Method and apparatus for random access of low complexity user equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a random access method and device for low-complexity user equipment. According to one embodiment, a reduced capability (RedCap) wireless device (WD) can use a random access preamble to report that it is a RedCap WD and can use a random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD. The method performed by the RedCap WD includes obtaining an indication of how it is reported to be a RedCap WD. The method further includes reporting that it is a RedCap WD using at least one of a random access preamble and a random access message 3 based on the indication.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application 202180020096.6. The international filing date of the original application is January 8, 2021, and the name of the invention is “Random Access of Low Complexity User Equipment”. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications, and more particularly, to random access of low complexity user equipment (UE). Background Art

[0003] Generally, unless different meanings are clearly given and / or different meanings are implied in the context of using the term, all terms used in this article will be interpreted according to their common meanings in the relevant technical field. Unless clearly stated, all references to one / an / the element, device, assembly, part, step, etc. should be publicly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of the element, device, assembly, part, step, etc. Unless a step is explicitly described as being after or before another step and / or a step must be after or before another step implicitly, the steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed. Where appropriate, any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment may be applicable to any other embodiment, and vice versa. By the following description, other purposes, features and advantages of the attached embodiments will be apparent.

[0004] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) facilitates a variety of use cases and traffic types. One example is the use of NR for low complexity machine type communications (MTC), also known as reduced capability (RedCap) UE or lightweight NR (NR-Light). Because lightweight NR user equipment (UE) may have lower capabilities compared to normal NR UE, the network needs to be able to distinguish between them, preferably as early as possible. That is, lightweight NR UE supports narrower device bandwidth, and for initial access, the gNB is interested in knowing this as early as possible to adapt the UE scheduling.

[0005] The network may obtain the UE capabilities in NR after the random access procedure message 3 if the UE is coming from RRC_INACTIVE mode, or after obtaining the second part of the Serving Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (S-TMSI) bits in message 5 if the UE is coming from RRC_IDLE mode. The procedures for NR initial access are described in more detail below.

[0006] The first step of initial access is for the UE to detect downlink synchronization reference signals, including the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and the secondary synchronization signal (SSS). The UE then reads the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) including the master information block (MIB). Among other information, the MIB contains PDCCH-ConfigSIB1, which is the configuration of CORESET0. After monitoring and decoding CORESET0 (which is the downlink allocation for the rest of the system information), the UE can receive system information block 1 (SIB1) including the random access channel (RACH and PRACH) configuration.

[0007] Random access is the process by which a UE accesses a cell, receives a unique identification of the cell, and receives a dedicated radio resource configuration. Figure 1 An example is shown in .

[0008] Figure 1 is a sequence diagram showing the random access procedure. In step 1, the UE sends a preamble called the physical random access channel (PRACH). In step 2, the network sends a random access response (on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)) indicating the reception of the preamble and providing a time alignment command and an uplink grant for message 3 transmission. In step 3, the UE sends a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) (i.e., message 3) for conflict resolution and provides the network with the UE ID (the first part if the UE is from RRC_IDLE). In step 4, the network sends a contention resolution message (i.e., message 4) on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0009] After step 4 , the UE sends a connection establishment complete and service request (not shown), which may be referred to as message 5 .

[0010] Certain challenges currently exist. When a reduced capability UE attempts random access, it is beneficial for the network node to know the UE capabilities as early as possible to schedule appropriate resources, modulation and coding (MCS), etc. (e.g., for scheduling the random access response in message 2). To provide such knowledge at the gNB, the reduced capability UE can send an identifiable preamble in message 1 (e.g., using a different set of preambles, or scrambling the preamble, etc.), or alternatively, send UE capability information or UE ID in a subsequent message (i.e., if the UE comes from RRC_INACTIVE, send UE Context Radio Network Temporary Identifier (I-RNTI) message 3, or if the UE comes from RRC_IDLE, send S-TMSI). Each of these approaches has certain disadvantages, and they can be handled differently in the network.

[0011] For example, partitioning the preamble set may enable the gNB to identify a reduced capability UE by the preamble used. However, this approach has a negative impact on the probability of preamble collisions, since the set of preambles from which to choose is smaller (trunking loss). Otherwise, if the gNB does not know the UE capabilities when receiving Random Access Message 1, the gNB may schedule an uplink grant in Message 2 that is not supported by the reduced capability UE. Summary of the invention

[0012] Based on the above description, there are currently certain challenges for random access of reduced capability user equipment (UE). Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof can provide solutions to these or other challenges.

[0013] Certain embodiments facilitate random access for UEs of different capabilities. For example, some embodiments include adjusting the random access message 2 so that UEs with different capabilities (e.g., both reduced capability UEs and normal UEs) can perform subsequent message 3 operations. As a specific example, the gNB can restrict the modulation and coding scheme (MCS) in message 2 (which is the uplink grant for message 3) to only MCS values ​​supported by both reduced capability UEs and normal UEs.

[0014] Some embodiments include determining the capability reporting method based on other parameters in the cell, such as the random access channel (RACH) configuration (periodicity, RACH resources, short or long preamble, etc.). As an example, the gNB may divide RACH resources between reduced capability UEs and normal UEs under certain conditions, and under other conditions, if the division affects RACH performance, the capability reporting is done in Message 3.

[0015] According to some embodiments, a method for random access in a wireless network performed by a network node is provided. The network node is adapted to serve a first type of wireless device and a second type of wireless device, and the transmit capability / receive capability of the first type of wireless device is reduced relative to the transmit capability / receive capability of the second type of wireless device. The method comprises: receiving a random access preamble from a wireless device; and based on the received random access preamble, sending a random access response to the wireless device according to the transmit capability / receive capability common to both the first type of wireless device and the second type of wireless device.

[0016] In a particular embodiment, the method includes determining that the wireless network includes the first type of wireless devices and the second type of wireless devices. The first type of wireless devices may include fifth generation 5G reduced capability devices.

[0017] In a specific embodiment, the transmission capability / reception capability includes a modulation coding scheme MCS, the number or bandwidth of physical resource blocks PRB, a maximum output power, at least one of the start time of the message 2 random access response RAR window and the duration of the random access response window, or the number of repetitions used to send the random access response.

[0018] In a particular embodiment, sending the random access response to the wireless device includes adjusting the start of a Message 2 Random Access Response (RAR) window so that wireless devices of the first type have sufficient time to switch between a transmit mode and a receive mode.

[0019] In a particular embodiment, the random access response is sent in a control resource set CORESET determined based on the transmission capability / reception capability of the wireless device of the first type.

[0020] In a specific embodiment, a CORESET associated with the first type of wireless device and a CORESET associated with the second type of wireless device overlap, and downlink control information DCI scheduling a physical downlink shared channel PDSCH for the random access response is transmitted in the overlapping CORESET.

[0021] In a particular embodiment, a first search space is associated with the first type of wireless devices, a second search space is associated with the second type of wireless devices, and the DCI in the first search space and the DCI in the second search space both indicate a common PDSCH.

[0022] In a particular embodiment, sending the random access response to the wireless device includes: adjusting one or more parameters in a RAR grant based on the transmit capability / receive capability of the first type of wireless device. The one or more parameters may include one of a Message 3 physical uplink shared channel PUSCH frequency assignment and a transmit power control TPC command.

[0023] According to some embodiments, a network node comprises processing circuitry operable to perform any of the network node methods described above.

[0024] Also disclosed is a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable program code, the computer readable program code being operable when executed by a processing circuit to perform any of the methods performed by the network node described above.

[0025] According to some embodiments, a method performed by a wireless device includes: obtaining an indication of one or more conditions for switching between a first wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method and a second wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method. The transmit capability / receive capability of a first type of wireless device is reduced relative to the transmit capability / receive capability of a second type of wireless device. The method also includes: based on the one or more conditions, determining to report the wireless device capability according to the first wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method or according to the second wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method. The method may also include: receiving a random access response according to a transmit capability / receive capability common to both the first type of wireless device and the second type of wireless device.

[0026] In a specific embodiment, the first wireless device sending capability / receiving capability reporting method includes: reporting capability based on a random access resource selected by the wireless device; and the second wireless device sending capability / receiving capability reporting method includes: reporting capability in a random access message 3 or message 5.

[0027] In a specific embodiment, obtaining the indication of the one or more conditions for switching between the first wireless device transmission capability / reception capability reporting method and the second wireless device transmission capability / reception capability reporting method includes: obtaining the indication via a broadcast or system information block in a physical broadcast channel.

[0028] In a specific embodiment, the one or more conditions for switching between the first wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method and the second wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method are based on performance loss due to partitioning of random access resources.

[0029] According to some embodiments, a wireless device comprises processing circuitry operable to perform any of the wireless device methods described above.

[0030] Also disclosed is a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable program code, the computer readable program code being operable when executed by a processing circuit to perform any of the methods described above for execution by the wireless device.

[0031] In one aspect, a method performed by a reduced capability RedCap wireless device WD is provided. The RedCap WD is capable of using a random access preamble to report that it is a RedCap WD and is capable of using a random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD. The method comprises: obtaining an indication of how to report that it is a RedCap WD; and based on the indication, using at least one of the random access preamble and the random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD.

[0032] In one embodiment, the method comprises reporting, based on the indication, using both the random access preamble and the random access message 3 that it is a RedCap WD.

[0033] In one embodiment, the indication is obtained via SIB1.

[0034] In one embodiment, the indication is obtained via a random access channel configuration.

[0035] In another aspect, a reduced capability RedCap wireless device WD is provided. The RedCap WD is capable of using a random access preamble to report that it is a RedCap WD and is capable of using a random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD. The RedCap WD is configured to: obtain an indication of how to report that it is a RedCap WD; and based on the indication, use at least one of the random access preamble and the random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD.

[0036] In one embodiment, the RedCap WD is configured to report that it is a RedCap WD using both the random access preamble and the random access message 3 based on the indication.

[0037] In one embodiment, the indication is obtained via SIB1.

[0038] In one embodiment, the indication is obtained via a random access channel configuration.

[0039] In yet another aspect, a method performed by a network node is provided. The method comprises: providing an indication of how a reduced capability RedCap wireless device WD is to report that they are a RedCap WD; receiving a report from a RedCap WD that it is a RedCap WD. The RedCap WD is capable of using a random access preamble to report that it is a RedCap WD and is capable of using a random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD. The received report uses at least one of the random access preamble and the random access message 3.

[0040] In one embodiment, the received report uses both the random access preamble and the random access message 3.

[0041] In one embodiment, the indication is provided via SIB1.

[0042] In one embodiment, the indication is provided via a random access channel configuration.

[0043] In yet another aspect, there is provided a network node configured to: provide an indication of how a reduced capability RedCap wireless device WD is to report that they are a RedCap WD; receive a report from a RedCap WD that it is a RedCap WD. The RedCap WD is capable of using a random access preamble to report that it is a RedCap WD and is capable of using a random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD. The received report uses at least one of the random access preamble and the random access message 3.

[0044] In one embodiment, the received report uses both the random access preamble and the random access message 3.

[0045] In one embodiment, the indication is provided via SIB1 and / or via random access channel configuration.

[0046] Certain embodiments can provide one or more of the following technical advantages.For example, certain embodiments facilitate a reduced capability UE to efficiently perform random access in a network where both normal UEs and reduced capability UEs exist. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] For a more complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments and their features and advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0048] Figure 1 is a sequence diagram showing a random access procedure;

[0049] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example wireless network;

[0050] Figure 3 illustrates an example user device according to certain embodiments;

[0051] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example method in a wireless device according to certain embodiments;

[0052] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating an example method in a network node according to certain embodiments;

[0053] Figure 6 A schematic block diagram showing a wireless device and a network node in a wireless network according to certain embodiments;

[0054] Figure 7 An example virtualization environment is shown in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0055] Figure 8 illustrates an example telecommunications network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network in accordance with certain embodiments;

[0056] Fig. 9 An example host computer communicating with a user device via a base station over a partially wireless connection in accordance with certain embodiments is shown;

[0057] Fig.10 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented according to a particular embodiment;

[0058] Fig.11 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to certain embodiments;

[0059] Fig.12 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to certain embodiments; and

[0060] Fig.13 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to certain embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] As described above, there are currently certain challenges for random access of reduced capability user equipment (UE). For example, random access parameters for normal UEs may not be valid for reduced capability UEs. Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof can provide solutions to these or other challenges. Certain embodiments facilitate random access of UEs with different capabilities. For example, some embodiments include adjusting random access message 2 so that UEs with different capabilities can perform subsequent message 3 operations.

[0062] Specific embodiments are more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited to only the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided merely as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0063] As mentioned above, in Figure 1The random access process is shown in Figure 1. Message 1 (i.e., the random access preamble) is the first message sent by the UE to the network to initialize access to the network. After detecting the preamble, the network sends message 2 (i.e., the random access response (RAR) message) to further instruct the UE how to send message 3. Message 2 (RAR) is carried by the physical downlink shared channel PDSCH, and multiple users can be addressed together in one RAR message. Downlink control information (DCI) sent in the common search space is used to schedule the PDSCH carrying the RAR message.

[0064] Message 1 is a preamble which does not carry any information related to the UE identity. Therefore, the UE capabilities in current New Radio (NR) systems are not known at the gNB until after receiving Message 3 or Message 5 at the earliest (see above). Therefore, if the cell supports both legacy NR UEs and reduced capability UEs, it is beneficial to have an early indication to assist the network in optimally allocating resources for Message 2 and subsequent Message 3 transmissions. Specific embodiments are described herein.

[0065] In some embodiments, Message 2 (RAR) and its corresponding DCI are adjusted to enable a UE with different capabilities than a legacy NR UE (e.g., a reduced capability UE) to successfully decode the downlink RAR PDCCH / PDSCH transmission and subsequently perform subsequent Message 3 operations (and also perform Message 4, Message 5 reception and transmission if the UE is from RRC_IDLE).

[0066] As described above, the network node may not be able to distinguish from Message 1 whether the UE is a low complexity UE (i.e., reduced capability UE) or a legacy NR UE. Therefore, for Message 2 scheduling, if the network determines that it may need to address a reduced capability UE, the network should adjust the parameters used for Message 2 transmission so that the reduced capability UE can decode the Message 2 transmission. In some embodiments, as long as there is even one reduced capability UE in the network (of course, if lightweight NR operation is enabled in the cell), all Message 2 scheduling (and subsequent messages before the UE capabilities are known) are adjusted for the reduced capability UE, regardless of which UE the Message 2 scheduling (and subsequent messages before the UE capabilities are known) is for.

[0067] In addition, random access response messages of multiple UEs can be multiplexed together and carried by one PDSCH codeword. Therefore, the PDSCH needs to be decoded by all target UEs addressed simultaneously. Therefore, all target UEs should support the selection of parameters such as coding and modulation scheme (MCS) and bandwidth (e.g., in terms of resource blocks (RBs)). When reduced capability UEs are multiplexed with legacy NR UEs, the network can select PDSCH parameters that both types of UEs can support.

[0068] As an example, if a normal UE can use a range of MCSs from MCS 0 to MCS N, while a low-complexity UE can only perform low MCSs (e.g., MCS 0 to MCS M, where M < N), then Message 2 only indicates up to MCS M. This helps both types of UEs to use the same method to perform random access in the first step, and subsequently, for example, in Message 3, the UE can signal these capabilities.

[0069] Similarly, if additional MCSs (not supported by traditional NR UEs) are introduced only for low-complexity UEs, the network may not use these MCS values when lightweight NR UEs are multiplexed with traditional UEs for their RAR transmissions. In another example, the gNB can adjust the start of the Message 2 RAR window such that low-capability UEs have sufficient time (due to looser processing latency) to switch from the transmit mode to the receive mode. For example, the start of the window can be at least X1 symbols after the last symbol of the PRACH occasion corresponding to the PRACH transmission. The value of X1 can be configured in the system information of lightweight NR or hard-coded in the specification.

[0070] In another example, the length of the Message 2 RAR window given by the parameter ra-ResponseWindow can be adjusted (either alone or together with the start of the RAR window) such that the reduced-capability UE has a longer ra-ResponseWindow (in terms of the number of time slots).

[0071] In another example, after identifying a reduced-capability UE based on the preamble used, the gNB can send the PDCCH of the RAR in the common control resource set corresponding to lightweight NR (e.g., ControlResourceSetId = 0). Depending on the capabilities of the lightweight NR UE, the control resource set can have a smaller number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) and / or a larger number of symbols compared to traditional NR UEs.

[0072] In another example, if the CORESET PRB configured for legacy NR UEs in a cell is smaller than the maximum bandwidth supported by lightweight NR (e.g. 10MHz in FR1), the gNB may send PDCCH for RAR in the same common control resource set for both lightweight NR UEs and legacy NR UEs. Optionally, the network may configure the legacy common search space used by legacy NR UEs to overlap (partially) with the common search space for lightweight NR UEs. When the network detects that a possible lightweight NR UE is attempting to access the system, the network may send DCI in resources common to both types of UEs in the common search space. Thus, the DCI may schedule a common PDSCH to address both types of UEs.

[0073] In other cases (i.e., no multiplexing is required), the network may use the two common search spaces separately. For example, when a specific number of time slots or a specific MCS is required to address some reduced capability UEs and these parameters are not supported by legacy UEs, the network may use the lightweight NR search space to address only lightweight NR UEs.

[0074] In another embodiment, two different search spaces may be used for lightweight NR UEs and legacy NR UEs respectively to send two DCIs to the two types of UEs respectively. However, the DCI may point to a common PDSCH that can be decoded by both types of UEs. In another example of this method, upon identification of a lightweight NR UE based on the preamble used, the gNB may decide to repeat the RAR transmission on the PDSCH X2 times to enable low-capability lightweight NR UEs to decode PDSCH transmissions with a specific block error rate (BLER) requirement. The value of X2 may be configured in the system information for lightweight NR.

[0075] In yet another example, upon identifying reduced capability UEs based on the preamble used, the gNB may decide to adjust other parameters in the RAR grant field (see Table 8.2-1 of TS 38.213 “5G; NR; Physical layer procedures for control” Version 15.3.0), such as Msg3 PUSCH frequency resource allocation, transmit power control (TPC) command for Msg3 PUSCH, etc., so that all reduced capability UEs may perform Msg3 PUSCH transmissions. For example, a reduced capability UE may have a lower maximum output power compared to a legacy NR UE. The gNB may take this information into account when providing a TPC command in the RAR grant field. Alternatively, the TPC command may be based on a completely new TPC command table (legacy NR UEs use Table 8.2-2 of TS 38.213).

[0076] Some embodiments include determining a capability reporting method in a cell. For example, a specific embodiment includes determining UE access capabilities based on other parameters in the cell, such as RACH configuration (periodicity, RACH resources, short preamble or long preamble, etc.). The UE capability reporting method includes at least: (a) reporting using different preamble sets; (b) capability or UE ID reporting in message 3 or message 5; and / or (c) reporting using both methods (a) and (b).

[0077] The conditions for using different capability reports may be based on an indication broadcast in the PBCH or in the SIB1 corresponding to the lightweight NR. If broadcast in the SIB1, the indication may be included in, for example, the RACH configuration of the lightweight NR. In some embodiments, using different capability reports may be based on other conditions, such as preamble format, cell size, etc.

[0078] As an example, under certain conditions, such as if the performance loss due to the division is acceptable, the gNB may divide RACH resources between lightweight NR UEs and normal NR UEs, while if these conditions are not met, the capability reporting is done in Message 3.

[0079] In some embodiments, the above-described random access solution may be used in scenarios where more than two different UE capabilities must be supported.

[0080] Figure 2 An example wireless network according to a particular embodiment is shown. The wireless network may include and / or be connected to any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular and / or radio network or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, the wireless network may be configured to operate according to a particular standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, a particular embodiment of the wireless network may implement: communication standards, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards; Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as IEEE 802.11 standards; and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-wave and / or ZigBee standards.

[0081] The network 106 may include one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTNs), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks that enable communications between devices.

[0082] The network node 160 and the WD 110 include various components described in more detail below. These components work together to provide network node and / or wireless device functions, such as providing wireless connections in a wireless network. In different embodiments, the wireless network may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals (whether via wired or wireless connections).

[0083] As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a wireless device and / or with other network nodes or devices in a wireless network to enable and / or provide wireless access to the wireless device and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) in the wireless network.

[0084] Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs). Base stations may be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or in other words, their transmit power class), and may then also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations.

[0085] The base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. The network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station (e.g., a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU) (sometimes also referred to as a remote radio head (RRH))). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Other examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) devices such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), core network nodes (e.g., MSCs, MMEs), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., E-SMLCs), and / or MDTs.

[0086] As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node as described in more detail below. However, more generally, a network node may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) that is capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to enable and / or provide access to a wireless network by a wireless device or to provide some service to a wireless device that has accessed a wireless network.

[0087] exist Figure 2 In the embodiment, the network node 160 includes a processing circuit 170, a device readable medium 180, an interface 190, an auxiliary device 184, a power supply 186, a power supply circuit 187, and an antenna 162. Figure 2 The network node 160 shown in the example wireless network of FIG. 1 may represent a device including the combination of hardware components shown, but other embodiments may include network nodes having different combinations of components.

[0088] It should be understood that the network node includes any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. In addition, although the components of the network node 160 are depicted as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality, the network node may include multiple different physical components that constitute a single illustrated component (e.g., the device readable medium 180 may include multiple separate hard drives and multiple RAM modules).

[0089] Similarly, the network node 160 may include multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have their own corresponding components. In some cases where the network node 160 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared between multiple network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such a scenario, in some cases, each unique Node B and RNC pair may be considered a single separate network node.

[0090] In some embodiments, the network node 160 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be replicated (e.g., separate device-readable media 180 for different RATs), while some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 162 may be shared by the RATs). The network node 160 may also include multiple sets of various example components for different wireless technologies (e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies) integrated into the network node 160. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within the network node 160.

[0091] The processing circuit 170 is configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., a specific obtaining operation) described herein as provided by the network node. These operations performed by the processing circuit 170 may include: processing information obtained by the processing circuit 170, for example, by converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information; and making a determination as a result of the processing.

[0092] The processing circuitry 170 may include a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide network node 160 functionality, either alone or in combination with other network node 160 components (e.g., device readable medium 180).

[0093] For example, processing circuit 170 may execute instructions stored in device-readable medium 180 or in a memory within processing circuit 170. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits discussed herein. In some embodiments, processing circuit 170 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0094] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 170 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units (e.g., a radio unit and a digital unit). In alternative embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit.

[0095] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by processing circuit 170 executing instructions stored on device-readable medium 180 or a memory within processing circuit 170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by processing circuit 170 without the need to execute instructions stored on a separate or separate device-readable medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these embodiments, processing circuit 170 can be configured to perform the described functions regardless of whether instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to processing circuit 170 or other components of network node 160, but are enjoyed by network node 160 as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks in general.

[0096] Device-readable medium 180 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to, permanent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD), or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable storage device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by processing circuit 170. Device-readable medium 180 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including computer programs, software, applications (including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, etc.), and / or other instructions that are executable by processing circuit 170 and utilized by network node 160. Device-readable medium 180 may be used to store any computations performed by processing circuit 170 and / or any data received via interface 190. In some embodiments, processing circuit 170 and device-readable medium 180 may be considered integrated.

[0097] Interface 190 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network node 160, network 106 and / or WD 110. As shown, interface 190 includes port / terminal 194 to send and receive data to network 106, for example, via a wired connection. Interface 190 also includes radio front end circuit 192 that can be coupled to antenna 162 or as part of antenna 162 in certain embodiments.

[0098] The radio front end circuit 192 includes a filter 198 and an amplifier 196. The radio front end circuit 192 can be connected to the antenna 162 and the processing circuit 170. The radio front end circuit 192 can be configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna 162 and the processing circuit 170. The radio front end circuit 192 can receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front end circuit 192 can use a combination of filters 198 and / or amplifiers 196 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be transmitted via the antenna 162. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 162 can collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front end circuit 192. The digital data can be passed to the processing circuit 170. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0099] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 160 may not include a separate radio front end circuit 192, but rather, the processing circuit 170 may include the radio front end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 162 without the separate radio front end circuit 192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or a portion of the RF transceiver circuit 172 may be considered part of the interface 190. In other embodiments, the interface 190 may include one or more ports or terminals 194, the radio front end circuit 192, and the RF transceiver circuit 172 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the interface 190 may communicate with the baseband processing circuit 174, which is part of the digital unit (not shown).

[0100] Antenna 162 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 162 may be coupled to radio front-end circuit 192 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly sending and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may include one or more omnidirectional, sector or flat panel antennas operable to send / receive radio signals between, for example, 2 GHz and 66 GHz. Omnidirectional antennas may be used to send / receive radio signals in any direction, sector antennas may be used to send / receive radio signals from devices within a specific area, and flat panel antennas may be line of sight antennas for sending / receiving radio signals in a relatively straight line. In some cases, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In a particular embodiment, antenna 162 may be separated from network node 160 and may be connected to network node 160 via an interface or port.

[0101] Antenna 162, interface 190 and / or processing circuit 170 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal may be received from a wireless device, another network node and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 162, interface 190 and / or processing circuit 170 may be configured to perform any sending operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data and / or signal may be sent to a wireless device, another network node and / or any other network device.

[0102] The power circuit 187 may include or be coupled to a power management circuit and is configured to provide power to the components of the network node 160 for performing the functions described herein. The power circuit 187 may receive power from the power supply 186. The power supply 186 and / or the power circuit 187 may be configured to provide power to the various components of the network node 160 in a form suitable for the various components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each respective component). The power supply 186 may be included in the power circuit 187 and / or the network node 160 or external thereto.

[0103] For example, the network node 160 can be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power outlet) via an input circuit or interface (e.g., a cable), whereby the external power source provides power to the power circuit 187. As yet another example, the power supply 186 can include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated into the power circuit 187. If the external power source fails, the battery can provide backup power. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, can also be used.

[0104] Alternative embodiments of network node 160 may include Figure 2 Additional components beyond those shown, which may be responsible for providing specific aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 160 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 160 and to allow information to be output from the network node 160. This may allow a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for the network node 160.

[0105] As used herein, a wireless device (WD) refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with a network node and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise specified, the term WD may be used interchangeably with user equipment (UE) herein. Wireless communication may involve sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information over the air.

[0106] In some embodiments, WD can be configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, WD can be designed to send information to the network on a predetermined schedule when triggered by an internal or external event or in response to a request from the network.

[0107] Examples of WDs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cellular phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, laptop computers, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, etc. WDs may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and in this case may be referred to as D2D communication devices.

[0108] As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a WD may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and sends the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another WD and / or network node. In this case, the WD may be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As an example, a WD may be a UE that implements the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering equipment such as power meters, industrial machinery, or household or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearable devices (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.).

[0109] In other cases, a WD may represent a vehicle or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions associated with its operation. A WD as described above may represent an endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. In addition, a WD as described above may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.

[0110] As shown, wireless device 110 includes antenna 111, interface 114, processing circuit 120, device readable medium 130, user interface device 132, auxiliary device 134, power supply 136 and power supply circuit 137. WD 110 may include multiple groups of one or more of the components shown for different wireless technologies supported by WD 110 (e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, Wi-Fi, WiMAX or Bluetooth wireless technologies, to name a few). These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets as other components in WD 110.

[0111] Antenna 111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals, and is connected to interface 114. In a specific alternative embodiment, antenna 111 may be separated from WD 110 and may be connected to WD 110 via an interface or port. Antenna 111, interface 114 and / or processing circuit 120 may be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operation described herein as being performed by WD. Any information, data and / or signal may be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, radio front-end circuitry and / or antenna 111 may be considered as an interface.

[0112] As shown, the interface 114 includes a radio front end circuit 112 and an antenna 111. The radio front end circuit 112 includes one or more filters 118 and an amplifier 116. The radio front end circuit 112 is connected to the antenna 111 and the processing circuit 120, and is configured to condition the signals transmitted between the antenna 111 and the processing circuit 120. The radio front end circuit 112 may be coupled to the antenna 111 or be part of the antenna 111. In some embodiments, the WD 110 may not include a separate radio front end circuit 112; instead, the processing circuit 120 may include the radio front end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 111. Similarly, in some embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122 may be considered to be part of the interface 114.

[0113] The radio front end circuit 112 can receive digital data sent to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front end circuit 112 can use a combination of filters 118 and / or amplifiers 116 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be transmitted via the antenna 111. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 111 can collect the radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front end circuit 112. The digital data can be passed to the processing circuit 120. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0114] The processing circuit 120 may include a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide WD 110 functionality alone or in combination with other WD 110 components (e.g., device readable medium 130). Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits discussed herein. For example, the processing circuit 120 may execute instructions stored in the device readable medium 130 or in a memory within the processing circuit 120 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0115] As shown, processing circuit 120 includes one or more of RF transceiver circuit 122, baseband processing circuit 124, and application processing circuit 126. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may include different components and / or different combinations of components. In a particular embodiment, processing circuit 120 of WD 110 may include a SOC. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuit 122, baseband processing circuit 124, and application processing circuit 126 may be on separate chips or chipsets.

[0116] In alternative embodiments, part or all of the baseband processing circuitry 124 and the application processing circuitry 126 may be combined into one chip or chipset, while the RF transceiver circuitry 122 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In other alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 122 and the baseband processing circuitry 124 may be on the same chip or chipset, while the application processing circuitry 126 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In other alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 122, the baseband processing circuitry 124, and the application processing circuitry 126 may be combined in the same chip or chipset. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 122 may be part of the interface 114. The RF transceiver circuitry 122 may condition RF signals for the processing circuitry 120.

[0117] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by the WD may be provided by processing circuitry 120 executing instructions stored on device-readable medium 130 (which may be a computer-readable storage medium in certain embodiments). In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 120 without executing instructions stored on a separate or separate device-readable medium, such as in a hardwired manner.

[0118] In any of these embodiments, processing circuit 120 can be configured to perform the described functions, whether or not executing instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. The benefits provided by such functions are not limited to processing circuit 120 or other components of WD 110, but are enjoyed by WD 110 and / or generally by end users and wireless networks.

[0119] Processing circuit 120 may be configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., a specific acquisition operation) described herein as being performed by WD. Such operations performed by processing circuit 120 may include: processing information obtained by processing circuit 120, for example, by converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with information stored by WD 110, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information; and making a determination as a result of the processing.

[0120] Device-readable medium 130 is operable to store computer programs, software, applications (including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables, etc.), and / or other instructions executable by processing circuit 120. Device-readable medium 130 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable storage device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by processing circuit 120. In some embodiments, processing circuit 120 and device-readable medium 130 may be integrated.

[0121] The user interface device 132 may provide components that allow a human user to interact with the WD 110. Such interaction may have a variety of forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface device 132 may be operable to generate output to the user and allow the user to provide input to the WD 110. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface device 132 installed in the WD 110. For example, if the WD 110 is a smart phone, the interaction may be via a touch screen; if the WD 110 is a smart meter, the interaction may be through a screen that provides usage (e.g., the number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alarm (e.g., if smoke is detected).

[0122] The user interface device 132 may include an input interface, device and circuit and an output interface, device and circuit. The user interface device 132 is configured to allow information to be input to the WD 110, and is connected to the processing circuit 120 to allow the processing circuit 120 to process the input information. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a microphone, a proximity sensor or other sensor, a key / button, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port or other input circuits. The user interface device 132 is also configured to allow information to be output from the WD 110, and allows the processing circuit 120 to output information from the WD 110. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, a vibration circuit, a USB port, a headphone interface or other output circuits. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices and circuits of the user interface device 132, the WD 110 can communicate with an end user and / or a wireless network, and allow them to benefit from the functions described herein.

[0123] Auxiliary device 134 is operable to provide more specific functions that may not normally be performed by a WD. This may include specialized sensors for measuring for various purposes, interfaces for other communication types such as wired communications, etc. The inclusion and type of components of auxiliary device 134 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0124] In some embodiments, power source 136 may take the form of a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources may also be used, such as an external power source (e.g., a power outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. WD 110 may also include a power circuit 137 for delivering power from power source 136 to various parts of WD 110 that require power from power source 136 to perform any function described or indicated herein. In a particular embodiment, power circuit 137 may include a power management circuit.

[0125] The power circuit 137 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source. In this case, the WD 110 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power outlet) via an input circuit or interface (e.g., a power cord). In a particular embodiment, the power circuit 137 may also be operable to transfer power from the external power source to the power supply 136. This may be used, for example, to charge the power supply 136. The power circuit 137 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification of the power from the power supply 136 to make the power suitable for the corresponding components of the WD 110 to which the power is provided.

[0126] Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are directed to wireless networks such as Figure 2 For simplicity, Figure 2 The wireless network of FIG. 1 depicts only the network 106, the network nodes 160 and 160b, and the WDs 110, 110b, and 110c. In practice, the wireless network may also include any additional units suitable for supporting communication between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device (e.g., a landline phone, a service provider, or any other network node or terminal device). In the components shown, the network node 160 and the wireless device (WD) 110 are depicted in additional detail. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate wireless devices to access and / or use services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0127] Figure 3 An example user device is shown in accordance with certain embodiments. As used herein, a user equipment or UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Rather, a UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user but may not, or may not initially, be associated with a particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter). UE 200 may be any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a NB-IoT UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. As Figure 3 As shown, UE 200 is an example of a WD that is configured to communicate according to one or more communication standards promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 3GPP's GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards. As previously mentioned, the terms WD and UE may be used interchangeably. Therefore, although Figure 3 It is UE, but the components discussed in this article are also applicable to WD and vice versa.

[0128] exist Figure 3 In the embodiment, UE 200 includes processing circuit 201, which is operatively coupled to input / output interface 205, radio frequency (RF) interface 209, network connection interface 211, memory 215 (including random access memory (RAM) 217, read-only memory (ROM) 219, and storage medium 221, etc.), communication subsystem 231, power supply 213 and / or any other components or any combination thereof. Storage medium 221 includes operating system 223, application 225 and data 227. In other embodiments, storage medium 221 may include other similar types of information. A particular UE may use Figure 3All components shown may be used, or only a subset of these components may be used. The level of integration between components may vary from one UE to another. In addition, a particular UE may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0129] exist Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the processing circuit 201 can be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit 201 can be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored as a machine-readable computer program in a memory, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic and appropriate firmware; one or more stored programs, general-purpose processors (e.g., microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs)) and appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 201 may include two central processing units (CPUs). The data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0130] In the depicted embodiment, the input / output interface 205 may be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, an output device, or both. The UE 200 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface 205 .

[0131] The output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to or output from the UE 200. The output device may be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, a transmitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof.

[0132] UE 200 can be configured to use input devices via input / output interface 205 to allow a user to capture information into UE 200. Input devices can include touch-sensitive displays or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital video cameras, web cameras, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, steering wheels, trackpads, scroll wheels, smart cards, etc. The presence-sensitive display can include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from the user. The sensor can be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, another similar sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device can be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and an optical sensor.

[0133] exist Figure 3In the embodiment of the present invention, the RF interface 209 can be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as transmitters, receivers and antennas. The network connection interface 211 can be configured to provide a communication interface to the network 243a. The network 243a can include a wired and / or wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network or any combination thereof. For example, the network 243a can include a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 211 can be configured to include a receiver and a transmitter interface, which is used to communicate with one or more other devices through a communication network according to one or more communication protocols (such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc.). The network connection interface 211 can implement receiver and transmitter functions suitable for communication network links (such as optical, electrical, etc.). The transmitter and receiver functions can share circuit components, software or firmware, or can be implemented separately instead.

[0134] RAM 217 may be configured to connect to processing circuit 201 via bus 202 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during execution of software programs such as an operating system, application programs, and device drivers. ROM 219 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to processing circuit 201. For example, ROM 219 may be configured to store unchanging low-level system code or data for basic system functions (e.g., basic input and output (I / O), booting, reception of keystrokes stored in non-volatile memory from a keyboard).

[0135] The storage medium 221 may be configured to include a memory such as RAM, ROM, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a removable cassette, or a flash drive. In one example, the storage medium 221 may be configured to include an operating system 223, an application 225 such as a web browser application, a widget or a gadget engine, or another application, and a data file 227. The storage medium 221 may store any one of a variety of operating systems or a combination of operating systems for use by the UE 200.

[0136] The storage medium 221 may be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy disk drive, a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical drive, an internal hard drive, a Blu-ray optical drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory (e.g., a user identity module or a removable user identity (SIM / RUIM) module), other memory, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 may allow the UE 200 to access computer executable instructions, applications, etc. stored on a temporary or non-temporary storage medium to unload data or upload data. An article of manufacture such as utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied in the storage medium 221, which may include a device-readable medium.

[0137] exist Figure 3 In the embodiment of the present invention, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to communicate with the network 243b using the communication subsystem 231. The network 243a and the network 243b may be the same network or different networks. The communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with the network 243b. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device (e.g., another WD, UE or base station of a radio access network (RAN)) capable of wireless communication according to one or more communication protocols (e.g., IEEE 802.2, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc.). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 233 and / or a receiver 235 to respectively implement a transmitter or receiver function (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.) suitable for a RAN link. In addition, the transmitter 233 and the receiver 235 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software or firmware, or may be implemented separately instead.

[0138] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication subsystem 231 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine the location, another similar communication function, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network 243b may include a wired and / or wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 243b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power supply 213 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE 200.

[0139] The features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of UE 200, or may be divided among multiple components of UE 200. In addition, the features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include any component described herein. In addition, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to communicate with any such component on the bus 202. In another example, any such component may be represented by a program instruction stored in a memory, which performs the corresponding function described herein when executed by the processing circuit 201. In another example, the function of any such component may be divided between the processing circuit 201 and the communication subsystem 231. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, while the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0140] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example method in a wireless device according to certain embodiments. In certain embodiments, Figure 4 One or more steps may be directed to Figure 2 The described network node 160 performs. The network node is adapted to serve a first type of wireless device and a second type of wireless device, and the transmit / receive capability of the first type of wireless device is reduced relative to the transmit / receive capability of the second type of wireless device.

[0141] The method may begin at step 412, where a network node (e.g., network node 160) determines that a wireless network includes a first type of wireless device and a second type of wireless device. For example, network node 160 may detect that a 5G reduced capability wireless device is accessing the network along with a legacy UE. In some embodiments, network node 160 may be configured to operate with both the first type of wireless device and the second type of wireless device.

[0142] At step 414, the network node receives a random access preamble from the wireless device. For example, the network node 160 may receive the random access preamble from the wireless device 110. The wireless device may be a first type of wireless device, a second type of wireless device, or any other type of wireless device. Upon receiving the preamble, the network node may not know the capabilities of the wireless device 110 (i.e., the network node does not know whether the wireless device is of the first type or the second type).

[0143] In step 416, based on the received random access preamble, the network node sends a random access response to the wireless device according to the transmission capability / reception capability common to both the first type of wireless device and the second type of wireless device. Therefore, no matter which type of wireless device is accessing the network, the wireless device will be able to perform access efficiently.

[0144] In some embodiments, the network node may consider any of the above embodiments and examples when sending a random access response. In a specific embodiment, the transmission capability / reception capability includes: MCS; the number or bandwidth of PRBs; the maximum output power; at least one of the start time of the message 2RAR window and the duration of the random access response window; or the number of repetitions used to send a random access response.

[0145] In certain embodiments, sending the random access response to the wireless device includes adjusting the start of the Message 2 RAR window so that the first type of wireless device has sufficient time to switch between the transmit mode and the receive mode.

[0146] In a particular embodiment, the random access response is sent in a CORESET determined based on the transmit capability / receive capability of the first type of wireless devices.

[0147] In a particular embodiment, a CORESET associated with a first type of wireless device overlaps with a CORESET associated with a second type of wireless device, and a DCI scheduling a PDSCH for a random access response is sent in the overlapping CORESET.

[0148] In a particular embodiment, the first search space is associated with a first type of wireless devices, the second search space is associated with a second type of wireless devices, and the DCI in the first search space and the DCI in the second search space both indicate a common PDSCH.

[0149] In certain embodiments, sending a random access response to the wireless device includes adjusting one or more parameters in the RAR grant based on the transmit capability / receive capability of the first type of wireless device. The one or more parameters may include one of a Message 3 PUSCH frequency assignment and a TPC command.

[0150] Can Figure 4 The method 400 may be modified, added or omitted. Additionally, Figure 4 One or more steps in the method may be performed in parallel or in any suitable order.

[0151] Figure 5 is a flow chart illustrating an example method in a wireless device according to certain embodiments. In certain embodiments, Figure 5 One or more steps may be directed to Figure 2 The wireless device 110 is described as performing.

[0152] Beginning at step 512, a wireless device (e.g., wireless device 110) obtains an indication of one or more conditions for switching between a first wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method and a second wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method. For example, the wireless device 110 may receive the indication via a broadcast or system information block in a physical broadcast channel.

[0153] In a specific embodiment, the first wireless device sending capability / receiving capability reporting method includes: reporting capability based on random access resources selected by the wireless device (e.g., period, RACH resources, short preamble code or long preamble code, etc.), and the second wireless device sending capability / receiving capability reporting method includes: reporting capability in random access message 3 or message 5.

[0154] In a particular embodiment, one or more conditions for switching between the first wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method and the second wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method are based on performance loss due to partitioning of random access resources.

[0155] In step 514, the wireless device determines whether to report the wireless device capability according to the first wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method or according to the second wireless device transmit capability / receive capability reporting method based on one or more conditions.

[0156] For example, if the partitioning of random access resources is acceptable in the network, the wireless device may report using a specific combination of random access resources according to the first reporting method to indicate its capabilities. If the partitioning of random access resources is not acceptable in the network, the wireless device may report using random access message 3 or message 5.

[0157] Can Figure 5 The method 500 may be modified, added or omitted. Additionally, Figure 5 One or more steps in the method may be performed in parallel or in any suitable order.

[0158] Figure 6 shows that in a wireless network (such as Figure 2 Schematic block diagram of two devices in a wireless network (shown in FIG. 1 ). These devices include a wireless device and a network node (e.g. Figure 2 The wireless device 110 and the network node 160 are shown. The apparatuses 1600 and 1700 are operable to perform the respective reference Figure 5 and 4 The example methods described herein may also be performed, and any other processes or methods disclosed herein may be performed. It should also be understood that Figure 5 and 4 The methods are not necessarily performed only by the apparatus 1600 and / or 1700. At least some operations of these methods may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0159] Virtual devices 1600 and 1700 may include processing circuitry that may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers and other digital hardware that may include a digital signal processor (DSP), dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in a memory that may include one or more types of memory, such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory, a cache memory, a flash memory device, an optical storage device, etc. In various embodiments, the program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for executing one or more telecommunication and / or data communication protocols and instructions for executing one or more techniques described herein.

[0160] In some implementations, the processing circuit may be used to enable the receiving obtaining module 1602, the determining module 1604, the sending module 1606, and any other suitable units of the device 1600 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Similarly, the above processing circuit may be used to enable the receiving module 1702, the sending module 1706, and any other suitable units of the device 1700 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0161] like Figure 6 As shown, the apparatus 1600 includes an obtaining module 1602, which is configured to obtain an indication of one or more conditions for switching between a first wireless device transmission capability / reception capability reporting method and a second wireless device transmission capability / reception capability reporting method according to any embodiments and examples described herein. The determining module 1604 is configured to determine which capability reporting method to use according to any embodiments and examples described herein. The sending module 1606 is configured to report the wireless device capability according to any embodiments and examples described herein.

[0162] like Figure 6As shown, the apparatus 1700 includes a receiving module 1702 configured to receive a random access preamble according to any embodiment and example described herein. A sending module 1706 is configured to send a random access response to a wireless device according to any embodiment and example described herein.

[0163] Figure 7 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualized environment 300 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include a virtualized hardware platform, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization may be applied to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or a component thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functions are implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers executed on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0164] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components performed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments 300 hosted by one or more hardware nodes 330. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not radio access nodes or do not require radio connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), the network nodes may be fully virtualized.

[0165] These functions may be implemented by one or more applications 320 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) operable to implement certain features, functions, and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein. The applications 320 run in a virtualized environment 300, which provides hardware 330 including processing circuitry 360 and memory 390. The memory 390 contains instructions 395 executable by the processing circuitry 360, whereby the applications 320 are operable to provide one or more features, benefits, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0166] The virtualized environment 300 includes a general or special purpose network hardware device 330, which includes a set of one or more processors or processing circuits 360, which may be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuit including digital or analog hardware components or special purpose processors. Each hardware device may include a memory 390-1, which may be a non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions 395 or software executed by the processing circuit 360. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 370 (also known as network interface cards), which include a physical network interface 380. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory persistent machine-readable storage medium 390-2 in which software 395 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuit 360 are stored. The software 395 may include any type of software including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 350 (also known as hypervisors), software for executing virtual machines 340, and software that allows it to perform functions, features, and / or benefits related to some embodiments described herein.

[0167] The virtual machine 340 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual network or interface, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 350 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of instances of the virtual device 320 may be implemented on one or more virtual machines 340 and may be implemented in different ways.

[0168] During operation, processing circuitry 360 executes software 395 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 350, which may sometimes be referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). Virtualization layer 350 may present to virtual machines 340 a virtual operating platform that appears to be networked hardware.

[0169] like Figure 7 As shown, hardware 330 can be an independent network node with common or specific components. Hardware 330 can include antenna 3225, and some functions can be implemented via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 330 can be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., such as in a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed by management and orchestration (MANO) 3100, which, among other items, oversees the life cycle management of application 320.

[0170] In some contexts, virtualization of hardware is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage devices that can be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0171] In the context of NFV, a virtual machine 340 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs a program as if the program were executed on a physical, non-virtual machine. Each virtual machine 340 and the portion of the hardware 330 that executes the virtual machine (hardware dedicated to the virtual machine and / or hardware shared by the virtual machine with other virtual machines 340) form a separate virtual network element (VNE).

[0172] Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for handling specific network functions running in one or more virtual machines 340 on top of the hardware networking infrastructure 330 and corresponds to Figure 7 Application 320.

[0173] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 3200, each including one or more transmitters 3220 and one or more receivers 3210, may be coupled to one or more antennas 3225. The radio units 3200 may communicate directly with the hardware nodes 330 via one or more appropriate network interfaces, and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or base station.

[0174] In some embodiments, some signaling may be implemented using a control system 3230 , which may alternatively be used for communications between the hardware node 330 and the radio unit 3200 .

[0175] refer to Figure 8 According to an embodiment, a communication system includes a telecommunication network 410 such as a 3GPP type cellular network, which includes an access network 411 such as a radio access network and a core network 414. The access network 411 includes a plurality of base stations 412a, 412b, 412c (e.g., NB, eNB, gNB) or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 413a, 413b, 413c. Each base station 412a, 412b, 412c may be connected to the core network 414 via a wired or wireless connection 415. A first UE 491 located in the coverage area 413c is configured to be wirelessly connected to or paged by the corresponding base station 412c. A second UE 492 in the coverage area 413a may be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 412a. Although multiple UEs 491, 492 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where a single UE is in the coverage area or a single UE is connected to the corresponding base station 412.

[0176] The telecommunications network 410 itself is connected to a host computer 430, which may be embodied in the hardware and / or software of a stand-alone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as processing resources in a server farm. The host computer 430 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The connections 421 and 422 between the telecommunications network 410 and the host computer 430 may extend directly from the core network 414 to the host computer 430, or may be via an optional intermediate network 420. The intermediate network 420 may be one of a public, private, or managed network, or a combination of more than one thereof; the intermediate network 420 (if any) may be a backbone network or the Internet; in particular, the intermediate network 420 may include two or more sub-networks (not shown).

[0177] Overall, Figure 8 The communication system of the present invention implements connectivity between the connected UE 491, 492 and the host computer 430. The connectivity can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 450. The host computer 430 and the connected UE 491, 492 are configured to use the access network 411, the core network 414, any intermediate network 420 and possible other infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries to transmit data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 450. Because the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 450 passes do not know the routes of uplink and downlink communications, the OTT connection 450 can be transparent. For example, the base station 412 may not be informed or need not be informed of the past routes of incoming downlink communications with data originating from the host computer 430 to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 491. Similarly, the base station 412 does not need to know the future routes of outgoing uplink communications from the UE 491 to the host computer 430.

[0178] Fig. 9 An example host computer is shown communicating with a user device via a base station over a partially wireless connection according to certain embodiments. Fig. 9To describe an example implementation of the UE, base station, and host computer discussed in the previous paragraph according to an embodiment. In the communication system 500, the host computer 510 includes hardware 515, which includes a communication interface 516 configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection with different communication devices of the communication system 500. The host computer 510 also includes a processing circuit 518, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, the processing circuit 518 may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these items (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The host computer 510 also includes software 511, which is stored in the host computer 510 or can be accessed by the host computer 510 and can be executed by the processing circuit 518. The software 511 includes a host application 512. The host application 512 is operable to provide services to remote users of UE530 such as those connected via an OTT connection 550 terminated at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. When providing services to remote users, the host application 512 may provide user data sent using the OTT connection 550 .

[0179] The communication system 500 also includes a base station 520 provided in the telecommunication system, and the base station 520 includes hardware 525 that enables it to communicate with the host computer 510 and the UE 530. The hardware 525 may include a communication interface 526 for establishing and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with different communication devices of the communication system 500, and a communication interface 526 for establishing and maintaining a connection with the network located in the coverage area ( Fig. 9 The communication interface 526 may be configured to facilitate a connection 560 with the host computer 510. The connection 560 may be direct, or the connection 560 may be through a core network (eg, a wireless network) of the telecommunications system. Fig. 9 520) and / or through one or more intermediate networks external to the telecommunications system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 525 of the base station 520 also includes processing circuitry 528, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these items (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The base station 520 also has software 521 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0180] The communication system 500 also includes the UE 530 already mentioned. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 may include a radio interface 537, which is configured to establish and maintain a wireless connection 570 with a base station serving the coverage area where the UE 530 is currently located. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 also includes a processing circuit 538, which may include one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or a combination of these items (not shown) suitable for executing instructions. The UE 530 also includes software 531 stored in the UE 530 or accessible by the UE 530 and executable by the processing circuit 538. The software 531 includes a client application 532. The client application 532 is operable to provide services to human or non-human users via the UE 530 with the support of the host computer 510. In the host computer 510, the executing host application 512 can communicate with the executing client application 532 via an OTT connection 550 terminated at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. In providing services to users, client application 532 may receive request data from host application 512 and provide user data in response to the request data. OTT connection 550 may transmit both request data and user data. Client application 532 may interact with a user to generate user data provided by the user.

[0181] Notice, Fig. 9 The host computer 510, base station 520 and UE 530 shown can be respectively Figure 7 The host computer 430, one of the base stations 412a, 412b, 412c and one of the UEs 491, 492 may be similar or identical. That is, the internal working principles of these entities may be as follows: Fig. 9 As shown, and independently, the surrounding network topology can be Figure 7 The surrounding network topology.

[0182] exist Fig. 9 In the figure, the OTT connection 550 has been abstractly drawn to illustrate the communication between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 via the base station 520, without explicit reference to any intermediate devices and the precise routing of the messages via these devices. The network infrastructure can determine the routing, and the network infrastructure can be configured to hide the routing from the UE 530 or from the service provider operating the host computer 510, or both. When the OTT connection 550 is active, the network infrastructure can further make a decision according to which the network infrastructure dynamically changes the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or reconfiguration of the network).

[0183] The wireless connection 570 between the UE 530 and the base station 520 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improves the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 530 using the OTT connection 550 (where the wireless connection 570 forms the last segment). More specifically, the teachings of these embodiments can improve signaling overhead and reduce latency, which can provide faster Internet access for users.

[0184] A measurement process may be provided to monitor data rates, delays, and other factors on which one or more embodiments are improved. In response to changes in the measurement results, there may also be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 between the host computer 510 and the UE 530. The measurement process and / or network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 may be implemented in the software 511 and hardware 515 of the host computer 510 or in the software 531 and hardware 535 of the UE 530, or in both. In an embodiment, a sensor (not shown) may be deployed in a communication device through which the OTT connection 550 passes or associated with such a communication device; the sensor may participate in the measurement process by providing the value of the monitored quantity of the above example or providing the value of other physical quantities from which the software 511, 531 can calculate or estimate the monitored quantity. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 550 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc. The reconfiguration does not need to affect the base station 520, and it may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 520. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates host computer 510 measurements of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be achieved because software 511 and 531 causes the OTT connection 550 to be used to send messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, during its monitoring of propagation time, errors, etc.

[0185] Fig.10 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be reference Figure 8 and Fig. 9 In order to make this disclosure concise, this section only includes Fig.10 Attached figure reference.

[0186] In step 610, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 611 of step 610 (which may be optional), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 620, the host computer initiates a transmission to the UE carrying the user data. In step 630 (which may be optional), in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the base station sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host computer to the UE. In step 640 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0187] Fig.11 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be reference Figure 8 and Fig. 9 In order to make this disclosure concise, this section only includes Fig.11 Attached figure reference.

[0188] In step 710 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 720, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission may be through a base station. In step 730 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0189] Fig.12 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be reference Figure 8 and Fig. 9 In order to make this disclosure concise, this section only includes Fig.12 Attached figure reference.

[0190] In step 810 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 820, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 821 (which may be optional) of step 820, the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 811 (which may be optional) of step 810, the UE executes a client application, which provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. When providing user data, the executed client application may further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific manner of providing user data, the UE initiates transmission of user data to the host computer in sub-step 830 (which may be optional). In step 840 of the method, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the host computer receives user data sent from the UE.

[0191] Fig.13 is a flow chart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station and a UE, which can be reference Figure 8 and Fig. 9 In order to make this disclosure concise, this section only includes Fig.13 Attached figure reference.

[0192] In step 910 (which may be optional), the base station receives user data from the UE in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 920 (which may be optional), the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 930 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0193] The term "unit" may have a conventional meaning in the field of electronic devices, electrical equipment and / or electronic equipment, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid-state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing corresponding tasks, processes, calculations, output and / or display functions, etc. as described herein.

[0194] Without departing from the scope of the present invention, the systems and devices disclosed herein may be modified, added, or omitted. The components of the systems and devices may be integrated or separated. In addition, the operations of the systems and devices may be performed by more, fewer, or other components. Additionally, the operations of the systems and devices may be performed using any suitable logic including software, hardware, and / or other logic. As used in this document, "each" refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.

[0195] Without departing from the scope of the present invention, the methods disclosed herein may be modified, added or omitted. These methods may include more, less or other steps. Additionally, the steps may be performed in any suitable order.

[0196] The above description sets forth many specific details. However, it will be appreciated that embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the understanding of this description. One of ordinary skill in the art will be able to implement appropriate functionality with the included description without undue experimentation.

[0197] References in the specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every embodiment necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, it is considered that it is well known to those skilled in the art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments (whether or not explicitly described).

[0198] Although the present disclosure has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments will be modified and replaced. Therefore, the above description of the embodiments does not limit the present disclosure. Other changes, replacements, and modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the following claims.

[0199] At least some of the following abbreviations may be used in the present disclosure. If there is an inconsistency between the abbreviations, the above usage shall take precedence. If listed multiple times below, the first listing shall take precedence over subsequent listings.

[0200] 1x RTT CDMA2000 1x Radio Transmission Technology

[0201] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0202] 5G Fifth Generation

[0203] ABS Almost Blank Subframe

[0204] ACK / NACK Acknowledgement / Non-acknowledgement

[0205] ARQ Automatic Repeat Request

[0206] AWGN Additive White Gaussian Noise

[0207] BCCH Broadcast Control Channel

[0208] BCH Broadcast Channel

[0209] BLER Block Error Rate

[0210] CA Carrier Aggregation

[0211] CC Carrier Component

[0212] CCCH SDU Common Control Channel SDU

[0213] CDMA Code Division Multiple Access

[0214] CG Configuration License

[0215] CGI Cell Global Identifier

[0216] CIR Channel Impulse Response

[0217] CP Cyclic Prefix

[0218] CPICH Common Pilot Channel

[0219] CPICH Ec / No CPICH received energy per chip divided by the power density in the frequency band

[0220] CQI Channel Quality Information

[0221] C-RNTI Cell RNTI

[0222] CSI Channel State Information

[0223] DCCH Dedicated Control Channel

[0224] DCI Downlink Control Information

[0225] DFTS-OFDM Discrete Fourier Transform Spread OFDM

[0226] DL Downlink

[0227] DM Demodulation

[0228] DMRS Demodulation Reference Signal

[0229] DRX Discontinuous Reception

[0230] DTX Discontinuous Transmission

[0231] DTCH Dedicated Traffic Channel

[0232] DUT Device Under Test

[0233] E-CID Enhanced Cell ID (positioning method)

[0234] E-SMLC Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center

[0235] ECGI Evolved CGI

[0236] eNB E-UTRAN Node B

[0237] ePDCCH Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0238] E-SMLC Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center

[0239] E-UTRA Evolved UTRA

[0240] E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN

[0241] FDD Frequency Division Duplex

[0242] GERAN GSM EDGE Radio Access Network

[0243] GF License-free

[0244] Base stations in gNB NR

[0245] GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System

[0246] GSM Global System for Mobile Communications

[0247] HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request

[0248] HO Switchover

[0249] HSPA High Speed ​​Packet Access

[0250] HRPD High Rate Packet Data

[0251] LOS Line of Sight

[0252] LPP LTE Positioning Protocol

[0253] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0254] MAC Media Access Control

[0255] MBMS Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service

[0256] MBSFN Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service Single Frequency Network

[0257] MBSFN ABS MBSFN Almost Blank Subframe

[0258] MCS Modulation and Coding Scheme

[0259] MDT Minimized Drive Test

[0260] MIB Master Information Block

[0261] MME Mobility Management Entity

[0262] MSC Mobile Switching Center

[0263] NPDCCH Narrowband Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0264] NR New Radio

[0265] OCNG OFDMA Channel Noise Generator

[0266] OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0267] OFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access

[0268] OSS Operation Support System

[0269] OTDOA observed time difference of arrival

[0270] O&M

[0271] PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel

[0272] P-CCPCH Primary Common Control Physical Channel

[0273] PCell Primary Cell

[0274] PCFICH Physical Control Format Indicator Channel

[0275] PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0276] PDP Profile Delay Profile

[0277] PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0278] PGW Packet Gateway

[0279] PHICH Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel

[0280] PLMN Public Land Mobile Network

[0281] PMI Precoder Matrix Indicator

[0282] PRACH Physical Random Access Channel

[0283] PRS Positioning Reference Signal

[0284] PSS Primary Synchronization Signal

[0285] PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel

[0286] PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel

[0287] RACH Random Access Channel

[0288] QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation

[0289] RAN Radio Access Network

[0290] RAT Radio Access Technology

[0291] RLM Radio Link Management

[0292] RNC Radio Network Controller

[0293] RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0294] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0295] RRM Radio Resource Management

[0296] RS reference signal

[0297] RSCP Received Signal Code Power

[0298] RSRP Reference Symbol Received Power or Reference Signal Received Power

[0299] RSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality or Reference Symbol Received Quality

[0300] RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator

[0301] RSTD Reference Signal Time Difference

[0302] SCH Synchronization Channel

[0303] SCell Secondary Cell

[0304] SDU Service Data Unit

[0305] SFN System Frame Number

[0306] SGW Service Gateway

[0307] SI System Information

[0308] SIB System Information Block

[0309] SNR Signal to Noise Ratio

[0310] SON Self-Optimizing Network

[0311] SPS Semi-Persistent Scheduling

[0312] SUL Supplementary Uplink

[0313] SS Sync Signal

[0314] SSS Secondary synchronization signal

[0315] TDD Time Division Duplex

[0316] TDOA Time Difference of Arrival

[0317] TO Transmission Timing

[0318] TOA Time of Arrival

[0319] TSS three-level synchronization signal

[0320] TTI Transmission Time Interval

[0321] UE User Equipment

[0322] UL Uplink

[0323] URLLC Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications

[0324] UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

[0325] USIM Universal Subscriber Identity Module

[0326] UTDOA Uplink Time Difference of Arrival

[0327] UTRA Universal Terrestrial Radio Access

[0328] UTRAN Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network

[0329] WCDMA Wideband CDMA

[0330] WLAN broadband local area network

Claims

1. A method performed by a reduced capability RedCap wireless device WD, the RedCap WD being capable of using a random access preamble to report that it is a RedCap WD and being capable of using a random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD, the method comprising: - Get instructions on how to report it as a RedCap WD; as well as - Based on the indication, use at least one of the random access preamble and the random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising: - Based on the indication, use both the random access preamble and the random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD.

3. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The indication is obtained via SIB1.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The indication is obtained via random access channel configuration.

5. A reduced capability RedCap wireless device WD, said RedCap WD being capable of using a random access preamble to report that it is a RedCap WD and being capable of using a random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD, said RedCap WD being configured to: - Get instructions on how to report that it is a RedCap WD; and - Based on the indication, use at least one of the random access preamble and the random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD.

6. The RedCap WD according to claim 5, wherein: The RedCap WD is configured as: - Based on the indication, use both the random access preamble and the random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD.

7. The RedCap WD according to any one of claims 5-6, wherein The indication is obtained via SIB1.

8. RedCap WD according to any one of claims 5-7, wherein The indication is obtained via random access channel configuration.

9. A method performed by a network node, the method comprising: - Provides an indication of how RedCap capable wireless devices WDs are to report that they are RedCap WDs; - receiving a report from a RedCap WD that it is a RedCap WD, wherein the RedCap WD is capable of using a random access preamble to report that it is a RedCap WD and is capable of using a random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD, wherein the received report uses at least one of the random access preamble and the random access message 3.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The received report uses both the random access preamble and the random access message 3.

11. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 10, wherein: The indication is provided via SIB1.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: The indication is provided via a random access channel configuration.

13. A network node, configured to: - Provides an indication of how RedCap capable wireless devices WDs are to report that they are RedCap WDs; - Receive from RedCap WD it is a report of RedCap WD, where, The RedCap WD can use a random access preamble to report that it is a RedCap WD and can use a random access message 3 to report that it is a RedCap WD, wherein the received report uses at least one of the random access preamble and the random access message 3.

14. The network node according to claim 13, wherein: The received report uses both the random access preamble and the random access message 3.

15. The network node according to any one of claims 13-14, wherein: The indication is provided via SIB1 and / or via random access channel configuration.

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