Enabling access of New Radio (NR) devices with reduced capabilities

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus and computer program products for enabling access of reduced-capability New Radio (NR) devices. For example, a network may indicate which configured random access channel (RACH) resources can be used to perform a random access procedure within a reduced uplink (UL) bandwidth (BW) (compared to the entire initial UL bandwidth portion (BWP) BW). The network may schedule any UL transmissions (e.g., Msg3 (re)transmissions, etc.) related to such a random access procedure within the reduced UL BW.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 988,607, filed on March 12, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Some example embodiments may relate generally to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology, or may relate to other communication systems. For example, certain embodiments may relate to systems and / or methods for enabling access of reduced capability new radio (NR) devices. Background Art

[0004] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, and / or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology. 5G wireless systems refer to next generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. 5G is primarily built on new radio (NR), but 5G (or NG) networks can also be built on E-UTRA radio. It is estimated that NR can provide bit rates of 10-20Gbit / s or higher, and can support at least enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine type communications (mMTC). NR is expected to provide ultra-wideband and ultra-robust low latency connections and large-scale networks to support the Internet of Things (IoT). As IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications become more and more common, the need for networks that can meet the requirements of low power consumption, low data rates, and long battery life will continue to grow. Note that in 5G, a node that can provide radio access functions to user equipment (i.e., similar to Node B in UTRAN or eNB in ​​LTE) can be named gNB when built on NR radio, and can be named NG-eNB when built on E-UTRA radio. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to a first embodiment, a method may include receiving, by a user equipment (UE), an indication of a configuration for an intra-bandwidth random access procedure. The method may include determining a set of resources that the UE can use based on the configuration and a random access channel (RACH) configuration.

[0006] In one variation, the indication may be included in the system information. In one variation, the indication may include one or more bits in the system information. In one variation, the indication may indicate one or more RACH resources within the bandwidth that can be used to perform the random access procedure. In one variation, determining the resource set may also include determining the resource set based on the one or more indicated RACH resources.

[0007] In one variation, the indication may identify a first RACH resource within the bandwidth. In one variation, determining the resource set may further include determining the resource set based on the first RACH resource. In one variation, the indication may identify a control resource set number 0 (CORESET#0) bandwidth. In one variation, determining the resource set may further include determining the resource set based on the CORESET#0 bandwidth.

[0008] In one variation, the indication may include time or frequency information, the time or frequency information identifying a RACH resource set within the bandwidth that can be used to perform a random access procedure. In one variation, determining the resource set may also include determining the resource set based on the time or frequency information. In one variation, determining the resource set may also include determining that the UE is allowed to use the RACH resource set, or determining that the UE is not allowed to use one or more other RACH resources not included in the RACH resource set.

[0009] In one variation, the method may further include transmitting an indication of the capabilities of the UE. In one variation, the capabilities may include at least one of the following: an ability to use the bandwidth, an inability to use an initial bandwidth wider than the bandwidth, or a maximum supported bandwidth of the UE. In one variation, the method may further include determining a RACH configuration, and determining whether the UE has received the indication. In one variation, the method may further include determining the bandwidth based on the configuration used for the random access procedure.

[0010] In one variation, determining the resource set may include determining one or more random access opportunities within the bandwidth that can be used to request that the transmission be performed. In one variation, the method may also include performing a random access procedure using the resource set by transmitting or receiving one or more messages associated with the random access procedure. In one variation, the method may also include determining one or more random access resources to be used for transmission based on performing the random access procedure.

[0011] According to a second embodiment, a method may include transmitting, by a network node, an indication of a configuration for an intra-bandwidth random access procedure. The method may include receiving an indication of a capability of a UE. The capability may include at least one of: an ability to use the bandwidth, an inability to use an initial bandwidth wider than the bandwidth, or a maximum supported bandwidth of the UE.

[0012] In one variation, the indication may be included in the system information. In one variation, the indication may include one or more bits in the system information. In one variation, the indication may indicate one or more random access channel resources within the bandwidth that can be used to perform the random access procedure. In one variation, the indication may identify a first RACH resource within the bandwidth.

[0013] In one variation, the indication may identify a control resource set number 0 (CORESET#0) bandwidth. In one variation, the indication may include time or frequency information identifying a set of RACH resources within the bandwidth that can be used to perform a random access procedure.

[0014] A third embodiment may be directed to an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory comprising computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform a method according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment or any variant thereof.

[0015] A fourth embodiment may be directed to an apparatus which may include a circuit system configured to cause the apparatus to perform a method according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment or any variation thereof.

[0016] The fifth embodiment may be directed to a device, which may include a component for executing the method according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment or any variation thereof. Examples of the component may include one or more processors, memories, and / or computer program codes for enabling the execution of the operation.

[0017] The sixth embodiment may involve a computer-readable medium including program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions being used to cause an apparatus to at least execute the method according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment or any of the above variations.

[0018] The seventh embodiment may relate to a computer program product encoding instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the method according to the first embodiment or the second embodiment or any variation thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] For a proper understanding of the example embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 An example of enabling access of reduced capability NR devices according to some embodiments is shown;

[0021] Figure 2 An example flow chart of a method according to some embodiments is shown;

[0022] Figure 3 An example flow chart of a method according to some embodiments is shown;

[0023] Figure 4a An example block diagram showing an apparatus according to one embodiment; and

[0024] Figure 4b An example block diagram of an apparatus according to another embodiment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] It will be readily appreciated that the components of certain example embodiments as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for enabling access of reduced-capability NR devices is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments, but is representative of selected example embodiments.

[0026] The features, structures or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the use of the phrases "certain embodiments", "some embodiments" or other similar language throughout this specification refers to that a specific feature, structure or characteristic described in conjunction with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, the appearance of the phrases "in certain embodiments", "in some embodiments", "in other embodiments" or other similar language throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same set of embodiments, and the described features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. In addition, the phrase "a set of..." refers to a set including one or more of the referenced set members. Therefore, the phrases "a set of...", "one or more of..." and "at least one of..." or equivalent phrases may be used interchangeably. In addition, unless otherwise expressly stated, "or" is intended to mean "and / or".

[0027] In addition, if desired, the different functions or operations discussed below can be performed in different orders and / or simultaneously with each other. In addition, if desired, one or more of the described functions or operations can be optional or can be combined. Therefore, the following description should be regarded as merely illustrating the principles and teachings of certain example embodiments, rather than limiting them.

[0028] Support for Reduced Capability (REDCAP) NR devices for NR is being considered. 5G use cases that have been identified include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC). Another area identified for locating the boundary between mMTC and URLLC is time sensitive communications (TSC). In particular, mMTC, URLLC, and TSC are associated with Internet of Things (IoT) use cases for vertical industries. It is envisioned that eMBB, mMTC, URLLC, and TSC use cases may have to be supported in the same network.

[0029] In the 3GPP study on "Self-Assessment of IMT-2020 Submissions", it has been confirmed that Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) and LTE-MTC (LTE-M) meet the IMT-2020 standard for mMTC and can be certified as 5G technologies. For URLLC support, URLLC features were introduced for both LTE and NR in Release 15, and NR URLLC was further enhanced in Enhanced URLLC (eURLLC) and Industrial IoT work items in Release 16. Release 16 also introduces support for Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) and 5G integration for TSC use cases.

[0030] An important goal of 5G is to enable connected industries. 5G connectivity can be a catalyst for the next wave of industrial transformation and digitalization, which can increase flexibility, improve productivity and efficiency, reduce maintenance costs and improve operational safety. Devices in this environment can include, for example, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, thermometers, motion sensors, accelerometers, actuators, etc. It is hoped that these sensors and actuators will be connected to the 5G network and core. Large-scale industrial wireless sensor network (IWSN) use cases and requirements can include very demanding URLLC services, as well as relatively low-end services that require a small device form factor and / or a battery life of several years for full wireless. The requirements for these services are higher than low power wide area (LPWA) (i.e., LTE-M / NB-IOT), but lower than URLCC and eMBB.

[0031] Similar to connected industries, 5G connectivity can be a catalyst for the next wave of smart city innovation. For example, some technical specifications describe the use cases and requirements of smart cities. The smart city vertical covers data collection and processing to more efficiently monitor and control city resources and provide services to city residents. The deployment of surveillance cameras is part of smart cities as well as factories and industries.

[0032] Wearable device use cases include smart watches, rings, e-health related devices, and medical monitoring devices. A characteristic of these use cases is the small size of the device. As a baseline, the requirements for these three use cases are: 1) Common requirements: a) Device complexity, where the main motivation for new device types is to reduce device cost and complexity compared to, for example, high-end eMBB and URLLC devices of Release 15 / 16 (especially for industrial sensors); b) Device size, where most use cases require the standard to support device designs with compact form factors; and c) Deployment scenarios, where the system should support all frequency range 1 (FR1) / frequency range 2 (FR2) bands for frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). In addition, there are requirements for specific use cases: a) Industrial wireless sensors, where the reference use case and requirements include 99.99% communication service availability and end-to-end latency of less than 100 milliseconds (ms), where the reference bit rate for the use case is less than 2 megabits per second (Mbps) (may be asymmetric, such as uplink (UL) heavy traffic), and the devices are fixed, where the battery should last at least a few years, and where for safety-related sensors, the latency requirements are lower (e.g., 5-10ms); b) Video surveillance, where the reference economic video bit rate can be 2-4Mb ps, latency less than 500ms, reliability of 99%-99.9%, where for example high-end video for agriculture may require 7.5-25Mbps (these types of traffic models are usually dominated by UL transmissions); and c) wearable devices, where the reference bitrate for smart wearable applications can be 10-50Mbps in the downlink (DL) and a minimum of 5Mbps in the UL, and the peak bitrate of the device is higher, 150Mbps in the downlink and 50Mbps in the uplink, and where the battery of the device should last for days (up to 1-2 weeks). One goal is to identify and study potential UE complexity reduction features, including UE bandwidth reduction (synchronization signal block (SSB) bandwidth should be reused and layer 1 (L1) changes minimized).

[0033] As can be seen above, reduced capability NR devices should be able to utilize SSB bandwidth, and generally L1 changes should be minimized. Therefore, it is assumed that the control resource set (CORESET) #0 bandwidth (BW) used for scheduling and transmitting all system information messages, paging, and DL transmissions based on UE initial access via the random access channel (RACH) can be used by REDCAP NR devices. CORESET #0 is configured by the master information block (MIB) and the bandwidth can be selected from {24, 48, 96} physical resource blocks (PRBs) to support different system / carrier bandwidth deployments. Since the initial bandwidth part (BWP) also limits the bandwidth of the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) used for broadcast, as mentioned above, it is most efficient to allocate it as wide as possible. It is assumed that the UE uses the initial DL BWP (whose bandwidth is up to the system BW) configured in System Information Block 1 (SIB1) after receiving Message 4 (Msg4) (RRCSetup / RRCReestablishment / RRCResume), which is why the NW should be able to identify UEs with reduced BW capabilities before transmitting Msg4 for the UE (because any scheduling commands on PDCCH sent by the network after this point in time may be within the initial DL BWP).

[0034] However, the initial UL BWP similarly configured in SIB1 is used by the UE at the beginning, so the UL BW for the random access process uses the initial UL BWP BW, which REDCAP NR devices may not support. RACH resources can be configured anywhere within the initial UL BWP in NR. The physical resources of RACH are configured by radio resource control (RRC) (for example, information about prach-ConfigurationIndex, msg1-FDM, and msg1-FrequencyStart included in the RACH-ConfigGeneric information element (IE) used to specify random access parameters for conventional random access and beam failure recovery). In this case, the cell may have up to eight frequency-division multiplexed physical RACH (PRACH) opportunities at a time. One PRACH corresponds to 12 PRBs, so the PRACH opportunity can extend the bandwidth of up to 96 PRBs within the initial UL BWP - which roughly corresponds to a 20 megahertz (MHz) bandwidth at a 15kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS).

[0035] The BWP concept allows the gNB to efficiently serve UEs with different BWP capabilities over the same cell. However, the initial UL BWP that the NW intends for regular NR UEs may be too wide for REDCAP NR UEs. The question is how REDCAP NR devices can access the same cell as regular NR UEs while the maximum supported bandwidth of the REDCAP NR devices is less than the BW of the initial BWP. Given that the DL messages of the random access procedure are scheduled above the CORESET#0 BW, as mentioned above, the main issue is the initial UL BWP.

[0036] One possible solution is to allocate dedicated RACH resources for REDCAP NR devices and by using those resources the NW will already know from the preamble indicating that the UE is a REDCAP NR UE. However, since the preamble has to be allocated in each beam (SSB and / or Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS)) of the cell, the RACH configuration can be large in NR (especially in FR2 cells). Therefore, considering that all system information will be sent over the limited CORESET#0 bandwidth, allocating dedicated RACH resources for this purpose will be very expensive in terms of overhead and network resource consumption (a large signaling burden for the NW and reduced system capacity). Moreover, these resources cannot be used by legacy UEs.

[0037] Some embodiments described herein may provide for enabling access of NR devices with reduced capabilities. For example, a NW (e.g., a network device) may indicate in system information which configured RACH resources (e.g., PRACH opportunities) can be used to perform a random access procedure within a reduced UL BW (compared to the entire initial UL BWP BW). Such configured RACH resources may be applicable to UE access to a cell. In certain embodiments, the NW may schedule UL transmissions (e.g., Msg3 (re)transmissions, etc.) associated with such a random access procedure within the reduced UL BW. In this way, the UE may use the same RACH resources as a legacy / conventional NR UE without configuring dedicated RACH resources. In addition, according to certain embodiments, support for initial access of REDCAP NR devices may be enabled with reduced signaling compared to other possible solutions, for example, where as little as one bit is added to the system information. Traditional / conventional NR UEs may be able to use the same RACH resources normally, because the operation of these types of devices may not depend on which BW (within the initial UL BWP) message 3 (Msg3) is scheduled. In addition, as described herein, according to some embodiments, RACH resource handling may be optimized in network implementation.

[0038] Figure 1An example of enabling access of reduced-capability NR devices according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 1 A UE and a network node (e.g., gNB) are shown communicating with each other. The UE may be a REDCAP UE or a REDCAP NR UE, as described elsewhere herein.

[0039] As shown in 100, a network node may transmit and a UE may receive an indication of a configuration for a random access procedure within a reduced bandwidth. The network node may indicate in system information which configured RACH resources (e.g., PRACH opportunities) can be used to perform a random access procedure within a reduced UL BW (compared to the entire initial UL BWP BW). The indication in the system information may be a one-bit indication for supporting the random access procedure within the reduced UL BW. The network node may schedule UL transmissions (e.g., Msg3 (re)transmissions, etc.) associated with such a random access procedure within the reduced UL BW. The reduced UL BW may be configured separately in the system information (e.g., a reduced UL initial BWP), or may be determined, for example, from a first RACH resource that may be indicated to be applied within the reduced UL BW. Additionally or alternatively, the reduced UL BW may correspond to the CORESET#0 BW used in the DL. In certain embodiments, the UE may use a hybrid / combined determination, where, for example, the frequency starting position of the UL BWP may be signaled in the system information, and the UE may assume that the BW of the UL BWP is the same as the CORESET#0 BW.

[0040] The network node may indicate support for access by the UE. For example, the indication may be a one-bit indication in system information and / or may include an indication of the configuration of the reduced UL BW described above.

[0041] As shown at 102, the UE may determine the set of resources that the UE can use based on the configuration and the common RACH configuration. Based on such an indication, the UE may implicitly determine the RACH resources that it can use, for example, based on RACH opportunities that fall within the BW of CORESET#0 or within the configured reduced UL BW. Based on the configuration of the reduced UL initial BWP, the UE may determine the valid RACH opportunity(s) based on which of the RACH opportunities fall within the configured reduced UL BW (or reduced initial UL BWP). For example, the UE may assume that the RACH opportunities that fall within the CORESET#0 BW are allowed to be used, or based on an index signaled up / down from the CORESET#0 BW.

[0042] The network indication included in the system information may be time domain and / or frequency domain information that identifies which RACH resources can be used to perform a random access procedure within a reduced UL BW. For example, the UE may use the time domain and / or frequency domain information provided by the network node, and the information identifying the RACH configuration by comparing which RACH opportunities fall into such time domain and / or frequency domain information. In some embodiments, the UE may determine a resource set based on determining that the UE is allowed to use RACH resources identified in the system information or based on determining that the UE is allowed to use other RACH resources not identified in the system information. In some embodiments, a subset of the time domain resources may be allocated for use by the UE.

[0043] For example, since the RACH resources are common to the UEs in the cell, the UE can determine the RACH resources that are allowed to be used, for example, by assuming that the RACH opportunities falling within the reduced UL BWP bandwidth are allowed to be used, by assuming that the RACH opportunities starting from index #X (X can be signaled by the network node, or can be the first index, such as index #0 or index #1) until the RACH opportunity index #Y falling within the reduced UL BWP bandwidth are allowed to be used, by assuming that the RACH opportunities falling within CORESET #0 BW are allowed to be used, and so on.

[0044] Certain embodiments may provide the following alternative or additional implementations. Before determining a resource set, the UE may determine a common RACH configuration. For example, a common RACH configuration may refer to a RACH opportunity available to a UE accessing a cell, a contention-based random access (CBRA) resource within a RACH opportunity available to a UE accessing a cell, and the like. Additionally or alternatively, before determining a resource set, the UE may determine whether the UE has received the indication described in 100. For example, the UE may determine whether an indication of a configuration for random access utilizing a reduced bandwidth is received in system information. Additionally or alternatively, before determining a resource set, the UE may determine the reduced bandwidth based on a configuration for a random access process. For example, based on determining that an indication of a configuration for random access utilizing a reduced bandwidth is received, the UE may determine the reduced bandwidth based on the configuration. Additionally or alternatively, and as described above with respect to determining a resource set, and based on determining the reduced bandwidth and a common random access channel configuration, the UE may determine one or more random access opportunities that the UE can access to request transmission within the reduced bandwidth. Additionally or alternatively, after determining the set of resources, the UE may perform random access to the network node using one or more random access opportunities, similar to what is described above. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may determine the resources for a transmission and / or whether the transmission should be transmitted based on a response from the network node to the random access resources for the transmission. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may indicate within the transmission a reduced bandwidth support capability of the network node for further scheduling.

[0045] As shown in 104, the UE may transmit, and the network node may receive, an indication of the capabilities of the UE. For example, the UE may indicate its reduced capabilities by means of Msg3 so that the network node can use a reduced BW for both the UL and DL of the UE after the transmission of Msg4 and / or configure the UE with the reduced BW and Msg4. Additionally or alternatively, the UE may indicate that it cannot support the configured initial BWP bandwidth, may indicate that it is a REDCAP NR UE, or a maximum supported bandwidth. The UE may indicate this inability in Msg3 (e.g., within an RRC request message, such as an RRC establishment request, an RRC recovery request, an RRC reestablishment request, an RRC system information request, or another RRC message in Msg3, or in a media access control (MAC) control element (CE) or L1 message, such as uplink control information (UCI)).

[0046] The UE can determine which 2-step RACH resources it is allowed to use by checking which PRACH opportunities and associated PUSCH opportunities fall within the BW of CORESET#0 or the configured reduced UL BW. Similar to the above indication in Msg3, the UE can indicate in message A (MsgA) that it cannot support the configured initial BWP BW, can indicate it is a REDCAP NR UE, or can indicate its maximum supported BW. In general, the UE can determine which 2-step RACH resources it is allowed to use in the same way as the above 4-step RACH, but in addition to the PRACH opportunities for 2-step RACH, the associated PUSCH opportunities may also have to be considered.

[0047] As mentioned above, providing Figure 1 As an example. According to some embodiments, other examples are possible.

[0048] Figure 2 An example flow chart of a method according to some embodiments is shown. For example, Figure 2 Example operations of a UE (eg, apparatus 20 ) are shown. Figure 2 Some of the operations shown may be similar to Figure 1 Shown and about Figure 1 Describes some of the operations.

[0049] In one embodiment, the method may include receiving an indication of a configuration for a reduced bandwidth random access procedure at 200. The method may include determining, at 202, a set of resources that the UE can use based on the configuration and a RACH configuration.

[0050] In some embodiments, the indication may be included in the system information. In some embodiments, the indication may include one or more bits in the system information. In some embodiments, the indication may indicate one or more RACH resources that can be used to perform a random access procedure within the reduced bandwidth. In some embodiments, determining the resource set may also include determining the resource set based on the one or more indicated RACH resources.

[0051] In some embodiments, the indication may identify a first RACH resource within the reduced bandwidth. In some embodiments, determining the resource set may further include determining the resource set based on the first RACH resource. In some embodiments, the indication may identify a control resource set number 0 (CORESET#0) bandwidth. In some embodiments, determining the resource set may further include determining the resource set based on the CORESET#0 bandwidth.

[0052] In some embodiments, the indication may include time or frequency information that identifies a set of RACH resources within the reduced bandwidth that can be used to perform a random access procedure. In some embodiments, determining the resource set may also include determining the resource set based on the time or frequency information. In some embodiments, determining the resource set may also include determining that the UE is allowed to use the RACH resource set, or determining that the UE is not allowed to use one or more other RACH resources not included in the RACH resource set.

[0053] In some embodiments, the method may further include transmitting an indication of the capabilities of the UE. In some embodiments, the capabilities may include at least one of the following: the ability to use a reduced bandwidth, an inability to use an initial bandwidth wider than the reduced bandwidth, or a maximum supported bandwidth of the UE. In some embodiments, the method may further include determining a RACH configuration, and determining whether the UE has received the indication. In some embodiments, the method may further include determining the reduced bandwidth based on the configuration for the random access procedure.

[0054] In some embodiments, determining the resource set may include determining one or more random access opportunities that can be used to request that a transmission be performed within the reduced bandwidth. In some embodiments, the method may also include performing a random access procedure using the resource set by transmitting or receiving one or more messages associated with the random access procedure. In some embodiments, the method may also include determining one or more random access resources to be used for transmission based on performing the random access procedure.

[0055] As mentioned above, providing Figure 2 As an example. According to some embodiments, other examples are possible.

[0056] Figure 3 An example flow chart of a method according to some embodiments is shown. For example, Figure 3 Example operations of a network node (eg, device 10) are shown. Figure 3 Some of the operations shown may be similar to Figure 1 Shown and about Figure 1 Describes some of the operations.

[0057] In one embodiment, the method may include transmitting an indication of a configuration for a random access procedure within a reduced bandwidth, at 300. The method may include receiving an indication of a capability of the UE, at 302. The capability may include at least one of: an ability to use a reduced bandwidth, an inability to use an initial bandwidth wider than the reduced bandwidth, or a maximum supported bandwidth of the UE.

[0058] In some embodiments, the indication may be included in the system information. In some embodiments, the indication may include one or more bits in the system information. In some embodiments, the indication may indicate one or more RACH resources within the reduced bandwidth that can be used to perform the random access procedure. In some embodiments, the indication may identify a first RACH resource within the reduced bandwidth.

[0059] In some embodiments, the indication may identify the control resource set number 0 (CORESET#0) bandwidth. In some embodiments, the indication may include time or frequency information that identifies a set of RACH resources within the reduced bandwidth that can be used to perform a random access procedure.

[0060] As mentioned above, providing Figure 3 As an example. According to some embodiments, other examples are possible.

[0061] Figure 4a An example of an apparatus 10 according to an embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be a node, a host, or a server in a communication network or serving such a network. For example, the apparatus 10 may be a network node, a satellite, a base station, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a 5G Node B or access point, a next generation Node B (NG-NB or gNB), and / or a WLAN access point associated with a radio access network such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR. In an example embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be an eNB in ​​LTE or a gNB in ​​5G.

[0062] It should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 10 may include an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, where the server and the radio nodes may be independent devices that communicate with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may be located in the same entity that communicates via a wired connection. For example, in certain example embodiments where the device 10 represents a gNB, it may be configured in a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture that divides the gNB functionality. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node that includes gNB functionality (such as transmission of user data, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning and / or session management, etc.). The CU may control the operation of (multiple) DUs via a fronthaul interface. The DU may be a logical node that includes a subset of gNB functionality, depending on the functional splitting option. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the device 10 may include Figure 4a Components or features not shown.

[0063] like Figure 4aAs shown in the example of , the device 10 may include a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In fact, for example, the processor 12 may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 4a A single processor 12 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., in this case, the processor 12 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0064] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 10, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits that form communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 10, including processes associated with management of communication resources.

[0065] The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12, and which is used to store information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a static storage device such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transient memory or computer-readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code, which, when executed by the processor 12, enables the device 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0066] In one embodiment, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 12 and / or the device 10.

[0067] In some embodiments, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for transmitting and receiving signals and / or data to and from the device 10. The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 18 may include, for example, multiple radio interfaces that may be coupled to (multiple) antennas 15. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of the following: GSM, NB-IoT, LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The radio interface may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, fast Fourier transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks and receive symbols (e.g., via uplinks).

[0068] Thus, the transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 15 and to demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 15 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 10. In other embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices).

[0069] In one embodiment, memory 14 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality to device 10. The components of device 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0070] According to some embodiments, the processor 12 and the memory 14 may be included in or may form part of processing circuitry or control circuitry. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be included in or may form part of transceiver circuitry.

[0071] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to any portion of a hardware circuit implementation (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, a combination of (multiple) hardware processors (including digital signal processors) with software that work together to enable a device (e.g., device 10) to perform various functions, and / or (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors or portions thereof that operate using software but may not be present when the software is not required for operation. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also encompass an implementation of a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry may also encompass, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0072] As described above, in some embodiments, the device 10 may be a network node or a RAN node, such as a base station, an access point, a Node B, an eNB, a gNB, a WLAN access point, etc.

[0073] According to some embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as Figure 1-Figure 3 Some operations of the flowchart or signaling diagram shown.

[0074] For example, in one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to transmit an indication of a configuration for a random access procedure within a reduced bandwidth. In one embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to receive an indication of a capability of the UE. The capability may include at least one of the following: the ability to use a reduced bandwidth, the inability to use an initial bandwidth wider than the reduced bandwidth, or the maximum supported bandwidth of the UE.

[0075] Figure 4b An example of an apparatus 20 according to another embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be a node or element in a communication network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, a mobile equipment (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a fixed device, an IoT device, or other device. As described herein, a UE may alternatively be referred to as, for example, a mobile station, a mobile device, a mobile unit, a mobile device, a user equipment, a subscriber station, a wireless terminal, a tablet computer, a smart phone, an IoT device, a sensor, or a NB-IoT device, etc. As an example, the apparatus 20 may be implemented in, for example, a wireless handheld device, a wireless plug-in accessory, etc.

[0076] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the apparatus 20 may include Figure 4b Components or features not shown.

[0077] like Figure 4b As shown in the example of , the device 20 may include or be coupled to a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general or special purpose processor. In practice, the processor 22 may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Figure 4b A single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the device 20 may include two or more processors that may form a multiprocessor system that may support multiprocessing (e.g., in this case, the processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0078] Processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 20, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits that form communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 20, including processes associated with management of communication resources.

[0079] The device 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 22, and which is used to store information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories and of any type suitable for the local application environment, and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 24 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a static storage device such as a magnetic disk or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transient memory or computer-readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program codes that, when executed by the processor 22, enable the device 20 to perform tasks as described herein.

[0080] In one embodiment, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port that is configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 22 and / or the device 20.

[0081] In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for receiving downlink signals and for transmitting from the device 20 via an uplink. The device 20 may also include a transceiver 28 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 28 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by the downlink or uplink, such as OFDMA symbols.

[0082] For example, the transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna(s) 25 and demodulate information received via the antenna(s) 25 for further processing by other elements of the device 20. In other embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the device 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In some embodiments, the device 20 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0083] In one embodiment, the memory 24 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 22. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for the device 20. The components of the device 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to an example embodiment, the device 20 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 10 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology such as NR.

[0084] According to some embodiments, processor 22 and memory 24 may be included in or may form part of processing circuitry or control circuitry.Furthermore, in some embodiments, transceiver 28 may be included in or may form part of transceiver circuitry.

[0085] As described above, according to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be, for example, a UE, a mobile device, a mobile station, a ME, an IoT device, and / or an NB-IoT device. According to some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to perform functions associated with the example embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be configured to perform one or more of the processes depicted in any flowchart or signaling diagram described herein, such as in Figure 1-Figure 3 Those described in .

[0086] For example, in one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to receive an indication of a configuration for a random access procedure in a reduced bandwidth. In one embodiment, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to determine a set of resources that the UE can use based on the configuration and the RACH configuration.

[0087] Thus, certain example embodiments provide several technical improvements, enhancements and / or advantages over prior art procedures. For example, one benefit of some example embodiments is to enable access of UEs with reduced capabilities with reduced signaling compared to other possible solutions. Thus, use of some example embodiments improves the functionality of communication networks and their nodes, and thus constitutes an improvement in at least the technical field of UE access, etc.

[0088] In some example embodiments, the functionality of any method, process, signaling diagram, algorithm or flow chart described herein may be implemented by software and / or computer program code or code portions stored in a memory or other computer readable or tangible medium and executed by a processor.

[0089] In some example embodiments, an apparatus may be included in or associated with at least one software application, module, unit, or entity configured for (multiple) arithmetic operations, or configured as a program or portion thereof (including added or updated software routines) executed by at least one operating processor. A program (also referred to as a program product or computer program, including software routines, applets, and macros) may be stored in any apparatus-readable data storage medium and may include program instructions for performing specific tasks.

[0090] The computer program product may include one or more computer executable components that are configured to perform some example embodiments when the program is run. The one or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or code portion. Modifications and configurations required to implement the functionality of the example embodiments may be performed as (multiple) routines, which may be implemented as (multiple) added or updated software routines. In one example, (multiple) software routines may be downloaded to the device.

[0091] As an example, the software or computer program code or code portion may be in source code form, object code form or some intermediate form, and it may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium or computer readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, such a carrier may include a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal and / or a software distribution package. Depending on the processing power required, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or distributed among multiple computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-transient medium.

[0092] In other example embodiments, the functions may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device (e.g., device 10 or device 20), such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other hardware and software combination. In yet another example embodiment, the functions may be implemented as a signal, such as an intangible device that may be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

[0093] According to example embodiments, an apparatus such as a node, a device or a corresponding component may be configured as a circuit system, a computer or a microprocessor, such as a single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, which may include at least a memory for providing storage capacity for (multiple) arithmetic operations and / or an operation processor for performing (multiple) arithmetic operations.

[0094] The example embodiments described herein are equally applicable to both singular and plural implementations, regardless of whether singular or plural language is used in conjunction with describing certain embodiments. For example, embodiments describing the operation of a single network node are equally applicable to embodiments including multiple instances of the network node, and vice versa.

[0095] Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the example embodiments discussed above may be practiced with operations in a different order and / or with hardware elements in a different configuration than disclosed. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based on these example embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments.

[0096] Partial Glossary

[0097] BW Bandwidth

[0098] BWP Bandwidth Part

[0099] FR Frequency Range

[0100] REDCAP Reduced Capacity

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising: receiving, by a user equipment, in system information, an indication of configuration of one or more configured random access channel resources for performing a random access procedure within a reduced bandwidth compared to an initial uplink bandwidth portion; as well as The user equipment determines a set of random access channel resources that the user equipment is allowed to use based on the configuration and a common random access channel configuration, wherein the common random access channel configuration refers to a random access channel opportunity. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises one or more bits in the system information.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication indicates the one or more configured random access channel resources within the reduced bandwidth that can be used to perform the random access procedure; and Wherein determining the random access channel resource set further comprises: The set of random access channel resources is determined based on the indicated one or more configured random access channel resources.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication identifies a first random access channel resource within the reduced bandwidth; and Wherein determining the random access channel resource set further comprises: The random access channel resource set is determined based on the first random access channel resource.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the indicator controls the bandwidth of resource set number 0; and Wherein determining the random access channel resource set further comprises: The random access channel resource set is determined based on the control resource set number 0 bandwidth.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication comprises time or frequency information identifying a set of random access channel resources within the reduced bandwidth that can be used to perform the random access procedure; and Wherein determining the random access channel resource set further comprises: The random access channel resource set is determined based on the time or frequency information.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the random access channel resource set further comprises: determining that the user equipment is allowed to use the random access channel resource set, or It is determined that the user equipment is not allowed to use one or more other random access channel resources not included in the random access channel resource set.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Transmitting an indication of capabilities of the user equipment, wherein the capabilities include at least one of: The ability to use the reduced bandwidth, cannot use an initial bandwidth wider than the reduced bandwidth, or The maximum supported bandwidth of the user equipment.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining the random access channel configuration, and Determine whether the user equipment has received the indication.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The reduced bandwidth is determined based on the configuration for the random access procedure.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the random access channel resource set comprises: One or more random access opportunities that can be used to request a transmission to be performed within the reduced bandwidth are determined.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The random access procedure is performed using the set of random access channel resources by transmitting or receiving one or more messages associated with the random access procedure.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: One or more configured random access resources to be used for transmission are determined based on performing the random access procedure.

14. A method for communication, comprising: transmitting, by the network node in system information, an indication of a configuration of one or more configured random access channel resources for performing a random access procedure within a reduced bandwidth compared to an initial uplink bandwidth portion; and Receiving an indication of capabilities of a user equipment, wherein the capabilities include at least one of: The ability to use the reduced bandwidth, cannot use an initial bandwidth wider than the reduced bandwidth, or The maximum supported bandwidth of the user equipment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the indication comprises one or more bits in the system information.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the indication identifies a first random access channel resource within the reduced bandwidth. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the indicator controls the bandwidth of resource set number 0.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the indication comprises time or frequency information, the time or frequency information identifying a set of random access channel resources within the bandwidth that can be used to perform the random access procedure.

19. An apparatus for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving, in system information, an indication of configuration of one or more configured random access channel resources for performing a random access procedure within a reduced bandwidth compared to an initial uplink bandwidth portion; as well as A set of random access channel resources that the device is allowed to use is determined based on the configuration and a common random access channel configuration, wherein the common random access channel configuration refers to random access channel opportunities.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the indication comprises one or more bits in the system information.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the indication indicates the one or more configured random access channel resources within the reduced bandwidth that can be used to perform the random access procedure; and The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: The set of random access channel resources is determined based on the indicated one or more configured random access channel resources.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the indication identifies a first random access channel resource within the reduced bandwidth; and The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: The random access channel resource set is determined based on the first random access channel resource.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the indicator controls the bandwidth of resource set number 0; and The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: The random access channel resource set is determined based on the control resource set number 0 bandwidth.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the indication comprises time or frequency information, the time or frequency information identifying a set of random access channel resources within the bandwidth that can be used to perform the random access procedure; and The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: The random access channel resource set is determined based on the time or frequency information.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus, when determining the set of random access channel resources, to at least: determining that the device is allowed to use the random access channel resource set, or It is determined that the apparatus is not permitted to use one or more other random access channel resources not included in the set of random access channel resources.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: Transmitting an indication of capabilities of the device, wherein the capabilities include at least one of: The ability to use the reduced bandwidth, cannot use an initial bandwidth wider than the reduced bandwidth, or The maximum supported bandwidth of the device.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: determining the random access channel configuration, and A determination is made as to whether the device has received the indication.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: The reduced bandwidth is determined based on the configuration for the random access procedure.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus, when determining the set of random access channel resources, to at least: One or more random access opportunities that can be used to request a transmission to be performed within the reduced bandwidth are determined.

30. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to at least: The random access procedure is performed using the set of random access channel resources by transmitting or receiving one or more messages associated with the random access procedure.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus, when determining the set of random access channel resources, to at least: The one or more configured random access resources to be used for transmission are determined based on performing the random access procedure.

32. An apparatus for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: transmitting, in system information, an indication of a configuration of one or more configured random access channel resources for performing a random access procedure within a reduced bandwidth compared to an initial uplink bandwidth portion; and Receiving an indication of capabilities of a user equipment, wherein the capabilities include at least one of: The ability to use the reduced bandwidth, cannot use an initial bandwidth wider than the reduced bandwidth, or The maximum supported bandwidth of the user equipment.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the indication comprises one or more bits in the system information.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the indication indicates the one or more configured random access channel resources within the reduced bandwidth that can be used to perform the random access procedure.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the indication identifies a first random access channel resource within the reduced bandwidth.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the indicator controls resource set number 0 bandwidth.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the indication comprises time or frequency information identifying a set of random access channel resources within the reduced bandwidth that can be used to perform the random access procedure.

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