Method and apparatus for information transmission and information reception

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a method and apparatus for information transmission and information reception. The method of data reception comprises transmitting a request for an RRC message to a network node based on default transmission parameters; receiving the RRC message from the network node in a predetermined time unit. With embodiments of the present disclosure, an RRC message can be requested when needed by a terminal device, and thus RRC message transmission can be reduced and in turn inter-node interference can be limited, and if these signals are transmitted on unlicensed spectrum, the number of LBT required for these signal transmissions can be reduced.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application for invention with international application date of July 20, 2016, national application number of 201680087791.3, and invention name of "Method and apparatus for information transmission and information reception". TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the technical field of wireless communication, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for transmitting information and a method and apparatus for receiving information. BACKGROUND

[0003] With the increasing wireless data services, the licensed carrier resources are limited and difficult to cope with the increasing data traffic. Therefore, it is proposed to use unlicensed carrier resources for data transmission, which can provide a large amount of frequency resources in a cost-effective manner.

[0004] Recently, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) organization has begun to standardize the licensed assisted access, which introduces data offloading from licensed carrier resources to unlicensed carrier resources on small cells to provide data speed improvement to terminal devices. For data transmission on unlicensed carriers, a listen before talk (LBT) operation should be performed to detect whether the channel is idle. Only when the LBT result indicates that the channel is idle, the transmission on unlicensed carriers can be performed; otherwise, no transmission on unlicensed carriers will be made. Therefore, due to LBT, the transmission opportunities in unlicensed spectrum are limited.

[0005] Generally, reference signals (such as discovery signals (DRS)) and radio resource control (RRC) messages (such as system information, paging messages, etc.) need to be transmitted to terminal devices such as user equipment (UE). These signals usually have different transmission periods and different time offsets, and these signals can have some dependencies between them. For example, the DRS, master information block (MIB), system information block (SIB) and paging message in the conventional LTE system have different periodicities and different time offsets, and the DRS / MIB / SIB / paging have dependencies between each other. This means that the successful decoding of one signal can depend on the decoding of another signal, and therefore the UE cannot acquire complete system information if it cannot successfully receive certain information. In this case, the user experience will be greatly affected. In addition, there can also be energy consumption problems and inter-node interference problems.

[0006] In US application publication No. US20160165638A1, a solution for enhanced system access for E-UTRAN is disclosed, in which a two-stage system information transmission solution and reduced paging cycle are proposed. In particular, in this application, in a first stage, first a first system information is broadcasted which is common for each cell in a group of cells in a region; then a second system information is broadcasted which can vary between the cells in the group; and the second system information is broadcasted more frequently than the first system information.

[0007] In technical document RP-160870 "New WI: Work Item on Standalone LTE Operation and dual connectivity operation in unlicensed spectrum" (Ericsson, 3GPP RAN P#72 meeting), a standard LAA for supporting scheduling of DRS, MIB and SIBs in common subframes is disclosed.

[0008] However, if the reference signals and the RRC message are transmitted at different time instances, still multiple LBT attempts are needed for their transmission on unlicensed spectrum, and inter-node interference can still exist due to these information transmissions. SUMMARY

[0009] In the present disclosure, a new solution for information transmission and information reception in a wireless communication system is provided to mitigate or at least alleviate at least part of the problems in the prior art.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a method of receiving information in a wireless communication system is provided, wherein the information comprises at least a radio resource control (RRC) message. The method comprises transmitting a request for the RRC message to a network node based on a default transmission parameter; and receiving the RRC message from the network node at a predetermined time unit.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method of transmitting information is provided, wherein the information comprises at least a radio resource control (RRC) message. The method comprises receiving a request for the RRC message transmitted from a terminal device based on a default transmission parameter; and in response to the request for the RRC message, transmitting the RRC message to the terminal device at a predetermined time unit.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for receiving information in a wireless communication system, wherein the information comprises at least a radio resource control, RRC, message. The apparatus comprises an RRC request transmission module and an RRC message reception module. The RRC request transmission module is configured to transmit a request for an RRC message to a network node based on default transmission parameters. The RRC message reception module is configured to receive the RRC message from the network node at a predetermined time unit.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for transmitting information, wherein the information comprises at least a radio resource control, RRC, message. The apparatus comprises an RRC request reception module and an RRC message transmission module. The RRC request reception module is configured to receive a request for an RRC message transmitted from a terminal device based on default transmission parameters. The RRC message transmission module is configured to transmit the RRC message to the terminal device at a predetermined time unit in response to the request for the RRC message.

[0014] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer- readable storage medium having computer program code embodied thereon, the computer program code being configured to cause an apparatus to perform actions in the method according to any embodiment of the first aspect when executed.

[0015] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer- readable storage medium having computer program code embodied thereon, the computer program code being configured to cause an apparatus to perform actions in the method according to any embodiment of the second aspect when executed.

[0016] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product comprising the computer-readable storage medium according to the fifth aspect.

[0017] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product comprising the computer-readable storage medium according to the sixth aspect.

[0018] By embodiments of the present disclosure, there is provided a new solution for information transmission and reception, wherein an RRC message is transmitted in response to a request for the RRC message from a terminal device when the terminal device needs the RRC message. In this way, RRC message transmissions can be reduced and in turn inter-node interference can be limited, and if these signals are transmitted on unlicensed spectrum, the number of LBTs needed for these signal transmissions can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] The above and other features of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing in detail embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views, and wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 a flowchart of a method of receiving information in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the disclosure is schematically illustrated;

[0021] Figure 2 a flowchart of a method for determining a requested default transmission parameter according to an example embodiment of the disclosure is schematically illustrated;

[0022] Figure 3 a flowchart of a method of transmitting information in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0023] Figure 4 a flowchart of a method of transmitting and receiving information in a wireless communication system according to a specific implementation of the disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0024] Figure 5 a block diagram of an apparatus for receiving information in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the disclosure is schematically illustrated; and

[0025] Figure 6 a block diagram of an apparatus for transmitting information in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the disclosure is schematically illustrated;

[0026] Figure 7 Further shown are simplified block diagrams of an apparatus 710 which can be implemented in or included in a UE and an apparatus 720 which can be implemented in or included in a base station in a wireless network as described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In the following, the solutions provided in the present disclosure will be described in detail by embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these embodiments are only provided to enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement the present disclosure, and not to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.

[0028] In the accompanying drawings, various embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by block diagrams, flowcharts and other diagrammatic representations. Each block in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a piece of program or a part of code, which contains one or more executable instructions for performing the specified logical function, and in the present disclosure, the blocks which are not necessary are shown with dashed lines. In addition, although these blocks are shown in a specific sequence for performing the steps of the method, in fact, they can not necessarily be performed in the order shown. For example, they can be performed in reverse order or simultaneously, depending on the nature of the individual operations. It should also be noted that the block diagrams in the flowchart and / or each block and its combination can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system for performing the specified function / operation or by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0029] Generally, unless otherwise defined herein, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field. All references to "a / an / the [element, device, component, means, step, etc]" are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of said element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. Moreover, in this document, the terms "a" and "an" are not exclusive, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0030] Additionally, in the context of the present disclosure, a user equipment (UE) can refer to a terminal, a mobile terminal (MT), a subscriber station (SS), a portable subscriber station (PSS), a mobile station (MS), or an access terminal (AT), and can include some or all functions of a UE, a terminal, an MT, an SS, a PSS, an MS, or an AT. Furthermore, in the context of the present disclosure, the term "BS" can represent, for example, a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), a radio header (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, or a low power node such as a femto, pico, etc.

[0031] As described above, in the existing solutions, the reference signal and RRC message transmission still require multiple LBT attempts and also cause inter-node interference. Accordingly, in the present disclosure, a new solution for information transmission and reception is provided to solve these problems. It is proposed in the present disclosure that when a terminal device needs an RRC message, the terminal device such as a UE requests the RRC message based on default transmission parameters, and when the request is received from the terminal device, the serving node such as a NB or eNB can transmit the RRC message to the terminal device that requested. Accordingly, the RRC message is transmitted only when needed, and thus the RRC message transmission can be reduced and in turn the inter-node interference can be limited, and if these signals are transmitted on unlicensed spectrum, the number of LBT required for these signal transmissions can be reduced. Hereinafter, the solution for information transmission and reception will be described in detail with reference to the drawings provided herein.

[0032] Reference is first made to Figure 1 which schematically illustrates a flowchart of a method 100 of data reception in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 100 can be performed at a terminal device (e.g., a UE) or other similar terminal device.

[0033] As Figure 1As shown, first in step S101, a request for an RRC message is transmitted to a network node based on default transmission parameters. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the RRC message can comprise any one of an RRC information element, a security control information element, a mobility control information element, a measurement information element, other information element, a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) information element, a single cell point to multipoint (SC-PTM) information element, a sidelink information element, a system information block (SIB), a master information block (MIB), a paging message, and other RRC messages to be newly defined in the future.

[0034] In the following, the MIB and the SIB are described as examples of RRC messages for illustrative purposes only; however, it should be noted that the skilled person will note that the present disclosure is not limited to these specific examples and that it can also be applied to any other type of RRC message, such as a paging message.

[0035] The request for the RRC message can be transmitted in an uplink control channel, for example, in a physical random access channel (PRACH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), etc. Moreover, the request for the RRC message can also be transmitted in an uplink reference signal.

[0036] In embodiments of the present disclosure, if the UE needs an RRC message, it requests the RRC message, it does not receive the RRC message, and therefore at this time it does not know the RRC message transmission parameters. Therefore, in the present disclosure, it is proposed to use default transmission parameters to transmit the request for the RRC message. Next, for illustrative purposes, the method of determining the default transmission parameters for the RRC message will be described with reference to Figure 2

[0037] Figure 2 A flowchart of a method for determining the default transmission parameters of a request according to example embodiments of the present disclosure is schematically shown. The method 200 can be executed at a terminal device, for example, a UE or other similar terminal device. As shown in step 201, the transmit power is determined. The determination of the transmit power can be based on, for example, a predetermined target received power and a reference signal received power. The reference signal received power is a reference value, and the predetermined or default target received power can also be obtained. Therefore, by using these two parameters, the transmit power of the RRC message can be determined. Figure 2

[0038] ​​Then, in step 202, a requested preamble sequence is determined based on at least one of a cell identifier carried in the reference signal, a selected preamble index, a preamble duration limit, and a selected preamble format. For example, a default preamble set for RRC message can be first acquired, and the UE determines a cell-specific preamble set from the default preamble set based on a cell id carried in a discovery reference signal (DRS). Then, the UE can select a preamble index randomly or based on a predetermined rule. A preamble duration limit can be set. For example, the preamble duration can be limited to 1 ms or any other suitable value. Next, a suitable preamble format can be selected. Thus, it can decide a preamble sequence for the request from the cell-specific preamble set based on the preamble index, the preamble duration limit, the selected preamble format. The preamble sequence for RRC message can be a legacy sequence, i.e., those used in legacy systems. Alternatively, the preamble sequence for RRC message can be a newly defined cell-specific sequence.

[0039] Next, in step 203, a requested configuration index can be determined. The configuration index can be a predetermined or default index. Then, the request for RRC message can be transmitted from, for example, a boundary of a subframe.

[0040] Thus, the UE can determine a default transmission parameter for RRC message. However, it should be noted that the above-described method is given for the purpose of explanation only, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the order of performing the steps can be changed; each step, or individual steps, can be modified, or used separately with others. All these changes do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure, and still fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0041] In response to the request for RRC message, a serving node (e.g., eNB) will transmit a feedback containing the required RRC information to the UE at a predetermined timing. The detailed operation of the eNB will be described in the following context with reference to Figure 3 , and thus will not be elaborated here again.

[0042] Next, referring again to Figure 1 , in step 102, the UE receives the RRC message in a predetermined time unit (e.g., within a predetermined subframe). In other words, after transmitting the request for RRC message, the RRC message will be transmitted from the eNB, and the UE can receive the RRC message in a pre-defined time / frequency resource. The RRC message can be carried by a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and / or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0043] A response window size and / or a predetermined timing can be used, and these can be known to the UE, thus allowing the UE to obtain information from the RRC message. In other words, the RRC message can be decoded based on at least one of the predetermined response window size and the predetermined transmission timing. Additionally or alternatively, the UE also needs to know the default scrambling value and the t_id and f_id values ​​used for CRC descrambling RNTI. Since this information can be predetermined or defaulted, it can be easily obtained by the UE. Therefore, the RRC message can be obtained, and further downlink or uplink transmissions can be processed.

[0044] However, if the RRC message is not successfully received, the UE can initiate a retransmission request for the RRC message. In the retransmission request, the power boost and / or maximum transmission time can be determined based on predefined default values ​​(e.g., those in the LTE specification).

[0045] Additionally, reference signals are useful when transmitting RRC messages. In embodiments of this disclosure, reference signals may include, for example, any signal of the discovery signal, cell reference signal (CRS), channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), primary synchronization signal (PSS), secondary synchronization signal (SSS), or any other type of reference signal. In embodiments of this disclosure, the UE can receive periodically transmitted reference signals from network nodes. This means that reference signals such as DRS can be transmitted periodically, while RRC messages can be transmitted based on the UE's request.

[0046] Next, refer to Figure 3 To describe the operations at the service node. Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a method for transmitting information in a wireless communication system according to embodiments of the present disclosure is shown schematically. Method 300 can be performed at a serving node (e.g., a BS, such as a Node B (NodeB or NB)).

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown, in step 301, the eNB receives a request for an RRC message transmitted from the terminal device based on default transmission parameters. In embodiments of this disclosure, the RRC message may include any one of the following: RRC cells, security control cells, mobility control cells, measurement cells, other cells, Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) cells, Single Cell Point-to-Multipoint (SC-PTM) cells, secondary link cells, System Information Block (SIB), Master Information Block (MIB), paging messages, and any other RRC messages newly defined in the future.

[0048] Requests for RRC messages can be received on uplink control channels (such as PRACH, PUCCH, PUSCH, etc.). Additionally, requests for RRC messages can also be received on uplink reference signals.

[0049] The eNB blindly decodes the request for RRC message in non-transmission subframes. If the eNB successfully decodes the request, in step 302, the eNB transmits the RRC message to the terminal device as a feedback in a predetermined time unit in response to the request for RRC message. The feedback can be carried by PDCCH and / or PDSCH. It can use a default response window size, which can be set to a default value, e.g., 1. The transmission timing can also be predefined. For example, the feedback timing can be set to n+4, where n is the request transmission subframe index. The predefined transmission timing can also be the nearest subsequent subframe that satisfies the required periodicity and offset. Thus, the worst case is periodic RRC message transmission.

[0050] In addition, reference signals can be periodically transmitted to the terminal device so that the terminal device can acquire sufficient reference signal information for transmitting the request for RRC message. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the reference signals can include any one of, for example, a discovery signal (DRS), a cell reference signal (CRS), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), or any other kind of reference signal.

[0051] For illustrative purposes, the overall system flowchart of information reception and transmission according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figure 4 In this specific implementation, DRS will be taken as an example of reference signal, and system information containing SIB, MIB, etc. will be taken as an example of RRC message. However, those skilled in the art should understand that these are given only for illustrative purposes, and other reference signals and / or other RRC messages can also be transmitted by using the solutions presented herein.

[0052] First, at step 401, the eNB periodically transmits DRS. The UE can acquire time / frequency synchronization and subframe index from the DRS based on the DRS detection. When the UE needs system information, then in step 402, the UE monitors the subframes in which the system information can be transmitted. For example, the UE can monitor the energy on subframes other than DRS subframes.

[0053] In step 403, it is determined whether system information is detected by the monitoring in step 402. If energy is detected in a subframe and the subframe can be a system information transmission subframe (e.g. subframe 0), the UE can blindly decode the subframe to obtain the system information. Thus, the method proceeds directly to step 409, in which the system information can be used for further processing, e.g. further uplink and / or further downlink processing. On the other hand, if it is determined that the UE fails to detect system information in the potential subframe, i.e. no energy is detected and no system information is available yet, the UE transmits PRACH in step 404 based on default transmission parameters. The PRACH can contain a special indicator to indicate that it is related to a request for system information. The default transmission parameters can be determined by, e.g. using the methods described above, and thus will not be elaborated on further herein. Figure 2 The described methods can be used to determine the default transmission parameters, and thus will not be elaborated on further herein.

[0054] In step 405, the eNB receives the PRACH from the terminal device and blindly decodes the PRACH in a non-transmission subframe. If the PRACH is successfully decoded, the eNB can transmit system information as a feedback in step 406 at a predetermined timing. The feedback can be carried by using PDCCH and / or PDSCH. The default response window size can be set to a default value, e.g. 1. The transmission timing can also be predefined. For example, the feedback timing can be set to n+4, where n is the PRACH transmission subframe index. The predefined transmission timing can also be the nearest subsequent subframe that satisfies the periodicity and offset. Thus, the worst case is a periodic system information transmission. The system information can be carried in PDSCH.

[0055] After the PRACH transmission, the UE receives the transmitted system information from the eNB at a predetermined subframe in step 407. In other words, the UE receives the system information in a predefined time / frequency resource, and the UE can decode the system information based on at least one of the default response window size, the predefined transmission timing, the default scrambling value, and the t_id and f_id values for the CRC descrambling RNTI.

[0056] If the system information is successfully detected in step 408, the system information can be obtained, and the method proceeds to step 409, in which further downlink / uplink transmissions can also be processed.

[0057] If the system information is not successfully detected in step 408, the method returns to step 402 to perform PRACH retransmission. For the PRACH retransmission, the power boosting and / or the maximum transmission time can be determined based on predefined default values, e.g. by the LTE specification.

[0058] Accordingly, it is proposed in the present disclosure that when a terminal device needs an RRC message, the terminal device, such as a UE, requests the RRC message based on default transmission parameters, and when the request is received from the terminal device, the serving node, such as a NB or eNB, can transmit the RRC message to the requesting terminal device. Accordingly, the RRC message can only be transmitted when needed, and thus the RRC message transmission can be reduced and in turn the inter-node interference can be limited, and if these signals are transmitted on unlicensed spectrum, the number of LBT required for these signal transmissions can be reduced.

[0059] Further, in the present disclosure, an apparatus for information reception and transmission in a wireless communication system is also provided, which will be described below with reference to Figure 5 and 6 .

[0060] Figure 5 A block diagram of an apparatus 500 for receiving information in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically shown. The apparatus 500 can be implemented at a terminal device, such as a UE or other similar terminal device.

[0061] In an embodiment as Figure 5 shown, the information comprises at least a radio resource control (RRC) message. As Figure 5 shown, the apparatus 500 can comprise an RRC request transmission module 501 and an RRC message reception module 502. The RRC request transmission module 501 can be configured to transmit a request for an RRC message to a network node based on default transmission parameters. The RRC message reception module 502 can be configured to receive the RRC message from the network node at a predetermined time unit.

[0062] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus 500 can further comprise a time unit monitoring module 503. The time unit monitoring module 503 can be configured to monitor potential time units for transmission of the RRC message. In this case, the request transmission module 501 can be further configured to transmit the request in response to failing to find the RRC message in the monitored time units.

[0063] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the apparatus 500 can further comprise a message decoding module 504. The message decoding module 504 can be configured to decode the RRC message based on at least one of a predetermined response window size and a predetermined transmission time.

[0064] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the information can further comprise a reference signal, and the apparatus 500 can further comprise a reference signal reception module 505. The reference signal reception module 505 can be configured to receive the transmitted reference signal periodically from the network node.

[0065] In yet another embodiment of the disclosure, the default transmission parameters can be determined by at least one of the following: determining a transmit power based on a predetermined target received power and a reference signal received power; determining a preamble sequence for the request based on at least one of a cell identifier carried in a reference signal, a selected preamble index, a preamble duration limit, and a selected preamble format; and determining a configuration index for the request.

[0066] In yet another embodiment of the disclosure, the RRC message receiving module 502 can be further configured to receive the RRC message in a PDCCH and / or a PDSCH. Additionally or alternatively, the request transmitting module 501 can be further configured to transmit the request for the RRC message in an uplink control channel.

[0067] In another embodiment of the disclosure, the apparatus 500 can further include a retransmission initiating unit 506. The retransmission initiating unit 506 can be configured to initiate a retransmission of the request for the RRC message in response to a failure to successfully acquire the RRC message.

[0068] In another embodiment of the disclosure, the reference signal can include at least a discovery signal, and the RRC message can include at least one of a master information block (MIB), a system information block (SIB), and a paging message.

[0069] Figure 6 A block diagram of an apparatus 600 for transmitting information in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the disclosure is also shown schematically. The apparatus 600 can be implemented at a serving node (e.g., a BS, such as a Node B (Node B or NB)).

[0070] In an embodiment as Figure 6 shown, the information includes at least a radio resource control (RRC) message, and as Figure 6 shown, the apparatus 600 includes an RRC request receiving module 601 and an RRC message transmitting module 602. The RRC request receiving module 601 can be configured to receive a request for an RRC message transmitted from a terminal device based on default transmission parameters. The RRC message transmitting module 602 can be configured to transmit the RRC message to the terminal device at a predetermined time unit in response to the request for the RRC message.

[0071] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the RRC message transmitting module 602 can be further configured to transmit the RRC message by using at least one of a predetermined response window size and a predetermined transmission timing.

[0072] In another embodiment of the disclosure, the RRC message transmitting module 602 can be further configured to transmit the RRC message in a PDCCH and / or a PDSCH.

[0073] In another embodiment of the disclosure, the RRC request receiving module 601 can be further configured to receive the request for the RRC message in an uplink control channel.

[0074] In yet another embodiment of the disclosure, the information can further include a reference signal, and the apparatus 600 can further include a reference signal transmitting module 603. The reference signal transmitting module 603 can be configured to periodically transmit the reference signal to the terminal device.

[0075] In yet another embodiment of the disclosure, the reference signal can include at least a discovery signal, and the RRC message can include at least one of a master information block (MIB), a system information block (SIB) and a paging message.

[0076] In the foregoing, reference Figure 5 and 6 The apparatuses 500 and 600 are described. It should be noted that the apparatuses 500 and 600 can be configured to implement the functions as described with reference to the Figures 1 to 4 methods. Thus, as to the details of the operations of the modules in these apparatuses, reference can be made to the descriptions made in connection with the respective steps of these methods. Figures 1 to 4

[0077] It should also be noted that the components of the apparatuses 500 and 600 can be implemented as hardware, software, firmware and / or any combination thereof. For example, the components of the apparatuses 500 and 600 can be implemented by circuitry, a processor or any other appropriate selection device, respectively. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing examples are given for illustration and not limitation and that the present disclosure is not limited to this; many variations, additions, deletions and modifications are readily possible in light of the teachings provided herein and all such variations, additions, deletions and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0078] In some embodiments of the disclosure, the apparatuses 500 and 600 can include at least one processor. As an example, the at least one processor suitable for use with embodiments of the present disclosure can include general and special purpose processors known or developed in the future. The apparatuses 500 and 600 can further include at least one memory. The at least one memory can include, for example, semiconductor memory devices such as RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM and flash memory devices. The at least one memory can be used to store a program of computer executable instructions. The program can be written in any high-level and / or low-level compilable or interpretable programming language. According to the embodiments, the computer executable instructions can be configured to cause the apparatuses 500 and 600, respectively, to perform operations at least in accordance with the methods as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4

[0079] ​​It should be appreciated that although DRS, system information including MIB and SIBs are described above, these signals are given as examples for illustration purposes only and in fact the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The idea of the present disclosure can also be applied to any other reference signals (such as CRS, CSI-RS, PSS, SSS, etc.) and any other RRC messages (such as paging messages RRC information elements, security control information elements, mobility control information elements, measurement information elements, other information elements, MBMS information elements, SC-PTM information elements, sidelink information elements and other RRC messages newly defined in the future).

[0080] Although the present disclosure is mainly described using unlicensed spectrum and provides great benefits, the present disclosure is not limited to unlicensed spectrum only but can be applied to general communications and provide the benefit of reducing inter-node interference.

[0081] Figure 7 Further shown are simplified block diagrams of an apparatus 710 that can be implemented in or included in a terminal device such as a UE and an apparatus 720 that can be implemented in or included in a base station such as an NB or eNB described herein.

[0082] The apparatus 710 includes at least one processor 711 such as a data processor (DP) and at least one memory (MEM) 712 coupled to the processor 711. The apparatus 710 can further include a transmitter TX and a receiver RX 713 coupled to the processor 711, which can be used to communicatively connect to the apparatus 720. The MEM 712 stores a program (PROG) 714. The PROG 714 can include instructions which, when executed on the associated processor 711, enable the apparatus 710 to operate in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, e.g., the methods 100, 200. The combination of at least one processor 711 and at least one MEM 712 can form a processing arrangement 715 suitable to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0083] The apparatus 720 includes at least one processor 721 such as a DP and at least one MEM 722 coupled to the processor 721. The apparatus 720 can further include a suitable TX / RX 723 coupled to the processor 721, which can be used for wireless communication with the apparatus 710. The MEM 722 stores a PROG 724. The PROG 724 can include instructions which, when executed on the associated processor 721, enable the apparatus 720 to operate in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, e.g., to perform the method 300. The combination of at least one processor 721 and at least one MEM 722 can form a processing arrangement 725 suitable to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0084] Various embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented by one or more of a computer program executable by the processors 711, 721, software, firmware, hardware, or a combination thereof.

[0085] The MEMs 712 and 722 can be of any type suitable to the local technical environment, and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory, as non-limiting examples.

[0086] The processors 711 and 721 can be of any type suitable to the local technical environment, and can include one or more of general purpose computers, special purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors DSPs, and processors based on multi-core processor architectures, as non-limiting examples.

[0087] Further, the present disclosure can also provide a carrier containing the computer program as described above, wherein the carrier is one of an electronic signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, or a computer readable storage medium. The computer readable storage medium can be, for example, an optical compact disc or an electronic memory device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, a magnetic tape, a CD-ROM, a DVD, a Blu-ray disc, etc.

[0088] The techniques described herein can be implemented by various means depending upon the application. For example, these techniques can be implemented in hardware (one or more apparatuses), firmware (one or more apparatuses), software (one or more modules), or combinations thereof. For a firmware or software implementation, the methodologies can be implemented with the modules (e.g., procedures, functions, and so on) that perform the functions described herein. The software code of a computer program can be written in any form suitable for the intended application, including compiled or interpreted languages, and includes computer program code written in object or other forms.

[0089] The exemplary embodiments herein have been described with reference to block diagrams and flowcharts of methods and apparatuses. It will be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowcharts, can be implemented by various means, including one or more computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be loaded onto a general purpose computer, a special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block or blocks.

[0090] While this specification contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any implementations or of what can be claimed, but as descriptions of particular embodiments of particular implementations. Certain features that are, for clarity, described above in the context of separate embodiments, can also be provided in combinations, unless otherwise explicitly stated. Conversely, various features that are, for brevity, described above in the context of a single embodiment, can also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. In addition, while the above features can be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and the claimed combination can be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

[0091] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, with the progress of technology, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. The above-described embodiments are given for the purpose of description and not limitation, and it should be understood that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and variations are considered within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. The scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method executed by a terminal device, the method comprising: Select a preamble for requesting system information, the preamble corresponding to a signal including a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS); Based on the configuration index, a preamble is sent to the network device to request the system information; as well as The system information is received from the network device based on a timing mechanism, wherein the timing mechanism is determined based on the period of the system information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the preamble is transmitted in the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH).

3. A terminal device, comprising: At least one memory; as well as At least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory and is configured to: Select a preamble for requesting system information, the preamble corresponding to a signal including a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS); Based on the configuration index, a preamble is sent to the network device to request the system information; as well as The system information is received from the network device based on a timing mechanism, wherein the timing mechanism is determined based on the period of the system information.

4. The terminal device according to claim 3, wherein the preamble is transmitted in the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH).

5. A method performed by a network device, the method comprising: Based on the configuration index, a preamble for requesting system information is received from the terminal device. The preamble for requesting the system information corresponds to a signal including a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS). as well as The system information is transmitted to the terminal device based on a timing mechanism, wherein the timing mechanism is determined based on the period of the system information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the preamble is transmitted in the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH).

7. A network device, comprising: At least one memory; as well as At least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory and is configured to: Based on the configuration index, a preamble for requesting system information is received from the terminal device. The preamble for requesting the system information corresponds to a signal including a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS). as well as The system information is transmitted to the terminal device based on a timing mechanism, wherein the timing mechanism is determined based on the period of the system information.

8. The network device of claim 7, wherein the preamble is transmitted in the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH).

Images