA procedure, the UE can send a preamble and msgA PUSCH (also called msgA payload) in one message, called Message A. The number of preambles (e.g., one or more preambles) mapped to one PUSCH resource unit (RU) can be configurable. A PUSCH RU for two-step RA can be defined as a PUSCH opportunity (PO) and at least one of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port and a DMRS sequence that can be used for msgA payload transmission.

[0105] For two-step RA, some agreement may be reached on the mapping between the preamble in the RO and the PUSCH RU. For example, the network may have the flexibility to support at least one of the following options:

[0106] Option I: One-to-one mapping between the preamble in the RO and the RU in the associated PO;

[0107] Option II: One-to-many mapping between preambles in RO and RUs in associated PO; and

[0108] • Option III: Many-to-one mapping between the preamble in the RO and the RU in the associated PO.

[0109] For four-step RA, the preamble within a single RO can be associated with different SSBs (e.g. Figure 1E As shown), where each SSB points to a different beam direction. For two-step RA, the mapping of SSBs to preambles and ROs may be different for different mapping schemes applied between the RA preambles in the RO and the associated PUSCH RUs. Without careful design of the mapping of RA preambles to PUSCH RUs, multiple PUSCH transmissions in different transmit (TX) beam directions may be multiplexed in the same PO, or these PUSCH transmissions may be mapped to different POs that are frequency division multiplexed at the same time instance. Both of these situations may lead to multi-beam reception problems for PUSCH decoding at the network node, especially when analog beamforming is utilized. In the case of digital beamforming, multiple receive (RX) beams can be used to receive signals simultaneously, but high collision problems may occur when multiple transmissions using beams with small beam differences are at the same time. Therefore, for the two-step RA process, it may be desirable to adaptively map the SSBs to the RA preambles associated with the PUSCH RUs based on the configuration of the association between the preambles in the RO and the PUSCH RUs (e.g., Option I, Option II, or Option III).

[0110] In a solution proposed according to some exemplary embodiments, a network node may indicate to a terminal device an association between signaling transmissions for a two-step RA procedure. According to exemplary embodiments, the proposed solution may allow a gNB to inform a UE of a mapping of SSBs for a two-step RA procedure to ROs associated with a PO. According to some exemplary embodiments, the association between signaling transmissions for a two-step RA procedure may be adapted to the configuration of RA resources and shared channel resources of an uplink message for RA (e.g., message A containing a preamble and a PUSCH payload). For example, based on a mapping of preambles in an RO and RUs in a PO, an SSB associated with a PO may be adaptively mapped to one or more preambles in an associated RO. The proposed solution may minimize reserved resource overhead and improve decoding performance of PUSCH transmissions on the same PO (particularly for analog beamforming), while providing flexibility for mapping of SSBs to ROs and preambles, and for mapping of preambles to PUSCH RUs.

[0111] Figures 3A-3F is a diagram illustrating an example of an association configuration for two-step RA according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3A The exemplary association configuration shown in is for the case of Option 1, where a one-to-one mapping is applied between the preamble in the RO and the RU in the PO. According to an exemplary embodiment, a mapping rule of SSB to RO and preamble can be defined, for example, mapping the preamble in one RO associated with all PUSCH RUs in one time domain PO to one SSB, so that multiple UEs with the same or similar beam direction can be indirectly grouped into one time domain PO, because the UE that detects the SSB beam in that direction as the best beam can select the associated preamble for msgA preamble transmission. This exemplary mapping rule of SSB to RO and preamble makes it possible for the gNB to receive a group of UEs in a common best direction of the group in one time domain PO, especially when analog beamforming is used. Here, the time domain PO may include one or more POs (e.g., frequency domain POs), which may be frequency division multiplexed at one time instance.

[0112] Figure 3A An example is provided in which 16 POs are defined, each PO has 16 RUs, 8 SSBs are transmitted in one cell, and 4 ROs are time-frequency multiplexed in one PRACH slot. Figure 3AAs shown, the 16 preambles of one SSBi (i=0, 1, 2, ..., 7) mapped to one RO can be mapped to one POm (m=0, 2, 4, ..., 14), and the other 16 preambles for the SSBi in the RO are mapped to other POn (n=1, 3, 5, ..., 15) multiplexed with POm in the frequency domain. POm and POn can be regarded as the time domain PO as a whole. According to Figure 3A As shown in the mapping of preambles associated with SSB beams to POs, a single SSB beam is mapped to 2 POs, each PO has 16 RUs, and 16 preambles are mapped to one PO, where one preamble is mapped to one RU.

[0113] Figure 3B The exemplary association configuration shown is for the case of Option II, where a one-to-many mapping is applied between the preamble in the RO and the RU in the PO. According to an exemplary embodiment, a mapping rule of SSB to RO and preamble can be defined, for example, mapping the preamble in one RO associated with all PUSCH RUs in one time domain PO to one SSB, so that multiple UEs with the same or similar beam directions can be indirectly grouped into one time domain PO, because the UE that detects the SSB beam in that direction as the best beam can select the associated preamble for msgA preamble transmission. The exemplary SSB to RO and preamble mapping rule is similar to the rule for the case of Option I.

[0114] Figure 3B Provides a similar Figure 3A The difference is that 32 RUs are configured in one PO and one preamble is mapped to 2 RUs. Figure 3B As shown, the mapping of preambles associated with SSB beams to POs, a single SSB beam is mapped to 2 POs, where each PO has 32 RUs, and 16 preambles are mapped to one PO, where one preamble is mapped to 2 RUs.

[0115] It is understandable that Figure 3A or Figure 3B The configuration of one-to-many mapping of SSB to PO shown is only an example, and other appropriate associations between SSB and PO (e.g., one-to-one mapping or many-to-one mapping) can also be achieved using appropriate mapping of preamble code to RU.

[0116] Figure 3CThe exemplary association configuration shown in is for the case of option III, where a many-to-one mapping is applied between the preambles in the RO and the RUs in the PO. In this case, multiple preambles mapped to one RU in one PO may be associated with one or more SSBs, depending on whether multiple RX beams are allowed in one PO. According to an exemplary embodiment supporting one beam for one PO, the mapping of SSBs to POs is a one-to-one mapping to ensure that the single beam requirement is met. In this case, mapping rules of SSBs to ROs and preambles may be defined, for example, mapping multiple preambles associated with the same PUSCH RU (e.g., RUs in the same PO, or RUs in different POs frequency-division multiplexed in the same time instance) to the same SSB, particularly for the case where analog beamforming is applied.

[0117] Figure 3C Provides something similar to Figure 3A The difference is that in this case, 32 preambles are mapped to one RU and only one PO is configured in one time instance. Figure 3C As shown, the mapping of preamble codes associated with SSB beams to POs, a single SSB beam is mapped to one PO, where each PO has one RU.

[0118] According to an exemplary embodiment supporting multiple beams for one PO, the mapping of SSBs to POs can be a many-to-one mapping to reduce the reserved PUSCH resource overhead. In this case, a mapping rule of SSBs to ROs and preambles can be defined, for example, mapping multiple preambles associated with the same PUSCH RU (e.g., RUs in the same PO, or RUs in different POs frequency-division multiplexed in the same time instance) to different SSBs.

[0119] Figure 3D Provides something similar to Figure 3C The difference is that 2 SSBs (and 2 SSB beams) are associated with one RU in one PO, and in this case only 4 POs are configured, one per time instance. Figure 3D The mapping of the preamble code associated with the SSB beam to the PO is shown, and multiple SSB beams are mapped to one PO, with one RU per PO.

[0120] According to some exemplary embodiments, a network node such as a gNB may optimize which SSB beams are associated with a PO to achieve the best decoding performance for PUSCHs transmitted using different beams on the same PO. The optimized association may be achieved by selecting an SSB beam scanning order (mapping of SSB beam directions to SSB indices) at the network node such that SSB beams associated with the same PO may achieve good PUSCH decoding performance by following the mapping rules of SSB to RO and preamble, and preamble to PO and RU. According to exemplary embodiments, preambles associated with SSB beams that are not too close to each other may be grouped into one PO. For example, in Figure 3D In the case where the beam difference between SSB0 and SSB1 is greater than a predefined threshold, the beams SSB0 and SSB1 are mapped to Figure 3D The lower left RO, SSB0 and SSB1 in the illustrated PRACH slot may be grouped so as to be mapped to one PO, such as PO0.

[0121] It can be understood that the one-to-one mapping of SSB to PO (such as Figure 3C ) and many-to-one mapping of SSB to PO (as Figure 3D The association configuration shown) is only an example, and other appropriate associations between SSB and PO (e.g., one-to-many mapping) can also be achieved using appropriate mapping of the preamble code to RU.

[0122] According to some exemplary embodiments, a flexible mapping configuration may support a variable number of SSBs and a variable PUSCH RU size. The spectral efficiency of msgA PUSCH is typically expected to be significantly lower than that of dynamically scheduled PUSCH (e.g., in a four-step RA) because the network may not typically apply link adaptation to msgA PUSCH transmissions. Therefore, msgA resource and payload sizes are conservative, assuming relatively poor channel conditions even when the UE is in good channel conditions. This means that it is desirable to control the number of PUSCH resource elements so that they are not overused. One possible way to achieve this is to have fine granularity in the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) allocated to POs. For example, the number of POs needs to be set to any non-zero integer up to a certain limit, such as the number of POs that can be accommodated in the active bandwidth portion.

[0123] Figure 3E An exemplary PO configuration is provided, where there are 12 POs, each occupying K=2 PRBs and 3 Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols in frequency. Figure 3EAs shown, each PO contains two PUSCH RUs, and each PUSCH RU is associated with a different DMRS transmission. The different DMRS transmissions can be DMRS antenna ports, DMRS with different sequence initializations (or equivalently, different DMRS scrambling IDs), or a combination of DMRS antenna ports and DMRS sequence initializations. For example, PUSCH RUs 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 may correspond to the first DMRS port, while PUSCH RUs 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 may correspond to the second DMRS port. Each PUSCH RU may be mapped to one or more preambles. In this example, PUSCH RUs 0 and 1 correspond to PRACH preambles {0,6} and {3,9}, respectively. The POs that are frequency-division multiplexed in a given set of OFDM symbols may correspond to specific SSBs. In Figure 3E In the example shown in FIG, the POs occupying symbols 0 to 2 correspond to SSB0, while the POs occupying symbols 2 to 5 correspond to SSB1, and so on. There are 12 preambles associated with the PUSCH RU corresponding to each SSB. The four different PO sets in different OFDM symbol sets can be viewed as forming a "msgA PUSCH time slot" or "PUSCH group."

[0124] Since there may be up to 64 preambles that need to be mapped to msgA PUSCH RUs, it is possible to consider limiting the number of POs per OFDM symbol to a power of 2 to simplify the mapping of preambles to PUSCH RUs. However, if fewer POs are required, allowing PUSCH RUs with a non-power-of-2 number per OFDM symbol can improve resource efficiency. For example, if 3 POs are allowed per OFDM symbol instead of being limited to 4 POs, the required PUSCH resources are reduced by 25%.

[0125] According to some exemplary embodiments, the number of PRACH preambles may be much larger than the number of POs, because preambles use relatively less time-frequency resources than PUSCH. Therefore, there may be more PRACH preambles in a RO than the number of PUSCH RUs corresponding to the RO. This can be Figure 3F The exemplary RO to PO mapping shown is seen.

[0126] exist Figure 3F In the example, the preamble in the first RO is mapped to SSB0 and SSB1, while the preamble in the second RO is mapped to SSB2 and SSB3. Since there are 6 PUSCH RUs per SSB and 2 PRACHs are mapped to each PUSCH RU (such as Figure 3EAs shown in Figure 2, 12 preambles are required per SSB. Therefore, in this example, only 24 preambles out of 64 preambles in the RO are required to support the msgA PUSCH slot. It can be observed that an integer number of preambles cannot be mapped to 12 PUSCH RUs so that there are 64 preambles. Therefore, a mechanism is needed to map a subset of the preambles in the RO to the PUSCH RUs. The mechanism can also allow the PUSCH RUs to be mapped to different SSBs and can also support the case where multiple preambles are mapped to the PUSCH RU. In addition, since some preambles can be used for four-step contention-based operation (e.g., Rel-15 contention-based operation) and these preambles usually start at the preamble index Therefore, a two-step RA method is needed to use the preambles that are not used by the four-step contention-based operation.

[0127] According to an exemplary embodiment, the UE may determine the PRACH resources (e.g., PRACH preambles) associated with a PUSCH RU in an RA procedure such as a two-step RA procedure. For example, the UE may receive signaling from the gNB that identifies the number N of SSBs associated with one RO and the number R' of preambles. According to an embodiment, R' is equal to an integer multiple of the number of PUSCH RUs frequency-division multiplexed in an OFDM symbol set. For the case where N ≥ 1, the UE may determine the start of consecutive PRACH resources associated with an SSB indexed n, for example, by the following formula, as the preamble index n start :

[0128]

[0129] in, is the number of preambles in RO, which is an integer multiple of N. Δ is an integer, where It indicates the offset relative to the starting preamble. In some embodiments, N may be sent in higher layer signaling from the gNB. Δ The UE may determine the preamble associated with the PUSCH RU as having an index n that satisfies the following conditions: RA The preamble:

[0130] n start ≤n RA <n start +R′ (2)

[0131] The UE may then send preambles among those associated with the PUSCH RU during the RA procedure and send PUSCH data in the PUSCH RU.

[0132] According to an exemplary embodiment, where N<1, the UE may determine the start of consecutive PRACH resources (eg, preambles) associated with an SSB indexed n as the preamble index n. start =N Δ According to some exemplary embodiments, N Δ is the number R of contention-based preambles per SSB per valid RO identified by a higher layer parameter such as ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB defined for four-step RA.

[0133] It will be appreciated that the parameters, variables, and settings related to signaling and resource allocation described herein are merely examples. Other suitable message settings, associated configuration parameters, and their specific values ​​may also be applicable to implement the proposed method.

[0134] It should be noted that some embodiments of the present disclosure are primarily described with respect to the 5G or NR specifications, which are used as non-limiting examples of specific exemplary network configurations and system deployments. As such, the description of the exemplary embodiments presented herein specifically refers to terminology directly related thereto. Such terminology is used only in the context of the non-limiting examples and embodiments presented and naturally does not limit the present disclosure in any way. Rather, any other system configuration or radio technology may be equally used, provided that the exemplary embodiments described herein are applicable.

[0135] Figure 4A is a flow chart illustrating a method 410 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4A The method 410 shown in FIG4 may be implemented by a network node or an apparatus communicatively coupled to the network node. According to an exemplary embodiment, the network node may include a base station such as a gNB. The network node may be configured to communicate with one or more terminal devices (e.g., UEs) that are capable of supporting one or more RA methods, such as two-step RA and / or four-step RA.

[0136] according to Figure 4AIn the exemplary method 410 shown, based at least in part on the configuration of shared channel resources (e.g., shared channel opportunities) and RA resources (e.g., RA opportunities) used for UL messages (e.g., messages including preambles and PUSCH data) in the RA process, the network node may determine the association between UL transmissions and DL transmissions in the RA process (e.g., the association between shared channel opportunities and SSBs), as shown in block 412. According to some exemplary embodiments, the UL message in the RA process may include message A, which includes a preamble and PUSCH data (e.g., msgA payload). The RA procedure may be a two-step RA procedure. As shown in block 414, the network node may send information indicating the association to the terminal device. For example, the information indicating the association may be carried in a broadcast information block (e.g., SIB1) sent from the network node to the terminal device. Optionally, the terminal device may use the information indicating the association between the SSB and the shared channel opportunities in the RA process to enable access to the network node.

[0137] Figure 4B is a flow chart illustrating a method 420 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4B The method 420 shown in FIG4 may be implemented by a terminal device or an apparatus communicatively coupled to the terminal device. According to an exemplary embodiment, a terminal device such as a UE may be configured to communicate with a network node such as a gNB by supporting one or more RA methods such as two-step RA and / or four-step RA.

[0138] according to Figure 4B In the exemplary method 420 shown, the terminal device may receive a message from a network node (e.g., Figure 4A The network node (e.g., a network node) receives information indicating an association between UL transmissions and DL transmissions in an RA procedure (e.g., an association between a shared channel opportunity and an SSB), as shown in block 422. The association may be based at least in part on the information used in the RA procedure (e.g., a two-step RA procedure) for UL messages (e.g., in conjunction with Figure 2 Optionally, the terminal device may implement the RA process based on information received from the network node, as shown in block 424.

[0139] According to some exemplary embodiments, the association between the DL transmission and the UL transmission may include an association between the SSB and a random access opportunity (e.g., a PRACH opportunity). Alternatively or additionally, the association between the DL transmission and the UL transmission may include an association between the SSB and a shared channel opportunity (e.g., a PUSCH opportunity).

[0140] According to an exemplary embodiment, UL transmissions in the same shared channel opportunity may be associated with one or more preambles mapped to one or more SSBs. For example, UL shared channel data transmissions in the same PO may be associated with preambles mapped to the same or different SSBs.

[0141] According to some exemplary embodiments, the configuration of the RA opportunity and the shared channel opportunity may include one of the following:

[0142] One-to-one mapping of preambles in RA opportunities to RUs in shared channel opportunities (e.g., Figure 3A configuration shown);

[0143] Many-to-one mapping of preambles in RA opportunities to RUs in shared channel opportunities (e.g., Figure 3C and Figure 3D configuration shown); and

[0144] One-to-many mapping of preambles in RA opportunities to RUs in shared channel opportunities (e.g., Figure 3B configuration shown).

[0145] According to some example embodiments, the association between the SSB and the shared channel opportunity may include: a mapping of the SSB to a shared channel opportunity set including at least the shared channel opportunity (eg, Figures 3A-3C In this case, the shared channel opportunity set may be configured with the same resources in the time domain. In an embodiment, the SSB may be mapped to one or more preambles in the RA opportunity and associated with one or more RUs in the shared channel opportunity set.

[0146] According to some exemplary embodiments, the association between an SSB and a shared channel opportunity may include mapping a set of SSBs including the SSB to the shared channel opportunity. In this case, the SSB may be mapped to one or more preambles (e.g., such as Figure 3D configuration shown).

[0147] According to some exemplary embodiments, the set of SSBs may be configured to enable optimized decoding of UL transmissions of a terminal device. Optionally, the set of SSBs may be configured to have a beam difference above a predefined threshold.

[0148] According to some example embodiments, the shared channel opportunity may be configured with a shared channel on which one or more receive beams of the network node associated with one or more SSBs may be used to receive data sent by the terminal device.

[0149] Figure 5A is a flow chart illustrating a method 510 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5A The method 510 shown in FIG. 5 may be implemented by a network node or a device communicatively coupled to the network node. According to an exemplary embodiment, the network node may include a base station such as a gNB. The network node may be configured to communicate with one or more terminal devices (e.g., UEs) capable of supporting one or more RA methods, such as two-step RA and / or four-step RA.

[0150] according to Figure 5A In the exemplary method 510 shown, a network node may determine configuration information for an RA procedure, as shown in block 512. According to some exemplary embodiments, the configuration information may indicate the number of one or more SSBs associated with an RA opportunity and the number of one or more preambles in the RA opportunity and associated with a shared channel resource used for the RA procedure. According to exemplary embodiments, the RA procedure may be a two-step RA procedure. As shown in block 514, the network node may send the configuration information to a terminal device. Optionally, the terminal device may use the configuration information to enable access to the network node.

[0151] According to some exemplary embodiments, the network node may send signaling information to the terminal device. The signaling information may indicate an offset that can be used to determine a starting preamble associated with a specific SSB in the RA opportunity.

[0152] Optionally, the network node may receive an UL message for RA sent by the terminal device (e.g., in conjunction with Figure 2 The UL message may be transmitted using at least one of the one or more preambles and associated shared channel resources. The at least one preamble may be identified by at least one indicator, which may be determined at least in part based on the configuration information.

[0153] Figure 5B is a flow chart illustrating a method 520 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5B The method 520 shown in FIG. 5 may be implemented by a terminal device or an apparatus communicatively coupled to the terminal device. According to an exemplary embodiment, a terminal device such as a UE may be configured to communicate with a network node such as a gNB by supporting one or more RA methods such as two-step RA and / or four-step RA.

[0154] according to Figure 5B In the exemplary method 520 shown in FIG. 5 , a terminal device may receive information from a network node (e.g., a Figure 5AThe terminal device may receive configuration information for an RA procedure from the network node (e.g., a network node as described), as shown in block 522. The configuration information may indicate the number of one or more SSBs associated with an RA opportunity, and the number of one or more preambles in the RA opportunity and associated with the shared channel resources used for the RA procedure (e.g., a two-step RA procedure). Optionally, the terminal device may implement the RA procedure based on the configuration information received from the network node, as shown in block 524.

[0155] According to some exemplary embodiments, the shared channel resource may include: a shared channel resource unit that is frequency-division multiplexed in one or more symbols (eg, OFDM symbols).

[0156] According to some exemplary embodiments, the number of the one or more preambles may be equal to an integer multiple of the number of the shared channel resource units.

[0157] According to some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device may receive signaling information from a network node. The signaling information may indicate an offset that can be used to determine a starting preamble associated with a specific SSB in the RA opportunity.

[0158] According to some exemplary embodiments, the offset may be equal to the number of one or more preambles configured for another RA procedure (eg, a four-step RA procedure) and associated with the specific SSB.

[0159] According to some exemplary embodiments, based at least in part on the configuration information, the terminal device may implement the RA procedure by determining at least one indicator for the one or more preambles, for example according to formula (1) and formula (2).

[0160] According to some example embodiments, by using at least one of the one or more preambles and the associated shared channel resources, the terminal device may further transmit an UL message for RA to the network node (e.g., in conjunction with Figure 2 The RA process is implemented by the message A or msgA described above. The at least one preamble may be determined by at least one indicator (eg, preamble index n RA ) to identify.

[0161] The solution proposed according to one or more exemplary embodiments can achieve the association between DL transmission and UL transmission (e.g., the association between SSB and shared channel opportunity) based at least in part on a specified configuration rule for an RA process (e.g., a two-step RA process). In some exemplary embodiments, based on the mapping configuration of PRACH resources (e.g., one or more preambles per RO) and PUSCH resources (e.g., one or more RUs per PO) used for msgA transmission in the two-step RA process, the association between DL transmission and UL transmission (e.g., mapping of SSB to RO and msgA preamble and PO) can be determined for the two-step RA process. Various configuration rules and parameters can be used for the mapping of SSB to PO to support the application of beamforming in the two-step RA process, thereby improving the flexibility of transmission configuration and the performance of signaling processing, and enhancing resource utilization.

[0162] Figures 4A to 5B The various blocks shown in the figures may be viewed as method steps, and / or operations resulting from the operation of computer program code, and / or multiple coupled logic circuit elements configured to perform related functions. The schematic flow charts described above are generally described as logic flow charts. Thus, the order and labeled steps depicted indicate specific embodiments of the proposed methods. Other steps and methods are contemplated that are functionally, logically, or effectively equivalent to one or more steps or portions thereof of the illustrated methods. Additionally, the order in which a particular method occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order of the corresponding steps shown.

[0163] Figure 6 6 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus 600 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 6 As shown, the apparatus 600 may include one or more processors (e.g., processor 601) and one or more memories (e.g., memory 602 storing computer program code 603). The memory 602 may be a non-transitory machine / processor / computer readable storage medium. According to some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus 600 may be implemented as an integrated circuit chip or module, which may be inserted into or installed in a computer system such as a computer system. Figure 4A or Figure 5A The network node described, or can be inserted into or installed in Figure 4B or Figure 5B In this case, the apparatus 600 may be implemented as described in relation to Figure 4A or Figure 5A The network node described, or as Figure 4B or Figure 5B The terminal device described.

[0164] In some implementations, the one or more memories 602 and the computer program code 603 may be configured to, together with the one or more processors 601, cause the apparatus 600 to at least implement the following: Figure 4A In other implementations, the one or more memories 602 and the computer program code 603 may be configured to, together with the one or more processors 601, cause the apparatus 600 to at least perform the steps described in conjunction with Figure 4B In other implementations, the one or more memories 602 and the computer program code 603 may be configured to, together with the one or more processors 601, cause the apparatus 600 to at least perform the steps described in conjunction with Figure 5A In other implementations, the one or more memories 602 and the computer program code 603 may be configured to, together with the one or more processors 601, cause the apparatus 600 to at least perform the steps described in conjunction with Figure 5B Alternatively or additionally, the one or more memories 602 and the computer program code 603 may be configured to, together with the one or more processors 601, enable the apparatus 600 to at least perform more or fewer operations to implement the method proposed according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0165] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus 700 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7 As shown, apparatus 700 may include a determining unit 701 and a sending unit 702. In an exemplary embodiment, apparatus 700 may be implemented in a network node, such as a gNB. Determining unit 701 may be operable to perform the operations in block 412, and sending unit 702 may be operable to perform the operations in block 414. Alternatively or additionally, determining unit 701 may be operable to perform the operations in block 512, and sending unit 702 may be operable to perform the operations in block 514. Optionally, determining unit 701 and / or sending unit 702 may be operable to perform more or fewer operations to implement the method proposed according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0166] Figure 8 8 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus 800 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 8As shown, apparatus 800 may include a receiving unit 801 and an optional implementation unit 802. In an exemplary embodiment, apparatus 800 may be implemented in a terminal device such as a UE. Receiving unit 801 may be operable to perform the operations in block 422, and implementation unit 802 may be operable to perform the operations in block 424. Alternatively or additionally, receiving unit 801 may be operable to perform the operations in block 522, and implementation unit 802 may be operable to perform the operations in block 524. Optionally, receiving unit 801 and / or implementation unit 802 may be operable to perform more or fewer operations to implement the method according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0167] Figure 9 is a block diagram illustrating a telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediary network according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0168] refer to Figure 9 According to an embodiment, a communications system includes a telecommunications network 910 (such as a 3GPP-type cellular network), which includes an access network 911 (such as a radio access network) and a core network 914. Access network 911 includes multiple base stations 912a, 912b, 912c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs, or other types of wireless access points, each of which defines a corresponding coverage area 913a, 913b, 913c. Each base station 912a, 912b, 912c can be connected to core network 914 via a wired or wireless connection 915. A first UE 991 located in coverage area 913c is configured to wirelessly connect to or be paged by the corresponding base station 912c. A second UE 992 in coverage area 913a can wirelessly connect to the corresponding base station 912a. Although multiple UEs 991 and 992 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only one UE is in the coverage area or is connected to the corresponding base station 912.

[0169] Telecommunications network 910 itself is connected to a host computer 930, which may be embodied in the hardware and / or software of a standalone server, a cloud-enabled server, a distributed server, or as processing resources in a server farm. Host computer 930 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. Connections 921 and 922 between telecommunications network 910 and host computer 930 may extend directly from core network 914 to host computer 930, or may traverse an optional intermediary network 920. Intermediary network 920 may be one of a public network, a private network, or a managed network, or a combination thereof; intermediary network 920, if present, may be a backbone network or the Internet; in particular, intermediary network 920 may include two or more subnetworks (not shown).

[0170] Figure 9 The communication system generally implements a connection between connected UEs 991, 992 and a host computer 930. This connection can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 950. The host computer 930 and the connected UEs 991, 992 are configured to communicate data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 950, using the access network 911, the core network 914, any intermediate networks 920, and possibly other infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection 950 can be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 950 passes are unaware of the routing of uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 912 may not be informed of, or need not be informed of, the past routing of incoming downlink communications originating from the host computer 930, including data to be forwarded (e.g., handed off) to the connected UE 991. Similarly, the base station 912 does not need to be aware of the future routing of outgoing uplink communications originating from the UE 991 and destined for the host computer 930.

[0171] Figure 10 is a block diagram illustrating a host computer communicating with a UE over a partially wireless connection via a base station according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0172] Now refer to Figure 10 Describe an example implementation of the UE, base station, and host computer discussed in the previous paragraphs according to the embodiment. In the communication system 1000, the host computer 1010 includes hardware 1015, the hardware 1015 includes a communication interface 1016, and the communication interface 1016 is configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection to the interface of different communication devices of the communication system 1000. The host computer 1010 also includes: processing circuitry 1018, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, the processing circuitry 1018 may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these components (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The host computer 1010 also includes software 1011, which is stored in the host computer 1010 or can be accessed by the host computer 1010 and can be executed by the processing circuitry 1018. The software 1011 includes a host application 1012. The host application 1012 is operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 1030 connected via an OTT connection 1050 terminating at the UE 1030 and the host computer 1010. In providing services to the remote user, the host application 1012 may provide user data transmitted using the OTT connection 1050.

[0173] The communication system 1000 also includes a base station 1020 provided in the telecommunication system, the base station 1020 including hardware 1025 that enables it to communicate with the host computer 1010 and the UE 1030. The hardware 1025 may include a communication interface 1026 for establishing and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with different communication devices of the communication system 1000, and for establishing and maintaining a connection with the network located in the coverage area ( Figure 10 The communication interface 1026 may be configured to facilitate a connection 1060 to the host computer 1010. The connection 1060 may be direct, or it may pass through a core network (e.g., a core network of a telecommunications system) of the telecommunications system. Figure 10 The base station 1020 may also include hardware 1025 (not shown) and / or one or more intermediate networks external to the telecommunications system. In the illustrated embodiment, the base station 1020's hardware 1025 also includes processing circuitry 1028, which may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these components (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The base station 1020 also has software 1021 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0174] Communication system 1000 also includes the previously mentioned UE 1030. Its hardware 1035 may include a radio interface 1037 configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 1070 with a base station serving the coverage area in which UE 1030 is currently located. UE 1030's hardware 1035 also includes processing circuitry 1038, which may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these components (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. UE 1030 also includes software 1031, which is stored in or accessible to UE 1030 and executable by processing circuitry 1038. Software 1031 includes client applications 1032. Client applications 1032 are operable to provide services to human or non-human users via UE 1030, under the support of host computer 1010. In the host computer 1010, a host application 1012 executing can communicate with a client application 1032 executing via an OTT connection 1050 that terminates at the UE 1030 and the host computer 1010. When providing a service to a user, the client application 1032 can receive request data from the host application 1012 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 1050 can transmit both the request data and the user data. The client application 1032 can interact with the user to generate the user data it provides.

[0175] It should be noted that Figure 10The host computer 1010, base station 1020 and UE 1030 shown in FIG can be respectively Figure 9 The host computer 930, one of the base stations 912a, 912b, 912c and one of the UEs 991, 992 may be similar or identical. That is, the internal workings of these entities may be similar to Figure 10 As shown, and independently, the surrounding network topology can be Figure 9 network topology.

[0176] exist Figure 10 In FIG, OTT connection 1050 has been abstractly drawn to illustrate communication between host computer 1010 and UE 1030 via base station 1020, without explicitly involving any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages through these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the routing, which can be configured to hide the routing from UE 1030, the service provider operating host computer 1010, or both. While OTT connection 1050 is active, the network infrastructure can further make decisions to dynamically change the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or network reconfiguration).

[0177] The wireless connection 1070 between UE 1030 and base station 1020 is based on the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to UE 1030 using OTT connection 1050, with wireless connection 1070 forming the final segment. More specifically, the teachings of these embodiments can improve latency and power consumption, thereby providing advantages such as reduced complexity, reduced time required to access a cell, better responsiveness, and extended battery life.

[0178] A measurement process can be provided to monitor data rate, latency, and other factors improved by one or more embodiments. In response to changes in measurement results, an optional network function can also be provided for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1050 between the host computer 1010 and the UE 1030. The measurement process and / or network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 1050 can be implemented in the software 1011 and hardware 1015 of the host computer 1010, or in the software 1031 and hardware 1035 of the UE 1030, or both. In an embodiment, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with the communication device through which the OTT connection 1050 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement process by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or by providing values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software 1011 or 1031 can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1050 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration need not affect the base station 1020, and the base station 1020 may be unaware of or unaware of the reconfiguration. These processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates host computer 1010 to measure throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be implemented as follows: software 1011 and 1031 use OTT connection 1050 to cause messages (particularly empty or "dummy" messages) to be transmitted while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0179] Figure 11 The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be a reference Figure 9 and Figure 10 To simplify this disclosure, only the Figure 11 Reference is made to the accompanying drawings of FIG. In step 1110, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 1111 of step 1110 (which may be optional), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 1120, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In step 1130 (which may be optional), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the base station transmits the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host computer to the UE. In step 1140 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0180] Figure 12 The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be a reference Figure 9 and Figure 10To simplify this disclosure, only the Figure 12 Reference is made to the accompanying drawings of FIG. In step 1210 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 1220, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the transmission may pass through a base station. In step 1230 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0181] Figure 13 The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be a reference Figure 9 and Figure 10 To simplify this disclosure, only the Figure 13 . In step 1310 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 1320, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 1321 (which may be optional) of step 1320, the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 1311 (which may be optional) of step 1310, the UE executes a client application that provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. When providing user data, the executed client application may also consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data is provided, the UE initiates the transmission of the user data to the host computer in sub-step 1330 (which may be optional). In step 1340 of the method, the host computer receives the user data transmitted from the UE in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.

[0182] Figure 14 The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be a reference Figure 9 and Figure 10 To simplify this disclosure, only the Figure 14 Reference is made to the accompanying drawings. In step 1410 (which may be optional), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the base station receives user data from the UE. In step 1420 (which may be optional), the base station initiates a transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 1430 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0183] In general, various exemplary embodiments can be implemented using hardware or dedicated chips, circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects can be implemented in hardware, while other aspects can be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, although the disclosure is not limited thereto. Although various aspects of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representation, it is understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers, or other computing devices, or some combination thereof, as non-limiting examples.

[0184] Thus, it should be appreciated that at least some aspects of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced in various components such as integrated circuit chips and modules. It should therefore be understood that the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in a device embodied as an integrated circuit, wherein the integrated circuit may include at least circuitry (and possibly firmware) for embodying one or more of a data processor, a digital signal processor, baseband circuitry, and radio frequency circuitry that may be configured to operate in accordance with the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0185] It should be understood that at least some aspects of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied in computer-executable instructions executed by one or more computers or other devices, such as in one or more program modules. Typically, a program module includes routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that implement specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types when executed by a processor in a computer or other device. Computer-executable instructions may be stored on computer-readable media such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a removable storage medium, a solid-state memory, a random access memory (RAM), etc. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the functions of the program modules may be combined or distributed as needed in various embodiments. In addition, the functions may be embodied in whole or in part in firmware or hardware equivalents (such as integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.).

[0186] The present disclosure includes any novel feature or combination of features explicitly disclosed herein or arbitrarily summarized therein. In view of the foregoing description, various modifications and adaptations to the aforementioned exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, any and all modifications will still fall within the scope of the non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method (420) implemented by a terminal device, comprising: Receiving (422) information from a network node indicating an association between synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks and shared channel opportunities in a random access procedure, wherein the association is based at least in part on a configuration of the random access opportunity and the shared channel opportunity for an uplink message including a preamble and physical uplink shared channel data in the random access procedure; wherein the configuration of the random access opportunity and the shared channel opportunity comprises one of: a one-to-one mapping of preambles in the random access opportunity to resource elements in the shared channel opportunity; and A many-to-one mapping of preambles in the random access opportunities to resource elements in the shared channel opportunities.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The association between the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block and the shared channel opportunity comprises: A mapping of the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel blocks to a shared channel opportunity set including at least the shared channel opportunity, wherein the shared channel opportunity set is configured with the same resources in the time domain.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block are mapped to one or more preambles in the random access opportunity and associated with one or more resource elements in the shared channel opportunity set.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein The association between the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block and the shared channel opportunity comprises: A mapping of a set of synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel blocks comprising the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel blocks to the shared channel opportunities.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein The synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block are mapped to one or more preambles in the random access opportunity and associated with one or more resource elements in the shared channel opportunity.

6. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein: The synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block sets are configured to enable optimized decoding of uplink transmissions by the terminal device.

7. The method according to any one of claims 4 to 5, wherein: The synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block sets are configured to have a beam difference above a predefined threshold.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein The shared channel opportunity is configured with a shared channel on which one or more receive beams of the network node associated with one or more synchronization signals and a physical broadcast channel block can be used to receive data sent by the terminal device.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein The uplink transmission in the shared channel opportunity is associated with one or more preambles mapped to one or more synchronization signals and a physical broadcast channel block.

10. A method (410) implemented by a network node, comprising: determining (412) an association between synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks and the shared channel opportunities in a random access procedure based at least in part on a configuration of random access opportunities and shared channel opportunities for uplink messages including a preamble and physical uplink shared channel data in the random access procedure; as well as sending (414) information indicating the association to a terminal device; wherein the configuration of the random access opportunity and the shared channel opportunity comprises one of: a one-to-one mapping of a preamble in the random access opportunity to a resource element in the shared channel opportunity; and A many-to-one mapping of preambles in the random access opportunities to resource elements in the shared channel opportunities.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The association between the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block and the shared channel opportunity comprises: A mapping of the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel blocks to a shared channel opportunity set including at least the shared channel opportunity, wherein the shared channel opportunity set is configured with the same resources in the time domain.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein The synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block are mapped to one or more preambles in the random access opportunity and associated with one or more resource elements in the shared channel opportunity set.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The association between the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block and the shared channel opportunity comprises: A mapping of a set of synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel blocks comprising the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel blocks to the shared channel opportunities.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein The synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block are mapped to one or more preambles in the random access opportunity and associated with one or more resource elements in the shared channel opportunity.

15. The method according to any one of claims 13-14, wherein The synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block sets are configured to enable optimized decoding of uplink transmissions by the terminal device.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13-14, wherein The synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block sets are configured to have a beam difference above a predefined threshold.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein The shared channel opportunity is configured with a shared channel on which one or more receive beams of the network node associated with one or more synchronization signals and a physical broadcast channel block can be used to receive data sent by the terminal device.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein The uplink transmission in the shared channel opportunity is associated with one or more preambles mapped to one or more synchronization signals and a physical broadcast channel block.

19. A terminal device (600), comprising: one or more processors (601); as well as one or more memories (602) including computer program code (603), The one or more memories (602) and the computer program code (603) are configured to, together with the one or more processors (601), cause the terminal device (600) to at least: Receiving information from a network node indicating an association between synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks and shared channel opportunities in a random access procedure, wherein the association is based at least in part on a configuration of a random access opportunity and a shared channel opportunity for an uplink message including a preamble and physical uplink shared channel data in the random access procedure; wherein the configuration of the random access opportunity and the shared channel opportunity comprises one of: a one-to-one mapping of a preamble in the random access opportunity to a resource element in the shared channel opportunity; and A many-to-one mapping of preambles in the random access opportunities to resource elements in the shared channel opportunities.

20. The terminal device according to claim 19, wherein: The one or more memories and the computer program code are configured to, together with the one or more processors, cause the terminal device to implement the method according to any one of claims 2-9.

21. A network node (600), comprising: one or more processors (601); as well as one or more memories (602) including computer program code (603), The one or more memories (602) and the computer program code (603) are configured to, together with the one or more processors (601), cause the network node (600) to at least: determining an association between synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel blocks and shared channel opportunities in a random access procedure based at least in part on a configuration of random access opportunities and shared channel opportunities for uplink messages including a preamble and physical uplink shared channel data in the random access procedure; as well as Sending information indicating the association to a terminal device; wherein the configuration of the random access opportunity and the shared channel opportunity comprises one of the following: a one-to-one mapping of a preamble in the random access opportunity to a resource element in the shared channel opportunity; and A many-to-one mapping of preambles in the random access opportunities to resource elements in the shared channel opportunities.

22. The network node according to claim 21, wherein: The one or more memories and the computer program code are configured to, together with the one or more processors, cause the network node to implement the method according to any one of claims 11-18.

23. A computer readable medium having computer program code (603) embodied thereon for use with a computer, wherein: The computer program code (603) comprises code for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1-9.

24. A computer readable medium having computer program code (603) embodied thereon for use with a computer, wherein: The computer program code (603) comprises code for implementing the method according to any one of claims 10-18.

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