Method and apparatus for device feature support and device capability indication of enhanced reduced capability user equipment

Abstract

Various solutions for device function support and device capability indication for enhanced reduced capability (eRedCap) user equipment (UE) are described herein. An apparatus may send first UE capability information to a wireless node of a wireless network. The first UE capability information may indicate that the apparatus is an eRedCap UE that supports a reduced peak data rate. The apparatus may also receive a first configuration from the network node, the first configuration configuring one or more transmissions or receptions. The first configuration is based on a reduced peak data rate. The apparatus may further perform the one or more transmissions or receptions according to the first configuration.

Description

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This disclosure is part of a non-provisional application, claiming priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 487,897, filed on March 2, 2023, and U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 466,360, filed on May 15, 2023. The contents of the above applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to mobile communications, and more particularly to device feature support and device capability indication for enhanced reduced capability (eRedCap) user equipment (UE). Background Art

[0004] Unless otherwise indicated in this section, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims listed below and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

[0005] A new type of user equipment with reduced capabilities, called RedCap UE (also known as NR-Light UE), is introduced. Generally, RedCap UE has lower communication capabilities compared to typical user equipment (or non-RedCap UE), such as high-end user equipment supporting enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and / or ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) services. For example, RedCap UE may be limited in terms of maximum bandwidth (e.g., 20MHz in Frequency Range 1 (FR1)), 100MHz in FR2, etc.). The reduced complexity contributes to more cost-effective NR-Light devices, with longer battery life due to lower power consumption, and a smaller device footprint, and thereby enables newer designs to be used for a wide range of use cases, such as industrial sensors, video surveillance, and wearable devices.

[0006] A further device type with reduced capabilities than the traditional RedCap UE (or referred to as eRedCap UE) is being studied, aiming to further reduce device complexity / cost and power consumption. However, the details of the eRedCap UE have not been fully discussed and some issues need to be resolved. One of the issues involves device feature support. Another issue involves device capability indication. Therefore, it is necessary to provide appropriate solutions to address these issues. Summary of the invention

[0007] The following summary of the invention is illustrative only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the following summary of the invention is provided to introduce the concepts, key points, benefits and advantages of the novel and non-obvious technologies described herein. Selected embodiments are further described in the detailed description below. Therefore, the following summary of the invention is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0008] The object of the present disclosure is to propose a solution or scheme to solve the above-mentioned problems related to device function support and device capability indication of eRedCap UE.

[0009] In one aspect, a method may involve an apparatus sending first UE capability information to a wireless node of a wireless network, wherein the first UE capability information indicates that the apparatus is an eRedCap UE that supports a reduced peak data rate. The method may also involve the apparatus receiving a first configuration from the network node, the first configuration configuring one or more transmissions or receptions, wherein the first configuration is based on the reduced peak data rate. The method may also involve the apparatus performing one or more transmissions or receptions according to the first configuration.

[0010] In one aspect, an apparatus may include a transceiver that wirelessly communicates with a network node of a wireless network during operation. The apparatus may also include a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The processor may perform operations during operation including sending first UE capability information to the wireless node via the transceiver, wherein the first UE capability information indicates that the apparatus is an eRedCap UE that supports a reduced peak data rate. The processor may also perform operations including receiving a first configuration from the network node via the transceiver, the first configuration configuring one or more transmissions or receptions, wherein the first configuration is based on the reduced peak data rate. The processor may further perform operations including performing one or more transmissions or receptions according to the first configuration via the transceiver.

[0011] In one aspect, a method may involve a network node receiving first UE capability information from an apparatus, wherein the first UE capability information indicates that the apparatus is an eRedCap UE that supports a reduced peak data rate. The method may also involve the network node sending a first configuration to the apparatus, the first configuration configuring one or more transmissions or receptions, wherein the first configuration is based on the reduced peak data rate. The method may also involve the network node performing one or more transmissions or receptions according to the first configuration.

[0012] It is worth noting that although the description provided herein may be in the context of certain radio access technologies, networks and network topologies such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, Fifth Generation (5G), New Radio (NR), Internet of Things (IoT), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Beyond 5G (B5G) and Sixth Generation (6G), the proposed concepts, schemes and any variants / derivatives thereof may be implemented, applied and performed in other types of radio access technologies, networks and network topologies. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the examples described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of the present invention. The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the description are used to explain the principles of the present invention. It is understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, as some components may be shown in a manner that is not proportional to the size in actual implementation in order to clearly illustrate the concept of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of a communication system supporting eRedCap UE and non-RedCap UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an example scenario showing bandwidth configurations supported by different features of an eRedCap UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of a 2-step random access channel (RACH) procedure with user equipment capability indication of an eRedCap UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example scenario of a 4-step RACH procedure with user equipment capability indication of an eRedCap UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an example scenario showing a user equipment capability transmission process of an eRedCap UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an example communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 7 is a flowchart of an example process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 8 is a flowchart of another example process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matter are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are merely illustrations of the claimed subject matter that may be embodied in various forms. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations set forth herein. On the contrary, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided so that the description of the present invention is comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art. In the following description, details of well-known features and technologies may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0023] Overview

[0024] According to the implementation of the present disclosure, various technologies, methods, schemes and / or solutions related to device feature support and device capability indication of eRedCap UE are involved. According to the present disclosure, many possible solutions can be implemented separately or in combination. That is, although these possible solutions can be described separately, two or more of these possible solutions can be implemented in one or another combination.

[0025] Figure 1An example scenario 100 of a communication system supporting eRedCap UE and non-RedCap UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The scenario 100 involves a communication system including an eRedCap UE 110, a non-RedCap UE 120, and a base station (BS) 130 (e.g., an evolved Node B (eNB), a next generation Node B (gNB), or a transmission and reception point (TRP), etc.). The eRedCap UE 110 may refer to a wireless communication device associated with a lower communication capability (e.g., operating in a 20 MHz channel bandwidth). For example, the eRedCap UE 110 may be a portable or mobile device, such as an industrial sensor, video surveillance, or a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch), or may be a fixed / stationary device, such as an IoT, NB-IoT, or IIoT device (e.g., a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center). The non-RedCap UE 120 may refer to a wireless communication device associated with a higher communication capability (e.g., operating in a 100 MHz channel bandwidth). For example, non-RedCap UE 120 may be a high-end device (e.g., a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, or a computing device, e.g., a tablet, a laptop, or a notebook computer) supporting mobile services, e.g., enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services. BS 130 may be part of a radio access network (RAN) of a wireless network (e.g., a 4G / 5G / 6G system).

[0026] Under the solution proposed according to the present disclosure, different device characteristics corresponding to different peak rate reduction types are introduced to indicate the UE capability information of the eRedCap UE (e.g., the eRedCap UE 110). The first peak rate reduction type (also referred to as PR1) indicates that the UE operates in a 20 MHz channel bandwidth and reduces V LAYERS x Q m The value of xf has additional peak rate reduction to limit the peak data rate to approximately 10 megabits per second (Mbps), where parameter V LAYERS Indicates the maximum number of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers supported by the UE operation, parameter Q m represents the maximum modulation order supported (e.g., 2 = QPSK, 4 = 16QAM, 6 = 64QAM), and parameter f represents the scaling factor, which has values ​​of 1, 0.8, 0.75, and 0.4. Specifically, for PR1, when V LAYERS =1, V LAYERS x Qm The value of xf is 0.75, or when V LAYERS =2, its value is 0.8. The second peak rate reduction type (also called PR3bis) instructs the UE to limit the number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) reduced within the 20MHz channel bandwidth in which it operates (e.g., 5MHz PRBs, i.e., the maximum number of physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) / physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) PRBs that can be scheduled / configured for unicast and / or broadcast is 25 PRBs in a 15kHz SCS (SCS) or 12 PRBs in a 30kHz SCS), and an additional reduced peak rate limit of 10Mbps. Specifically, for PR3bis, by reducing V LAYERS x Q m The value of xf is reduced to 3.2 to limit the peak data rate to 10 Mbps. Therefore, the eRedCap UE (e.g., eRedCap UE 110) can provide its UE capability information to the network (e.g., BS 130) to indicate that it is an eRedCap UE. In the example, the eRedCap UE (PR1 and / or PR3bis) supports providing additional separate early indications for eRedCap UEs in Msg3 of 4-step RACH, and / or supports providing additional separate early indications for eRedCap UEs in MsgA PUSCH of 2-step RACH (if supported). In addition, the UE capability information may also indicate that it supports PR1 (i.e., reduced peak data rate without reducing baseband bandwidth) or PR3bits (i.e., reduced peak data rate and reduced baseband bandwidth).

[0027] Figure 2An example scenario 200 of bandwidth configurations supported by different characteristics of an eRedCap UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. As shown in the example scenario 200, bandwidth configuration 210 includes a transport block size scheduled for (PUSCH) transmission and / or (PDSCH) reception based on PR1 characteristic support (e.g., 10 Mbps peak data rate and unlimited PRB number), while bandwidth configuration 220 includes a reduced / restricted PRB and transport block size scheduled for (PUSCH) transmission and / or (PDSCH) reception based on PR3bis characteristic support (e.g., 10 Mbps peak data rate and reduced PRB number). In addition, or alternatively, an eRedCap UE (e.g., eRedCap UE 110) may be able to send signaling to notify that it can be reconfigured by network command to operate as either PR1 or PR3bis. For example, an eRedCap UE may operate as PR1 in a network (node) where the network function provides radio access configuration restrictions according to PR1, and operate as PR3bis in another network (node) where the radio access configuration restrictions are provided according to PR3bis. That is, the eRedCap UE may support different operation modes (ie, PR1 or PR3bis) based on the network configuration. In addition, the eRedCap UE may support both PR1 and PR3bis modes based on the network configuration.

[0028] In some embodiments, the eRedCap UE may provide an indication to the network that it prefers to operate in PR1 or PR3bis operating mode, or that it would benefit from an opportunity to save battery. This indication may trigger a reconfiguration or further reconfiguration. Possible reasons for an eRedCap UE to indicate its preference for a certain operating mode may include: (1) the type of deployment scenario, e.g., terrestrial network or non-terrestrial / satellite network (e.g., triggering PR3bis operating mode to accommodate non-terrestrial / satellite deployment scenarios); (2) the user commands the UE to enter a power saving mode (e.g., triggering PR3bis operating mode); and (3) a change in the UE's power supply type. Alternatively, the network may initiate UE reconfiguration to operate in PR1 or PR3bis operating mode. Possible reasons for selecting PR1 or PR3bis configuration from the network side may include: (1) the network only supports eRedCap UEs based on one of PR1 or PR3bis, and the network relies on the supported operating mode used by the eRedCap UE to ensure interoperability (this may include scenarios where a network that only supports PR1 performs a handover to a network that only supports PR3bis, or vice versa); and (2) in the event that the UE is reconfigured to PR3bis operating mode, the network may determine to allow the UE to support power saving, optionally based on information provided by the UE about its preferred operating mode or desire to save battery.

[0029] Under the proposed scheme according to the present disclosure, the eRedCap UE may provide its UE capability information to the network during and / or after initial access. Figure 3 An example scenario 300 of a 2-step RACH procedure with UE capability indication of an eRedCap UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The scenario 300 involves an eRedCap UE 310 and a network node 320 (e.g., a base station), which may be part of a wireless network (e.g., an LTE network, a 5G NR network, an IoT network, or a 6G network). Figure 3 As shown, in step 302, the eRedCap UE 310 receives system information from the network node 320. The system information may include a radio resource configuration for initial access. More specifically, the configuration for initial access may include a dedicated RACH resource configuration for the eRedCap UE. In step 304, the eRedCap UE 310 sends a random access request (i.e., message A (MsgA)) to the network node 320 using the dedicated RACH resources for the eRedCap UE. MsgA in the 2-step RACH may include PRACH and PUSCH. In step 306, the network node 320 replies to the eRedCap UE 310 with a random access response (i.e., message B (MsgB)). Therefore, the use of the dedicated RACH resources of the eRedCap UE in MsgA gives an early indication that the initiating UE is an eRedCap UE. eRedCap early indication of random access based on MsgA (PRACH and / or PUSCH) can be supported.

[0030] Figure 4 An example scenario 400 of a 4-step RACH procedure with UE capability indication of an eRedCap UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The scenario 400 involves an eRedCap UE 410 and a network node 420 (e.g., a base station), which may be part of a wireless network (e.g., an LTE network, a 5G NR network, an IoT network, or a 6G network). Figure 4As shown, in step 402, the eRedCap UE 420 receives system information from the network node 430. The system information may include a radio resource configuration for initial access and a logical channel identifier (LCID) dedicated to the eRedCap UE. In step 404, the eRedCap UE 420 sends a random access request (i.e., message 1 (Msg1)) to the network node 430 using the radio resource configuration for initial access. The early indication of the eRedCap UE can be transmitted via Msg1. When the Msg1 indication of the eRedCap UE is configured, it is used by the eRedCap UE with or without bandwidth reduction (for PR1 or PR3bis). In other words, the early indication of the RedCap UE that is network configurable in Msg1 can be supported. In step 406, the network node 430 replies to the eRedCap UE 420 with a random access response (i.e., message 2 (Msg2)). Next, in step 408, the eRedCap UE 420 sends a message (i.e., message 3 (Msg3)) of scheduling transmission to the network node 430 using the LCID of the eRedCap UE. Early indication of eRedCap UE based on Msg3PUSCH can be introduced. LCID can be used for eRedCap early indication in Msg3 PUSCH. In step 410, the network node 430 replies to the eRedCap UE 420 with a contention resolution message (i.e., message 4 (Msg4)). Therefore, using the LCID of the eRedCap UE in Msg3 gives an early indication that the initiating UE is an eRedCap UE. Early indication of eRedCap based on Msg3 (PUSCH) of random access can be supported.

[0031] It is worth noting that the initial access procedure (i.e. 2-step RACH or 4-step RACH) of an eRedCap UE supporting PR1 is the same as that of an eRedCap UE supporting PR3bis. That is, the early indication in MsgA PRACH / MsgA PUSCH / Msg3PUSCH only indicates that the initiating UE is an eRedCap UE, but cannot be used to identify whether the UE supports PR1 or PR3bis.

[0032] Figure 5 An example scenario 500 of a UE capability transmission process of an eRedCap UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The scenario 500 involves an eRedCap UE 510 and a network node 520, which may be part of a wireless network (e.g., an LTE network, a 5GNR network, an IoT network, or a 6G network). Figure 5As shown, in step 502, the network node 520 may initiate a UE capability transmission process by sending a UECapabilityEnquiry message to the eRedCap UE 510. Specifically, the UE capability transmission process may be initiated when the eRedCap UE 510 is in the RRC_CONNECTED state and the network node 520 requires (additional) UE radio access capability information. In step 504, the eRedCap UE 510 may send a UECapabilityInformation message to the network node 520. Specifically, the UECapabilityInformation message may include UE capability information indicating that the eRedCap UE 510 supports a reduced peak data rate with or without a reduced baseband bandwidth, (i.e., the UE capability information indicates whether the eRedCap UE 510 supports PR1 or PR3bis). For example, the UE capability information may be signaled in one or more information elements (IEs), including supportOfERedCap-r18 and eRedCapNotReducedBB-BW-r18. IE supportOfERedCap-r18 indicates that the UE is an eRedCap UE with reduced peak data rate and reduced baseband bandwidth in FR1, while IE eRedCapNotReducedBB-BW-r18 indicates that the UE is an eRedCap UE without reduced baseband bandwidth in FR1. Specifically, a UE supporting eRedCapNotReducedBB-BW-r18 should also indicate support for supportOfERedCap-r18. In other words, the characteristics of PR1 are indicated by both IEsupportOfERedCap-r18 and eRedCapNotReducedBB-BW-r18, while the characteristics of PR3bis are indicated only by IEsupportOfERedCap-r18.

[0033] Example Implementations

[0034] Figure 6 6 is an example communication system 600 having an example communication device 610 and an example network device 620 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Each of the communication device 610 and the network device 620 can perform various functions to implement the schemes, techniques, processes and methods related to device feature support and device capability indication of eRedCap UE described herein, including the scenarios / schemes described above and the processes 700 and 800 described below.

[0035] The communication device 610 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a UE such as a portable or mobile device, a wearable device, a wireless communication device, or a computing device (e.g., an eRedCap UE). For example, the communication device 610 may be implemented in a smartphone, a smart watch, a personal digital assistant, a digital camera, or a computing device such as a tablet, a laptop, or a notebook computer. The communication device 610 may also be part of a machine type device, which may be an Internet of Things (IoT), a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), or an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) device such as a fixed or static device, a home device, a wired communication device, or a computing device. For example, the communication device 610 may be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center. Alternatively, the communication device 610 may be implemented in the form of one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more reduced-instruction set computing (RISC) processors, or one or more complex-instruction-set-computing (CISC) processors. The communication device 610 may include Figure 6 The communication device 610 may also include one or more other components that are not related to the proposed solution of the present disclosure (e.g., an internal power supply, a display device, and / or a user interface device). Therefore, for the sake of brevity, these components of the communication device 610 are not shown in the figure. Figure 6 is not shown in the figure and is not described below.

[0036] The network device 620 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a network node such as a base station (BS), a small cell, a router, or a gateway. For example, the network device 620 may be implemented in an eNB in ​​an LTE, LTE-Advanced, or LTE-Advanced Pro network, or in a gNB / TRP in a 5G, NR, IoT, NB-IoT, or IIoT network. Alternatively, the network device 620 may be implemented in the form of one or more IC chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more RISC or CISC processors. The network device 620 may include Figure 6 The network device 620 may also include one or more other components that are not related to the proposed solution of the present disclosure (e.g., an internal power supply, a display device, and / or a user interface device). Therefore, for the sake of brevity, these components of the network device 620 are not shown in the figure. Figure 6is not shown in the figure and is not described below.

[0037] In one aspect, each of the processors 612 and 622 may be implemented in the form of one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more CISC processors. That is, even if the singular term "processor" is used herein to refer to the processors 612 and 622, each of the processors 612 and 622 may include multiple processors in some embodiments and may include a single processor in other embodiments according to the present disclosure. On the other hand, each of the processors 612 and 622 may be implemented in the form of hardware (and, optionally, firmware), and the electronic components include, for example, but not limited to, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more varactor diodes, which are configured and arranged to implement specific purposes according to the present invention. In other words, in at least some embodiments, each of the processors 612 and 622 is a dedicated machine specially designed, set and configured to perform specific tasks, including device feature support and device capability indication of the eRedCap UE in the device (e.g., represented by the communication device 610) and the network (e.g., represented by the network device 620) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0038] In some embodiments, the communication device 610 may further include a transceiver 616 coupled to the processor 612 and capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some embodiments, the transceiver 616 may be capable of wirelessly communicating with different types of UEs and / or different wireless networks of different radio access technologies (RATs). In some embodiments, the transceiver 616 may be equipped with multiple antenna ports (not shown), for example, four antenna ports. That is, the transceiver 616 may be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas for MIMO wireless communication. In some embodiments, the network device 620 may further include a transceiver 626 coupled to the processor 622. The transceiver 626 may include a transceiver capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some embodiments, the transceiver 626 may be capable of wirelessly communicating with different types of UEs of different RATs. In some embodiments, the transceiver 626 may be equipped with multiple antenna ports (not shown), for example, four antenna ports. That is, the transceiver 626 may be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas for MIMO wireless communication.

[0039] In some embodiments, the communication device 610 may further include a memory 614 coupled to the processor 612, the processor 612 being able to access the memory 614 and store data therein. In some embodiments, the network device 620 may further include a memory 624 coupled to the processor 622, the processor 622 being able to access the memory 624 and store data therein. Each of the memory 614 and the memory 624 may include a random access memory (RAM), for example, a dynamic RAM (DRAM), a static RAM (SRAM), a thyristor RAM (T-RAM), and / or a zero capacitance RAM (Z-RAM). Alternatively, each of the memory 614 and the memory 624 may include a read-only memory (ROM), for example, a mask ROM, a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), and / or an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM). Alternatively, memory 614 and memory 624 may each include non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), such as flash memory, solid-state memory, ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), and / or phase change memory.

[0040] Each of the communication device 610 and the network device 620 may be a communication entity capable of communicating with each other using various schemes proposed in the present disclosure. For illustrative purposes and not limiting, the following provides a capability description of the communication device 610 as a user equipment (UE) and the network device 620 as a network node (e.g., a base station BS).

[0041] In some proposed schemes regarding device function support and device capability indication of eRedCap UE according to the present disclosure, the processor 612 of the communication device 610 may send first UE capability information to the network device 620 via the transceiver 616. Specifically, the first UE capability information (e.g., an early indication in the RACH) may indicate that the communication device 610 is an eRedCap UE that supports a reduced peak data rate. Then, the processor 612 may receive a first configuration from the network device 620 via the transceiver 616, the first configuration configuring one or more transmissions or receptions. Specifically, the first configuration may be based on the reduced peak data rate. In addition, the processor 612 may perform one or more transmissions or receptions according to the first configuration via the transceiver 616. Accordingly, the processor 622 of the network device 620 may receive the first UE capability information from the communication device 610 via the transceiver 626. Then, the processor 622 may send the first configuration to the communication device 610 via the transceiver 626, the first configuration configuring one or more transmissions or receptions. Furthermore, the processor 622 may perform one or more transmissions or receptions via the transceiver 626 according to the first configuration.

[0042] In some embodiments, the processor 612 may also send second UE capability information to the network device 620 via the transceiver 616, wherein the second UE capability information (e.g., a UE capability report in connected mode) indicates that the communication device 610 is an eRedCap UE supporting a reduced peak data rate with or without a reduced baseband bandwidth.

[0043] In some implementations, one or more of the sending or receiving may be further based on a maximum number of PRBs.

[0044] In some implementations, the maximum number of PRBs may include 25 PRBs for a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS) or 12 PRBs for a 30 kHz SCS.

[0045] In some embodiments, the reduced peak data rate may be approximately 10 Mbps. For example, depending on the combination of uplink / downlink and SCS (15 kHz or 30 kHz), the data rate obtained may be between 10.x Mbps and 12.x Mbps.

[0046] In some embodiments, in the case where the communication device 610 is an eRedCap UE supporting a reduced peak data rate without a reduced baseband bandwidth, the product of the maximum number of MIMO layers corresponding to the reduced peak data rate, the maximum modulation order, and the scaling factor may be 0.75 when the maximum number of MIMO layers is 1, or the product may be 0.8 when the maximum number of MIMO layers is 2.

[0047] In some embodiments, where the communication device 610 is an eRedCap UE supporting a reduced peak data rate with a reduced baseband bandwidth, the product of the maximum number of MIMO layers, the maximum modulation order, and the scaling factor corresponding to the reduced peak data rate may be 3.2.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first UE capability information may include an early indication for eRedCap UEs in Msg3 or Msg1 during a 4-step RACH procedure, or an early indication for eRedCap UEs in MsgA during a 2-step RACH procedure.

[0049] Example Process

[0050] Figure 7An example process 700 is shown according to an implementation of the present disclosure. Process 700 may be an example implementation of the above-described scenario / scheme, whether partial or complete, regarding device feature support and device capability indication for an eRedCap UE. Process 700 may represent one aspect of an implementation of the functional features of the communication device 610. Process 700 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as shown in one or more blocks 710 to 730. Although shown as discrete blocks, various blocks of process 700 may be split into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated depending on the desired implementation. In addition, the blocks of process 700 may be arranged as follows: Figure 7 700 may be performed in the order shown, or may be performed in a different order. Process 700 may be implemented by or in communication device 610 or any suitable UE or machine type device. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 700 is described below in the context of communication device 610. Process 700 may start at block 710.

[0051] At 710, the process 700 may involve the processor 612 of the communication device 610 sending first UE capability information to the network node via the transceiver 616. The first UE capability information may indicate that the communication device 610 is an eRedCap UE supporting a reduced peak data rate.

[0052] At 720, flow 700 may involve processor 612 receiving a first configuration from a network node via transceiver 616, the first configuration configuring one or more transmissions or receptions. The first configuration may be based on a reduced peak data rate. Flow 700 may continue from 720 to 730.

[0053] At 730 , flow 700 may involve processor 612 performing one or more transmissions or receptions via transceiver 616 according to the first configuration.

[0054] In some embodiments, the process 700 may further involve the processor 612 sending second UE capability information to the network node via the transceiver 616, wherein the second UE capability information indicates that the communication device 610 is an eRedCap UE supporting reduced peak data rate with or without reduced baseband bandwidth.

[0055] In some implementations, one or more of the sending or receiving may be further based on a maximum number of PRBs.

[0056] In some embodiments, the maximum number of PRBs may include 25 PRBs for 15 kHz SCS or 12 PRBs for 30 kHz SCS.

[0057] In some implementations, the reduced peak data rate may be approximately 10 Mbps.

[0058] In some embodiments, in the case where the communication device 610 is an eRedCap UE supporting a reduced peak data rate without a reduced baseband bandwidth, the product of the maximum number of MIMO layers corresponding to the reduced peak data rate, the maximum modulation order, and the scaling factor may be 0.75 when the maximum number of MIMO layers is 1, or the product may be 0.8 when the maximum number of MIMO layers is 2.

[0059] In some embodiments, where the communication device 610 is an eRedCap UE supporting a reduced peak data rate with a reduced baseband bandwidth, the product of the maximum number of MIMO layers, the maximum modulation order, and the scaling factor corresponding to the reduced peak data rate may be 3.2.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first UE capability information may include an early indication for eRedCap UEs in Msg3 or Msg1 during a 4-step RACH procedure, or an early indication for eRedCap UEs in MsgA during a 2-step RACH procedure.

[0061] Figure 8 An example flow 800 is shown according to an implementation of the present disclosure. Flow 800 may be an example implementation of the above-described scenario / schema, whether partial or complete, regarding device feature support and device capability indication for eRedCap UE. Flow 800 may represent one aspect of an implementation of the functional features of network device 620. Flow 800 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as shown in one or more blocks 810 to 830. Although shown as discrete blocks, various blocks of flow 800 may be split into additional blocks, combined into fewer blocks, or eliminated depending on the desired implementation. In addition, the blocks of flow 800 may be arranged as follows: Figure 8 The process 800 may be performed in the order shown, or may be performed in a different order. The process 800 may be implemented by or in the network device 620 and any variant thereof. For illustration purposes only and without limitation, the process 800 is described below in the context of the network device 620. The process 800 may begin at block 810.

[0062] At 810, the process 800 may involve the processor 622 of the network device 620 receiving first UE capability information from a device (e.g., the communication device 610) via the transceiver 626. The first UE capability information may indicate that the communication device 610 is an eRedCap UE supporting a reduced peak data rate. The process 800 may continue from 810 to 820.

[0063] At 820 , flow 800 may involve processor 622 sending a first configuration to communication device 610 via transceiver 626 , the first configuration configuring one or more transmissions or receptions. The first configuration may be based on a reduced peak data rate. Flow 800 may continue from 820 to 830 .

[0064] At 830 , flow 800 may involve processor 622 performing one or more transmissions or receptions via transceiver 626 according to the first configuration.

[0065] In some embodiments, the process 800 may further involve the processor 622 receiving second UE capability information from the communication device 610 via the transceiver 626, wherein the second UE capability information indicates that the communication device 610 is an eRedCap UE supporting a reduced peak data rate with or without reduced baseband bandwidth.

[0066] In some implementations, one or more of the sending or receiving may be further based on a maximum number of PRBs.

[0067] In some embodiments, the maximum number of PRBs may include 25 PRBs for 15 kHz SCS or 12 PRBs for 30 kHz SCS.

[0068] In some implementations, the reduced peak data rate may be approximately 10 Mbps.

[0069] In some embodiments, the first UE capability information may include an early indication for eRedCap UEs in Msg3 or Msg1 during a 4-step RACH procedure, or an early indication for eRedCap UEs in MsgA during a 2-step RACH procedure.

[0070] Additional Notes

[0071] The subject matter described herein sometimes shows different components contained in or connected to different other components.It should be understood that the described architecture is only an example, and many other architectures with the same function can actually be implemented.In the sense of conception, any setting of the components that implement the same function is effectively "associated" so that the desired function is realized.Therefore, any two components combined to realize a specific function herein can be regarded as "associated" with each other so that the desired function is realized, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components.Similarly, any two components so associated can also be regarded as "connected at work" or "connected at work" to realize the desired functionality, and any two components that can be so associated can also be regarded as "connected at work" to realize the desired functionality.Specific examples of operable connections include, but are not limited to, physically matchable and / or physically interactive components and / or wirelessly interactive and / or wirelessly interactive components and / or logically interactive and / or logically interactive components.

[0072] In addition, with respect to the use of substantially any plural and / or singular terms herein, those skilled in the art may translate from the plural to the singular and / or from the singular to the plural as appropriate, depending on the context and / or application. For clarity, various singular / plural arrangements may be expressly set forth herein.

[0073] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that, in general, the terms used herein, and particularly in the appended claims, such as the bodies of the appended claims, are generally intended as "open" terms, e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," and the term "comprising" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to." Those skilled in the art will further understand that if a specific number of introduced claim recitations is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such a recitation, no such intent is present. For example, to aid understanding, the following appended claims may contain the use of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed as implying that a claim recitation introduced by the indefinite article "a" or "an" will limit any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one," and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an," e.g., "a" and / or "an" should be construed to mean "at least one" or "one or more;" the same applies to the use of explicit articles introducing claim recitations. Furthermore, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, one skilled in the art will recognize that such a recitation should be construed to mean at least the recited number, e.g., a bare recitation of "two recitations" without other modifiers means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations. Again, in those cases, the convention is similar to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." In general, such constructions are used in the sense that one skilled in the art understands the convention, e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" will include but is not limited to systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together, etc. In those cases where the convention is similar to "at least one of A, B, or C". In general, such constructions are intended to be used in the sense that one skilled in the art understands the convention, e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" will include but is not limited to systems having A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and / or A, B, and C together. One skilled in the art will further understand that any disjunctive words and / or phrases that actually present two or more alternative terms, whether in the specification, claims, or drawings, should be understood to encompass the possibility of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both of the terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibility of "A" or "B" or "A and B".

[0074] From the above, it will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present invention have been described herein for illustrative purposes, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, and their true scope and spirit are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method comprising: sending, by a processor of the device, first user equipment capability information to a network node of the wireless network, wherein the first user equipment capability information indicates that the device is an enhanced reduced capability user equipment supporting a reduced peak data rate; receiving, by the processor, from the network node, a first configuration, the first configuration configuring one or more transmissions or receptions, wherein the first configuration is based on the reduced peak data rate; as well as The one or more sending or receiving is performed by the processor according to the first configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein: Further including: Second user equipment capability information is sent by the processor to the network node, wherein the second user equipment capability information indicates that the device is the enhanced reduced capability user equipment supporting the reduced peak data rate with or without reduced baseband bandwidth.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein: The one or more transmitting or receiving is further based on a maximum number of physical resource blocks.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein: The maximum number of physical resource blocks includes 25 physical resource blocks for 15 kHz subcarrier spacing or 12 physical resource blocks for 30 kHz subcarrier spacing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein: This reduced peak data rate is approximately 10 Mbps.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein: In the case where the device is the enhanced reduction capability user equipment supporting the reduced peak data rate without the reduced baseband bandwidth, when the maximum number of multi-input multi-output layers is 1, the product of the maximum number of multi-input multi-output layers, the maximum modulation order and the scaling factor corresponding to the reduced peak data rate is 0.75, or when the maximum number of multi-input multi-output layers is 2, the product is 0.

8.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein: In the case where the device is the enhanced reduction capability user equipment supporting the reduced peak data rate with the reduced baseband bandwidth, the product of the maximum number of multiple-input multiple-output layers, the maximum modulation order and the scaling factor corresponding to the reduced peak data rate is 3.

2.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein: The first user equipment capability information includes: An early indication for the enhanced reduced capability user equipment in Msg3 or Msg1 during the 4-step random access channel procedure; or Early indication for this enhanced reduced capability user equipment in MsgA during the 2-step random access channel procedure.

9. An apparatus comprising: a transceiver for wirelessly communicating with network nodes of the wireless network during operation; as well as a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver such that, during operation, the processor performs operations comprising: sending, via the transceiver, first user equipment capability information to the network node, wherein the first user equipment capability information indicates that the apparatus is an enhanced reduced capability user equipment supporting a reduced peak data rate; receiving, via the transceiver, from the network node a first configuration, the first configuration configuring one or more transmissions or receptions, wherein the first configuration is based on the reduced peak data rate; and The one or more transmitting or receiving is performed via the transceiver according to the first configuration.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein: During operation, the processor further performs operations including: Second user equipment capability information is sent to the network node via the transceiver, wherein the second user equipment capability information indicates that the device is the enhanced reduced capability user equipment supporting the reduced peak data rate with or without reduced baseband bandwidth.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein: The one or more transmitting or receiving is further based on a maximum number of physical resource blocks.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein: The maximum number of physical resource blocks includes 25 physical resource blocks for 15 kHz subcarrier spacing or 12 physical resource blocks for 30 kHz subcarrier spacing.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein: This reduced peak data rate is approximately 10 Mbps.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein: In the case where the apparatus is the enhanced reduced-capability user equipment supporting the reduced peak data rate without the reduced baseband bandwidth, the product of the maximum number of MIMO layers, the maximum modulation order, and the scaling factor corresponding to the reduced peak data rate is 0.75 when the maximum number of MIMO layers is 1, or the product is 0.8 when the maximum number of MIMO layers is 2; or In the case where the device is the enhanced reduction capability user equipment supporting the reduced peak data rate with the reduced baseband bandwidth, the product of the maximum number of multiple-input multiple-output layers, the maximum modulation order and the scaling factor corresponding to the reduced peak data rate is 3.

2.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein: The first user equipment capability information includes: An early indication for the enhanced reduced capability user equipment in Msg3 or Msg1 during the 4-step random access channel procedure; or Early indication for this enhanced reduced capability user equipment in MsgA during the 2-step random access channel procedure.

16. A method comprising: receiving, by a processor of the network node, first user equipment capability information from an apparatus, wherein the first user equipment capability information indicates that the apparatus is an enhanced reduced capability UE supporting a reduced peak data rate; sending, by the processor, a first configuration, the first configuration configuring one or more transmissions or receptions, wherein the first configuration is based on the reduced peak data rate; as well as One or more transmissions or receptions are performed by the processor according to the first configuration.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein: Further including: Second user equipment capability information is received by the processor from the apparatus, wherein the second user equipment capability information indicates that the apparatus is the enhanced reduced capability user equipment supporting the reduced peak data rate with or without reduced baseband bandwidth.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein: The one or more transmissions or receptions are further based on a maximum number of physical resource blocks, and the maximum number of physical resource blocks includes 25 physical resource blocks for 15 kHz subcarrier spacing or 12 physical resource blocks for 30 kHz subcarrier spacing.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein: The reduced peak data rate is approximately 10 Mbps.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein: The first UE capability information includes: An early indication for the enhanced reduced capability user equipment in Msg3 or Msg1 during the 4-step random access channel procedure; or Early indication for this enhanced reduced capability user equipment in MsgA during the 2-step random access channel procedure.

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