Methods, apparatus and computer-readable media for adaptive subcarrier spacing configuration

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for adaptive subcarrier spacing in wireless communication networks are described. For example, the described aspects include: transmitting a first PRACH transmission from a UE to a network entity using a first subcarrier spacing; determining by the UE that the first PRACH transmission to the network entity was unsuccessful; and, in response to determining that the first PRACH transmission was unsuccessful, transmitting a second PRACH transmission from the UE using a second subcarrier spacing, wherein the first subcarrier spacing is different from the second subcarrier spacing.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent filed on January 26, 2018, with application number 201880006510.6 and entitled "Method, Apparatus and Computer-readable Medium for Adaptive Subcarrier Spacing Configuration".

[0002] Cross-reference to related applications

[0003] This patent application claims priority to U.S. non-provisional application No. 15 / 880,218, filed January 25, 2018, entitled “ADAPTIVE SUBCARRIER SPACING CONFIGURATION,” and U.S. provisional application No. 62 / 451,425, filed January 27, 2017, entitled “ADAPTIVE SUBCARRIER SPACING CONFIGURATION,” which is assigned to the assignee of this application and is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] The various aspects of this disclosure generally relate to wireless communication networks, and more specifically, to subcarrier spacing in wireless communication networks. Background Technology

[0005] Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, message sending and receiving, and broadcasting. These systems can be multiple access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple access systems include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, and Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) systems.

[0006] These multiple access technologies have already been adopted in various telecommunications standards to provide a common protocol enabling different wireless devices to communicate at the city, national, regional, and even global levels. For example, fifth-generation (5G) wireless communication technology (which may be referred to as New Radio (NR)) is envisioned to expand and support a wide range of use cases and applications related to the current generation of mobile networks. In one aspect, 5G communication technologies can include: enhanced mobile broadband, which addresses human-centric use cases for accessing multimedia content, services, and data; ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), which has particular requirements for latency and reliability; and massive machine-type communication, which allows for a very large number of connected devices and the transmission of relatively small amounts of non-latency-sensitive information. However, with the continued growth in demand for mobile broadband access, further improvements to NR communication technologies and those beyond are likely to be expected.

[0007] For example, for NR communication technologies and beyond, current subcarrier spacing configurations may not provide the desired levels of speed or customization for effective operation. Therefore, improvements in wireless communication network operation may be desired. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The following is a simplified overview of one or more aspects to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This overview is not a comprehensive summary of all anticipated aspects, nor is it intended to identify key or important elements of all aspects, nor to describe the scope of any or all aspects. The sole purpose of this overview is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed descriptions that follow.

[0009] According to one aspect, a method includes: transmitting a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) from a user equipment (UE) in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes: transmitting a first PRACH transmission from the UE to a network entity using a first subcarrier spacing. The described aspect further includes: determining by the UE that the first PRACH transmission to the network entity failed. The described aspect further includes: in response to determining that the first PRACH transmission failed, transmitting a second PRACH transmission from the UE using a second subcarrier spacing, wherein the first subcarrier spacing is different from the second subcarrier spacing.

[0010] In one aspect, an apparatus for transmitting PRACH from a UE in a new radio communication system may include a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to transmit a first PRACH transmission from the UE to a network entity using a first subcarrier spacing. The described aspect further includes a determination by the UE that the first PRACH transmission to the network entity is unsuccessful. The described aspect further includes a second PRACH transmission from the UE using a second subcarrier spacing in response to the determination that the first PRACH transmission is unsuccessful, wherein the first subcarrier spacing is different from the second subcarrier spacing.

[0011] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium is described that can store computer-executable code for transmitting PRACH from a UE in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes code for transmitting a first PRACH transmission from the UE to a network entity using a first subcarrier spacing. The described aspect further includes code for the UE to determine that the first PRACH transmission to the network entity has failed. The described aspect further includes code for transmitting a second PRACH transmission from the UE using a second subcarrier spacing in response to determining that the first PRACH transmission has failed, wherein the first subcarrier spacing is different from the second subcarrier spacing.

[0012] In one aspect, an apparatus for transmitting PRACH from a UE in a new radio communication system is described. The described aspect includes elements for transmitting a first PRACH transmission from the UE to a network entity using a first subcarrier spacing. The described aspect further includes elements for determining by the UE that the first PRACH transmission to the network entity has failed. The described aspect further includes elements for transmitting a second PRACH transmission from the UE using a second subcarrier spacing in response to determining that the first PRACH transmission has failed, wherein the first subcarrier spacing is different from the second subcarrier spacing.

[0013] According to another aspect, a method includes performing a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure at a UE in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes the UE receiving a subcarrier spacing configuration from a network entity for one or more steps in a four-step RACH procedure. The described aspect further includes the UE performing these one or more steps in the four-step RACH procedure using one or more corresponding subcarrier spacings received in the subcarrier spacing configuration from the network entity.

[0014] In one aspect, an apparatus for performing a RACH procedure at a UE in a new radio communication system may include a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured for the UE to receive, from a network entity, a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more steps in a four-step RACH procedure. The described aspect further describes the UE performing one or more steps in the four-step RACH procedure using one or more corresponding subcarrier spacings received in the subcarrier spacing configuration from the network entity.

[0015] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium is described that can store computer-executable code for performing a RACH procedure at a UE in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes code for the UE to receive, from a network entity, subcarrier spacing configurations for one or more steps in a four-step RACH procedure. The described aspect further includes code for the UE to perform said one or more steps in the four-step RACH procedure using one or more corresponding subcarrier spacings received in the subcarrier spacing configurations from the network entity.

[0016] In one aspect, an apparatus for performing a RACH procedure from a UE in a new radio communication system is described. The described aspect includes elements for the UE to receive, from a network entity, a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more steps in a four-step RACH procedure. The described aspect further includes elements for the UE to perform the one or more steps in the four-step RACH procedure using one or more corresponding subcarrier spacings received in the subcarrier spacing configuration from the network entity.

[0017] According to another aspect, a method includes transmitting from a UE using semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes the UE receiving SPS configuration for itself from a network entity, wherein the SPS configuration includes an SPS radio network temporary identifier (SPS-RNTI) and a period. The described aspect further includes receiving allocation information for the UE at the UE, at least based on the SPS-RNTI, wherein the allocation information includes a subcarrier spacing configuration. The described aspect further includes transmitting from the UE at least based on the subcarrier spacing configuration.

[0018] In one aspect, an apparatus for transmitting from a UE using SPS in a new radio communication system may include a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured for the UE to receive SPS configuration for the UE from a network entity, wherein the SPS configuration includes an SPS-RNTI and a period. The described aspect further includes receiving allocation information for the UE at the UE, at least based on the SPS-RNTI, wherein the allocation information includes a subcarrier spacing configuration. The described aspect further includes transmitting from the UE at least based on the subcarrier spacing configuration.

[0019] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium is described that can store computer-executable code for transmission from a UE using SPS in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes code for receiving, by the UE, SPS configuration for the UE from a network entity, wherein the SPS configuration includes an SPS-RNTI and a period. The described aspect further includes code for receiving allocation information for the UE at the UE, at least based on the SPS-RNTI, wherein the allocation information includes a subcarrier spacing configuration. The described aspect further includes code for transmission from the UE, at least based on the subcarrier spacing configuration.

[0020] In one aspect, an apparatus for transmitting from a UE using SPS in a new radio communication system is described. The described aspect includes elements for the UE to receive SPS configuration for itself from a network entity, wherein the SPS configuration includes an SPS-RNTI and a period. The described aspect further includes elements for receiving allocation information for the UE at the UE, at least based on the SPS-RNTI, wherein the allocation information includes a subcarrier spacing configuration. The described aspect further includes elements for transmitting from the UE, at least based on the subcarrier spacing configuration.

[0021] According to another aspect, a method includes transmitting from a UE using SPS in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes the UE receiving an SPS configuration for itself from a network entity, wherein the SPS configuration includes an SPS-RNTI, a period, and a subcarrier spacing configuration, and wherein the subcarrier spacing configuration includes a plurality of subcarrier spacings. The described aspect further includes transmitting from the UE using a subcarrier spacing from the plurality of subcarrier spacings, at least based on an indication received via downlink control information (DCI) from the network entity on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0022] In one aspect, an apparatus for transmitting from a UE using SPS in a new radio communication system may include a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured for the UE to receive an SPS configuration for the UE from a network entity, wherein the SPS configuration includes an SPS-RNTI, a period, and a subcarrier spacing configuration, and wherein the subcarrier spacing configuration includes a plurality of subcarrier spacings. The described aspect further includes transmitting from the UE using a subcarrier spacing from the plurality of subcarrier spacings, at least based on an indication received via DCI from the network entity's PDCCH.

[0023] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium is described that can store computer-executable code for transmission from a UE using SPS in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes code for the UE to receive, from a network entity, SPS configuration for the UE, wherein the SPS configuration includes SPS-RNTI, period, and subcarrier spacing configuration, and wherein the subcarrier spacing configuration includes a plurality of subcarrier spacings. The described aspect further includes code for transmission from the UE using a subcarrier spacing from the plurality of subcarrier spacings, at least based on an indication received via DCI from the network entity's PDCCH.

[0024] In one aspect, an apparatus for transmitting from a UE using SPS in a new radio communication system is described. The described aspect includes elements for the UE to receive an SPS configuration for the UE from a network entity, wherein the SPS configuration includes an SPS-RNTI, a period, and a subcarrier spacing configuration, and wherein the subcarrier spacing configuration includes a plurality of subcarrier spacings. The described aspect further includes elements for transmitting from the UE using a subcarrier spacing from the plurality of subcarrier spacings, at least based on an indication received via DCI from the network entity's PDCCH.

[0025] According to another aspect, a method includes transmitting subframes from a UE in a new radio communication system using an adaptive subcarrier spacing. The described aspect includes the UE receiving from a network entity a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more subframes, the subcarrier spacing configuration indicating a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes. The described aspect further includes transmitting the one or more subframes from the UE using the corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes.

[0026] In one aspect, an apparatus for transmitting subframes from a UE with adaptive subcarrier spacing in a new radio communication system may include a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured for the UE to receive from a network entity a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more subframes, the subcarrier spacing configuration indicating a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes. The described aspect further describes the transmission of the one or more subframes from the UE using the corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes.

[0027] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium is described that can store computer-executable code for transmitting subframes from a UE with adaptive subcarrier spacing in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes code for receiving, by the UE, a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more subframes from a network entity, the subcarrier spacing configuration indicating a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes. The described aspect further includes code for transmitting the one or more subframes from the UE using the corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes.

[0028] In one aspect, an apparatus is described for transmitting subframes from a UE using an adaptive subcarrier spacing in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes elements for receiving, by the UE, a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more subframes from a network entity, the subcarrier spacing configuration indicating a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes. The described aspect further includes elements for transmitting the one or more subframes from the UE using the corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes.

[0029] According to another aspect, a method includes adapting the subcarrier spacing of a subframe at a network entity in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes determining a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more subframes at the network entity, the subcarrier spacing configuration indicating a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes. The described aspect further includes transmitting the subcarrier spacing configuration from the network entity to the UE.

[0030] In one aspect, an apparatus for adapting subcarrier spacing of subframes at a network entity in a new radio communication system may include a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to determine, at the network entity, a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more subframes, the subcarrier spacing configuration indicating a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes. The described aspect further transmits the subcarrier spacing configuration from the network entity to the UE.

[0031] In one aspect, a computer-readable medium is described that can store computer-executable code for adapting subcarrier spacing of subframes at a network entity in a new radio communication system. The described aspect includes code for determining, at the network entity, a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more subframes, the subcarrier spacing configuration indicating a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes. The described aspect further includes code for transmitting the subcarrier spacing configuration from the network entity to the UE.

[0032] In one aspect, an apparatus for adapting subcarrier spacing of subframes at a network entity in a new radio communication system is described. The described aspect includes elements for determining, at the network entity, a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more subframes, the subcarrier spacing configuration indicating a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes. The described aspect further includes elements for transmitting the subcarrier spacing configuration from the network entity to the UE.

[0033] The various aspects and features of this disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and various examples thereof. While this disclosure is described below with reference to various examples, it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art who have been given the teachings herein will recognize additional embodiments, modifications, examples, and other areas of use within the scope of this disclosure as described herein and in relation to which this disclosure may have significant utility. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The features, nature, and advantages of this disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference numerals are consistently used to identify corresponding elements, and where dashed lines may indicate optional components or actions, and wherein:

[0035] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication network including at least one base station having a subcarrier spacing configuration component and at least one UE for transmission using an adaptive subcarrier spacing component configured according to the present disclosure.

[0036] Figure 2This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary RACH process according to one or more aspects of this disclosure.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary NR RACH process according to one or more aspects of this disclosure.

[0038] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for transmitting PRACH from a UE in a wireless communication system according to one or more aspects of this disclosure.

[0039] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for performing a RACH procedure at a UE in a wireless communication system according to one or more aspects of this disclosure.

[0040] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for transmitting data from a UE using SPS in a wireless communication system according to one or more aspects of this disclosure.

[0041] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of another method for transmitting from a UE using SPS in a wireless communication system, according to one or more aspects of this disclosure.

[0042] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for transmitting data from a UE in a wireless communication system according to one or more aspects of this disclosure.

[0043] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for transmitting data from a network entity in a wireless communication system according to one or more aspects of this disclosure.

[0044] Figure 10 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an exemplary component of a UE.

[0045] Figure 11 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of exemplary components of a base station. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The specific embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are intended as descriptions of various configurations and are not intended to represent the only configuration in which the concepts described herein can be practiced. These specific embodiments include detailed descriptions intended to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these detailed descriptions. In some cases, well-known components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring these concepts. In one aspect, the term "component" as used herein can refer to one of the parts constituting a system, can be hardware or software, and can be divided into other components.

[0047] This disclosure generally relates to adaptive or configurable subcarrier spacing at the UE using system information transmitted from the eNB. Additionally, configurable subcarrier spacing at the base station is described.

[0048] Below is relative to Figure 1-11 To describe in more detail the additional features of each aspect.

[0049] It should be noted that the technologies described herein can be used in various wireless communication networks, such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA, and other systems. The terms "system" and "network" are often used interchangeably. CDMA systems can implement radio technologies such as CDMA2000, Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), etc. CDMA2000 encompasses the IS-2000, IS-95, and IS-856 standards. IS-2000 versions 0 and A are commonly referred to as CDMA2000 1X, 1X, etc. IS-856 (TIA-856) is commonly referred to as CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, High-Speed ​​Packet Data (HRPD), etc. UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and other variants of CDMA. TDMA systems can implement radio technologies such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). OFDMA systems can implement technologies such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, and Flash-OFDM. TMRadio technologies such as UTRA and E-UTRA are part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A) are newer versions of UMTS using E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, and GSM are described in the literature of an organization called the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). CDMA 2000 and UMB are described in the literature of an organization called the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). The technologies described herein can be used in the systems and radio technologies mentioned above, as well as in other systems and radio technologies, including cellular (e.g., LTE) communications on shared radio spectrum bands. However, the following description describes LTE / LTE-A systems for illustrative purposes, and the terminology LTE is used in most of the description, but the technology can be applied beyond LTE / LTE-A applications (e.g., to 5G networks or other next-generation communication systems).

[0050] The following description provides examples and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or examples set forth in the claims. Changes may be made to the function and arrangement of the elements discussed without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Various processes or components may be appropriately omitted, substituted, or added in the various examples. For example, the methods described may be performed in a different order than described, and individual steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Moreover, features described with respect to some examples may be combined in other examples.

[0051] refer to Figure 1 According to various aspects of this disclosure, an exemplary wireless communication network 100 includes at least one UE 110 communicating with a base station 105, which has a modem 140 that manages a New Radio (NR) Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure 152, a semi-persistent scheduling configuration 156, and / or a subframe subcarrier spacing 158.

[0052] For example, base station 105, subcarrier spacing component 170, and / or RACH configuration component 172 can configure (e.g., set) the NR RACH procedure 152 using different subcarrier spacings (e.g., subcarrier spacing configurations that may include different subcarrier spacings) for different steps (or messages / Msg) in the four-step RACH procedure. In one embodiment, base station 105 can configure Msg 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the NR RACH procedure 152 using subcarrier spacings s1, s2, s3, and / or s4, respectively. In another embodiment, UE 110 can transmit Msg 1 using different subcarrier spacings from one transmission attempt to another (re)transmission attempt; Msg 1 can be a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission, such as PRACH transmission 154. For example, UE110 can use subcarrier interval s11 to send the initial transmission of PRACH transmission 154, and use subcarrier intervals s12, s13, s14, etc. to retransmit consecutive PRACH transmissions (when an earlier PRACH transmission fails) until the PRACH retransmission limit is reached. That is, UE110 retransmits the PRACH transmission until the retransmission attempt limit for that PRACH transmission is reached or UE110 determines that the transmission of PRACH transmission 154 was successful.

[0053] Base station 105 includes modem 160 and / or subcarrier spacing component 170 for configuring subcarrier spacing for UE 110 and / or base station 105. That is, base station 105 and / or subcarrier spacing component 170 can be configured with subcarrier spacing for downlink transmission from base station 105 to UE 110 and / or uplink transmission from UE 110 to base station 105.

[0054] Furthermore, base station 105, subcarrier spacing component 170, and / or semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) component 174 can configure SPS configuration 156 during SPS activation. SPS configuration 156 can include subcarrier spacing configuration, which further includes multiple subcarrier spacings that are different from each other. Additionally, base station 105 can transmit radio resource control (RRC) configurations for several subcarrier spacings to UE 110 during SPS configuration and, during SPS allocation, indicate to UE 110 via downlink control information (DCI) on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) which subframe spacing the UE should use for PDSCH / PUSCH transmission. It should also be noted that SPS can be applied to the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), or both. This improves the efficiency of wireless communication over LTE because LTE only allows the same subcarrier spacing for PUSCH and PDSCH transmissions. In this disclosure, different subcarrier spacings can be configured for PUSCH and PDSCH transmissions.

[0055] Additionally, base station 105, subcarrier spacing component 170, and / or subframe component 176 can employ different subcarrier spacing configurations in different subframes, as per subframe configuration 158 at UE 110. For example, base station 105 can employ subcarrier spacing s f0 Configure subframe 0, using subcarrier spacing s f1 Configure subframe 1, using subcarrier spacing s f2 Configure subframe 2, etc. Base station 105 can configure different subcarrier intervals in different subframes for all physical channels at UE 110 or a subset of physical channels at UE 110.

[0056] Therefore, according to this disclosure, the subcarrier spacing component 170 can configure the subcarrier spacing at UE110 in a manner that improves wireless communication.

[0057] Wireless communication network 100 may include one or more base stations 105, one or more UEs 110, and a core network 115. Core network 115 may provide user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. Base station 105 may be connected to core network 115 via backhaul link 120 (e.g., S1, etc.). Base station 105 may perform radio configuration and scheduling for communication with UE 110, or may operate under the control of a base station controller (not shown). In various examples, base stations 105 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via core network 115) via backhaul link 125 (e.g., X1, etc.) (which may be a wired or wireless communication link).

[0058] Base station 105 can wirelessly communicate with UE 110 via one or more base station antennas. Each base station 105 can provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic coverage area 130. In some examples, base station 105 may be referred to as a base transceiver station, radio base station, access point, access node, radio transceiver, NodeB, eNodeB (eNB), gNB, home NodeB, home eNodeB, repeater, or some other suitable terminology. The geographic coverage area 130 of base station 105 can be divided into sectors or cells (not shown) that constitute only a part of the coverage area. Wireless communication network 100 may include different types of base stations 105 (e.g., macro base stations or small cell base stations described below). In addition, multiple base stations 105 can operate according to different communication technologies in various communication technologies (e.g., 5G (New Radio or "NR"), fourth generation (4G) / LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.), and therefore there may be overlapping geographic coverage areas 130 for different communication technologies.

[0059] In some examples, wireless communication network 100 may be or include one or any combination of communication technologies, including NR or 5G technology, Long Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE-A Advanced (LTE-A) or MuLTEfire technology, Wi-Fi technology, Bluetooth technology, or any other long-range or short-range wireless communication technology. In an LTE / LTE-A / MuLTEfire network, the term Evolved Node B (eNB) may be commonly used to describe base station 105, while the term UE may be commonly used to describe UE 110. Wireless communication network 100 may be a heterogeneous technology network, where different types of eNBs provide coverage for various geographic areas. For example, each eNB or base station 105 may provide communication coverage for macro cells, small cells, or other types of cells. Depending on the context, the term "cell" is a 3GPP term that may be used to describe a base station, a carrier or component carrier associated with a base station, or a coverage area (e.g., a sector, etc.) of a carrier or base station.

[0060] Macro cells typically cover a relatively large geographical area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and can allow unrestricted access for UE 110s with service contracts with network providers.

[0061] Compared to macro cells, small cells can include base stations with lower transmit power that can operate in the same or different frequency bands (e.g., licensed, unlicensed, etc.) as macro cells. Depending on various examples, small cells can include pico cells, femto cells, and microcells. For example, a pico cell can cover a small geographic area and can allow unrestricted access for UE 110 with a service contract with a network provider. A femto cell can also cover a small geographic area (e.g., a home) and can provide restricted and / or unrestricted access for UE 110 associated with the femto cell (e.g., UE 110 in a closed subscriber group (CSG) of base station 105 in the case of restricted access, which may include UE 110 for users in a home, etc.). An eNB used for a macro cell can be referred to as a macro eNB. An eNB used for a small cell can be referred to as a small cell eNB, pico eNB, femto eNB, or home eNB. An eNB can support one or more (e.g., two, three, four, etc.) cells (e.g., component carriers).

[0062] The communication network, adaptable to some of the disclosed examples, can be a packet-based network operating according to a layered protocol stack, and the data in the user plane can be IP-based. The user plane protocol stack (e.g., Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), Radio Link Control (RLC), MAC, etc.) can perform packet segmentation and reassembly for communication on logical channels. For example, the MAC layer can perform priority processing and multiplexing of logical channels to transport channels. The MAC layer can also use Hybrid Automatic Repeat / Request (HARQ) to provide retransmissions at the MAC layer to improve link efficiency. In the control plane, the RRC protocol layer can provide the establishment, configuration, and maintenance of the RRC connection between UE 110 and base station 105. The RRC protocol layer can also be used for core network 115 support for radio bearers of user plane data. At the physical (PHY) layer, transport channels can be mapped to physical channels.

[0063] UE 110 may be distributed throughout the wireless communication network 100, and each UE 110 may be fixed and / or mobile. UE 110 may also include, or be referred to by those skilled in the art, as a mobile station, user station, mobile unit, user cell, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile user station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, mobile phone, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable term. UE 110 is a cellular phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, tablet computer, laptop computer, cordless phone, smartwatch, wireless local loop (WLL) station, entertainment device, vehicle component, customer premises equipment (CPE), or any device capable of communicating in the wireless communication network 100. Furthermore, UE 110 may be an Internet of Things (IoT) and / or machine-to-machine (M2M) type device, such as a low-power, low-data-rate (as opposed to, for example, a cordless phone) type device, which in some respects may not communicate frequently with the wireless communication network 100 or other UE 110. UE 110 can communicate with various types of base stations 105 and network devices, including macro eNB, small cell eNB, macro gNB, small cell gNB, relay base stations, etc.

[0064] UE 110 can be configured to establish one or more wireless communication links 135 with one or more base stations 105. The wireless communication links 135 shown in the wireless communication network 100 can carry uplink (UL) transmissions from UE 110 to base station 105 or downlink (DL) transmissions from base station 105 to UE 110. Downlink transmissions may also be referred to as forward link transmissions, while uplink transmissions may also be referred to as reverse link transmissions. Each wireless communication link 135 may include one or more carriers, wherein each carrier may be a signal composed of multiple subcarriers (e.g., waveform signals of different frequencies) modulated according to the various radio techniques described above. Each modulated signal may be transmitted on a different subcarrier and may carry control information (e.g., reference signals, control channels, etc.), overhead information, user data, etc. In one aspect, the wireless communication link 135 may use frequency division duplex (FDD) (e.g., using paired spectrum resources) or time division duplex (TDD) operation (e.g., using unpaired spectrum resources) to transmit bidirectional communication. A frame structure can be defined for FDD (e.g., frame structure type 1) and a frame structure can be defined for TDD (e.g., frame structure type 2). Furthermore, in some aspects, the wireless communication link 135 can represent one or more broadcast channels.

[0065] In some aspects of the wireless communication network 100, the base station 105 or UE 110 may include multiple antennas for employing an antenna diversity scheme to improve the communication quality and reliability between the base station 105 and the UE 110. Alternatively or alternatively, the base station 105 or UE 110 may employ multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, which can utilize a multipath environment to transmit multiple spatial layers carrying the same or different coded data.

[0066] Wireless communication network 100 can support operation on multiple cells or carriers, a feature that may be referred to as carrier aggregation (CA) or multi-carrier operation. A carrier may also be referred to as a component carrier (CC), layer, channel, etc. The terms “carrier,” “component carrier,” “cell,” and “channel” are used interchangeably herein. UE 110 may be configured with multiple downlink CCs and one or more uplink CCs for carrier aggregation. Carrier aggregation can be used with both FDD and TDD component carriers. Base station 105 and UE 110 may use up to Y MHz (e.g., Y = 5, 10, 15, or 20 MHz) of spectrum allocated to each carrier in carrier aggregation up to a total of Yx MHz (x = the number of component carriers) for transmission in each direction. Carriers may be adjacent to each other or not. Carrier allocation may be asymmetric relative to DL and UL (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to DL than to UL). Component carriers may include a primary component carrier and one or more secondary component carriers. The primary component carrier may be referred to as the primary cell (PCell), and the secondary component carriers may be referred to as secondary cells (SCell).

[0067] The wireless communication network 100 may also include a base station 105 operating according to Wi-Fi technology, such as a Wi-Fi access point, which communicates with a UE 110 (e.g., a Wi-Fi station STA) operating according to Wi-Fi technology via a communication link in unlicensed spectrum (e.g., 5 GHz). When communicating in unlicensed spectrum, the STA and AP may perform an idle channel assessment (CCA) or pre-talk listening (LBT) procedure before communication to determine if the channel is available.

[0068] Additionally, one or more of base stations 105 and / or UE 110 can operate according to NR or 5G technologies known as millimeter wave (mmW or mmwave) technologies. For example, mmW technology includes transmission in and / or near mmW frequencies. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is a portion of the radio frequency (RF) spectrum in the electromagnetic spectrum. EHF has a range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz and wavelengths of 1 mm to 10 mm. Radio waves in this band can be referred to as millimeter waves. Near-mmW can extend down to frequencies of 3 GHz with wavelengths of 100 mm. For example, the ultra-high frequency (SHF) band extends between 3 GHz and 30 GHz and can also be referred to as centimeter waves. Communication using mmW and / or near-mmW radio frequency bands has extremely high path loss and short range. Thus, base station 105 and / or UE 110 operating according to mmW technology can utilize beamforming in their transmissions to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short range.

[0069] refer to Figure 2 The following describes a four-step RACH process 200, in which the UE 110 exchanges messages with one or more base stations 105 to obtain access to the wireless network and establish a connection.

[0070] At 210, for example, UE 110 may transmit a first message (Msg 1) 210 to one or more base stations 105, which may be referred to as a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission. Msg 1 (210) may include a RACH preamble and a cyclic prefix (CP). UE 110 also provides the UE's identity to one or more base stations 105, such as a Random Access Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RA-RNTI). The RA-RNTI is typically determined based on the timeslot number of the RACH preamble.

[0071] At 220, one or more of the base stations 105 may respond to Msg1 by transmitting a second message (Msg 2) 220 on a physical downlink control channel (e.g., PDCCH) and / or a physical downlink shared channel (e.g., PDSCH). Msg 2 may be referred to as a random access response (RAR) message. For example, Msg 2 may include one or more of the following: a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) for further communication between UE 110 and base station 105, a timing lead value to compensate for round-trip delay caused by the distance between UE 110 and base station 105, and / or include initial resources allocated to UE 110 to enable UE 110 to use the uplink shared channel (UL-SCH).

[0072] At 230, in response to receiving Msg 2, UE 110 transmits a third message (Msg3) 230 to base station 105 via UL-SCH / PUSCH. Msg 3 may be an RRC connection request message. In one aspect, Msg 3 may include the UE identity (TMSI or a random value) and / or a connection establishment reason indicating why UE 110 needs to connect to the network.

[0073] At position 240, upon successful reception of Msg 3 (230) at position 330, in response to the reception of Msg 3, base station 105 may transmit a fourth message (Msg 4) 240 to UE 110, which may be referred to as a contention resolution message. UE 110 may receive Msg 4 (240) via a physical downlink control channel (e.g., PDCCH) and / or a physical downlink shared channel (e.g., PDSCH). For example, Msg 4 may include a new cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) for use by UE 110 in subsequent communications.

[0074] In some cases, the transmission of Msg 1 (210) from UE 110 may fail. For example, UE 110 may not receive Msg 2 (response) from base station 105; UE 110 may fail to decode Msg 2 (220); UE 110 may have successfully decoded Msg 2 (220) but failed to decode Msg 4 (240); or UE 110 may have decoded Msg 4 (240), but the decoded message indicated a collision. In such cases, RACH establishment may not be considered successful. Therefore, this disclosure provides an NR RACH procedure 300 for an improved, enhanced, and / or efficient RACH procedure in NR.

[0075] refer to Figure 3 UE 110 can execute one implementation of the NR RACH procedure 152 of this disclosure. The execution of the NR RACH procedure 152 is described below.

[0076] In the current RACH process, the subcarrier spacing used for RACH messages (e.g., Msg 1, Msg 2, Msg 3, and Msg 4) is fixed. For example, Msg 1 may have a subcarrier spacing of 1.25 kHz or 7.5 kHz (depending on cell coverage), and / or Msg 2, Msg 3, and / or Msg 4 may have a subcarrier spacing of 15 kHz. In some implementations, base station 105, subcarrier spacing component 170, and / or RACH configuration component 172 may use different subcarrier spacings to configure different messages in NRRACH process 152. For example, Msg 1310 of NR RACH process 152 may be configured using subcarrier spacing s11, Msg 2 320 may be configured using subcarrier spacing s12, Msg 3 330 may be configured using subcarrier spacing s13, and / or Msg 4 340 may be configured using subcarrier spacing s14. This provides flexibility to further improve the efficiency and / or reliability of the NR RACH process 152.

[0077] At 310, for example, UE 110 may transmit a first message (Msg 1) to one or more base stations 105 via a physical channel (such as the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH)). Msg 1 may be referred to as a random access request message. Msg 1 310 may also be referred to as PRACH transmission 154 and may include a RACH preamble and a cyclic prefix (CP). However, as mentioned above, the transmission of Msg 1 310 may not always be successful.

[0078] In some implementations, UE 110 may retransmit Msg 1 as Msg 1 312 using a subcarrier spacing different from that used for previously transmitted Msg 1 310. For example, UE 110 may transmit (or retransmit) Msg 1 312 using a subcarrier spacing s2 different from that used for transmitting Msg 1210. In one aspect, base station 105, subcarrier spacing component 170, and / or RACH configuration component 172 may configure subcarrier spacings s1, s2, etc., to UE 110 via system information (e.g., Master Information Block (MIB), Minimum System Information Block (MSIB), etc.).

[0079] Retransmitting Msg 1 with a lower subcarrier spacing s2 than Msg 1 310 (e.g., Msg 1 312) allows for transmission of signals associated with Msg 1 over a longer duration (e.g., in the time domain). UE 110 may retransmit Msg 1 with one or more reduced subcarrier spacings until Msg 1 is successfully transmitted to base station 105 or until the PRACH retransmission attempt limit is reached. For example, UE 110 may retransmit Msg 1 as Msg 1 314 with a subcarrier spacing s3. UE 110 may continue to retransmit Msg 1 with lower subcarrier spacings in successive retransmission attempts until the retransmission attempt limit is reached. However, if the transmission of Msg 1 is unsuccessful and UE 110 reaches the retransmission attempt limit, UE 110 may increase the transmit power of Msg 1 (e.g., in the power domain). That is, Msg 1 is retransmitted at a high transmit power level, so that the transmission (retransmission) of Msg 1 to base station 105 is successful. For example, UE 110 can retransmit Msg 1 as Msg 1 316 by transmitting Msg 1 316 at an increased transmit power (in the time domain). That is, Msg 1 316 can be transmitted at a power level p2 that is higher than the power p1 used to transmit messages 314 and 312. Furthermore, it should be noted that if the previous transmission of Msg 1 is unsuccessful, Msg 1 can be retransmitted in any order at increased power (in the power domain) or by reducing / decreasing the subcarrier spacing, based on system information received from base station 105.

[0080] At 320, one or more of the base stations 105 may respond to Msg 1 by transmitting a second message (Msg 2) on the physical downlink control channel (e.g., PDCCH) and / or the physical downlink shared channel (e.g., PDSCH). Msg 2 may be referred to as a Random Access Response (RAR) message. For example, Msg 2 may include one or more of the following: a detected preamble identifier (ID), a timing advance (TA) value, a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI), a backoff indicator, a UL grant, and a DL grant.

[0081] At 330, in response to receiving Msg 2, UE 110 transmits a third message (Msg 3) via a physical uplink channel (e.g., PUSCH) based on the UL authorization provided in Msg 2. Msg 3 may be an RRC connection request or a scheduling request. In one aspect, Msg 3 may include a Tracking Area Update (TAU), such as periodically including a TAU or including a TAU when UE 110 moves outside of one or more Tracking Areas (TAs) initially provided to UE 110 in the Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) list. Moreover, in some cases, Msg 3 may include a connection establishment reason indicator, which identifies the reason why UE 110 requests to connect to the network.

[0082] At 340, in response to receiving Msg 3, base station 105 may transmit a fourth message (Msg 4) to UE 110 via a physical downlink control channel (e.g., PDCCH) and / or a physical downlink shared channel (e.g., PDSCH). Msg 4 may be referred to as a contention resolution message. For example, Msg 4 may include a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) for use by UE 110 in subsequent communications.

[0083] refer to Figure 4 This document describes a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 400 relating to the transmission of a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) from a UE, according to various aspects of this disclosure. Although the operations described below are presented in a specific order and / or as performed by exemplary components, the order of actions and the components performing the actions may vary depending on the implementation. Furthermore, while the adaptive subcarrier component 150 is shown as having multiple sub-components, one or more of the shown sub-components may be separate from and / or separate from each other, but may communicate with and / or with each other. Moreover, any action or component described below with respect to the adaptive subcarrier component 150 and / or any sub-component may be performed by a specially programmed processor, a processor executing specially programmed software or a computer-readable medium, or by any other combination of hardware and / or software components specifically configured to perform the described action or component.

[0084] In one aspect, at block 410, method 400 includes: transmitting a first PRACH transmission from the UE to a network entity using a first subcarrier spacing. For example, in one aspect, as described herein, UE 110 and / or adaptive subcarrier component 150 may perform NR RACH procedure 152 to transmit a first PRACH transmission via a transmitter (e.g., ...) using a first subcarrier spacing s1. Figure 10The transmitter 1008 transmits Msg 1210. In one example, the UE 110 and / or the adaptive subcarrier component 150 may receive a first subcarrier spacing and a second subcarrier spacing from the base station 105 via system information. Furthermore, the system information may include a random access channel (RACH) configuration indicating the relationship between the first and second subcarrier spacings.

[0085] In one aspect, at block 420, method 400 includes the UE determining that the first PRACH transmission to the network entity was unsuccessful. For example, in one aspect, as described herein, UE 110 and / or adaptive subcarrier component 150 may perform NR RACH procedure 152 to determine that the first PRACH transmission (Msg 1 210) was unsuccessful.

[0086] In one aspect, at block 430, method 400 includes transmitting a second PRACH transmission from the UE using a second subcarrier spacing in response to determining that the first PRACH transmission was unsuccessful. For example, in one aspect, UE 110 and / or adaptive subcarrier component 150 may perform NR RACH procedure 152 to transmit a second PRACH transmission using subcarrier spacing s2 via a transmitter (e.g., Figure 10 The transmitter 1008 retransmits Msg1 312 as described herein. In one embodiment, the subcarrier spacing s2 (e.g., 7.5 kHz) can be smaller than the subcarrier spacing s1 (15 kHz). Retransmitting Msg1 312 with a lower subcarrier spacing allows the signal associated with Msg1 312 to be transmitted over a longer duration (in the time domain).

[0087] In one aspect, at block 440, method 400 may optionally include transmitting one or more additional PRACH transmissions until the UE determines that the PRACH transmission was successful or that the PRACH retransmission attempt limit has been reached, wherein the one or more additional PRACH transmissions are transmitted at a subcarrier interval different from the first and second subcarrier intervals. For example, in one aspect, UE 110 and / or adaptive subcarrier component 150 may perform NR RACH procedure 152 to transmit via a transmitter (e.g., Figure 10 The transmitter 1008 sends one or more additional PRACH transmissions, such as Msg 1 314, as described herein. If the preceding transmission of Msg 1 312 fails, the UE 110 may transmit Msg 1 314. In one implementation, Msg 1 314 may be transmitted with a subcarrier spacing s3, for example, lower than s2. For example, s3 may be 3.75 kHz. The UE 110 may continue to retransmit Msg 1 with a lower subcarrier spacing until the transmission of Msg 1 is successful (as described above) or until the retransmission attempt limit is reached.

[0088] refer to Figure 5 This document describes flowcharts illustrating examples of a method 500 relating to performing an adaptive random access channel (RACH) procedure at a UE, according to various aspects of this disclosure. Although the operations described below are presented in a specific order and / or as performed by exemplary components, the order of actions and the components performing the actions may vary depending on the implementation. Furthermore, while the adaptive subcarrier component 150 is shown as having multiple sub-components, one or more of the shown sub-components may be separate from and / or separate from each other, but may communicate with and / or with each other. Moreover, any action or component described below with respect to the adaptive subcarrier component 150 and / or any sub-component may be performed by a specially programmed processor, a processor executing specially programmed software or a computer-readable medium, or by any other combination of hardware and / or software components specifically configured to perform the described action or component.

[0089] In one aspect, at block 510, method 500 includes receiving a subcarrier spacing configuration for the adaptive RACH procedure from a network entity at the UE. For example, in one aspect, as described herein, the UE 110 and / or the adaptive subcarrier component 150 can be transmitted via a transmitter (e.g., Figure 10 The transmitter 1008 receives a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more steps in a four-step RACH process. For example, UE 110 and / or the adaptive subcarrier component 150 may receive a subcarrier spacing configuration that may include subcarrier spacings for Msg 1 and / or Msg 3, which may be s11 and / or s41, respectively. Base station 105 may configure subcarrier spacings s21 and / or s31 for Msg 2 and / or Msg 4, respectively. This provides UE 110 and / or the base station with the flexibility to transmit different messages in a four-step RACH process (e.g., NR RACH process 152) using different subcarrier spacings to improve the efficiency of wireless communication. It should also be noted that the subcarrier configurations described above (e.g., s11, s21, s31, and s41) are non-limiting examples. In other exemplary aspects, base station 105 may configure different subcarrier spacings as determined by the base station.

[0090] In one aspect, at block 520, method 500 includes the UE performing an adaptive RACH procedure using one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals received in a subcarrier interval configuration from a network entity. For example, in one aspect, as described herein, UE 110 and / or adaptive subcarrier component 150 may perform one or more steps in a four-step RACH procedure, such as Msg 1 and Msg 3, using corresponding subcarrier intervals received in a subcarrier interval configuration received from an eNB.

[0091] In one example, the adaptive RACH procedure corresponds to a four-step process of transmitting multiple messages between the UE and a network entity, each of which includes a different subcarrier interval from one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals. For example, the multiple messages include a first message sent from the UE to at least the network entity, corresponding to a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission using a first subcarrier interval from one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals. In another example, the multiple messages include a second message sent from the network entity to the UE, corresponding to at least one of a PDCCH or PDSCH transmission using a second subcarrier interval from one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals. In yet another example, the multiple messages include a third message sent from the UE to the network entity, corresponding to a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission using a third subcarrier interval from one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals. In yet another example, the multiple messages include a fourth message sent from the network entity to the UE, corresponding to at least one of a PDCCH or PDSCH transmission using a fourth subcarrier interval from one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

[0092] refer to Figure 6 The following describes a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 600 relating to transmission from a UE using SPS, according to various aspects of this disclosure. Although the operations described below are presented in a specific order and / or as performed by exemplary components, the order of actions and the components performing the actions may vary depending on the implementation. Furthermore, while the adaptive subcarrier component 150 is shown as having multiple sub-components, one or more of the shown sub-components may be separate from and / or separate from each other, but may communicate with and / or with each other. Moreover, any action or component described below with respect to the adaptive subcarrier component 150 and / or any sub-component may be performed by a specially programmed processor, a processor executing specially programmed software or a computer-readable medium, or by any other combination of hardware and / or software components specifically configured to perform the described action or component.

[0093] In one aspect, at block 610, method 600 includes receiving SPS configuration for the UE from a network entity at the UE, wherein the SPS configuration includes an SPS radio network temporary identifier (SPS-RNTI) and a period. For example, in one aspect, as described herein, the UE 110 and / or adaptive subcarrier component 150 are connected via a transmitter (e.g., Figure 10 The transmitter 1008) is configured to receive SPS.

[0094] In one aspect, at block 620, method 600 includes receiving allocation information for the UE at least based on SPS-RNTI, wherein the allocation information includes subcarrier spacing configuration. For example, in one aspect, as described herein, UE 110 and / or adaptive subcarrier component 150 are connected via a transmitter (e.g., Figure 10 The transmitter 1008 receives allocation information. In one example, allocation information is received via DCI in the PDCCH.

[0095] In one aspect, at block 630, method 600 includes transmission by the UE at least based on a subcarrier spacing configuration. For example, in one aspect, as described herein, UE 110 and / or adaptive subcarrier component 150 may transmit at least based on a subcarrier spacing configuration.

[0096] refer to Figure 7 The following describes a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 700 relating to transmission from a UE using SPS, according to various aspects of this disclosure. Although the operations described below are presented in a specific order and / or as performed by exemplary components, the order of actions and the components performing the actions may vary depending on the implementation. Furthermore, while the adaptive subcarrier component 150 is shown as having multiple sub-components, one or more of the shown sub-components may be separate from and / or separate from each other, but may communicate with and / or with each other. Moreover, any action or component described below with respect to the adaptive subcarrier component 150 and / or any sub-component may be performed by a specially programmed processor, a processor executing specially programmed software or a computer-readable medium, or by any other combination of hardware and / or software components specifically configured to perform the described action or component.

[0097] In one aspect, at block 710, method 700 includes receiving SPS configuration for the UE from a network entity at the UE, wherein the SPS configuration includes an SPS radio network temporary identifier (SPS-RNTI), period, and subcarrier spacing configuration, and wherein the subcarrier spacing configuration includes a plurality of subcarrier spacings. For example, in one aspect, as described herein, the UE 110 and / or adaptive subcarrier component 150 may be transmitted via a transmitter (e.g., Figure 10 The transmitter 1008 receives the SPS configuration. The SPS configuration includes the RRC configuration of the multiple subcarrier intervals.

[0098] In one aspect, at block 720, method 700 includes the UE transmitting using a subcarrier interval from the plurality of subcarrier intervals based at least on an indication received by the UE via a DCI on the PDCCH from the eNB. For example, in one aspect, as described herein, the UE 110 and / or the adaptive subcarrier component 150 may configure the subcarrier intervals.

[0099] refer to Figure 8 The following describes a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 800 relating to transmission from a UE using SPS, according to various aspects of this disclosure. Although the operations described below are presented in a specific order and / or as performed by exemplary components, the order of actions and the components performing the actions may vary depending on the implementation. Furthermore, while the adaptive subcarrier component 150 is shown as having multiple sub-components, one or more of the shown sub-components may be separate from and / or separate from each other, but may communicate with and / or with each other. Moreover, any action or component described below with respect to the adaptive subcarrier component 150 and / or any sub-component may be performed by a specially programmed processor, a processor executing specially programmed software or a computer-readable medium, or by any other combination of hardware and / or software components specifically configured to perform the described action or component.

[0100] In one aspect, at block 810, method 800 includes receiving, at the UE, a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more subframes from a network entity, the subcarrier spacing configuration indicating a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes. For example, in one aspect, as described herein, UE 110 and / or adaptive subcarrier component 150 can be transmitted via a transmitter (e.g., Figure 10 The transmitter 1008) receives the subcarrier spacing configuration.

[0101] In one example, the corresponding subcarrier spacing of each subframe in the one or more subframes is applied to all physical channels at the UE. In yet another example, the corresponding subcarrier spacing of each subframe in the one or more subframes is applied to a subset of the physical channels at the UE. Furthermore, the corresponding subcarrier spacing of each subframe in the one or more subframes is not applied to the primary synchronization signal (PSS) or secondary synchronization signal (SSS). The one or more subframes correspond to one or more subframes of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0102] In one aspect, at block 820, method 800 includes transmitting the one or more subframes from the UE using a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes. For example, in one aspect, as described herein, UE 110 and / or adaptive subcarrier component 150 may transmit subframes using a subcarrier spacing configuration for each subframe based on a subcarrier spacing configuration received from the eNB. In one example, UE 110 transmits on a per-subframe basis. This differs from conventional LTE networks, where the subcarrier spacing is fixed for all subframes. Additionally, based on the subframe configuration received from base station 105 via PDCCH, UE 110 may also allow time division multiplexing (TDM) of different technologies (e.g., NR and LTE); or TDM for several applications / use cases, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), enhanced massive machine-type communications (eMMTC), and critical MTC.

[0103] In one implementation, UE 110 can transmit on a per-subframe basis for all physical channels transmitted from UE 110 or a subset of all physical channels transmitted from UE 110. This provides the flexibility to use different subcarrier spacings to transmit physical channels at UE 110 as needed, thereby improving efficiency in wireless communication.

[0104] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 900 relating to adapting subcarrier spacing for subframes at a network entity, according to various aspects of this disclosure. Although the operations described below are presented in a specific order and / or as performed by exemplary components, the order of actions and components performing the actions may vary depending on the implementation. Furthermore, while the subcarrier spacing component 170 is shown as having multiple sub-components, one or more of the shown sub-components may be separate from and / or separate from each other, but may communicate with and / or with each other. Moreover, any action or component described below with respect to the subcarrier spacing component 170 and / or any sub-component may be performed by a specially programmed processor, a processor executing specially programmed software or a computer-readable medium, or by any other combination of hardware and / or software components specifically configured to perform the described action or component.

[0105] In one aspect, at block 910, method 900 includes determining a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more subframes at a network entity, the subcarrier spacing configuration indicating a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes. For example, in one aspect, network entity 105 and / or subcarrier spacing component 170 may determine a subcarrier spacing configuration for one or more subframes, the subcarrier spacing configuration indicating a corresponding subcarrier spacing for each of the one or more subframes.

[0106] In one example, the corresponding subcarrier spacing of each subframe in the one or more subframes is applied to all physical channels at the UE. In another example, the corresponding subcarrier spacing of each subframe in the one or more subframes is applied to a subset of physical channels at the UE. Furthermore, the corresponding subcarrier spacing of each subframe in the one or more subframes is not applied to the primary synchronization signal (PSS) or secondary synchronization signal (SSS). The one or more subframes correspond to one or more subframes of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0107] In one aspect, at block 920, method 900 includes transmitting a subcarrier spacing configuration from a network entity to the UE. For example, in one aspect, network entity 105 and / or subcarrier spacing component 170 may transmit the subcarrier spacing configuration to the UE.

[0108] refer to Figure 10 An example 1000 of the implementation of UE 110 may include various components, some of which have been described above, but including components such as one or more processors 1012 and memory 1016 communicating via one or more buses 1044, and transceiver 1002, which may work with modem 140. Furthermore, one or more processors 1012, modem 140, memory 1016, transceiver 1002, RF front end 1088, and one or more antennas 1065 may be configured to support voice and / or data calls (simultaneously or not simultaneously) in one or more radio access technologies.

[0109] In one aspect, one or more processors 1012 may include a modem 140 using one or more processors. Various functions related to subcarrier spacing configuration may be included in the modem 140 and / or processor 1012, and in one aspect may be performed by a single processor, while in other aspects, different functions may be performed by a combination of two or more different processors. For example, in one aspect, one or more processors 1012 may include any one or any combination of a modem processor, a baseband processor, or a digital signal processor, or a transmit processor, or a receiver processor, or a transceiver processor associated with transceiver 1002. In other aspects, some features of one or more processors 1012 and / or modem 140 associated with subcarrier spacing configuration may be performed by transceiver 1002.

[0110] Furthermore, memory 1016 may be configured to store data used herein and / or a local version of application 1075 executed by at least one processor 1012. Memory 1016 may include any type of computer-readable medium available to a computer or at least one processor 1012, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic tape, magnetic disk, optical disk, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and any combination thereof. In one aspect, for example, when UE 110 operates at least one processor 1012 to perform an adaptive subcarrier component 150 including NR RACH procedure 152, SPS configuration 156, and / or subframe subcarrier spacing 158, memory 1016 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more computer-executable codes and / or data associated therewith.

[0111] Transceiver 1002 may include at least one receiver 1006 and at least one transmitter 1008. Receiver 1006 may include hardware, firmware, and / or software code executable by a processor for receiving data; the code includes instructions and is stored in memory (e.g., a computer-readable medium). Receiver 1006 may be, for example, a radio frequency (RF) receiver. In one aspect, receiver 1006 may receive signals transmitted by at least one base station 105. Additionally, receiver 1006 may process such received signals and may also obtain measurements of the signals, such as, but not limited to, Ec / Io, SNR, RSRP, RSSI, etc. Transmitter 1008 may include hardware, firmware, and / or software code executable by a processor for transmitting data; the code includes instructions and is stored in memory (e.g., a computer-readable medium). Suitable examples of transmitter 1008 may include, but are not limited to, RF transmitters.

[0112] Furthermore, in one aspect, UE 110 may include an RF front-end 1088, which is operable to communicate with one or more antennas 1065 and transceiver 1002 for receiving and transmitting radio transmissions, such as wireless communications transmitted by at least one base station 105 or wireless transmissions transmitted by UE 110. The RF front-end 1088 may be connected to one or more antennas 1065 and may include one or more low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) 1090, one or more switches 1092, one or more power amplifiers (PAs) 1098, and one or more filters 1096 for transmitting and receiving RF signals.

[0113] In one aspect, the LNA 1090 can amplify the received signal at a desired output level. In another aspect, each LNA 1090 can have specified minimum and maximum gain values. In another aspect, the RF front end 1088 can use one or more switches 1092 to select a particular LNA 1090 and its specified gain value based on the desired gain value for a particular application.

[0114] Furthermore, for example, the RF front-end 1088 may use one or more PAs 1098 to amplify the signal for RF output at a desired output power level. In one aspect, each PA 1098 may have specified minimum and maximum gain values. In another aspect, the RF front-end 1088 may use one or more switches 1092 to select a particular PA 1098 and its specified gain value based on the desired gain value for a particular application.

[0115] Furthermore, for example, the RF front-end 1088 may use one or more filters 1096 to filter the received signal to obtain the input RF signal. Similarly, in one aspect, for example, a corresponding filter 1096 may be used to filter the output from a corresponding PA 1098 to generate an output signal for transmission. In one aspect, each filter 1096 may be connected to a specific LNA 1090 and / or PA 1098. In one aspect, the RF front-end 1088 may use one or more switches 1092 to select the transmit or receive path using a specified filter 1096, LNA 1090, and / or PA 1098 based on a configuration specified by the transceiver 1002 and / or processor 1012.

[0116] Thus, transceiver 1002 can be configured to transmit and receive wireless signals via RF front-end 1088 through one or more antennas 1065. In one aspect, the transceiver can be tuned to operate at a specified frequency, enabling UE 110 to communicate with, for example, one or more base stations 105 or one or more cells associated with one or more base stations 105. In another aspect, for example, modem 140 can configure transceiver 1002 to operate at a specified frequency and power level based on the UE configuration of UE 110 and the communication protocol used by modem 140.

[0117] In one aspect, modem 140 may be a multi-band, multi-mode modem capable of processing digital data and communicating with transceiver 1002, enabling the transceiver 1002 to transmit and receive digital data. In another aspect, modem 140 may be multi-band and configured to support multiple frequency bands for a specific communication protocol. In another aspect, modem 140 may be multi-mode and configured to support multiple operating networks and communication protocols. In one aspect, modem 140 may control one or more components of UE 110 (e.g., RF front-end 1088, transceiver 1002) based on a specified modem configuration to enable the transmission and / or reception of signals from the network. In one aspect, modem configuration may be based on the modem's mode and the frequency band being used. On the other hand, modem configuration may be based on UE configuration information associated with UE 110 provided by the network during cell selection and / or cell reselection.

[0118] refer to Figure 11 An example of an implementation of base station 105 may include various components, some of which have been described above, but include one or more processors 1111, memory 1116, and transceiver 1102 that communicate via one or more buses 1144, which may work with modem 160 and subcarrier spacing component 170.

[0119] Transceiver 1102, receiver 1106, transmitter 1108, one or more processors 1111, memory 1116, application 1175, bus 1144, RF front end 1188, LNA 1190, switch 1192, filter 1196, PA 1198, and one or more antennas 1165 may be the same as or similar to the corresponding components of UE 110 as described above, but are configured or otherwise programmed for base station operation rather than UE operation.

[0120] The detailed description above, illustrated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, describes examples but does not represent only examples that can be implemented or are within the scope of the claims. The term "example" as used herein means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and not "preferred" or "superior to other examples." The detailed description includes specific details to provide an understanding of the technology. However, these technologies can be implemented without these specific details. In some cases, well-known structures and apparatuses are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the concepts of the examples.

[0121] Information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and methods. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips mentioned in all of the above descriptions can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, light fields or optical particles, computer-executable code or instructions stored on a computer-readable medium, or any combination thereof.

[0122] The various illustrative blocks and components described in connection with this disclosure may be implemented or executed in devices specifically programmed to perform the functions described herein, such as, but not limited to, processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), ASICs, FPGAs or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof. A specifically programmed processor may be a microprocessor, but in alternative embodiments, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A specifically programmed processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0123] The functions described herein can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions can be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or code on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope and spirit of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the above-described functions can be implemented using software executed by a specially programmed processor, hardware, firmware, hardwired, or any combination of these methods. Features implementing the functions can also be physically located in multiple locations, including portions distributed such that functions are implemented in different physical locations. Furthermore, as used herein, including in the claims, the "or" used in a list of items beginning with "at least one" indicates a separate list, such that a list such as "at least one of A, B, or C" represents A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C).

[0124] Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, with communication media including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media can be any available medium accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. Exemplarily, and not limitingly, computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing required program code units in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Furthermore, any connection is appropriately referred to as computer-readable media. For example, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of media if software is transferred from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave. As used herein, disks and optical discs include compact discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital universal discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, wherein disks typically magnetically reproduce data, while optical discs optically reproduce data using lasers. The combinations described above are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0125] The above description of this disclosure is provided to enable those skilled in the art to practice or use this disclosure. Various modifications to this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, although elements of the described aspects and / or embodiments may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural form is also contemplated unless expressly stated to be limited to the singular. Additionally, unless otherwise stated, all or part of any aspect and / or embodiment may be used in conjunction with all or part of any other aspect and / or embodiment. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be given the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for performing an adaptive random access channel (RACH) procedure at a user equipment (UE), comprising: The subcarrier spacing configuration for the adaptive RACH procedure is received from the network entity via system information. as well as The adaptive RACH procedure is performed using one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals received from the subcarrier interval configuration of the network entity, wherein the adaptive RACH procedure includes a four-step process of transmitting multiple messages between the UE and the network entity, and at least two of the multiple messages in the four-step process of the adaptive RACH procedure are transmitted using different subcarrier intervals of the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals in response to unsuccessful transmission attempts.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of messages include a first message sent from the UE to at least the network entity, the first message corresponding to a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission using a first subcarrier interval among the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of messages includes a second message sent from the network entity to the UE, the second message corresponding to at least one of a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmission or a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission using a second subcarrier interval of one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of messages include a third message sent from the UE to the network entity, the third message corresponding to a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission using a third subcarrier interval among the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of messages include a fourth message sent from the network entity to the UE, the fourth message corresponding to at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission using a fourth subcarrier interval of the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The system information corresponds to at least one of the Master Information Block (MIB) or Minimum System Information Block (MSIB).

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The system information corresponds to downlink control information (DCI).

8. An apparatus for performing an adaptive random access channel (RACH) procedure at a user equipment (UE), comprising: Memory; as well as At least one processor, coupled to the memory, is configured to: The subcarrier spacing configuration for the adaptive RACH procedure is received from the network entity via system information. as well as The adaptive RACH procedure is performed using one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals received from the subcarrier interval configuration of the network entity, wherein the adaptive RACH procedure includes a four-step process of transmitting multiple messages between the UE and the network entity, and at least two of the multiple messages in the four-step process of the adaptive RACH procedure are transmitted using different subcarrier intervals of the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals in response to unsuccessful transmission attempts.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The plurality of messages include a first message sent from the UE to at least the network entity, the first message corresponding to a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) transmission using a first subcarrier interval among the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The plurality of messages includes a second message sent from the network entity to the UE, the second message corresponding to at least one of a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmission or a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission using a second subcarrier interval of one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The plurality of messages include a third message sent from the UE to the network entity, the third message corresponding to a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission using a third subcarrier interval among the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The plurality of messages include a fourth message sent from the network entity to the UE, the fourth message corresponding to at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission using a fourth subcarrier interval of the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The system information corresponds to at least one of the Master Information Block (MIB) or Minimum System Information Block (MSIB).

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The system information corresponds to downlink control information (DCI).

15. An apparatus for use in a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: A unit for receiving subcarrier spacing configuration for the Adaptive Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure from a network entity via system information; as well as A unit for performing the adaptive RACH procedure using one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals received in the subcarrier interval configuration from the network entity, wherein the adaptive RACH procedure includes a four-step process of transmitting multiple messages between the UE and the network entity, and at least two of the multiple messages in the four-step process of the adaptive RACH procedure are transmitted using different subcarrier intervals in the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals in response to an unsuccessful transmission attempt.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, The multiple messages in the four-step transmission process include at least one message selected from a message set containing the following messages: The first message corresponds to transmission via the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) using the first subcarrier interval of one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals; The second message corresponds to at least one of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission using the second subcarrier interval of the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals; The third message corresponds to a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission using the third subcarrier interval of one or more of the respective subcarrier intervals; and The fourth message corresponds to at least one of a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmission or a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission using the fourth subcarrier interval of the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, The system information includes at least one of the Master Information Block (MIB) or Minimum System Information Block (MSIB).

18. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein, The system information includes downlink control information (DCI).

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored therein for performing an adaptive random access channel (RACH) procedure, the instructions being executable by at least one processor of a user equipment (UE) to: Receive subcarrier spacing configuration for adaptive RACH procedures from network entities via system information; and The adaptive RACH procedure is performed using one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals received from the subcarrier interval configuration of the network entity, wherein... The adaptive RACH procedure includes a four-step process of transmitting multiple messages between the UE and the network entity, wherein at least two of the multiple messages in the four-step process of the adaptive RACH procedure are transmitted in response to unsuccessful transmission attempts using different subcarrier intervals among the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein, The multiple messages in the four-step transmission process include at least one message selected from a message set containing the following messages: The first message corresponds to transmission via the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) using the first subcarrier interval of one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals; The second message corresponds to at least one of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission using the second subcarrier interval of the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals; The third message corresponds to a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) transmission using the third subcarrier interval of one or more of the respective subcarrier intervals; and The fourth message corresponds to at least one of a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmission or a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission using the fourth subcarrier interval of the one or more corresponding subcarrier intervals.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein, The system information includes at least one of the Master Information Block (MIB) or Minimum System Information Block (MSIB).

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 19, wherein, The system information includes downlink control information (DCI).

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