Selective RACH overload control

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to selective RACH overload control. A first device sends a random access preamble to a second device. The first device then receives a response message from the second device. The response message includes first information related to a backoff for a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type. The first device determines a first backoff value for a random access procedure for the first device based on the response message, and performs the random access procedure based on the first backoff value. This solution allows backoff to be indicated for a specific device type (e.g., REDCAP UE) or access attempt type (e.g., SDT), while regular / normal devices (e.g., non-REDCAP UE) or access attempt type (e.g., non-SDT) may not perform backoff (or perform backoff using a regular solution).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly, to a method, device, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for selective random access channel (RACH) overload control. Background Art

[0002] In some communication systems, terminal devices can transition between an inactive state and a connected state. In the inactive state, the terminal device may not have established a connection with the network device for communication. To avoid unnecessary signaling overhead and power consumption in establishing or re-establishing a connection, it has been agreed to support small data transfer (SDT) for terminal devices in the inactive state without requiring the terminal device to establish a connection with the network device.

[0003] Furthermore, reduced capability user equipment (REDCAP UE), initially referred to as new radio optical (NR optical), was introduced into the communication system. REDCAP UE is a low-cost and energy-efficient UE, but with reduced capabilities. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Generally, example embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for selective random access channel (RACH) overload control.

[0005] In a first aspect, a first device is provided. The first device includes: at least one processor; and 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 device to: transmit a random access preamble to a second device; receive a response message from the second device, the response message including first information related to a backoff for a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type; determine a first backoff value for a random access procedure for the first device based on the response message; and perform the random access procedure based on the first backoff value.

[0006] In a second aspect, a second device is provided. The second device includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the device to: receive a random access preamble from a first device; and transmit a response message to the first device, the response message including first information related to a backoff of a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type.

[0007] In a third aspect, a method is provided, comprising: transmitting a random access preamble at a first device to a second device; receiving a response message from the second device, the response message including first information related to a backoff for a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type; determining a first backoff value for the random access procedure for the first device based on the response message; and performing the random access procedure based on the first backoff value.

[0008] In a fourth aspect, a method is provided, comprising: receiving, at a second device, a random access preamble from a first device; and transmitting, to the first device, a response message, the response message comprising first information related to a backoff of a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type.

[0009] In a fifth aspect, a first apparatus is provided. The first apparatus includes: means for transmitting a random access preamble at the first apparatus to a second apparatus; means for receiving a response message from the second apparatus, the response message including first information related to a backoff of a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type; means for determining a first backoff value for a random access procedure for the first apparatus based on the message; and means for performing the random access procedure based on the first backoff value.

[0010] In a sixth aspect, a second apparatus is provided, comprising: means for receiving a random access preamble from a first apparatus; and means for transmitting a response message to the first apparatus, the response message comprising first information related to a backoff of a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type.

[0011] In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable medium comprising program instructions is provided, the program instructions being configured to cause an apparatus to at least execute the method according to any one of the third to fourth aspects above.

[0012] It is to be understood that the summary of the invention section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Some example embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 illustrates an example communication network in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented;

[0015] Figure 2illustrates a signaling flow for selective RACH overload control according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 3A A diagram illustrating a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 3B A diagram illustrating a MAC PDU according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3C A diagram illustrating a MAC subheader according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 3D A diagram illustrating a MAC subheader according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 3E A diagram illustrating a MAC PDU according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 4 illustrates a flow chart of a method implemented at a first device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 5 illustrates a flow chart of a method implemented at a second device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 6 illustrates a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0024] Figure 7 A block diagram of an example computer-readable medium is illustrated, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some example embodiments. It is to be understood that these embodiments are described only for illustrative purposes and to help those skilled in the art understand and implement the present disclosure without placing any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. In addition to the manner described below, the present disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways.

[0027] In the following description and claims, unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0028] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment may include that particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it is claimed that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0029] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. can be used to describe various elements in this article, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish elements from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the example embodiments, the first element can be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element can be referred to as the first element. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items.

[0030] The terms used herein are used only to describe particular embodiments and are not intended to limit the example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is also to be understood that when used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," and / or "including" specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0031] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more, or all, of the following:

[0032] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation only in analog and / or digital circuitry); and

[0033] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (if applicable):

[0034] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and

[0035] (ii) any portion of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s), software and memory(s) that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions) and

[0036] (c) Hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s), such as microprocessor(s) or portion(s) of microprocessor(s), that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but which software may not be present when not required for operation.

[0037] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry would also cover an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, and if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry would also cover a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device or similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0038] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network via which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services from it. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or an access point (AP), such as a NodeB (NodeB or NB), an evolved NodeB (eNodeB or eNB), a NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio head (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a relay, a low-power node (such as a femto node, a pico node), etc., depending on the terminology and technology of application.

[0039] The term "terminal device" refers to any end device that may be capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS) or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablet computers, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices (such as digital cameras), game terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop mounted devices (LMEs), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPEs), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearable devices, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (such as remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (such as robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms "terminal device", "communication device", "terminal", "user equipment" and "UE" may be used interchangeably.

[0040] As used herein, the terms "resource," "transmission resource," "resource block," "physical resource block" (PRB), "uplink resource," or "downlink resource" may refer to any resource used to perform communication (e.g., communication between a terminal device and a network device), such as a time domain resource, a frequency domain resource, a space domain resource, a code domain resource, or any other resource capable of communication. Hereinafter, resources in the frequency domain and the time domain will be used as examples of transmission resources to describe some example embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the example embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0041] Figure 1 An example communication environment 100 is shown in which example embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. In the communication environment 100, a plurality of communication devices including a first device 110 and a second device 120 may communicate with each other.

[0042] exist Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , the first device 110 is illustrated as a terminal device, and the second device 120 is illustrated as a network device serving the terminal device. The service area of ​​the second device 120 may be referred to as a cell 102 .

[0043] It is important to understand that Figure 1The multiple devices and their connections shown are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute any limitation. Environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Although not shown, it is understood that one or more additional devices may be located in cell 102, and one or more additional cells may be deployed in environment 100. It should be noted that, although illustrated as a network device, second device 120 may be a device other than a network device. Although illustrated as a terminal device, first device 110 may be a device other than a terminal device.

[0044] In some example embodiments, if first device 110 is a terminal device and second device 120 is a network device, the link from second device 120 to first device 110 is referred to as a downlink (DL), and the link from first device 110 to second device 120 is referred to as an uplink (UL). In the DL, second device 120 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and first device 110 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, first device 110 is a TX device (or transmitter), and second device 120 is an RX device (or receiver).

[0045] Communications in the communication environment 100 may be implemented according to any appropriate communication protocol(s), including but not limited to first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), and fifth generation (5G) cellular communication protocols, wireless local area network communication protocols (such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11), and / or any other protocol currently known or developed in the future. Furthermore, communications may utilize any appropriate wireless communication technology, including but not limited to: code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technology currently known or developed in the future.

[0046] As mentioned above, REDCAP UEs have been introduced into communication networks. However, it is being considered that REDCAP UE identification will be carried out from Message 3 (MSG3) of the Random Access (RA) procedure. In other words, the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) will be shared between normal UEs and REDCAP UEs, which is why the Random Access Response (RAR) is very common.

[0047] Furthermore, there is currently no means to back off only certain UEs during the RA procedure. However, the network may want REDCAP UEs to back off, while normal UEs do not. There is no solution for selective RACH overload control (i.e., selectively backing off certain UEs for overload control during RACH). Furthermore, even with 2-step RACH, if the network does not receive the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) portion of Message A (MSGA) or both (PRACH preamble + PUSCH), it cannot infer that the attempting UE is a REDCAP UE.

[0048] Furthermore, with the increasing popularity of using common RACH resources for both SDT and non-SDT, there is no mechanism to effectively prioritize UEs (e.g., UEs not accessed for SDT). Generally, in terms of resource consumption, it is always more advantageous to put the UE into connected mode to send data, as appropriate link reporting and management can be performed.

[0049] Therefore, a solution for selective RACH overload control is needed such that the backoff during a random access procedure for one device type (e.g., REDCAP UE) can be distinguished from that for a normal / conventional device type (e.g., non-REDCAP UE), and the backoff for a random access procedure for a specific access attempt type (e.g., SDT) can be distinguished from that for other access attempt types (e.g., non-SDT), such that, for example, it allows for indicating a backoff for a specific device type (e.g., REDCAP UE) or access attempt type (e.g., SDT), while conventional / normal devices (e.g., non-REDCAP UE) or access attempt type (e.g., non-SDT) may not perform a backoff (or perform a backoff with a backoff value indicated with conventional solutions). For example, there may be a REDCAP UE device type that supports 1Rx (single receiver chain) and another REDCAP UE device type that supports 2Rx (two receiver chains).

[0050] To address at least some of the above-mentioned issues, a solution for selective RACH overload control is provided. In this solution, a first device 110 transmits a random access preamble to a second device 120. The first device 110 then receives a response message from the second device 120. The response message includes first information related to a backoff for a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type. Therefore, the first device 110 determines a first backoff value for a random access procedure for the first device 110 based on the response message and performs the random access procedure based on the first backoff value.

[0051] This solution provides selective RACH overload control, allowing backoff to be indicated for specific device types (e.g., REDCAP UEs) or access attempt types (e.g., SDT), while regular / normal devices (e.g., non-REDCAP UEs) or access attempt types (e.g., non-SDT) may not perform backoff (or may perform backoff using a regular solution).

[0052] Specifically, this solution allows for usage-specific backoff when a common RACH is used for different device types (e.g., REDCAP UEs or non-REDCAP UEs). Furthermore, even as the use of common RACH resources for both SDT and non-SDT becomes increasingly popular, a solution is provided for effectively prioritizing devices (e.g., UEs, such as those not accessed for SDT). Generally, in terms of resource consumption, it is always more advantageous to put a UE into connected mode to transmit data, as appropriate link reporting and management can be performed.

[0053] Example embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 2 , which illustrates a signaling flow 200 for selective RACH overload control according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For the purpose of discussion, the signaling flow 200 will be referred to as Figure 1 Description. Signaling flow 200 involves Figure 1 A first device 110 and a second device 120 are illustrated.

[0054] As shown in the signaling flow 200, the first device 110 sends 205 a random access preamble to the second device 120. Accordingly, after receiving 210 the random access preamble, the second device 120 sends 220 a response message to the first device 110. The response message includes first information related to a backoff for a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type. For example, the response message may be for an RA preamble transmitted from another device (e.g., another UE).

[0055] In some embodiments, at least one device type indicates a REDCAP device. In some embodiments, at least one access attempt type indicates an access attempt related to SDT.

[0056] Upon receiving 225 the response message, the first device 110 determines 235 a first backoff value for a random access procedure of the first device 110 based on the response message. The first device 110 then performs 245 a random access procedure based on the determined first backoff value.

[0057] Therefore, selective RACH overload control is provided, allowing backoff to be indicated for specific device types (e.g., REDCAP UEs) or access attempt types (e.g., SDT), while regular / normal devices (e.g., non-REDCAP UEs) or access attempt types (e.g., non-SDT) may not perform backoff (or perform backoff using conventional solutions).

[0058] In some embodiments, the response message includes a first indication of a second backoff value for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type. In such an embodiment, for example, when the type of first device 110 is at least one device type, a second backoff value for a specific device type or access attempt type may be used. Furthermore, the first indication may indicate the second backoff value to first device 110 in various ways described below.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may determine a backoff time for the random access procedure based on the determined first backoff value, and may perform the random access procedure using the backoff time. In some examples, the backoff time may be randomly selected between 0 and the first backoff value. In one example, the first device 110 may select the random backoff time based on a uniform distribution between 0 and the first backoff value.

[0060] The following section describes how to determine a first backoff value for the first device 110. In some embodiments, upon determining that the type of the first device 110 is one of the at least one device types (e.g., a REDCAP UE type), the first device 110 may determine the first backoff value based on a second backoff value. Upon determining that the type of the first device 110 is different from the at least one device type (e.g., the first device 110 is a normal / regular UE type), the first device 110 may determine the first backoff value based on a third backoff value, where the third backoff value is configured for a device type different from the at least one device type.

[0061] In some examples, the device that is different from the at least one device type may be a regular / normal device (e.g., a normal non-REDCAP UE). Accordingly, the third backoff value configured for the device may be a backoff value for a normal device and may be obtained as in conventional solutions. It should be understood that the device type that is different from the at least one device type may also be other device types (as long as it is different from the at least one device type), and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0062] For example, a third backoff value configured for a device type different from at least one device type may also be indicated in the response message. In this example, the device type different from at least one device type may be a normal UE type. Therefore, the third backoff value may be indicated via the current MAC subheader with a backoff indicator (BI). Therefore, the third backoff value may be indicated by the BI according to Table 1 below. For scenarios where the backoff parameter value index corresponds to "reserved," the third backoff value will be set to zero.

[0063] Table 1 Backoff parameter values

[0064]

[0065]

[0066] In some embodiments, based on determining that the access attempt type of the first device 110 is one of the at least one access attempt type, the first device 110 may determine the first backoff value based on the second backoff value. Based on determining that the access attempt type of the first device 110 is different from the at least one access attempt type, the first device 110 may determine the first backoff value based on a third backoff value, where the third backoff value is configured for a device type different from the at least one device type.

[0067] In this embodiment, when at least one access attempt type indicates an access attempt related to SDT, the first device 110 may determine whether the first device 110 is performing SDT. Based on the determination that the first device 110 is performing SDT, the first device 110 may determine a first backoff value based on a second backoff value. Based on the determination that the first device is not performing SDT (i.e., non-SDT), the first device 110 may determine the first backoff value based on a third backoff value, where the third backoff value is configured for a device type different from the at least one device type. The third backoff value may be obtained via the method mentioned above, which is not repeated here.

[0068] In some examples, as mentioned above, the device that is different from at least one device type may be a regular / normal device (e.g., a normal non-REDCAP UE). Accordingly, the third backoff value configured for the device may be a backoff value for a normal device and may be obtained as in conventional solutions. It should be understood that the device type that is different from at least one device type may also be other device types (as long as it is different from at least one device type), and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0069] It should be understood that there may be other ways to determine the first backoff value of the random access procedure of the first device 110 based on the response message, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0070] As mentioned above, the second backoff value may also be indicated to the first device 110 through the first indication in a variety of ways. In the following sections, the content that the first indication may indicate will be referred to in the following sections. Figures 3A to 3E Make an introduction. Figures 3A to 3E FIGURES illustrate a diagram of a MAC PDU and / or MAC subheader according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that Figures 3A to 3E The illustrated MAC PDU for RAR is shown only as an example, and the MAC PDU of message B (MSGB) may also be similarly used, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0071] In some embodiments, the first indication may indicate the location of the BI including the second backoff value. Figures 3A to 3B to illustrate such an embodiment.

[0072] Figure 3A A diagram of a media access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. In such embodiments, for example, Figure 3A As shown, the first indication can be a reserved value in the R bit 312 and / or R bit 313 and / or BI field 314 of the current E / T / R / R / BI MAC subheader (e.g., for a conventional / normal device type (e.g., non-REDCAP UE) or a non-SDT access attempt type), which can be used to indicate that a separate BI (e.g., BI' 316) follows the end of the MAC PDU (i.e., after all MAC RARs). This separate BI can include a second backoff value.

[0073] Currently in the MAC subheader, E / T / R / R / BI is used as shown in Table 2 below.

[0074] Table 2 E / T / R / R / BI in the MAC subheader

[0075]

[0076]

[0077] It should be appreciated that any one or both of the R bits in the E / T / R / R / BI MAC subheader may be used to indicate that a separate BI follows the end of the MAC PDU. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0078] Thus, in some examples, as mentioned above, when the first device 110 determines that it is a REDCAP UE, it may determine the first backoff value based on the second backoff value indicated in BI 316. And when the first device 110 determines that it is a non-REDCAP UE, it may determine the first backoff value based on the third backoff value indicated in BI 314, for example.

[0079] In one example, BI'316 may use an index to indicate a corresponding backoff parameter value, as shown in Table 1 mentioned above. Alternatively, BI'316 may use other methods to indicate backoff parameters, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. For example, another set of backoff parameter values ​​may be defined, which may be different from that shown in Table 1.

[0080] Accordingly, in this example, BI 314 can be set to a reserved value so that backoff for conventional / normal devices or access attempt types can be avoided in this case. Therefore, only a specific type of device (e.g., REDCAP UE) or a specific access attempt type (e.g., SDT) can perform RACH with backoff, while conventional / normal devices cannot. That is, the conventional BI (314) can be reused as an indication of a specific type of device (e.g., REDCAP UE) or a specific access attempt type (e.g., SDT), while other device types or access attempt types can still perform backoff on RACH based on conventional solutions without affecting the operation of conventional devices. At the same time, network resources are saved.

[0081] It should also be understood that although in the above examples, the separate BI follows the end of the MAC PDU (and therefore may have less impact on the current MAC PDU), the location of the BI indicating the second backoff value can be a different location in the MAC PDU, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0082] Figure 3B FIGURE 1 illustrates a diagram of a MAC PDU according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3B As shown, the first indicator may be the E field 324 following the last MAC RAR. For example, when the E field 324 is set, a "normal" type of device (e.g., a normal non-REDCAP UE) will determine that padding has begun (thus, not affecting the operation of the regular device), while a specific type of device (e.g., a REDCAP UE) may also decode the T field 326 of the last MAC RAR (i.e., a T field indicating to the regular UE that no MAC RAR will follow). In such an example, the T field 326 of the last MAC RAR may be encoded to indicate that an additional backoff indication follows the last MAC RAR, and the additional backoff indication may include a second backoff value.

[0083] Therefore, the RAR MAC PDU shall contain at least Figure 3B A conventional BI (eg, a BI for a normal device (eg, non-REDCAP UE)) or a single MAC RAR is shown so that the T field in the MAC sub-PDU can be used for this purpose.

[0084] For example, if the first device 110 is a REDCAP UE, then based on the T field 326, it will determine that there is an additional backoff indication 328. However, if the first device 110 is a conventional / normal device (e.g., a non-REDCAP UE), it may determine that the bits following the E field 324 are padding bits, thereby not affecting the operation of the conventional device.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first indication may indicate the use of a predetermined backoff value as the second backoff value. In the following section, examples of the first indication indicating the use of a predetermined backoff value as the second backoff value will be referred to. Figure 3C introduce, Figure 3C A diagram of a medium access control (MAC) sub-header is illustrated, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0086] In some examples, such as Figure 3C As shown, the reserved value in BI 332 can be a first indication, and can be used to indicate a predetermined backoff value of the first device 110 to which it applies. That is, the reserved value in BI 332 is used to indicate to the first device 110 that when the first device 110 is a specific type of device (e.g., a REDCAP UE), the predetermined backoff value will be used. At the same time, when the first device 110 is not a specific type of device (e.g., a non-REDCAP UE), the reserved value in BI 332 is used to indicate to the first device 110 that, for example, a zero backoff value will be used as in a conventional solution.

[0087] It should be understood that using a predetermined backoff value as the second backoff value may also be indicated by the first indication via other information elements, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0088] In this example, the predetermined backoff value can be obtained in a variety of ways. In one example, the predetermined backoff value can be obtained via a system information block (SIB). In another example, the predetermined backoff value can be obtained via dedicated signaling (e.g., an RRC release message). Alternatively, the predetermined backoff value can also be predefined in a specification (e.g., a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specification). Other ways of obtaining the predetermined backoff value are also possible, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0089] In some embodiments, the first indication may indicate whether the third backoff value of the second device type can be determined as the second backoff value. Figure 3D , Figure 3D A diagram of a medium access control (MAC) sub-header is illustrated, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0090] For example, Figure 3D As shown, the first indication can be the R bit 342 and / or the R bit 343 of the E / T / R / R / BI MAC subheader. This first indication can be used to indicate whether a backoff in the BI field with a regular value (e.g., applied by a regular / normal UE) can be applied by a specific type of UE (e.g., a REDCAP UE or a UE performing SDT access) for a specific access attempt type. It should be understood that either or both of the R bits in the E / T / R / R / BI MAC subheader can be used to indicate such information. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0091] In this example, for example, if the R bit 342 is set, it may indicate that the backoff value in the BI field with a conventional value (e.g., applied by a conventional / normal UE) may be applied by a specific type of UE for a specific access attempt type. In this case, for example, when the first device 110 is a non-REDCAP UE, it may use the BI field in the conventional solution.

[0092] However, if the R bit 342 or 343 is not set, it may indicate that the backoff value in the BI field with a conventional value (e.g., applied by conventional / normal devices or non-SDT) may not be applied by a specific type of device (e.g., REDCAP UE). In this case, the MAC RAR may be followed by an additional BI for the specific type of device, and the additional BI includes a second backoff value. Alternatively, in this case, the backoff may not be applied by the specific type of device (e.g., REDCAP UE) during the random access procedure.

[0093] In some other embodiments, the first indication may further indicate whether the second backoff value is determined based on the third backoff value and the backoff scaling factor. Figure 3D , the R bit 342 or 343 of the E / T / R / R / BI MAC subheader can be used to indicate whether the backoff in the BI field (applied by conventional / normal devices, such as UE) should be applied by a specific type of device (such as REDCAP UE) or a specific type of access attempt type (such as SDT), or whether a specific type of device / specific type of access attempt type can apply scaling to the indicated backoff value.

[0094] In some examples, when scaling of the indicated BI is applied, the value for scaling can be provided by the second device 120 in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, the second device 120 can provide the value for scaling via the SIB. In some other embodiments, the second device 120 can provide the value for scaling via dedicated signaling. For example, the value for scaling can be provided to a device of a specific type performing SDT via an RRC release message or provided via an RRC reconfiguration message.

[0095] In such an embodiment, there is no need to provide additional BIs (ie, backoff values) for specific types of devices or specific access attempt types, thereby saving network overhead.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first indication may indicate a BI including a second backoff value. Figure 3E , Figure 3E A diagram of a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) is illustrated, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0097] like Figure 3E As shown, after all MAC RAR and / or BI MAC subheaders, there is an additional MAC subheader 352 (i.e., a first indication) that is encoded for a specific type of device (e.g., SDT or REDCAP UE) to provide an additional backoff indication. In this example, a normal / regular device (e.g., a non-REDCAP UE) can determine that the Start Fill-E field is set to "0" and therefore does not affect the operation of the regular device.

[0098] like Figure 3E As shown, the additional MAC subheader 352 may include fields such as E, T, R, and BI, as they are provided in the current E / T / R / R / BI MAC subheader as in the conventional solution mentioned above, and the BI may include a second backoff value. In this example, the additional MAC subheader 352 is encoded when the BI MAC subheader 351 is encoded at the beginning of the RAR MAC PDU for a conventional / normal device (e.g., a non-REDCAP UE). Therefore, a separate MAC subheader can be used for a specific type of device or a specific access attempt type, thereby providing flexibility to the solution.

[0099] In the above section, the content that the first indication can indicate has been referred to Figures 3A to 3E It should be understood that the first indication may also indicate other methods for obtaining the second backoff value, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0100] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may send a message to the first device 110 indicating that the at least one device type includes a reduced-capability device and / or a reduced-capability device type.

[0101] Therefore, the second device 120 can configure the first device 110 as to which device type (eg, REDCAP UE) should apply the new backoff behavior (ie, apply backoff using the first information related to backoff for the random access procedure for at least one device type). Otherwise, the conventional backoff mechanism is applied.

[0102] In some other embodiments, network device 120 may send a message to first device 110 indicating that at least one access attempt type includes SDT, SDT for a signaling radio bearer (SRB), or SDT for a data radio bearer (DRB). Accordingly, first device 110 may receive the message and determine the first backoff value based on both the response message and the message. In some examples, the message may be sent via system information or via dedicated signaling.

[0103] Therefore, the second device 120 can configure the first device 110 as to which access attempt type (e.g., SDT or SDT for SRB / DRB data, etc.) should apply the new backoff behavior (i.e., apply the backoff using the first information related to the backoff of the random access procedure for at least one access attempt type). Otherwise, the conventional backoff mechanism is applied.

[0104] Thus, only certain types of devices or access attempt types configured by network device 120 will have the new backoff behavior applied, thereby providing flexibility to the backoff mechanism.

[0105] In one example, the network device 120 may transmit a message to the first device 110 indicating that at least one access attempt type includes an SDT for DRBs. Therefore, the first device 110, having received the message, may apply a backoff using the first information for the SDT for DRBs. At the same time, the first device 110 may still apply a backoff using, for example, a conventional BI for the SDT for SRBs. Therefore, the SDT for SRBs and the SDT for DRBs may be configured with different BIs, so that they may be provided with different priorities when accessing a cell.

[0106] In another example, network device 120 may transmit a message to first device 110 indicating that at least one device type includes a specific type of REDCAP UE. Upon receiving the message, first device 110 may apply a backoff using first information specific to the specific type of REDCAP UE. At the same time, first device 110 may still apply a backoff using, for example, a conventional BI for other REDCAP UEs. Consequently, different types of REDCAP UEs may perform RACH using different backoff values, allowing them to be given different priorities when accessing a cell.

[0107] Thus, for example, when (multiple) REDCAP UE types are defined in a REDCAP work item, which may have different priorities when accessing a cell (e.g. industrial sensors and wearable devices and non-REDCAP UEs), at least one device type may include (multiple) specific REDCAP types to which the new backoff behavior should be applied.

[0108] In some embodiments, the second device 120 may transmit a message to the first device 110 including multiple BI sets, and each of the multiple sets may be used for SRB, DRB, logical channel (LCH), priority of LCH, and priority range of LCH.

[0109] Thus, the first device 110 receives the message and can determine a first backoff value based on the response message and at least one of the multiple BI sets. Thus, the second device 120 can configure a different / new backoff parameter value (i.e., a different value from a regular / normal device type (e.g., a non-REDCAP UE)) for suspending the SDT procedure in the RRC release message of the UE or for REDCAP UEs. Further, the configuration can be provided on a per-SRB basis, a per-DRB basis, or a per-LCH priority basis, or a per-LCH priority range basis, thereby increasing configuration flexibility.

[0110] In some embodiments, different backoff value tables (multiple) may also be specified, and the second device 120 may configure which table (conventional or new) applies for SDT or a specific LCH / DRB / SRB or REDCAP UE. For example, the second device 120 may configure which table to apply in an RRC release or RRC reconfiguration message. In this way, the backoff indication may be the same for conventional / normal devices (e.g., non-REDCAP UEs) and new devices (e.g., a specific type of UE, i.e., a REDCAP UE).

[0111] In some embodiments, backoff scaling can be applied based on the data priority that triggers the SDT procedure or based on the UE type (e.g., different REDCAP UE types that can be 1Rx REDCAP UE type or 2Rx REDCAP UE type). In some examples, the scaling factor value for the backoff procedure can be determined based on the priority of the data for which the SDT procedure is initiated. In some examples, the scaling factor value can be configured based on each LCH / SRB / DRB / priority. For example, the priority of the data can be determined based on the highest-priority data in the UE buffer or based on the lowest-priority data in the UE buffer—e.g., based on the configured LCH priority.

[0112] In some examples, only SDT data can be considered for priority determination. In some examples, non-SDT data can also be considered. In some examples, non-SDT data can always be determined to be the highest priority, regardless of the priority of the LCH / DRB for which the non-SDT data is available.

[0113] In some examples, for the highest-priority data or SRB data, the scaling factor can be determined to be 0 / 0. In some examples, the second device 120 can configure the (multiple) threshold priorities that are used to determine the scaling factor. For example, any priority >2 can use the scaling factor 0 / 0, a scaling factor of 0.25 for priorities between 2=<X<4, etc.

[0114] In some examples, the second device 120 can configure the scaling factor for use in the SDT procedure in the RRC release message that pauses the first device 110. In some examples, the configuration can be provided based on each first device (e.g., UE), each SRB / DRB, SRB / DRB or LCH priority, or LCH priority range.

[0115] In some examples, the scaling factor can be determined based on the establishment cause for the SDT. In some examples, the second device 120 can configure the scaling factor based on each establishment cause.

[0116] In some examples, the configured backoff parameter / scaling factor can be applied to all attempts of the SDT or only to reattempts. In some examples, the configured scaling factor can be applied only when the BI value received in the RAR is higher than a threshold.

[0117] In some embodiments, the scaling factor value used for the backoff procedure is determined based on the UE type. In some examples, the second device 120 can configure the scaling factor for each UE type. In some examples, the configuration can be carried by dedicated signaling (e.g., RRC signaling) or via system information broadcast. In some examples, the scaling factor value can be higher than 1 based on the UE type (i.e., scaling the backoff value higher than the value indicated in the RAR / MSGB).

[0118] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method 400 implemented at a first device 110 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For the purpose of discussion, the method 400 will be referred to as Figure 1 The description is from the perspective of the first device 110 .

[0119] In block 410, the first device 110 transmits a random access preamble to the second device 120. In block 420, the first device 110 receives a response message from the second device 120. The response message includes first information related to a backoff for a random access procedure for at least one device type (e.g., a REDCAP UE type) or at least one access attempt type (e.g., an SDT). In block 430, the first device 110 determines a first backoff value for the random access procedure for the first device 110 based on the response message. In block 440, the first device 110 performs a random access procedure based on the first backoff value.

[0120] In some embodiments, at least one device type may indicate a reduced capability device and at least one access attempt type may indicate an access attempt related to a small data transmission.

[0121] In some embodiments, the response message may include a first indication of a second backoff value for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type.

[0122] In some embodiments, the first device 110 can determine the first backoff value by: determining the first backoff value based on the second backoff value according to a determination that the type of the first device 110 is one of at least one device type; and determining the first backoff value based on a third backoff value according to a determination that the type of the first device 110 is different from at least one device type, wherein the third backoff value is configured for a device type different from the at least one device type.

[0123] In some embodiments, the first device 110 can determine the first backoff value by: determining the first backoff value based on the second backoff value based on determining that the access attempt type of the first device 110 is one of the at least one access attempt type; and determining the first backoff value based on the third backoff value based on determining that the access attempt type of the first device 110 is different from the at least one access attempt type, wherein the third backoff value is configured for a device type different from the at least one device type.

[0124] In some embodiments, the first indication may indicate at least one of the following: the position of the backoff indicator includes a second backoff value; a predetermined backoff value is used as the second backoff value; whether a third backoff value for the second device type is determined as the second backoff value; whether the second backoff value is determined based on the third backoff value and the backoff scaling factor; and the backoff indicator includes the second backoff value.

[0125] In some embodiments, the predetermined backoff value may be obtained via one of: a system information block SIB, a radio resource control RRC release, and a medium access control-control element.

[0126] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may receive another message from the second device 120, indicating at least one device type including at least one of: a device with reduced capabilities and a device type with reduced capabilities; and at least one access attempt type including at least one of: small data transmission, small data transmission for signaling radio bearer, and small data transmission for data radio bearer, and the first device 110 may determine the first backoff value by: determining the first backoff value based on the response message and the further message.

[0127] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may receive another message from the second device 120 including multiple backoff indicator sets, each of the multiple sets being used for at least one of: a signaling radio bearer, a data radio bearer, a logical channel, a priority of a logical channel, and a range of priorities of a logical channel; and the first device 110 may determine the first backoff value by: determining the first backoff value based on the response message and at least one of the multiple backoff indicator sets.

[0128] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may perform the random access procedure by determining a backoff time for the random access procedure based on the first backoff value, and performing the random access procedure using the backoff time.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first device 110 comprises a terminal device, and the second device 120 comprises a network device.

[0130] Figure 5FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method 500 implemented at the second device 120 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For the purpose of discussion, the method 500 will be referred to as Figure 1 Described from the perspective of the second device 120.

[0131] In block 510, the second device 120 receives a random access preamble from the first device 110. In block 520, the second device 120 sends a response message to the first device 110. The response message includes first information related to a backoff for a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type.

[0132] In some embodiments, at least one device type may indicate a reduced capability device and at least one access attempt type may indicate an access attempt related to a small data transmission.

[0133] In some embodiments, the response message may include a first indication of a second backoff value for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type.

[0134] In some embodiments, the first indication may indicate at least one of the following: the position of the backoff indicator includes a second backoff value; a predetermined backoff value is used as the second backoff value; whether a third backoff value for the second device type is determined as the second backoff value; whether the second backoff value is determined based on the third backoff value and the backoff scaling factor; and the backoff indicator includes the second backoff value.

[0135] In some embodiments, the predetermined backoff value may be obtained via one of: a system information block SIB, a radio resource control RRC release, and a medium access control-control element.

[0136] In some embodiments, the second device 120 may transmit another message to the first device 110, indicating at least one device type including at least one of the following: a device with reduced capabilities and a device type with reduced capabilities; and at least one access attempt type including at least one of the following: small data transmission, small data transmission for signaling radio bearer, and small data transmission for data radio bearer.

[0137] In some embodiments, the second device 120 may transmit another message to the first device 110 including a plurality of backoff indicator sets, each of the plurality of sets being for at least one of: a signaling radio bearer, a data radio bearer, a logical channel, a priority of a logical channel, and a range of priorities of a logical channel.

[0138] In some embodiments, the first device 110 may include a terminal device, and the second device 120 may include a network device.

[0139] In some embodiments, a first device (e.g., first device 110) capable of executing any of the methods 400 may include components for executing the corresponding steps of the method 400. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0140] In some example embodiments, the first apparatus includes: means for sending a random access preamble at the first apparatus to a second apparatus (e.g., second device 120); means for receiving a response message from the second apparatus, the response message including first information related to a backoff for a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type; means for determining a first backoff value for the random access procedure for the first apparatus based on the message; and means for performing the random access procedure based on the first backoff value.

[0141] In some example embodiments, at least one device type indicates a reduced capability device, and at least one access attempt type indicates an access attempt related to a small data transmission.

[0142] In some embodiments, the response message includes a first indication of a second backoff value for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type.

[0143] In some embodiments, the component for determining the first backoff value includes: a component for determining the first backoff value based on the second backoff value based on determining that the type of the first device is one of at least one device type; and a component for determining the first backoff value based on a third backoff value based on determining that the type of the first device is different from at least one device type, the third backoff value being configured for a device type different from the at least one device type.

[0144] In some embodiments, the component for determining the first backoff value includes: a component for determining the first backoff value based on the second backoff value based on determining that the access attempt type of the first device is one of the at least one access attempt type; and a component for determining the first backoff value based on a third backoff value based on determining that the access attempt type of the first device is different from the at least one access attempt type, the third backoff value being configured for a device type different from the at least one device type.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first indication indicates at least one of: the position of the backoff indicator includes a second backoff value; a predetermined backoff value is used as the second backoff value; whether a third backoff value for the second device type is determined as the second backoff value; whether the second backoff value is determined based on the third backoff value and the backoff scaling factor; and the backoff indicator includes the second backoff value.

[0146] In some embodiments, the predetermined backoff value is obtained via one of: a system information block SIB, a radio resource control RRC release, and a medium access control - control element.

[0147] In some embodiments, the first device further includes: a component for receiving another message from the second device, the further message indicating at least one device type including at least one of the following: a device with reduced capabilities and a device type with reduced capabilities; and at least one access attempt type including at least one of the following: small data transmission, small data transmission for signaling radio bearer, and small data transmission for data radio bearer, the component for determining the first backoff value includes a component for determining the first backoff value based on the response message and the further message.

[0148] In some embodiments, the first device further comprises means for receiving from the second device another message comprising a plurality of backoff indicator sets, each of the plurality of sets being for at least one of: a signaling radio bearer, a data radio bearer, a logical channel, a priority of a logical channel, and a range of priorities of a logical channel; and the means for determining the first backoff value comprises means for determining the first backoff value based on the response message and at least one of the plurality of backoff indicator sets.

[0149] In some embodiments, the means for performing the random access procedure includes means for determining a backoff time for the random access procedure based on the first backoff value, and means for performing the random access procedure using the backoff time.

[0150] In some embodiments, the first apparatus comprises a terminal device and the second apparatus comprises a network device.

[0151] In some embodiments, a second apparatus (e.g., second device 120) capable of executing any of the methods 500 may include components for executing the corresponding steps of the method 500. The components may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the components may be implemented in a circuit system or a software module.

[0152] In some embodiments, the second apparatus includes: a component for receiving a random access preamble from the first apparatus; and a component for sending a response message to the first apparatus, the response message including first information related to a backoff of a random access procedure for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type.

[0153] In some embodiments, at least one device type indicates a reduced capability device and at least one access attempt type indicates an access attempt related to a small data transmission.

[0154] In some embodiments, the response message includes a first indication of a second backoff value for at least one device type or at least one access attempt type.

[0155] In some embodiments, the first indication indicates at least one of: the position of the backoff indicator includes a second backoff value; a predetermined backoff value is used as the second backoff value; whether a third backoff value for the second device type is determined as the second backoff value; whether the second backoff value is determined based on the third backoff value and the backoff scaling factor; and the backoff indicator includes the second backoff value.

[0156] In some embodiments, the predetermined backoff value is obtained via one of: a system information block SIB, a radio resource control RRC release, and a medium access control - control element.

[0157] In some embodiments, the second device further includes a component for transmitting a further message to the first device, the further message indicating at least one device type including at least one of the following: a reduced-capability device and a reduced-capability device type; and at least one access attempt type including at least one of the following: small data transmission, small data transmission for signaling radio bearer, and small data transmission for data radio bearer.

[0158] In some embodiments, the second apparatus further comprises means for sending a further message comprising a plurality of sets of backoff indicators to the first apparatus, each set in the plurality of sets being for at least one of: a signaling radio bearer, a data radio bearer, a logical channel, a priority of a logical channel, and a range of priorities of a logical channel.

[0159] In some embodiments, the first apparatus comprises a terminal device and the second apparatus comprises a network device.

[0160] Figure 6 is a simplified block diagram of a device 600 suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. The device 600 may be provided to implement a communication device, such as Figure 1 The first device 110 and the second device 120 are shown. As shown, the device 600 includes one or more processors 610, one or more memories 620 coupled to the processor 610, and one or more communication modules 640 coupled to the processor 610.

[0161] The communication module 640 is used for two-way communication. The communication module 640 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface can represent any interface necessary to communicate with other network elements.

[0162] Processor 610 may be of any type suitable for the local technology network and may include one or more of the following: a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture, as non-limiting examples. Device 600 may have multiple processors, such as application specific integrated circuit chips, that are time-slave to a clock synchronized with a main processor.

[0163] The memory 620 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 624, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), and other magnetic and / or optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 622 and other volatile memories that do not persist across a power outage.

[0164] Computer program 630 includes computer executable instructions executed by associated processor 610. Computer program 630 may be stored in ROM 624. Processor 610 may perform any suitable actions and processes by loading program 630 into RAM 622.

[0165] The embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented with the help of program 630, so that the device 600 can execute the reference Figures 2 to 5 The embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0166] In some embodiments, the program 630 may be tangibly embodied in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 600 (such as the memory 620) or in other storage devices accessible by the device 600. The device 600 may load the program 630 from the computer-readable medium to the RAM 622 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible, non-volatile storage device, such as a ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, etc. Figure 7 An example of a computer readable medium 700 in the form of a CD or DVD is shown. The computer readable medium has a program 630 stored thereon.

[0167] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representation, it is to be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented as non-limiting examples in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or a controller, or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0168] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in a program module, executed in a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform the above-mentioned Figures 2 to 5 Methods 400 to 500 are described. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of program modules can be combined or split between program modules as needed. The machine-executable instructions of program modules can be executed on local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules can be located in local and remote storage media.

[0169] The program code for executing the method of the present disclosure can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes can be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device so that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code enables the functions / operations specified in the flow chart and / or block diagram to be implemented. The program code can be executed entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0170] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program codes or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the aforementioned processes and operations, such as signals and computer-readable media.

[0171] The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of computer readable storage media would include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.

[0172] Further, although operation is described in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operation to be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or all illustrated operations are performed, to achieve desired results. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, although a plurality of specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure, but should be interpreted as the description of the features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Some features described in the context of a separate embodiment can also be implemented in a single embodiment in combination. On the contrary, the various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in a plurality of embodiments individually or according to any suitable subcombination.

[0173] Although the disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the disclosure defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A first device for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first device to: Sending a random access preamble to the second device using a random access channel (RACH) resource that is common to different device types; receiving a response message from the second device, the response message including a first indication of a second backoff value for at least one device type, wherein the first indication is included in a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) of the response message in a MAC subheader and specifies a location of a backoff indicator including the second backoff value; receiving, from the second device, a further message comprising a plurality of sets of backoff indicators, each set in the plurality of sets being used for at least one of: Signalling Radio Bearer, Data Radio Bearer, Logical channels, the priority of the logical channel, and The range of the priority of the logical channel; and determining a first backoff value for the random access procedure of the first device based on the response message and at least one of the plurality of backoff indicator sets; as well as The random access procedure is performed based on the first backoff value. 2 . The first device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one device type indicates a reduced capability device.

3. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first device to determine the first backoff value by: determining the first backoff value based on the second backoff value in response to determining that the type of the first device is one of the at least one device type; and Based on determining that the type of the first device is different from the at least one device type, the first backoff value is determined based on a third backoff value configured for a device type different from the at least one device type.

4. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the first indication further indicates at least one of the following: using a predetermined backoff value as the second backoff value, whether a third backoff value for a second device type is determined to be said second backoff value, whether the second backoff value is determined based on the third backoff value and a scaling factor for backoff, and The backoff indicator includes the second backoff value.

5. The first device of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined backoff value is obtained via one of the following: System Information Block SIB, Radio Resource Control (RRC) release, and Media Access Control - Control element.

6. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the first device to: Another message is received from the second device, the other message indicating the at least one device type including at least one of the following: Reduced capacity equipment, and The type of equipment that reduces capacity, and The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the first device to determine the first backoff value by: The first backoff value is determined based on both the response message and the other message.

7. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the first device to perform the random access procedure by: determining a backoff time for the random access procedure based on the first backoff value, and The random access procedure is performed using the backoff time.

8. The first device according to claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a terminal device, and the second device comprises a network device.

9. A second device for communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code; The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second device to: receiving, from the first device, a random access preamble using a random access channel (RACH) resource common to different device types; sending a response message to the first device, the response message including a first indication of a second backoff value for at least one device type, wherein the first indication is included in a media access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) of the response message in a MAC subheader and specifies a location of a backoff indicator including the second backoff value; and Sending another message to the first device including a plurality of sets of backoff indicators, each set in the plurality of sets being used for at least one of the following: Signalling Radio Bearer, Data Radio Bearer, Logical channels, the priority of the logical channel, and The priority range of the logical channel.

10. The second device of claim 9, wherein the at least one device type indicates a reduced capability device.

11. The second device according to claim 9, wherein the first indication further indicates at least one of the following: using a predetermined backoff value as the second backoff value, whether a third backoff value for a second device type is determined to be said second backoff value, whether the second backoff value is determined based on the third backoff value and a scaling factor for backoff, and The backoff indicator includes the second backoff value.

12. The second device according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined backoff value is obtained via one of the following: System Information Block SIB, Radio Resource Control (RRC) release, and Media Access Control - Control element.

13. The second device of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the second device to: Sending another message to the first device, where the other message indicates the at least one device type including at least one of the following: Reduced capacity equipment, and Type of equipment that reduces capacity.

14. The second device according to claim 9, wherein the first device comprises a terminal device, and the second device comprises a network device.

15. A method of communication, comprising: sending a random access preamble to the second device using a random access channel (RACH) resource that is common to different device types; receiving a response message from the second device, the response message including a first indication of a second backoff value for at least one device type, wherein the first indication is included in a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) of the response message in a MAC subheader and specifies a location of a backoff indicator including the second backoff value; receiving, from the second device, a further message comprising a plurality of sets of backoff indicators, each set in the plurality of sets being used for at least one of: Signalling Radio Bearer, Data Radio Bearer, Logical channels, the priority of the logical channel, and The range of the priority of the logical channel; and determining a first backoff value for the random access procedure of the first device based on the response message and at least one of the plurality of backoff indicator sets; as well as The random access procedure is performed based on the first backoff value.

16. A method of communication, comprising: receiving, at the second device, from the first device, a random access preamble using a random access channel (RACH) resource that is common to different device types; sending a response message to the first device, the response message including a first indication of a second backoff value for at least one device type, wherein the first indication is included in a media access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) of the response message in a MAC subheader and specifies a location of a backoff indicator including the second backoff value; and Sending another message to the first device including a plurality of sets of backoff indicators, each set in the plurality of sets being used for at least one of the following: Signalling Radio Bearer, Data Radio Bearer, Logical channels, the priority of the logical channel, and The priority range of the logical channel.

17. A first apparatus for communication, comprising: means for transmitting, at the first apparatus, a random access preamble to the second apparatus using a random access channel (RACH) resource that is common to different device types; means for receiving a response message from the second apparatus, the response message including a first indication of a second backoff value for at least one device type, wherein the first indication is included in a media access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) of the response message in a MAC subheader and specifies a location of a backoff indicator including the second backoff value; for receiving, from the second apparatus, a further message comprising a plurality of sets of backoff indicators, each set in the plurality of sets being used for at least one of: Signalling Radio Bearer, Data Radio Bearer, Logical channels, the priority of the logical channel, and The range of the priority of the logical channel; and means for determining a first backoff value for the random access procedure of the first apparatus based on the message and at least one of the plurality of backoff indicator sets; as well as means for performing the random access procedure based on the first backoff value.

18. A second device for communication, comprising: means for receiving, at the second apparatus, from the first apparatus, a random access preamble using a random access channel, RACH, resource common to different device types; means for sending a response message to the first apparatus, the response message comprising a first indication of a second backoff value for at least one device type, wherein the first indication is included in a Media Access Control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) subheader of the response message and specifies a location of a backoff indicator comprising the second backoff value; and configured to send a further message comprising a plurality of backoff indicator sets to the first apparatus, each set in the plurality of sets being used for at least one of the following: Signalling Radio Bearer, Data Radio Bearer, Logical channels, the priority of the logical channel, and The priority range of the logical channel.

19. A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are configured to cause an apparatus to at least perform the method according to claim 15 or 16.

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