Receiving a random access response with an extended response window

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for resolving random access responses with extended response windows. A method can include accessing, by a user equipment, a network by sending a random access channel preamble to a network element. The method can also include receiving, from the network element, a random access response in response to the random access channel preamble. The random access response provides an indication of which random access channel occasion in time within a span of one or more radio frames to which the random access response applies.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on February 14, 2019, with application number 201980016306.7 and invention title "Receiving a Random Access Response with an Extended Response Window". Technical Field

[0002] Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunications systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or 5G radio access technologies or New Radio (NR) access technologies, or other communication systems. For example, some embodiments may relate to apparatus, systems, and / or methods for resolving random access responses with an extended response window. Background Technology

[0003] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunications systems can include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), UTRAN evolved from LTE (E-UTRAN), LTE-A Advanced, MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, and / or fifth-generation (5G) radio access technologies or new radio (NR) access technologies. Fifth-generation (5G) radio systems refer to next-generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. 5G is primarily built on NR, but 5G (or NG) networks can also be built on E-UTRA radio. NR is estimated to offer bit rates in the 10-20 Gbit / s range or higher and will 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 extreme broadband and ultra-robust low-latency connectivity, as well as massive networks to support the Internet of Things (IoT). With the increasing prevalence of IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, the demand for networks that 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 provides radio access to user equipment (i.e., similar to a node B in UTRAN or an eNB in ​​LTE) can be named gNB when established on an NR radio and NG-eNB when established on an E-UTRA radio. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to some example embodiments, a method may include: sending a random access channel preamble from a user equipment to a network element. The method may also include: receiving a random access response from the network element in response to sending the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response applies to.

[0005] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include components for transmitting a random access channel preamble to a network element. The apparatus may also include components for receiving a random access response from the network element in response to transmitting the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response is applied to.

[0006] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to transmit a random access channel preamble to at least a network element. The at least one memory and the computer program code may also be configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to receive a random access response from a network element, at least in response to transmitting the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response applies to.

[0007] According to some example embodiments, a non-transient computer-readable medium may be encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, may perform a method. The method may send a random access channel preamble to a network element. The method may also receive a random access response from the network element in response to sending the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response applies to.

[0008] According to some example embodiments, a computer program product can perform a method. The method can send a random access channel preamble to a network element. The method can also receive a random access response from the network element in response to sending the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response can provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response applies to.

[0009] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include: circuitry configured to transmit a random access channel preamble to a network element. The apparatus may also include: circuitry configured to receive a random access response from a network element in response to transmitting the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response applies to.

[0010] According to some example embodiments, a method may include receiving a random access channel preamble from a user equipment at a network element. The method may further include sending a random access response to the user equipment in response to the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response applies to.

[0011] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include components for receiving a random access channel preamble from a user equipment at a network element. The apparatus may also include components for sending a random access response to the user equipment in response to the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response is applied to.

[0012] According to some example embodiments, an apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to receive at least a random access channel preamble from a user equipment. The at least one memory and the computer program code may also be configured, together with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to send a random access response to the user equipment, at least in response to the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response applies to.

[0013] According to some example embodiments, a non-transient computer-readable medium may be encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, can perform a method. The method may receive a random access channel preamble from a user equipment at a network element. The method may also send a random access response to the user equipment in response to the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response applies to.

[0014] According to some example embodiments, a computer program product can perform a method. The method can receive a random access channel preamble from a user equipment at a network element. The method can also send a random access response to the user equipment in response to the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response can provide an indication of which random access channel the random access response applies to within a span of one or more radio frames.

[0015] According to some embodiments, an apparatus may include: a circuit system configured to receive a random access channel preamble from a user equipment. The apparatus may also include: a circuit system configured to send a random access response to the user equipment in response to the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response applies to. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To properly understand the invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 An example two-step random access channel (RACH) signal flow is shown.

[0018] Figure 2 A possible response timing is shown according to an example embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 An example flowchart of a method according to an embodiment is shown.

[0020] Figure 4 An example flowchart of another method according to an example embodiment is shown.

[0021] Figure 5a A block diagram of an apparatus according to an example embodiment is shown.

[0022] Figure 5b A block diagram of another apparatus according to an example embodiment is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0023] As will be readily understood, as generally described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, components of certain example embodiments can 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 resolving random access responses with extended response windows is not intended to limit the scope of any particular embodiment, but rather represents selected example embodiments.

[0024] The features, structures, or characteristics of the exemplary embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more exemplary embodiments. For example, throughout this specification, the use of phrases such as "certain embodiments," "an exemplary embodiment," "some embodiments," or other similar language refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, throughout this specification, the appearance of phrases such as "in some embodiments," "an exemplary embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language does not necessarily all refer to the same set of embodiments, and the features, structures, or characteristics described in one or more exemplary embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner.

[0025] Additionally, if necessary, the different functions or steps discussed below may be performed in different orders and / or concurrently with each other. Furthermore, if necessary, one or more of the described functions or steps may be optional or may be combined. Thus, the following description should be considered merely as an illustration of the principles and teachings of certain exemplary embodiments, and not as a limitation thereof.

[0026] Some example embodiments may relate to random access (RA) procedures for 3GPP new radio (NR) designs. Other example embodiments may relate to random access response (RAR) reception for NR radios operating in unlicensed spectrum or MsgB reception for two-step random access (RA) procedures.

[0027] Several recommendations have been proposed in 3GPP, including work items regarding NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum and two-step random access channels (RACH) for NR. For example, for the RA procedure, the required NR modifications can be specified to enhance the RACH procedure based on protocols developed during the study phase, including four-step RACH modifications to handle reduced Msg 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 transmission opportunities due to Listen-After-Speak (LBT) failures (Radio Access Network (RAN) 1 / RAN2). Furthermore, for the RA procedure, LBT for two-step RACH can be provided, as well as improvements to the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) and Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) formats for NR-U for two-step RACH applications.

[0028] For Msg2 in initial access and mobility, TR 38.889 describes that in certain cases of Msg2 transmission in a four-step RACH, it may be beneficial to extend the maximum RAR window size to more than 10 ms to improve robustness against downlink (DL) LBT failures for RAR transmissions. Therefore, the ra-ResponseWindow can be extended to more than 10 ms to improve the robustness of RAR transmissions in case DL LBT failures prevent the expected transmission.

[0029] Figure 1 An exemplary two-step RACH signal flow is shown. Given... Figure 1 Regarding the two-step RACH signal flow, some results of the two-step RACH have been documented in the NR-U SI Technical Report (TR). For example, for a two-step RACH, msgA can be a signal used to detect the User Equipment (UE) and payload, while the second message can be used for contention-based random access (CBRA) with a possible payload. MsgA can include at least the equivalent information transmitted in msg3 of the four-step RACH. Additionally, the payload size of msgA may require further input from RAN1.

[0030] Considering the above, as a baseline, all triggers used for four-step RACH are applicable to two-step RACH. However, further analysis is needed regarding Signaling Information (SI) requests and Beam Failure Recovery (BFR), as well as how to obtain timing advance and authorization for msgA. Additionally, contention resolution in two-step RACH can be performed by including the UE identifier in the first message and echoing it in the second message. Furthermore, backoff from two-step RACH to four-step RACH can be supported. For example, a backoff after msgA transmission is only feasible if it is possible to detect the UE without decoding the payload, and therefore depends on such support from the physical layer. However, if two-step RACH is used for initial access, parameters for the two-step RACH procedure, including resources for msgA, can be broadcast.

[0031] A two-step RACH procedure can include several objectives. One objective is to specify the content of msgA to include the equivalent content of msg3 for a four-step RACH (RAN2 / RAN1). Including uplink control information (UCI) in msgA is not excluded here. Another objective is to specify the content of MsgB to include the equivalent content of msg2 and msg4 for a four-step RACH (RAN1 / RAN2). A further objective is to specify contention resolution for two-step RACH (RAN2) and to specify the design of the Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) for MsgB in two-step RACH (RAN2). In yet another objective, the fallback procedure can be specified as a transition from two-step RACH to four-step RACH (RAN2 / RAN1), and all triggers for Rel-15 NR four-step RACH can be applied to two-step RACH, except for the BFR SI requirement, depending on the discussion of RAN2. No new triggers for two-step RACH are included in all triggers for Rel-15 NR four-step RACH.

[0032] For contention resolution in a two-step RACH, the response can be as in a four-step RACH within a contention resolution timer to allow the network (NW) sufficient time to process (multiple) Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages. In contention resolution, the value of the contention resolution timer (ra-ContentionResolutionTimer) in NRRel-15 can include: sf8; sf16; sf24; sf32; sf40; sf48; sf56; and sf64. The initial value of the contention resolution timer, sf8, corresponds to 8 subframes, while the value sf16 corresponds to 16 subframes, and so on.

[0033] Since the subframe is always 1ms in NR, the maximum value of the timer is 64ms. Additionally, the Random Access Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RA-RNTI) in NR Rel-15 (TS 38.321) associated with the RA preamble transmission is based on the following formula (1):

[0034] RA-RNTI=1+s_id+14×t_id+14×80×f_id+14×80×8×ul_carrier_id (1)

[0035] According to formula (1) above, the RA-RNTI associated with the PRACH / RACH timing of the transmitted RA preamble is calculated. In formula (1), s_id is the index of the first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol of the specified PRACH (0 ≤ s_id < 14), t_id is the index of the first time slot of the specified PRACH in the system frame (0 ≤ t_id < 80), f_id is the index of the specified PRACH in the frequency domain (0 ≤ f_id < 8), and ul_carrier_id is the uplink (UL) carrier used for Msg1 transmission (0 for normal uplink (NUL) carriers and 1 for supplementary uplink (SUL) carriers). Therefore, the RA-RNTI can only be unique within a span of one radio frame / system frame / system frame number duration (i.e., 10 ms).

[0036] In response to a PRACH preamble transmission, the UE may attempt to detect a DCI format 1_0 with a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by the corresponding RA-RNTI during the RAR window. If the UE detects a DCI format 1_0 with a CRC scrambled by the corresponding RA-RNTI and a transport block in the corresponding Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) within the window, the UE may pass the transport block to a higher layer. The higher layer can then parse the transport block from the random access preamble identity (RAPID) associated with the PRACH transmission. If the higher layer identifies the RAPID in the transport block's RAR message(s), it may indicate a UL authorization to the physical layer. Such an indication may be referred to as a Random Access Response (RAR) UL authorization.

[0037] A DCI for scheduling RARs using RA-RNTI in NR Rel-15 can be defined by means of information transmitted in DCI format 1_0 with a CRC scrambled by RA-RNTI. Such information may include information with... One bit of frequency domain resource allocation. Here, if CORESET0 is configured for the cell, then... The size of CORESET 0, and if CORESET 0 is not configured for the cell, then This represents the initial DL bandwidth portion. Additionally, time-domain resource assignments can be transmitted, which may include 4 bits. Furthermore, virtual resource block to physical resource block (VRB to PRB) mapping can be transmitted using 1 bit, modulation and coding schemes can be transmitted using 5 bits, TB scaling can be transmitted using 2 bits, and reserved bits may include 16 bits.

[0038] The contents of a RAR UL license, starting with the most significant bit (MSB) and ending with the least significant bit (LSB), can be given in the table below:

[0039] Table 1: Contents of RAR UL Authorization

[0040] RAR Authorization Fields Number of bits Frequency hopping flag 1 PUSCH frequency resource allocation 14 PUSCH time resource allocation 4 MCS 4 TPC commands for PUSCH 3 CSI Request 1

[0041] As can be seen from the above, the RA-RNTI calculation formula is unique only within the duration of the system / radio frame (10ms in NR). This means that any RO (RACH timing) occurring at the same time / f_id in subsequent radio frames will have the same RA-RNTI derived by the UE and used for RAR reception.

[0042] However, the current formula already results in a maximum of approximately 18,000 RA-RNTI values ​​(with an RNTI space of 64k). Therefore, it may be difficult to extend the formula to make RO unique for RA-RNTI in subsequent radio frames. Specifically, if we consider using a contention-resolved timer, for example, addressing to RA-RNTI in two MsgB steps for 40ms, this would completely exhaust the RNTI space, rendering the system unusable. Therefore, the RA-RNTI formula could at most be extended to cover, for example, more frequency domain PRACH allocations than currently available (e.g., 8 PRACH allocations), which would modestly increase the required space—on the other hand, this would also introduce problems. However, doing so does not solve the problem of response window lengths exceeding 10ms. Therefore, it may be desirable to have a RA-RNTI calculation formula that does not require modification to extend beyond radio frame boundaries.

[0043] According to some example embodiments, when the ra-ResponseWindow for receiving RAR or the ra-ContentionResolutionTimer for receiving MsgB (or any other timer defined for this purpose) is configured to be greater than 10 ms, the NW can indicate in the response which RO (Responding Window) the response applies to over a span of one or more radio frames without needing to extend the RN-RNTI space. In other words, the response can indicate which RO the response applies to without needing to extend the RA-RNTI space, because different ROs can therefore use the same RA-RNTI to schedule the response. In some example embodiments, the response can be DCI or RAR / MsgB.

[0044] Figure 2 Possible response timings according to an example embodiment are shown. For example, Figure 2 The diagram illustrates possible response timings that require indicating which RO the response is applied to. For example... Figure 2As shown, the RAR indicating RO#0 to RA-RNTI is used for system frame number (SFN) #0, #1, or #2RO.

[0045] According to certain example embodiments, indications regarding the applied RO in response can be provided via various mechanisms. For example, in one example embodiment, indications regarding the applied RO in response can be provided in the DCI of the scheduled RAR / MsgB. This can utilize existing reserved bits available in the DCI format. In another example embodiment, indications regarding the applied RO in response can be provided in the RAR / MsgB message itself, and / or the message can include multiple indications regarding multiple ROs. The advantage of this option compared to providing indications in the DCI of the scheduled RAR / MsgB is that multiple ROs can be responded to in a single RAR / MsgB. However, a disadvantage may be that the UE may have to decode the Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Unit (PDU) before determining whether the response message corresponds to an RO in which a preamble is transmitted. In another example embodiment, the NW can be configured to use which of the above mechanisms.

[0046] In some example embodiments, the indication in the response provided by the NW may include a variety of content. For example, in one example embodiment, the indication may include the LSB of the SFN prior to the response message scheduling, or the LSB of the SFN in which the PRACH resource / RACH timing (RO) of the preamble is transmitted. For example, three LSBs may allow the same RA-RNTI to indicate the RO within eight radio frames (i.e., 80 ms). This will also cover the maximum ra-ContentionResolutionTimer value defined in Rel-15.

[0047] In another example embodiment, the indication may simply be an index offset within a radio frame relative to the radio frame in which the response message was scheduled. For example, index offset #0 represents the current radio frame (i.e., the same radio frame in which the response message was scheduled), #1 represents a previous radio frame, and so on. Furthermore, the network can configure whether the UE should decode the indication, or alternatively, the UE can determine this based on the configured ra-ResponseWindow and / or ra-ContentionResolutionTimer length (i.e., if configured to be greater than 10 ms).

[0048] Alternatively, in another example embodiment, if there are more than 8 ROs at a certain time point in the frequency domain, the same RA-RNTI can also be applied in the frequency domain. Here, the DCI of the scheduling response message or the response message itself can indicate which RO in the frequency domain the response is applied to. This indication can be a supplement to or alternative to the time-domain indication.

[0049] According to some example embodiments, the indication may include a bit indication that allows 16 RO / PRACH at a frequency. This is possible because setting this bit would represent RO 8-15 in the frequency domain, and the actual index between the two can be obtained by considering the actual f_id used in the RA-RNTI formula. For example, setting this bit indicates f_id = 8 + f_id.

[0050] Figure 3 An example flowchart of a method according to an example embodiment is shown. In some example embodiments, Figure 3 The flowchart can be executed by the mobile station and / or the UE, for example. According to one embodiment, Figure 3 The method may include: initially, at 300, accessing the network by sending a random access channel preamble to the network element. The method may further include: at 305, receiving a random access response from the network element in response to the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response was applied to.

[0051] Figure 4 An example flowchart of another method according to one example embodiment is shown. In some example embodiments, Figure 4 The flowchart can be executed by network entities or network nodes in a 3GPP system (such as LTE or 5G NR). For example, in some example embodiments, Figure 4 The method can be performed by the base station, eNB, or gNB.

[0052] According to an example embodiment, Figure 4 The method may include: initially, at 400, receiving a random access channel preamble from the user equipment. The method may further include: at 405, in response to the random access channel preamble, sending a random access response to the user equipment. According to an example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response is applied to.

[0053] In an example embodiment, the window for receiving a random access response can be greater than 10 ms. In another example embodiment, the indication can be provided in the downlink control information that schedules the random access response. In another example embodiment, the indication can be provided in the random access response itself, and the random access response can include multiple indications regarding the timing of multiple random access channels. According to another example embodiment, the indication can include multiple least significant bits of the system frame number prior to the scheduling of the random access response, or multiple least significant bits of the system frame numbers of multiple physical random access channel resources. In another example embodiment, the indication can include an index offset in the radio frame relative to the radio frame in which the random access response is scheduled. According to another example embodiment, when there are more than 8 random access channels on a frequency, the same random access radio network temporary identifier can be applied in the frequency domain.

[0054] Figure 5a An example of apparatus 10 according to another embodiment is shown. In one embodiment, apparatus 10 may be a node or element in or associated with a communication network, such as a UE, mobile device (ME), mobile station, mobile device, fixed device, IoT device, or other device. As described herein, a UE may alternatively be referred to as, for example, a mobile station, mobile device, mobile unit, mobile device, user equipment, subscriber station, wireless terminal, tablet computer, smartphone, IoT device, sensor, or NB-IoT device, etc. As an example, apparatus 10 may be implemented, for example, in a wireless handheld device, wireless plug-in accessory, etc.

[0055] In some example embodiments, device 10 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, device 10 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 those skilled in the art will understand that device 10 may include... Figure 5a Components or features not shown in the diagram.

[0056] like Figure 5aAs shown in the example, device 10 may include or be coupled to processor 12, which processes information and executes instructions or operations. Processor 12 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In practice, for example, processor 12 may include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. While in Figure 5a A single processor 12 is shown, but multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some example embodiments, device 10 may include two or more processors, which may form a multiprocessor system capable of supporting multiple processing (e.g., in this case, processor 12 may represent multiple processors). According to some example embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0057] The processor 12 can perform functions associated with the operation of the device 10, including, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of the device 10, including processes related to the management of communication resources.

[0058] Device 10 may also include or be coupled to memory 14 (internal or external), memory 14 for storing information and instructions executable by processor 12, and memory 14 may be coupled to processor 12. Memory 14 may be one or more memories and may be 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, memory 14 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage (such as a disk or optical disk), hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transient machine or computer-readable medium. Instructions stored in memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processor 12, enable device 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0059] In one embodiment, device 10 may further include or be coupled to an (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read external computer-readable storage media, such as an optical disc, USB drive, flash drive, or any other storage media. For example, the external computer-readable storage media may store computer programs or software for execution by processor 12 and / or device 10.

[0060] In some embodiments, device 10 may further include or be coupled to one or more antennas 18 for receiving downlink signals and for transmitting from device 10 via an uplink. Device 10 may also include a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. Transceiver 18 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to antenna 15. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of the following: 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), 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.

[0061] For example, transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by antenna(s)15, and demodulate information received via antenna(s)15 for further processing by other elements of device 10. In other embodiments, transceiver 18 may be able to directly transmit and receive signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, device 10 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In some embodiments, device 10 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touchscreen.

[0062] In one embodiment, memory 14 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 12. For example, the modules may include an operating system that provides operating system functionality to device 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules (such as applications or programs) to provide additional functionality to device 10. Components of device 10 may be implemented in hardware or any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to one example embodiment, device 10 may optionally be configured to communicate with device 20 via wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology (such as NR).

[0063] According to some example embodiments, the processor 12 and memory 14 may be included in a processing circuitry or a control circuitry, or may be part of a processing circuitry or a control circuitry. Additionally, in some embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be included in a transceiver circuitry, or may be part of a transceiver circuitry.

[0064] As described above, according to certain example embodiments, device 10 may be, for example, a UE, mobile device, mobile station, ME, IoT device, and / or NB-IoT device. According to certain embodiments, device 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to perform functions associated with the example embodiments described herein. For example, in some embodiments, device 10 may be configured to execute any flowchart or signaling diagram described herein (such as...). Figure 1 , 2 One or more processes depicted in the flowchart shown in Figure 3.

[0065] For example, in one embodiment, device 10 may be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to access the network by sending a random access channel preamble to network elements. Device 14 may also be controlled by memory 14 and processor 12 to receive a random access response from network elements in response to sending the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response was applied to.

[0066] Figure 5b An example of apparatus 20 according to an exemplary embodiment is shown. In one exemplary embodiment, apparatus 20 may be a node, host, or server in or serving a communications network. For example, apparatus 20 may be a satellite, base station, node B, evolved Node B (eNB), 5G node B or access point, next-generation node B (NG-NB or gNB), and / or WLAN access point associated with a radio access network (RAN) such as an LTE network, 5G, or NR. In some exemplary embodiments, apparatus 20 may be an eNB in ​​LTE or a gNB in ​​5G.

[0067] It should be understood that in some example embodiments, device 20 may include an edge cloud server as a distributed computing system, wherein the server and radio nodes may be independent devices communicating with each other via a radio path or via a wired connection, or they may reside in the same entity communicating via a wired connection. For example, in some example embodiments where device 20 represents a gNB, it may be configured to partition gNB functionality into a central unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU) architecture. In such an architecture, the CU may be a logical node including gNB functions such as user data transmission, mobility control, radio access network sharing, location and / or session management, etc. The CU may control the operation of the DU(s) through a fronthaul interface. Depending on the function splitting option, the DU may be a logical node including a subset of gNB functions. It should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that device 20 may include Figure 5b Components or features not shown in the diagram.

[0068] As in Figure 5b As shown in the example, device 20 may include processor 22, which processes information and executes instructions or operations. Processor 22 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. For example, as an example, processor 22 may include one or more of the following: general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, microprocessor, digital signal processor (DSP), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although in Figure 5b A single processor 22 is shown, but multiple processors may be utilized according to other embodiments. For example, it should be understood that in some embodiments, device 20 may include two or more processors, which may form a multiprocessor system capable of supporting multiple processing (e.g., in this case, processor 22 may represent multiple processors). In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0069] According to certain example embodiments, processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 20, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of device 20, including processes related to the management of communication resources.

[0070] Device 20 may also include or be coupled to memory 24 (internal or external), memory 24 for storing information and instructions that can be executed by processor 22, and memory 24 may be coupled to processor 22. Memory 24 may be one or more memories and may be 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, memory 24 may include any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory (such as a disk or optical disk), hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transient machine or computer-readable medium. Instructions stored in memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processor 22, enable device 20 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0071] In one embodiment, device 20 may further include or be coupled to an (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read external computer-readable storage media, such as an optical disc, USB drive, flash drive, or any other storage media. For example, the external computer-readable storage media may store computer programs or software for execution by processor 22 and / or device 20.

[0072] In some example embodiments, device 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for transmitting and / or receiving signals and / or data to and from device 20. Device 20 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 28 configured to transmit and receive information. Transceiver 28 may include, for example, multiple radio interfaces that may be coupled to, for example, the antennas(s) 25. The radio interfaces 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, RFID, UWB, MulteFire, etc. The radio interfaces 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 to receive symbols (e.g., via an uplink).

[0073] Thus, transceiver 28 can be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by antenna(s)25, and demodulate information received via antenna(s)25 for further processing by other elements of device 20. In other embodiments, transceiver 18 may be able to directly transmit and receive signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, device 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices).

[0074] In one embodiment, memory 24 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 22. These modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality to device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules (such as applications or programs) to provide additional functionality to device 20. Components of device 20 may be implemented in hardware or any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0075] According to some embodiments, the processor 22 and the memory 24 may be included in a processing circuit system or a control circuit system, or may be part of a processing circuit system or a control circuit system. Additionally, in some embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be included in a transceiver circuit system, or may be part of a transceiver circuit system.

[0076] As used herein, the term "circuit system" can refer to a hardware-only circuit system implementation (e.g., analog and / or digital circuit systems), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, any portion of a hardware processor(s) (including digital signal processors) having software that works together to enable a device (e.g., device 20) to perform various functions, and / or a hardware circuit(s) and / or a processor(s), or a portion thereof, which operates using software but may be absent when operation does not require software. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit system" can also encompass a hardware circuitry or processor(s), or a portion thereof, and its accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. The term "circuit system" can also encompass baseband integrated circuits, for example, in servers, cellular network nodes or devices, or other computing or networking devices.

[0077] As described above, in some embodiments, device 20 may be a network node or RAN node, such as a base station, access point, node B, eNB, gNB, WLAN access point, etc. According to some embodiments, device 10 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to perform functions associated with any of the embodiments described herein, such as... Figure 1 , 2 The flowchart or signaling diagram shown in Figure 4.

[0078] For example, in one embodiment, device 20 may be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to receive a random access channel preamble from a user equipment to access the network. Device 24 may also be controlled by memory 24 and processor 22 to send a random access response to the user equipment in response to the random access channel preamble. In one example embodiment, the random access response may provide an indication of which random access channel timing within a span of one or more radio frames the random access response applies to.

[0079] Certain example embodiments described herein provide several technical improvements, enhancements, and / or advantages. For example, according to certain example embodiments, the RA-RNTI formula defined in Rel-15 NR can be applied as is. Alternatively, the RA-RNTI formula defined in Rel-15 NR may not require at least time-domain extension, which can significantly reduce unnecessary RA-RNTI allocation when extending the RA response window length or introducing a long contention resolution window for MsgB.

[0080] In some example embodiments, the functionality of any of the methods, processes, signaling diagrams, algorithms, or flowcharts described herein can be implemented by software and / or computer program code or portions thereof stored in memory or other computer-readable or tangible media and executed by a processor.

[0081] In some example embodiments, an apparatus may include or be associated with at least one software application, module, unit, or entity configured to perform arithmetic operations(s) or a program or portion thereof (including added or updated software routines) by at least one operating processor. The 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 includes program instructions for performing a specific task.

[0082] A computer program product may include one or more computer-executable components that, when the program is run, are configured to perform some example embodiments. The one or more computer-executable components may be at least one piece of software code or a portion thereof. Modifications and configurations required to implement the functionality of the example embodiments may be executed as routines(s), which may be implemented as added or updated software routines(s). The software routines(s) may be downloaded to a device.

[0083] As an example, software or computer program code, or portions thereof, may be in the form of source code, object code, or some intermediate form, and may be stored on some carrier, distribution medium, or computer-readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such a carrier may include, for example, recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals, and software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing power, a computer program may execute in a single electronic digital computer or be distributed among multiple computers. A computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium may be a non-transient medium.

[0084] In other example embodiments, this function may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in the device (e.g., device 10 or device 20), for example by using an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another embodiment, the function may be implemented as a signal, an intangible means that can be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other networks.

[0085] According to an example embodiment, an apparatus (such as a node, device, or corresponding component) may be configured as a circuit system, a computer, or a microprocessor (such as a single-chip computer element) or a chipset, including at least a memory and an arithmetic processor, the memory being used to provide storage capacity for arithmetic operations and the arithmetic processor being used to perform arithmetic operations.

[0086] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the present invention as described above can be practiced with steps in a different order and / or with hardware elements in a configuration different from the disclosed configuration. Therefore, although the invention has been described based on these preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be readily apparent without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. While the above embodiments relate to 5G NR and LTE technologies, they can also be applied to any other current or future 3GPP technologies, such as Advanced LTE and / or fourth-generation (4G) technologies.

[0087] Partial vocabulary list

[0088] DCI Downlink Control Information

[0089] eNB Enhanced Node B (LTE Base Station)

[0090] gNB 5G or NR base station

[0091] LBT Listen before you speak

[0092] LSB (Least Significant Bit)

[0093] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0094] MU Multi-User

[0095] NW Network

[0096] NR New Radio

[0097] NR-U New Radio Unlicensed

[0098] PRACH Physical Random Access Channel

[0099] PRB (Physical Resource Block)

[0100] RA Random Access

[0101] RACH Random Access Channel

[0102] RAR Random Access Response

[0103] RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0104] RO RACH timing

[0105] SFN system frame number

[0106] UE User Equipment

[0107] UL uplink.

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising: At network elements, a transmission including a random access channel preamble is received from the user equipment. as well as In response to the transmission including the random access channel preamble, the network element sends downlink control information to the user equipment, the downlink control information scheduling a random access response associated with the transmission. in: The downlink control information includes an indication of which random access channel timing within the span of one or more radio frames the random access response is applied to, only when the window used for the random access response is greater than 10 ms. The indication includes a plurality of least significant bits of the system frame number corresponding to the timing of the random access channel in which the preamble is transmitted.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising: The network element configures the user equipment to decode the indications in the downlink control information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the random access response is included in message 2 in a four-step random access process, or in message B in a two-step random access process.

4. A network element, comprising: A component for receiving transmissions, including random access channel preambles, from user equipment; as well as Components for sending downlink control information to the user equipment in response to the transmission including the random access channel preamble, the downlink control information scheduling a random access response associated with the transmission. in: The downlink control information includes an indication of which random access channel timing within the span of one or more radio frames the random access response is applied to, only when the window used for the random access response is greater than 10 ms. The indication includes a plurality of least significant bits of the system frame number corresponding to the timing of the random access channel in which the preamble is transmitted.

5. The network element of claim 4, wherein the network element includes components for configuring the user equipment to decode the indication in the downlink control information.

6. The network element according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the random access response is included in message 2 of a four-step random access process, or in message B of a two-step random access process.

7. A computer program product for communication, the computer program product being encoded with instructions for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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