Method and apparatus for communication

Abstract

To extend the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) in wireless communication, an EPBCH transmission is generated, comprising one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more extended Physical Broadcast Channel (EPBCH) blocks within an extended window. The size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks. This EPBCH transmission is carried by a base station (BS) to one or more user equipment (UEs).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates in its entirety to Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) technology for wireless networks such as cellular networks. Background Technology

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. Furthermore, wireless communication technology has evolved from voice communication alone to include the transmission of data (such as the internet and multimedia content) to various devices. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Typically, in one aspect, the method for operating a base station (BS) includes generating an EPBCH transmission that comprises one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more extended physical broadcast channel (EPBCH) blocks within an extended window. The size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks. The EPBCH transmission is carried by the BS to one or more user equipment (UEs).

[0004] Typically, in one aspect, the BS includes one or more processors and a memory, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations including: generating an EPBCH transmission that includes one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks within an extended window, wherein the size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks, and transmitting the EPBCH transmission from the BS to one or more UEs.

[0005] Typically, on one hand, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: generating an EPBCH transmission within an extended window that includes one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks, wherein the size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks, and transmitting the EPBCH transmission from the BS to one or more UEs.

[0006] Specific implementations of any of the above aspects may include one or a combination of two or more of the following features.

[0007] One or more EPBCH blocks can be transmitted by the BS in each transmission time interval (TTI). In some implementations, the BS can determine whether one or more EPBCH blocks overlap with another data block in the current TTI, and can schedule the transmission of EPBCH blocks based on this determination. In some implementations, one or more EPBCH blocks are transmitted by the BS at a predefined periodicity according to a time-domain pattern. For example, it can be based on SFN mod(m The time-domain pattern defined by T) is used to transmit EPBCH blocks, where SFN represents the system frame number, T represents the PBCH block period, and m represents the number of PBCH periods. The predefined periodicity can be based at least in part on the frequency band of EPBCH transmission.

[0008] In some implementations, the expansion window begins in a time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks. Alternatively, in some implementations, the expansion window begins in a time slot preceding the first traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks and ends in a time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks. At least one EPBCH block in one or more EPBCH blocks may include a PBCH. The PBCH may be scaled and mapped to two symbols. The PBCH may occupy an increased number of resource blocks in each of the two symbols relative to the number of resource blocks occupied by the PBCH in each symbol of a traditional PBCH block. In some implementations, the symbols of one or more EPBCH blocks are mapped to reserve uplink control symbols or downlink control symbols or both. In some implementations, one or more EPBCH blocks include a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) in addition to the PBCH.

[0009] Typically, in one aspect, a method for operating a UE includes: receiving an EPBCH transmission from a BS, the EPBCH transmission comprising one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks contained within an extended window. The size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks. The UE processes the EPBCH transmission to obtain system information.

[0010] Typically, in one aspect, the UE includes one or more processors and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: receiving an EPBCH transmission from the BS, the EPBCH transmission including one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks contained in an extended window, wherein the size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks, and processing the EPBCH transmission to obtain system information.

[0011] Typically, in one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more processors to perform operations including: receiving an EPBCH transmission from a BS, the EPBCH transmission comprising one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks contained in an extended window, wherein the size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks, and processing the EPBCH transmission to obtain system information.

[0012] Specific implementations of any of the above aspects may include one or a combination of two or more of the following features.

[0013] One or more EPBCH blocks can be received by the UE in each Transmission Time Interval (TTI). In some implementations, the BS is configured to determine whether one or more EPBCH blocks overlap with another data block in the current TTI, and to receive the EPBCH block based on the BS's determination that the EPBCH block does not overlap with another data block in the current TTI. In some implementations, one or more EPBCH blocks are received by the UE at a predefined periodicity according to a time-domain pattern. For example, it can be based on SFNmod(m The time-domain pattern defined by T) is used to receive EPBCH blocks, where SFN represents the system frame number, T represents the PBCH block period, and m represents the number of PBCH periods. The predefined periodicity can be based at least in part on the frequency band of the EPBCH transmission.

[0014] A UE may be a UE with reduced capabilities that has one or a combination of two or more of the following characteristics: reduced bandwidth, reduced peak data rate, reduced transmission power, reduced number of soft channel bits, reduced transport block size for broadcast or unicast, or not receiving broadcast or unicast transport blocks simultaneously.

[0015] In some implementations, the extended window begins in the time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks. Alternatively, in some implementations, the extended window begins in the time slot preceding the first traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks and ends in the time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks. By associating a hypothetical resource element containing the EPBCH with the received EPBCH transmission, the UE can determine whether an EPBCH block of one or more EPBCH blocks exists in the transmission. At least one of the one or more EPBCH blocks may include a PBCH. The PBCH may be scaled and mapped to two symbols. The PBCH may occupy an increased number of resource blocks in each of the two symbols relative to the number of resource blocks occupied by the PBCH in each symbol of a traditional PBCH block. In some implementations, the symbols of one or more EPBCH blocks are mapped to reserve uplink control symbols or downlink control symbols or both. In some implementations, one or more EPBCH blocks include a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) in addition to the PBCH.

[0016] Details of one or more specific embodiments are set forth in the following figures and description. Other features and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description, the figures, and the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system is shown.

[0018] Figure 2 A base station (BS) is shown communicating with user equipment (UE) devices.

[0019] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of the UE is shown.

[0020] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a BS is shown.

[0021] Figure 5 An exemplary block diagram of a cellular communication circuit is shown.

[0022] Figures 6 to 8 An example of Extended Physical Broadcast Channel (EPBCH) transmission is shown.

[0023] Figure 9A , Figure 9B and Figure 10 An example of an extended window used for EPBCH transmission is shown.

[0024] Figures 11 to 13B An example of EPBCH resource mapping is shown.

[0025] Figure 14 and Figure 15 An exemplary procedure for PBCH extension is shown.

[0026] Similar reference symbols in the various figures indicate similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The techniques described herein relate to the Extended Physical Broadcast Channel (EPBCH), which can improve coverage of User Equipment (UEs), including degraded UEs, in wireless communication networks such as 5G New Radio (NR) networks. In some specific implementations, the EBPCH includes repeated transmission of PBCH information during an extended window that begins before or after conventional PBCH transmission. In this way, UEs are given more opportunities and greater flexibility to obtain system information to connect to the wireless communication network. The EPBCH can be transmitted during each Transmission Time Interval (TTI), or it can be transmitted dynamically based on the presence of overlapping transmissions or according to a time-domain pattern to avoid collisions and reduce power consumption. The techniques described herein also provide resources for mapping EPBCH transmissions into the channel in a manner consistent with existing standards.

[0028] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system is shown. Note that... Figure 1 The system described herein is merely one example of a possible system, and the features of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of systems as needed.

[0029] The system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipments 106A, 106B...106N via a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Therefore, user equipment 106 is referred to as a UE or UE device. In some specific implementations, the UE may have reduced capabilities or be a "lightweight" UE, as described in detail below.

[0030] Base station (BS) 102A may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site (“cellular base station”), and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with UE 106A to UE 106N.

[0031] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell". Base station 102A and UE 106 can be configured to communicate via a transmission medium using any of a variety of Radio Access Technologies (RATs), also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with air interfaces such as WCDMA or TD-SCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, or 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), or combinations thereof. Note that if base station 102A is implemented in an LTE environment, it may alternatively be referred to as an 'eNodeB' or 'eNB'. Note that if base station 102A is implemented in a 5G NR environment, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB".

[0032] Base station 102A is equipped to communicate with network 100 (e.g., the core network of a cellular service provider, a telecommunications network such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), or the Internet, or a combination thereof). Therefore, base station 102A facilitates communication between user equipments and between user equipments and network 100. Specifically, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various telecommunications capabilities such as voice, SMS, and data services.

[0033] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards may include a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to UE 106A-N and similar devices in a geographical area according to, for example, one or more cellular communication standards.

[0034] Therefore, although base station 102A can act as such Figure 1 The diagram shows the "serving cells" of UEs 106A to UE 106N, but each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and possibly within its communication range) from one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-102N or any other base station, or by the UE itself), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells." Such cells may also facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. These cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pecimen" cells, and / or any other cells of various other granularities providing service area size. For example, in... Figure 1 Base stations 102A to 102B shown can be macro cells, while base station 102N can be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0035] In some implementations, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station or a "gNB". In some implementations, the gNB may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network or an NR core (NRC) network, etc. Furthermore, the gNB cell may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0036] It should be noted that UE 106 can communicate using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, or 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), or combinations thereof), UE 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth or Wi-Fi peer-to-peer), or both. If desired, UE 106 can also (or alternatively) be configured to communicate using one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as GPS or GLONASS, one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), and / or any other wireless communication protocol. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0037] Figure 2 User equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 102 is shown. UE 106 can be a cellular communication-capable device, such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer, or tablet computer, or virtually any type of wireless device, including wireless sensors, monitoring equipment, or wearable devices. In some specific implementations, UE 106 has reduced capabilities or is a “lightweight” UE, as described below.

[0038] UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. UE 106 may execute any of the method embodiments of the present invention by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, UE 106 may include programmable hardware elements, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) configured to execute any of the method embodiments of the present invention or any portion thereof.

[0039] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some embodiments, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, CDMA2000 (1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD) or LTE using a single shared radio component and / or GSM or LTE using a single shared radio component. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Typically, the radio component may include any combination of baseband processor, analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share a receive chain or transmit chain, or one or more portions of both, among various wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0040] In some implementations, UE 106 includes separate transmit and receive chains or both (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured for communication. In some implementations, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components uniquely used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include shared radio components for communication using either LTE or 5G NR (or LTE or 1xRTT, or LTE or GSM), and separate radio components for communication using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0041] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of the communication device 106 is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 3 The block diagram of communication device 106 is merely one example of possible communication devices. In some specific implementations, communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, a wireless sensor, a video surveillance system, or a wearable device, or a combination thereof. As shown, communication device 106 may include a set of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components may be implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), which may include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, this set of components 300 may be implemented as individual components or groups of components for various purposes. This set of components 300 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuitry of communication device 106.

[0042] For example, communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connection to a computer system; docking station; charging station; input devices such as microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices such as speaker), display 360 (which may be integrated with or external to communication device 106), cellular communication circuitry 330 (e.g., for 5G NR, LTE, GSM, etc.), and short- to medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 (e.g., Bluetooth). ™ (and WLAN circuitry). In some embodiments, the communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as, for example, a network interface card for Ethernet.

[0043] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335 and 336. Short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may also be coupled (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 337 and 338. Alternatively, short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively grounded; directly or indirectly) to antennas 337 and 338, or as an alternative, to antennas 335 and 336. Short-to-medium-range wireless communication circuitry 329 or cellular communication circuitry 330, or both, may include multiple receive chains and multiple transmit chains for receiving and transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0044] In some implementations, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or coupled to (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components) (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G-NR). Furthermore, in some implementations, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radio components dedicated to a particular RAT. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT, such as LTE, and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with additional radio components, such as a second radio component that may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and can communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a shared transmit chain.

[0045] The communication device 106 may also include one or more user interface elements or be configured to be used with one or more user interface elements. User interface elements may include various components such as a display 360 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of the touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone, a speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, or combinations thereof, and any of various other components capable of providing information to the user or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0046] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 345 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC cards (one or more Universal Integrated Circuit Cards) 345.

[0047] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 may include a processor 302 and a display circuit 304. The processor executes program instructions for the communication device 106, and the display circuit performs graphics processing and provides display signals to the display 360. The processor 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 (which may be configured to receive addresses from the processor 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310)) and / or coupled to other circuitry or devices (such as the display circuit 304, short-range wireless communication circuitry 229, cellular communication circuitry 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360). The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some implementations, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0048] Communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing the aforementioned features of UL data for time-division multiplexing NSA NR operation. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium), processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 329, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0049] Processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. For example, processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 302. Each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, and other circuitry) configured to perform the functions of processor 302.

[0050] Furthermore, the cellular communication circuit 330 and the short-range wireless communication circuit 329 may each include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the cellular communication circuit 330, and similarly, one or more processing elements may be included in the short-range wireless communication circuit 329. Therefore, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 330. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the cellular communication circuit 330. Similarly, the short-range wireless communication circuit 329 may include one or more ICs configured to perform the functions of the short-range wireless communication circuit 329. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the short-range wireless communication circuit 329.

[0051] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of base station 102 is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 4 The base station is an example of a possible base station. As shown, base station 102 includes a processor 404 capable of executing program instructions for base station 102. Processor 404 may be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuitry or devices, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate these addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0052] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to be coupled to a telephone network and provide access rights as described above. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The telephone network includes multiple devices such as UE device 106.

[0053] Network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to be coupled to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related or other services to multiple devices, such as UE device 106. In some implementations, network port 470 uses the core network to couple to a telephone network, or the core network may provide a telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0054] In some specific implementations, base station 102 is a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or "gNB". In such implementations, base station 102 may connect to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, UEs capable of operating according to 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0055] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 434 may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio component 430. Antenna 434 communicates with radio component 430 via communication link 432. Communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. Radio component 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, or Wi-Fi, or combinations thereof.

[0056] Base station 102 can be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communication according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for performing communication according to 5G NR. In this case, base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multimode radio component capable of performing communication according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, or combinations thereof).

[0057] BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting specific implementations of the features described herein. The processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, and 470, the processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the features described herein.

[0058] In some implementations, processor 404 comprises one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in processor 404. Therefore, processor 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 404. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., first circuitry, second circuitry, and other circuitry) configured to perform the functions of processor 404.

[0059] In some implementations, the radio component 430 comprises one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the radio component 430. Therefore, the radio component 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the radio component 430. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the radio component 430.

[0060] Figure 5 An exemplary block diagram of a cellular communication circuit 330 is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit 330 is an example of a possible cellular communication circuit. In some specific implementations, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As mentioned above, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, a wireless sensor, a monitoring device, or a wearable device, or a combination thereof.

[0061] Cellular communication circuit 330 may (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) be coupled to one or more antennas, such as ( Figure 3Antennas 335 ab and 336 are shown in the diagram. In some specific embodiments, cellular communication circuitry 330 includes or is communicatively coupled to dedicated receive chains, processors, or radio components for multiple RATs (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, as shown... Figure 5 As shown, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a modem 510 and a modem 520. The modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT, such as LTE or LTE-A, and the modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT, such as 5G NR.

[0062] Modem 510 includes one or more processors 512 and memory 516 in communication with processors 512. Modem 510 communicates with radio frequency (RF) front end 530. RF front end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, RF front end 530 includes receiver circuitry (RX) 532 and transmitter circuitry (TX) 534. In some embodiments, receiver circuitry 532 communicates with downlink (DL) front end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335a.

[0063] Similarly, modem 520 includes one or more processors 522 and memory 526 in communication with processor 522. Modem 520 communicates with RF front end 540. RF front end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, RF front end 540 may include receiving circuitry 542 and transmitting circuitry 544. In some embodiments, receiving circuitry 542 communicates with DL front end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via antenna 335b.

[0064] Modem 510 may include hardware and software components for implementing the features described above or for time-division multiplexing NSA NR operation, as well as various other technologies described herein. For example, processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 512 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), processor 512 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by combining with one or more of other components 530, 532, 534, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0065] Processor 512 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 512 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 512. Furthermore, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 512.

[0066] Modem 520 may include hardware and software components for implementing the aforementioned features of UL data for time-division multiplexing NSA NR operation, as well as various other techniques described herein. For example, processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively (or otherwise), processor 522 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or additionally), processor 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by combining one or more of other components 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0067] Furthermore, processor 522 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 522. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processor 522.

[0068] According to certain aspects of this disclosure, a new class of reduced-capability 5G NR UEs (sometimes referred to herein as "NR Lightweight UEs" or "NL UEs") is introduced. NR Lightweight UEs may include some or all of the components of a typical UE (e.g., UE 106 as described above), but may include certain hardware and software modifications or reductions, such as a reduced number of RX or TX antennas, to reduce cost or complexity, or both. For example, in some specific implementations, NR Lightweight UEs include one or a combination of two or more of the following relaxed requirements to reduce UE complexity: not receiving multiple unicast or broadcast transport blocks (TBs) simultaneously or both; a reduced TB size for broadcast and unicast data; a reduced number of soft channel bits; reduced system operation at the RF / baseband (BB) for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), where retuning may be possible across the entire NR system bandwidth (e.g., the reduced bandwidth may depend on the configured subcarrier spacing); reduced transmission power, such as maximum transmission power; or reduced UL or DL ​​data rates, such as peak data rates. By establishing a lightweight NR UE category within the 5G NR framework, UE costs and complexity can be reduced, and wireless communication support can be provided for additional UEs that meet relaxed capability requirements, such as industrial sensors, video surveillance systems, and wearable devices.

[0069] Other characteristics of an NR UE may include the following. In some implementations, an NL UE accesses a cell (e.g., base station 102) only if the Master Information Block (MIB) received from the cell indicates permission. Otherwise, the NL UE may consider the cell to be prohibited. In some implementations, aspects for common control and random access include: the NL UE may receive separately occurring System Information Blocks (SIBs) from the base station (e.g., in different time or frequency resources); the NL UE's Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) modification period may be a multiple of the conventional (e.g., non-NL UE) BCCH modification period; and a separate set of Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) resources may be provided to the NL UE, such as frequency, time, preamble, or Random Access Response (RAR) related information, or a combination thereof.

[0070] For NL UEs, reducing the number of antennas, such as RX antennas, can lower costs, but this will result in reduced coverage for this type of UE. Therefore, coverage loss should be addressed for different DL channels to maintain coverage performance for NL UEs.

[0071] The techniques described herein compensate for coverage loss in NL UEs and other UEs through PBCH extension. In this way, the cell can provide NL UEs (and other UEs) with more opportunities and greater flexibility to obtain system information to connect to the cell and thus maintain wireless communication coverage. While these techniques are described in the context of PBCH channels, in some specific implementations, these techniques can be applied to other DL channels, such as the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). Furthermore, although these techniques are described in the context of NL UEs, they are generally applicable to other UEs, such as those described herein. For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "traditional PBCH" is generally used to refer to a PBCH transmitted according to a previous version of the standard relative to the extended PBCH described herein (e.g., 5G NR Release 16 or earlier).

[0072] Typically, both traditional and extended PBCHs provide basic system information to UEs (including NL UEs). A cell (e.g., base station 102) can transmit the PBCH to the UE during downlink transmissions. The UE can decode the information on the PBCH to access the cell. Information provided by the PBCH may include, for example, timing information within radio frames, SS burst setting periodicity, system frame number, and other higher-layer information. In some implementations, the PBCH is used to transmit other broadcast information such as the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

[0073] In some implementations, the PBCH can be repeatedly extended within a Transmission Time Interval (TTI), which can be 80ms in the case of 5G NRPBCH. Different options can be considered for extended PBCH (EPBCH) transmission across TTIs. In some implementations, the base station can transmit the EPBCH in every TTI (e.g., every 80ms cycle) as long as extended transmission is enabled (e.g., based on higher-layer signaling such as PBCH / System Information Block (SIB)). This is beneficial from a power-saving perspective because the UE can assume the same assumptions about the presence of the EPBCH block when waking up, for example, during discontinuous reception (DRX) operation, as determined during earlier acquisition cycles. In this and other approaches, the traditional PBCH can be transmitted in its normal position to ensure compatibility with UEs that do not use the EPBCH method. Furthermore, the traditional PBCH can be used by, for example, NL UEs, in addition to or in place of the EPBCH.

[0074] In some specific implementations, EPBCH transmission is dynamically determined by the cell during each TTI, such as... Figure 6As shown. This provides the cell's network scheduler with the flexibility to prioritize other broadcast transmissions, such as paging transmissions, that may overlap with EPBCH transmissions. For example, if the network scheduler determines that another transmission is scheduled for transmission that will overlap with EPBCH transmissions, the network scheduler can assign a higher priority to the other transmission and can suppress or delay EPBCH transmissions (e.g., until the next TTI), as... Figure 6 As shown. In this method, the UE detects the presence of EPBCH transmission during each TTI. In some specific implementations, the UE associates hypothetical resource elements (REs) containing EPBCH transmissions to determine whether an actual EPBCH exists in the current TTI. To reduce power consumption, if the UE determines that no EPBCH transmission exists in a particular period, the UE can power off or prematurely terminate EPBCH detection for the remainder of the frame.

[0075] In some implementations, EPBCH transmissions operate periodically according to one or more time-domain patterns, based on a predefined schedule. The primary motivation for choosing this option is the potential power savings, such as its predictability, and minimizing signaling overhead by avoiding unnecessary PBCH repetitions. In some implementations, the EPBCH transmission period boundaries are defined according to the equation... The value of m is defined by the system frame number (SFN) value, where m is the number of EPBCH blocks per legacy PBCH / Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) period, and T is the legacy PBCH / SSB block period. The value of m can be determined based on, for example, the frequency band. In some specific implementations, the value of m is fixed in the specification (e.g., one or more specifications in the 3GPP 5G NR technical specification). Figure 7 An example of this method is shown in the figure, where m=4.

[0076] In some specific implementations, one or more of these methods are combined. For example, see reference... Figure 6 and Figure 7 The method described can be combined using a predefined pair of values ​​{m, n}, where m is as described above, and n is the number of EPBCH transmissions with an EBPCH cycle. An example of this combination method is... Figure 8 The example uses {m=4, n=2} to illustrate this.

[0077] To facilitate EPBCH transmission within existing standards, an extended window can be defined, and EPBCH transmission can be confined to this extended window. (Reference) Figure 9A In some specific implementations, the EPBCH extension window 900 begins in a slot after the last slot of the conventional SS / PBCH block 902 (e.g., after a received symbol). [Reference] Figure 9BTo further reduce the initial access delay of the UE, the EPBCH extension window 904 can be located before the first time slot of the traditional SS / PBCH block 902 and after the last time slot of the traditional SS / PBCH block.

[0078] refer to Figure 10 In some specific implementations, the size W of the EPBCH extended window is determined by... The equation is defined as follows: R is the number of PBCH repetitions, L is the number of conventional SSB blocks (sometimes referred to herein as SS / PBCH blocks or simply PBCH blocks), and M is the number of EPBCH candidates within a time slot or a bundle of two time slots (e.g., for a 240 kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS)). This equation can be used to define the EPBCH spreading window size, regardless of whether the EBPCH begins before or after a conventional PBCH block. In some specific implementations, a time slot offset value (O) is used to determine the first time slot for EPBCH transmission. The offset value may depend on, for example, the SCS used for EPBCH transmission, where O is 2 or 4 for a 15 kHz or 30 kHz SCS, 38 for a 120 kHz SCS, and 36 for a 240 kHz SCS.

[0079] like Figure 11 As shown, in some specific implementations, EPBCH 1100 includes PBCH 1102, PSS 1104, and SSS 1106. Including this additional signaling information in the EPBCH can reduce the UE's access latency. In some specific implementations, EPBCH 1110 includes PBCH 1112 without PSS or SSS to minimize signaling overhead. In this way, the sequence of complex-valued PBCH symbols (e.g., PBCH 1102) can be factored... Scaling is performed to produce PBCH symbols (e.g., PBCH 1112) that meet power allocation and boosting requirements. PBCH symbols 1112 can then be sequentially mapped to resource elements in two consecutive symbols i and i+1, for example. In some specific implementations, EPBCH 1110 can occupy a different bandwidth or number of resource blocks (RBs) compared to a conventional PBCH (e.g., PBCH 1102). For example, as... Figure 11 As shown, EPBCH 1110 can achieve the same coding rate as the conventional 3-symbol PBCH using 20 PRBs by increasing the number of RBs (e.g., 24 PRBs) in each of two consecutive symbols.

[0080] The technology described in this article also provides a mapping of EPBCH transmissions to in-channel resources, such as... Figure 12As shown. In some implementations, EPBCH symbols are mapped to reserve X symbols at the beginning of a time slot, for example, for DL ​​control data. For example, the EPBCH can be mapped to reserve X=2 for a 15kHz or 30kHz SCS, or X=4 for a 120kHz SCS. In some implementations, EPBCH symbols can be mapped to reserve Y symbols at the ends of a time slot, for example, for guard cycles and UL control data. For example, the EPBCH can be mapped to reserve Y=2 for a 15kHz, 30kHz, or 120kHz SCS. In some implementations, such as for larger SCS (e.g., 240kHz), X and Y symbols can be reserved for every two consecutive cascaded time slots (e.g., X=8 and Y=4). EPBCH transmission may or may not span the middle of a time slot defined by, for example, a 15kHz SCS, as shown respectively. Figure 13A and Figure 13B Modes 1 and 2 are shown in the diagram. Other modes can be used, for example, at least in part based on the SCS used for EPBCH transmission.

[0081] EBPCH candidates in the extended window can be indexed sequentially, such as in ascending order in the time domain. For example, EBPCH candidates can range from 0 to (R The index is L)-1, where R is the number of PBCH repetitions and L is the number of traditional SSB blocks. In some specific implementations, the association between the PBCH and EPBCH index j in traditional SSB block i is calculated as follows: . Figure 13A and Figure 13B Different examples of one-to-one mappings or associations between SSB blocks and EPBCH candidates are shown, assuming a 15kHz SSC, L=4, and R=2. Specifically, Figure 13A An example of the mapping or association of the EPBCH extended window that appears after the SSB block is shown, and Figure 13B An example is shown where the EPBCH extension window begins before the SSB block and spans across the SSB block. In some implementations, different redundant versions (RVs) of the Master Information Block (MIB) can be used for EPBCH transmission. For example, RV sequences (e.g., {3,1,2,0}) can be predefined in standards such as the 5G NR standard.

[0082] Figure 14 A flowchart of an exemplary process 1400 for PBCH extension is shown. In some specific implementations, process 1400 is performed by one or more of the devices or systems described herein.

[0083] The operation of process 1400 includes generating an EPBCH transmission (1402) that comprises one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more extended physical broadcast channel (EPBCH) blocks within an extended window. The EPBCH can be generated by, for example, BS 102. The size of the extended window (e.g., extended window 904) can be determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks.

[0084] In some implementations, the BS transmits one or more EPBCH blocks in each Transmission Time Interval (TTI) (e.g., 80 ms). In some implementations, the BS can determine whether one or more EPBCH blocks overlap with another data block in the current TTI and can schedule the transmission of EPBCH blocks based on this determination. In some implementations, one or more EPBCH blocks are transmitted by the BS at a predefined periodicity according to a time-domain pattern. For example, it can be based on SFN mod(m) The time-domain pattern defined by T) is used to transmit EPBCH blocks, where SFN represents the system frame number, T represents the PBCH block period, and m represents the number of PBCH periods. The predefined periodicity can be based at least in part on the frequency band of EPBCH transmission.

[0085] In some implementations, the extended window begins in a time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks. Alternatively, in some implementations, the extended window begins in a time slot preceding the first traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks and ends in a time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks.

[0086] EPBCH transmissions are carried out to one or more UEs (1404). For example, EPBCH transmissions may be carried out by BS 102 to one or more UEs 106A, 106B…106N, which may include NL UEs. At least one of the one or more EPBCH blocks may include a PBCH. The PBCH may be scaled and mapped to two symbols. The PBCH may occupy an increased number of resource blocks in each of the two symbols relative to the number of resource blocks occupied by the PBCH in each symbol of a conventional PBCH block. In some implementations, the symbols of one or more EPBCH blocks are mapped to reserve uplink control symbols or downlink control symbols or both. In some implementations, one or more EPBCH blocks may include a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) in addition to the PBCH.

[0087] Figure 15A flowchart of an exemplary process 1500 for PBCH extension is shown. In some specific implementations, process 1500 is performed by one or more of the devices or systems described herein.

[0088] The operation of procedure 1500 includes receiving an EPBCH transmission (1502) from the BS, comprising one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more extended physical broadcast channel (EPBCH) blocks contained in an extended window. The size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks. For example, the EPBCH transmission may be received by UE 106 from BS 102. In some specific implementations, the UE includes a UE with reduced capabilities (e.g., NL UE) having one or more of the following characteristics: reduced bandwidth, reduced peak data rate, reduced transmission power, reduced number of soft channel bits, reduced transport block size for broadcast or unicast, or not receiving broadcast or unicast transport blocks simultaneously.

[0089] In some implementations, the UE receives one or more EPBCH blocks in each Transmission Time Interval (TTI) (e.g., 80 ms). In some implementations, the BS is configured to determine whether one or more EPBCH blocks overlap with another data block in the current TTI, and receives the EPBCH block based on the BS's determination that it does not overlap with another data block in the current TTI. In some implementations, one or more EPBCH blocks are received by the UE at a predefined periodicity according to a time-domain pattern. For example, it can be based on SFN mod (m The time-domain pattern defined by T) is used to receive EPBCH blocks, where SFN represents the system frame number, T represents the PBCH block period, and m represents the number of PBCH periods. The predefined periodicity can be based at least in part on the frequency band of the EPBCH transmission.

[0090] In some implementations, the extended window begins in a time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks. Alternatively, in some implementations, the extended window begins in a time slot preceding the first traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks and ends in a time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in one or more traditional PBCH blocks. By associating a hypothetical resource element containing the EPBCH with the received EPBCH transmission, the UE can determine whether an EPBCH block of one or more EPBCH blocks exists in the transmission.

[0091] Processing EPBCH transmissions to obtain system information (1504). For example, a UE (e.g., UE 106) may process EPBCH transmissions to obtain information for connecting to the BS. For example, EPBCH transmissions may be transmitted by BS 102 to one or more UEs 106A, 106B…106N, which may include NL UEs. At least one of the one or more EPBCH blocks may include a PBCH. The PBCH may be scaled and mapped to two symbols. The PBCH may occupy an increased number of resource blocks in each of the two symbols relative to the number of resource blocks occupied by the PBCH in each symbol of a conventional PBCH block. In some implementations, the symbols of one or more EPBCH blocks are mapped to reserve uplink control symbols or downlink control symbols or both. In some implementations, one or more EPBCH blocks may include a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) in addition to the PBCH.

[0092] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0093] In various specific embodiments, the methods described herein can be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the order of the blocks of the method can be changed, and various elements can be added, reordered, combined, omitted, modified, etc. Various modifications and changes can be made, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure. The various specific embodiments described herein are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Many variations, modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. Thus, multiple examples may be provided for a component described herein as a single example. The boundaries between various components, operations, and data repositories are somewhat arbitrary, and specific operations are shown in the context of a particular exemplary configuration. Other assignments of functionality are contemplated, which may fall within the scope of the appended claims. Finally, the structure and functionality of the discrete components presented in the exemplary configuration can be implemented as combined structures or components.

Claims

1. A method for operating a base station (BS), comprising: Generate an Extended Physical Broadcast Channel (EPBCH) transmission, the EPBCH transmission including one or more traditional PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks contained in an extended window, wherein the size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of traditional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks; and The BS transmits the EPBCH transmission to one or more user equipment (UEs).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more EPBCH blocks are transmitted by the BS in each transmission time interval (TTI).

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The BS determines whether an EPBCH block in one or more EPBCH blocks overlaps with another data block in the current TTI; as well as The transmission of the EPBCH block is scheduled based on the determination that the EPBCH block does not overlap with another data block in the current TTI.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more EPBCH blocks are transmitted by the BS in a predefined periodic manner according to a time-domain pattern.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the time-domain mode is defined by SFN mod(m*T), where SFN represents the system frame number, T represents the PBCH block period, and m represents the number of PBCH periods.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the predefined periodicity is at least partially based on the frequency band of the EPBCH transmission.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the extended window begins in the time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in the one or more traditional PBCH blocks.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the extended window begins in a time slot preceding the first traditional PBCH block in the one or more traditional PBCH blocks and ends in a time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in the one or more traditional PBCH blocks.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more EPBCH blocks comprises PBCH.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more EPBCH blocks further include a primary synchronization signal PSS and a secondary synchronization signal SSS in addition to the PBCH.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the PBCH is scaled and mapped to two symbols.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the PBCH occupies an increased number of resource blocks in each of the two symbols relative to the number of resource blocks occupied by the PBCH in each symbol of the conventional PBCH block.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the symbols of the one or more EPBCH blocks are mapped to preserve uplink control symbols or downlink control symbols or both.

14. A base station (BS), comprising: One or more processors; as well as A memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: Generate an Extended Physical Broadcast Channel (EPBCH) transmission, the EPBCH transmission including one or more traditional PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks contained in an extended window, wherein the size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of traditional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks; and The BS transmits the EPBCH transmission to one or more user equipment (UEs).

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: Generate an Extended Physical Broadcast Channel (EPBCH) transmission, the EPBCH transmission including one or more traditional PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks contained in an extended window, wherein the size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of traditional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks; and The EPBCH transmission is transmitted from the base station (BS) to one or more user equipment (UEs).

16. A method for operating user equipment (UE), comprising: Received from base station BS extended physical broadcast channel (EPBCH) transmission, the EPBCH transmission comprising one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks contained in an extended window, wherein the size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks; and The EPBCH transmission is processed to obtain system information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the UE includes a UE with reduced capability having one or a combination of two or more of the following features: reduced bandwidth, reduced peak data rate, reduced transmission power, reduced number of soft channel bits, reduced transport block size for broadcast or unicast, or not simultaneously receiving broadcast or unicast transport blocks.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more EPBCH blocks are received in each transmission time interval (TTI).

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the BS is configured to determine whether an EPBCH block in the one or more EPBCH blocks overlaps with another data block in the current TTI, and wherein the EPBCH block is received based on the BS determining that the EPBCH block does not overlap with another data block in the current TTI.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising: The UE determines whether the one or more EPBCH blocks are present in the transmission by associating a hypothetical resource element containing the EPBCH with the received EPBCH transmission.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more EPBCH blocks are received at a predefined periodicity according to a time-domain pattern.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the time-domain mode is defined by SFN mod(m*T), where SFN represents the system frame number, T represents the PBCH block period, and m represents the number of PBCH periods.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the predefined periodicity is at least partially based on the frequency band of the EPBCH transmission.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the extended window begins in a time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in the one or more traditional PBCH blocks.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the extended window begins in a time slot preceding the first traditional PBCH block in the one or more traditional PBCH blocks and ends in a time slot following the last traditional PBCH block in the one or more traditional PBCH blocks.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the one or more EPBCH blocks comprises PBCH.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more EPBCH blocks further include a primary synchronization signal PSS and a secondary synchronization signal SSS in addition to the PBCH.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the PBCH is scaled and mapped to two symbols.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the PBCH occupies an increased number of resource blocks in each of the two symbols relative to the number of resource blocks occupied by the PBCH in each symbol of the conventional PBCH block.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein the symbols of the one or more EPBCH blocks are mapped to preserve uplink control symbols or downlink control symbols or both.

31. A user equipment (UE), comprising: One or more processors; as well as A memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: Received from base station BS extended physical broadcast channel (EPBCH) transmission, the EPBCH transmission comprising one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks contained in an extended window, wherein the size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks; and The EPBCH transmission is processed to obtain system information.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations including: Received from base station BS extended physical broadcast channel (EPBCH) transmission, the EPBCH transmission comprising one or more conventional PBCH blocks and one or more EPBCH blocks contained in an extended window, wherein the size of the extended window is determined at least in part based on the number of PBCH repetitions and the number of conventional PBCH blocks relative to the number of EPBCH blocks; and The EPBCH transmission is processed to obtain system information.

Images