System and method for enhanced random access procedure

Abstract

In one embodiment, the method performed by a wireless communication node includes: transmitting a first information element comprising a plurality of parameters. The plurality of parameters are configured for use by a plurality of wireless communication devices to perform a respective random access procedure. The method further includes: transmitting a second information element comprising a subset of the plurality of parameters. This subset of parameters is configured for use by one of the plurality of wireless communication devices to perform one of the random access procedures.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly, to systems and methods for an enhanced random access procedure. Background Art

[0002] In the fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) mobile network, before a user equipment (UE) can send data to a base station (BS), the UE needs to obtain uplink and downlink synchronization with the BS. Uplink timing synchronization can be achieved by performing a random access procedure. In order to meet the demand for faster and more efficient communication, the random access procedure will be enhanced. Summary of the invention

[0003] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended to solve problems associated with one or more existing problems, as well as to provide additional features that will become apparent when referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and not by way of limitation, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art who read this disclosure that various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0004] In one embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication node includes: sending a first information element including a plurality of parameters. The plurality of parameters are configured for a plurality of wireless communication devices to perform respective random access procedures. The method includes: sending a second information element including a subset of the plurality of parameters. The subset of parameters is configured for one of the plurality of wireless communication devices to perform one of the random access procedures.

[0005] In some embodiments, the plurality of parameters in the first information element are also commonly configured for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices to send one or more messages including a preamble and a payload to a wireless communication node during a random access procedure.

[0006] In some embodiments, the subset of parameters in the second information element is also configured specifically for the wireless communication device to send the one or more messages to the wireless communication node in the random access procedure.

[0007] In another embodiment, a method performed by a wireless communication device includes: receiving a first information element including a plurality of parameters from a wireless communication node. The plurality of parameters are configured for a plurality of wireless communication devices to perform respective random access procedures. The method includes: receiving a second information element including a subset of the plurality of parameters from the wireless communication node. The subset of parameters is configured for the wireless communication device to perform one of the random access procedures.

[0008] In some embodiments, the plurality of parameters in the first information element are also commonly configured for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices to send one or more messages including a preamble and a payload to a wireless communication node during a random access procedure.

[0009] In some embodiments, the subset of parameters in the second information element is also configured specifically for the wireless communication device to send the one or more messages to the wireless communication node in the random access procedure.

[0010] The above-mentioned aspects and other aspects and their embodiments will be described in more detail in the drawings, the description and the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below in conjunction with the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and only depict exemplary embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0012] Figure 1 An exemplary cellular communication network according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, in which the techniques and other aspects disclosed herein may be implemented.

[0013] Figure 2 A block diagram of an exemplary base station and an exemplary user equipment apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0014] Figure 3 An exemplary two-step random access procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0015] Figure 4 Exemplary messages during a random access procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown.

[0016] Figure 5 An exemplary mapping between a preamble and one or more POs according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 6 An exemplary mapping between a preamble and one or more POs according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 7 An exemplary mapping between a preamble and one or more POs according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 8 An exemplary mapping between a preamble and one or more POs according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0020] Fig. 9 9 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process 900 for configuring a random access procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig.10 1 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process 1000 for configuring a random access procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to implement and use the present solution. It is apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that, after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications may be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Therefore, the present solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. In addition, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely exemplary methods. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of the disclosed method or process steps may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Therefore, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or behaviors in the order of examples, and unless otherwise expressly stated, the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0023] A. Network environment and computing environment

[0024] Figure 1An exemplary wireless communication network and / or system 100 is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as "network 100". Such exemplary network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 102") and a user equipment device 104 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 104") that may communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 covering a geographic area 101. Figure 1 1, BS 102 and UE 104 are contained within the respective geographic boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating over its allocated bandwidth to provide adequate radio coverage to its intended users.

[0025] For example, BS 102 may operate under an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide sufficient coverage to UE 104. BS 102 and UE 104 may communicate via downlink radio frames 118 and uplink radio frames 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may include data symbols 122 / 128. In the present disclosure, BS 102 and UE 104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of general "communication nodes" (or "wireless communication nodes") and "communication devices" (or "wireless communication devices"), respectively, which may practice the methods disclosed herein. According to various embodiments of the present solution, such communication nodes and devices may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication.

[0026] Figure 2 A block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 200 for sending and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to some embodiments of the present solution is shown. The system 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that need not be described in detail herein. In an illustrative embodiment, the system 200 may be used in a wireless communication environment such as the one described above. Figure 1 Communicate (eg, send and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment 100).

[0027] System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter referred to as "BS 202") and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter referred to as "UE 204"). BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each of which is coupled to and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 220 as needed. UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each of which is coupled to and interconnected with each other via a data communication bus 240 as needed. BS 202 communicates with UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for transmitting data as described herein.

[0028] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the system 200 may also include Figure 2 Any number of modules outside the modules shown. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any actual combination thereof. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described according to their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware, firmware, or software can depend on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the entire system. People familiar with the concepts described herein can implement this function in an appropriate manner for each specific application, but this embodiment should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0029] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each including circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may selectively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210, which includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each including circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. The downlink duplex switch may selectively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the uplink receiver circuit is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 to receive transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 at the same time as the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212. In some embodiments, there is tight time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplex direction.

[0030] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with an appropriately configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232 capable of supporting a specific wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as long-term evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure need not be limited to the application of specific standards and related protocols. Instead, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 can be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0031] According to various embodiments, BS 202 may be, for example, a next generation nodeB (gNodeB or gNB), an evolved nodeB (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femto station, a pico station, or a transmit receive point (TRP). In some embodiments, UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user devices, such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a wearable computing device, etc. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or implemented with a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. In this manner, the processor may be implemented as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0032] In addition, the steps of the processes, methods, or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by the processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 216 and 234 may be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, the memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, so that the processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from the memory modules 216 and 234 and write information to the memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. The memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into the respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, the memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0033] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic and / or other components of the base station 202, which enables bidirectional communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and the communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 can be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, but not limited to a typical deployment, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface so that the base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a traditional Ethernet-based computer network. In this way, the network communication module 218 can include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). The terms "configured for", "configured to" and variations thereof as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc., which is physically constructed, programmed, formatted and / or arranged to perform a specified operation or function.

[0034] B. Exemplary Random Access Procedure

[0035] An exemplary 2-step random access procedure includes at least one of the transmission of one or more messages A (msgA) and the transmission of one or more messages B (msgB). In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the network configures parameters for the transmission of one or more msgA through system information (SI). In some embodiments, the network configures parameters in advance, such as uplink transmission resource allocation, modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and transport block size (TBS). Configuration information (e.g., the parameters) can be conveyed in the SI. In some embodiments, the information element (IE) contains the parameters.

[0036] The UE may send multiple bits as uplink (UL) data transmission. The number of bits may be 200, 400, 800, or 1600, etc. Therefore, the required resources may be different. Since resources are reserved by the SI (e.g., the resources remain unchanged for a period of time), when the UE changes the number of bits from 1600 bits to 200 bits, if a large amount of resources are still reserved, it may be a waste of resources. On the contrary, if a larger payload is requested, the reserved resources may be insufficient. Therefore, a flexible resource allocation mechanism is needed to improve the utility and / or efficiency of resource usage.

[0037] Figure 3 An example of a two-step random access procedure 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. A two-step random access channel (RACH) is a means of reducing the latency and downlink signaling overhead of a low random access (RA) procedure. In some embodiments, the random access procedure is completed by a two-step procedure (e.g., two transmissions including an msgA uplink transmission and an msgB downlink transmission). The two-step RA procedure and the corresponding two-step RACH can be used for a variety of purposes, including for initial access when establishing a wireless link (e.g., moving from a radio resource control IDLE (RRC_IDLE) or RRC_INACTIVE to RRC_CONNECTED), for handover when uplink synchronization to a new cell needs to be established, or if uplink or downlink data arrives when the terminal is in the RRC_CONNECTED state and the uplink is not synchronized, then for establishing uplink synchronization.

[0038] refer to Figure 3, a 2-step random access procedure 300 is performed between a BS 302 (e.g., a gNB, a gNodeB, BS 102, and / or BS 202) and a UE 304 (e.g., a device, a mobile device, UE 104, and / or UE 204). In some embodiments, prior to the 2-step random access procedure 300, in step 0 (306), the BS 302 sends a downlink (DL) synchronization (synch) to the UE 304. In some embodiments, the DL synchronization transmission is a cell search, a downlink synchronization and / or a system information block, etc. In some embodiments, the DL synchronization transmission includes the transmission of one or more IEs for configuring parameters associated with the transmission of one or more msgAs.

[0039] In some embodiments, in step 1 (308) of the 2-step random access procedure 300, the UE 304 sends one or more msgA. In some embodiments, the preamble 402 (e.g. Figure 4 In some embodiments, the time-frequency resource for sending one or more msgA is a physical random access channel (PRACH), an uplink shared channel (ULSCH), or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH).

[0040] Figure 4 Exemplary messages during a random access procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown. Figure 4 , msgA 400 includes a preamble 402 to BS 302 and a data payload 404 for accessing BS 302. In some embodiments, payload 404 is optional.

[0041] Return to reference Figure 3 , in step 2 (310), BS 302 sends one or more msgBs to UE 304 as a response to one or more msgAs (e.g., msgA 400). In some embodiments, the time-frequency resource on which the msgBs are sent is a downlink shared channel (DLSCH) or a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). In some embodiments, UE 304 monitors the L1 / L2 control channel for one or more msgB transmissions within a predetermined time window. In response to not receiving at least one of the one or more msgB transmissions within the time window, the attempt may be declared a failure and the process may be repeated.

[0042] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., BS 302) sends a first IE including a plurality of parameters to a plurality of wireless devices (e.g., a plurality of UEs 304). In some embodiments, the plurality of parameters are configured for the plurality of wireless communication devices to perform respective random access procedures. In some embodiments, the wireless communication node sends a second IE including a subset of the plurality of parameters to the wireless device (e.g., UE 304). In some embodiments, the subset of parameters is configured for the wireless device to perform a random access procedure. Performing a random access procedure may include initiating and / or updating a random access procedure (e.g., initiating or updating parameters configuring transmission of msgA and / or msgB). The random access procedure may include a two-step random access procedure.

[0043] Typically, the RACH-ConfigCommon IE is used to specify cell-specific random access parameters, and the RACH-ConfigDedicated IE is used to specify dedicated random access parameters. The RACH-ConfigDedicated IE may include parameters such as contention-free random access (CFRA) timing and CFRA synchronization signal block (SSB) resources. In some embodiments of the present disclosure, for msgA payload transmission, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigCommon IE is used to specify cell-specific random access parameters, and the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE is used to specify dedicated random access parameters.

[0044] In some embodiments, multiple parameters in the first IE (e.g., 2-stepRACH-ConfigCommon IE) are also typically configured for each of multiple wireless communication devices to send one or more messages (e.g., one or more msgA) to the wireless communication node during the random access process. The one or more messages may include a preamble and a payload. BS302 may send (e.g., broadcast) the first IE to all UEs in the cell defined by BS 302. In some embodiments, a subset of the parameters in the second IE (e.g., 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE) is also specifically configured for the wireless communication device to send one or more messages to the wireless communication node during the random access process. BS 302 may send the second IE to a specific UE. The PUSCH opportunity may be configured for the UE to send information (e.g., UE_ID, data, UCI, CSI, etc.) via msgA PUSCH. The PUSCH opportunity is referred to as PO in this article.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, for one or more msgA payload transmissions, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigCommon IE is used to specify cell-specific random access parameters, and the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE is used to specify dedicated random access parameters. In one embodiment, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigCommon IE includes at least one of the following parameters: the number of configurations; modulation and coding scheme (MCS); transport block size (TBS); physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) mapping type; the number of frequency division multiplexed (FDMed) PUSCH opportunities (POs); the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) for each PO; the frequency starting point; the number of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) symbols / ports / sequences for each PO; the bandwidth of the PRB-level guard band or the duration of the guard time; the periodicity of the msgA PUSCH configuration period; the offset (e.g., symbol level and / or time slot level, etc.); the number of starting symbols and time domain POs in the time slot for msgA transmission; the number of symbols for each PO; the number of time division multiplexed (TDMed) POs; and the redundancy version. In some embodiments, the redundancy version is a field that indicates the redundancy version of the codeword (eg, for turbo coding).

[0046] In one embodiment, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE includes MCS. In one embodiment, MCS is defined as notifying MCS index, modulation order, code rate. In one embodiment, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE includes TBS. In one embodiment, TBS is defined as notifying TBS information. TBS information may include size, whether TBS is divided into multiple code blocks, and the number and size of multiple code blocks. In one embodiment, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE includes "MCS and TBS" parameters. In one embodiment, the "MCS and TBS" parameters are defined as notifying TBS information and MCS index. In some embodiments, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE includes one or more parameters included in the 2-stepRACH-ConfigCommon IE. The 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE can be used to overwrite, replace, encode, decode, embed, or otherwise update the configuration configured by the parameters of the 2-stepRACH-ConfigCommon IE.

[0047] In one embodiment, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE contains the number of PRBs for each PO, the common resource blocks (CRBs) for each PO, and / or the virtual resource blocks (VRBs) for each PO. In one embodiment, the number of PRBs for each PO is defined, and the number of PRBs for each PO is notified to the PO configured by the configuration. In one embodiment, the number of PRBs for each PO is defined, and the maximum PRB number for each PO in multiple UEs is notified. In some embodiments, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE contains a mapping from the number of VRBs for each PO to the number of PRBs for each PO.

[0048] Figure 5 An exemplary mapping 500 between a preamble and one or more POs according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5 In one embodiment, the UE 304 is configured to transmit a contention-based random access (CBRA) preamble 502 (e.g., preamble 402) and a CBRA payload (e.g., data payload 404) as at least part of msgA. In some embodiments, one or more POs may be used to transmit the CBRA payload. In one embodiment, each of the one or more POs is configured by one of three configurations (e.g., PO 504 is configured by configuration 0, PO 506 is configured by configuration 1, and PO 508 is configured by configuration 2). In some embodiments, the UE 304 selects one or more of POs 504-508 to transmit the CBRA payload. The selected one or more POs are mapped, linked, or otherwise coupled to the CBRA preamble 502. In one embodiment, each of configurations 0-2 is associated with a respective combination of parameters included in a 2-stepRACH-ConfigCommon IE (e.g., a first IE). In one embodiment, one of the configurations (e.g., configuration 2) is associated with a combination of parameters included in a 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE (e.g., a second IE). The parameters included in the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE may be a subset of the parameters included in the 2-stepRACH-ConfigCommon IE, but with different values. Therefore, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE may be used to replace, overwrite, encode, decode, embed, or otherwise update some parameters originally configured by the 2-stepRACH-ConfigCommon IE.

[0049] Figure 6An exemplary mapping 600 between a preamble and one or more POs according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, mapping 600 is the same as mapping 500 except for the differences described herein. Figure 6 In some embodiments, each of the one or more POs is configured by one of four configurations (e.g., POs 504-508 are configured by configurations 0-2, respectively, and PO 602 is configured by configuration 3). In one embodiment, each configuration 0-3 is associated with a respective combination of parameters included in the 2-stepRACH-ConfigCommon IE. In one embodiment, two of the configurations (e.g., configurations 0-1) are associated with a combination of parameters included in the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE (e.g., the second IE).

[0050] Figure 7 An exemplary mapping 700 between a preamble and one or more POs according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, mapping 700 is the same as mapping 500 except for the differences described herein. Figure 7 In some embodiments, each of the one or more POs is configured by one of two configurations (e.g., POs 504-506 are configured by configurations 0-1, respectively). In one embodiment, each configuration 0-1 is associated with a respective combination of parameters included in the 2-stepRACH-ConfigCommon IE. In one embodiment, one of the configurations (e.g., configuration 1) is associated with a combination of parameters included in the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE (e.g., the second IE).

[0051] In one embodiment, the first configuration is designed for UE transmission in a radio resource control (RRC) idle state / inactive state, and the second configuration is designed for UE transmission in an RRC connected state. In one embodiment, each group of POs configured by each configuration (e.g., POs 504-508) is FDMed. In one embodiment, each group of POs configured by each configuration is time domain aligned. For example, multiple resources (e.g., POs 504-508) allocated for sending one or more msgA or a portion thereof are multiplexed in the frequency domain (e.g., POs 504-508 are multiplexed) and aligned in the time domain (e.g., POs 504-508 are aligned with each other).

[0052] In one embodiment, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE includes at least one of the TBS, MCS, the number of PRBs for each PO, and the bandwidth of the PRB-level guard band. In one embodiment, the 2-stepRACH-ConfigDedicated IE includes the bandwidth of the PRB-level guard band. In one embodiment, the bandwidth of the PRB-level guard band is defined as the guard band between adjacent POs in the notification frequency domain.

[0053] Figure 8 An exemplary mapping 800 between a preamble and one or more POs according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. In some embodiments, mapping 800 is the same as mapping 600 except for the differences described herein. Figure 8 In one embodiment, PO 508 and 602 completely overlap in the frequency domain and the time domain. For example, multiple resources (e.g., PO 508 and 602) allocated for sending one or more msgA or a portion thereof overlap in both the frequency domain and the time domain (e.g., PO 508 and 602 overlap each other). In some embodiments, more than two POs overlap. In some embodiments, a subset of parameters in the second information element and / or multiple parameters in the first information element are further configured to allocate, map, select, or otherwise configure multiple resources to send one or more of msgA to the wireless communication node during a random access process (e.g., multiplexed or overlapping).

[0054] Fig. 9 Flowchart showing an exemplary process 900 for configuring a random access procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, process 900 may be performed by a wireless communication node (e.g., BS 302). Depending on the embodiment, additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in process 900. At operation 902, the wireless communication node sends a first information element including a plurality of parameters. The plurality of parameters may be configured for a plurality of wireless communication devices to perform respective random access procedures. At operation 904, the wireless communication node sends a second information element including a subset of the plurality of parameters. The subset of parameters may be configured for one of the plurality of wireless communication devices to perform one of the random access procedures.

[0055] In some embodiments, the random access procedure includes a two-step random access procedure. In some embodiments, the plurality of parameters in the first information element are also generally configured for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices to send one or more messages to the wireless communication node during the random access procedure. The one or more messages may include a preamble and a payload. In some embodiments, a subset of the parameters in the second information element is also specifically configured for the wireless communication device to send one or more messages to the wireless communication node during the random access procedure.

[0056] In some embodiments, the subset of parameters in the second information element is further configured to update corresponding parameters in the first information element. In some embodiments, a communication device including a processor is configured to implement the above process 900. In some embodiments, a computer readable medium having code stored thereon is used to perform the above process 900.

[0057] Fig.10 1 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process 1000 for configuring a random access procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, process 1000 may be performed by a wireless communication device (e.g., UE 304). Depending on the embodiment, additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in process 1000. At operation 1002, a wireless communication device receives a first information element including a plurality of parameters from a wireless communication node. The plurality of parameters may be configured for a plurality of wireless communication devices to perform respective random access procedures. At operation 1004, a wireless communication device receives a second information element including a subset of the plurality of parameters from a wireless communication node. The subset of parameters may be configured for a wireless communication device to perform one of the random access procedures.

[0058] It should be understood that the value used in each case listed above is an example, and the mapping between the value and the case is not limited to the above example. The examples provided are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as limiting.

[0059] Although various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Likewise, various drawings may depict exemplary architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to understand the exemplary features and functions of the present solution. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the solution is not limited to the exemplary architectures or configurations shown, but may be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. In addition, as one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, one or more features of an embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the illustrative embodiments described above.

[0060] It should also be understood that any reference to an element using names such as "first", "second", etc. herein does not generally limit the number or order of these elements. Instead, these names can be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing two or more elements or element instances. Therefore, reference to a first element and a second element does not mean that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must be located before the second element in some way.

[0061] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols referenced in the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0062] Those of ordinary skill in the art will further understand that any of the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, processors, devices, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design codes in conjunction with instructions (which, for convenience, may be referred to herein as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these technologies. In order to clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies, depends on the specific application and design constraints imposed on the entire system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functions in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation will not result in a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0063] In addition, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented or performed within an integrated circuit (IC), which may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include antennas and / or transceivers to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

[0064] If implemented in software, the function may be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the method or algorithm disclosed herein may be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, and communication media include any media that can enable a computer program or code to be transferred from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0065] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the relevant functions described herein. In addition, for the purpose of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, it is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that two or more modules can be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

[0066] In addition, memory or other storage devices and communication components can be used in the embodiments of the present solution. It should be understood that, for the purpose of clarity, the above description has described the embodiments of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it is apparent that any appropriate functional distribution between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains can be used without departing from the present solution. For example, the functions shown as being performed by a separate processing logic element or controller can be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Therefore, reference to a specific functional unit is only a reference to an appropriate device for providing the described function, rather than an indication of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0067] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A wireless communication method, comprising: Sending, by a wireless communication node, a first information element including a plurality of parameters, the plurality of parameters being configured for a plurality of wireless communication devices to perform respective random access procedures; as well as sending, by the wireless communication node, a second information element comprising a subset of the plurality of parameters, the subset of parameters being configured for a wireless communication device among the plurality of wireless communication devices to perform a random access procedure among the random access procedures, wherein the plurality of parameters in the first information element are also commonly configured for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices to send one or more messages including a preamble and a payload to the wireless communication node during the random access procedure, and wherein the subset of parameters in the second information element is also configured specifically for the wireless communication device to send the one or more messages to the wireless communication node during the random access procedure, The plurality of parameters are parameters related to the payload and include at least one of the following items: The configuration number; Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS); Transport Block Size (TBS); Physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) mapping type; The number of the frequency division multiplexed (FDMed) PUSCH opportunity (PO); The number of the physical resource block (PRB) for each PO; Frequency starting point; The number of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) symbols / ports / sequences for each PO; The bandwidth of the PRB-level guard band or the duration of the guard time; Message A (msgA) PUSCH configuration periodicity; Symbolic offset; slot level offset; The starting symbol in the time slot used for msgA transmission; The number of the time domain PO in the time slot used for msgA transmission; The number of each PO symbol; The number of the time domain multiplexed PO; or Redundant version. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of parameters comprises at least one of TBS or MCS.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of parameters comprises a number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) per PUSCH opportunity (PO). 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of parameters comprises a bandwidth of a physical resource block (PRB) level guard band.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of the parameters in the second information element is further configured to allocate multiple resources to the wireless communication device to send one or more messages including a preamble and a payload to the wireless communication node during the random access process, wherein the multiple resources are multiplexed in the frequency domain and aligned in the time domain.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subset of the parameters in the second information element is further configured to allocate multiple resources to the wireless communication device to send one or more messages including a preamble code and a payload to the wireless communication node during the random access process, and the multiple resources overlap in both the frequency domain and the time domain.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset of the parameters in the second information element is further configured to update corresponding ones of the parameters in the first information element.

8. A communication device comprising a processor configured to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A computer readable medium having codes stored thereon for executing the method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A wireless communication method, comprising: Receiving, by a wireless communication device from a wireless communication node, a first information element including a plurality of parameters, the plurality of parameters being configured for a plurality of wireless communication devices to perform respective random access procedures; as well as receiving, by the wireless communication device from the wireless communication node, a second information element including a subset of the plurality of parameters, the subset of parameters being configured for the wireless communication device to perform a random access procedure in the random access procedure, wherein the plurality of parameters in the first information element are also commonly configured for each of the plurality of wireless communication devices to send one or more messages including a preamble and a payload to the wireless communication node during the random access procedure, wherein the subset of parameters in the second information element is also specifically configured for the wireless communication device to send the one or more messages to the wireless communication node during the random access procedure, The plurality of parameters are parameters related to the payload and include at least one of the following items: The configuration number; Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS); Transport Block Size (TBS); Physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) mapping type; The number of the frequency division multiplexed (FDMed) PUSCH opportunity (PO); The number of the physical resource block (PRB) for each PO; Frequency starting point; The number of demodulation reference signal (DMRS) symbols / ports / sequences for each PO; The bandwidth of the PRB-level guard band or the duration of the guard time; Message A (msgA) PUSCH configuration periodicity; Symbolic offset; slot level offset; The starting symbol in the time slot used for msgA transmission; The number of the time domain PO in the time slot used for msgA transmission; The number of each PO symbol; The number of the time domain multiplexed PO; or Redundant version. The method of claim 10 , wherein the subset of parameters comprises at least one of TBS or MCS.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the subset of parameters includes the number of the physical resource block PRB of each PUSCH opportunity PO.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the subset of parameters comprises a bandwidth of a physical resource block (PRB) level guard band.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the subset of the parameters in the second information element is further configured to allocate multiple resources to the wireless communication device to send one or more messages including a preamble and a payload to the wireless communication node during the random access process, wherein the multiple resources are multiplexed in the frequency domain and aligned in the time domain.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the subset of the parameters in the second information element is further configured to allocate multiple resources to the wireless communication device to send one or more messages including a preamble and a payload to the wireless communication node during the random access process, and the multiple resources overlap in both the frequency domain and the time domain.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the subset of parameters in the second information element is further configured to update corresponding ones of the parameters in the first information element.

17. A communication device comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to implement the method according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

18. A computer readable medium having stored thereon codes for executing the method of any one of claims 10 to 16.

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