Cell barring based on device capabilities at frequency bands

Abstract

Various example embodiments relate to cell barring. A method may include determining, by a device, a frequency band of a cell; receiving, by the device, an indication of a prohibited state of the cell, wherein the prohibited state is associated with a capability of the device; determining, by the device, a capability of the device at a frequency band of the cell; and determining, by the device, whether the cell is prohibited for the device based on the prohibition status and capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments generally relate to the field of wireless communication. Some example embodiments relate to prohibiting a cell for a reduced-capability device based on its capabilities at a specific frequency band. Background Art

[0002] In wireless communication, an access node of a cellular radio network may be configured to provide communication services to devices such as user equipment (UE) via a cell. The cellular radio network may be configured to serve different types of devices, such as, for example, reduced-capability (RedCap) devices, which may be for low-cost, low-power, and / or low-data-rate applications, such as in industrial wireless sensor networks. For various reasons, access to a cell of the cellular radio network may be prohibited. Before attempting to access the network, the UE may be configured to evaluate the broadcast information of the cell and determine whether a connection request to the cell is allowed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This summary is provided to introduce a series of concepts in a simplified form that will be further described in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0004] Example embodiments of the present disclosure enable improvement of cell prohibition in a cellular communication network. This and other benefits can be achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further example embodiments are provided in the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings.

[0005] According to a first aspect, a method is disclosed. The method may include: determining, by a device, a frequency band of a cell; receiving, by the device, an indication of a prohibited state of the cell, wherein the prohibited state is associated with the capabilities of the device; determining, by the device, the capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell; and determining, by the device, whether the cell is prohibited for the device based on the prohibited state and the capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell.

[0006] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the indication of the prohibited state includes: an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting single receiver branch operation or an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation, and the capabilities of the device include: the capability to support single receiver branch operation or dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0007] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: determining, by the device, the capability to support single receiver branch operation or dual receiver branch operation based on the maximum number of downlink multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers supported by the device at the frequency band of the cell.

[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: the device determining that the device has the ability to support single receiver branch operation based on the absence of an indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capabilities information of the device; or the device determining that the device has the ability to support dual receiver branch operation in response to determining an indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capabilities information of the device, the indication specifying two downlink MIMO layers; or the device determining that the device has the ability to support dual receiver branch operation in response to determining that the frequency band of the cell belongs to frequency range 2.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: the device determining that the cell is prohibited for the device in response to determining that the prohibition status indicates that the cell is prohibited for a device that supports single receiver branch operation and the device supports single receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell; or the device determining that the cell is prohibited for the device in response to determining that the prohibition status indicates that the cell is prohibited for a device that supports dual receiver branch operation and the device supports dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: the device determining that the cell is not prohibited for the device in response to determining that the prohibition status indicates that the cell is not prohibited for a device that supports single receiver branch operation and the device supports single receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell; or the device determining that the cell is not prohibited for the device in response to determining that the prohibition status indicates that the cell is not prohibited for a device that supports dual receiver branch operation and the device supports dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: the device determining not to select or reselect the cell in response to determining that the cell is prohibited for the device; or the device determining to select or reselect the cell based on determining that the cell is not prohibited for the device.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the indication of the prohibition status is for a device belonging to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the capabilities of the device include: the device belonging to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the device belongs to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the category of devices with reduced capabilities includes: the category of RedCap devices, or the category of eRedCap devices.

[0016] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the indication of the prohibited state is associated with the current frequency band of the cell, or the capabilities of the device are related to the receiver operation of the device.

[0017] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: the device receiving an indication of the prohibited state from the cell via a system information block message.

[0018] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: the device determining the frequency band of the cell based on a list of frequency bands received from the cell via a system information block message.

[0019] According to an example embodiment of the first aspect, when the cell is prohibited for the device, the device is not allowed to access the cell.

[0020] According to a second aspect, a method is disclosed. The method may include: sending an indication of the prohibited state of the cell to the device, where the prohibited state is associated with the capabilities of the device, where the indication of the prohibited state includes: an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting single receiver branch operation or whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation, and where the capabilities of the device include: the ability to support single receiver branch operation or dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0021] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the indication of the prohibited state is for devices belonging to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0022] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the capabilities of the device include: the device belonging to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0023] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the device belongs to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0024] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the category of devices with reduced capabilities includes: the category of RedCap devices, or the category of eRedCap devices.

[0025] According to an example embodiment of the second aspect, the indication of the prohibited state is associated with the current frequency band of the cell, or the capabilities of the device are related to the receiver operation of the device.

[0026] According to a third aspect, a device is disclosed. The device may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: determine the frequency band of the cell; receive an indication of the prohibited state of the cell, where the prohibited state is associated with the capabilities of the device; determine the capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell; and determine whether the cell is prohibited for the device based on the prohibited state and the capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell.

[0027] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the indication of the prohibited state includes an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting single receiver branch operation or whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation, and the capabilities of the device include the capability to support single receiver branch operation or dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0028] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to determine the capability to support single receiver branch operation or dual receiver branch operation based on the maximum number of downlink multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers supported by the device at the frequency band of the cell.

[0029] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to determine that the device has the capability to support single receiver branch operation based on the absence of an indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capabilities information of the device; or determine that the device has the capability to support dual receiver branch operation in response to determining an indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capabilities information of the device, the indication specifying two downlink MIMO layers; or determine that the device has the capability to support dual receiver branch operation in response to determining that the frequency band of the cell belongs to frequency range 2.

[0030] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to determine that the cell is prohibited for the device in response to determining that the prohibited state indicates that the cell is prohibited for a device supporting single receiver branch operation and the device supports single receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell; or determine that the cell is prohibited for the device in response to determining that the prohibited state indicates that the cell is prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation and the device supports dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0031] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the instruction is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to determine that the cell is not prohibited for the device in response to determining that the prohibited state indicates that the cell is not prohibited for a device supporting single receiver branch operation and the device supports single receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell; or determine that the cell is not prohibited for the device in response to determining that the prohibited state indicates that the cell is not prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation and the device supports dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0032] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the instruction is configured to cause the device, when executed by the at least one processor, to: determine not to select or reselect a cell in response to determining that the cell is prohibited for the device; or determine to select or reselect a cell based on determining that the cell is not prohibited for the device.

[0033] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the indication of the prohibited state is for a device belonging to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0034] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the capabilities of the device include: the device belonging to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0035] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the device belongs to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0036] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the category of devices with reduced capabilities includes: the category of RedCap devices, or the category of eRedCap devices.

[0037] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the indication of the prohibited state is associated with the current frequency band of the cell, or the capabilities of the device are related to the receiver operation of the device.

[0038] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the instruction is configured to cause the device, when executed by the at least one processor, to: receive an indication of the prohibited state from the cell via a system information block message.

[0039] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, the instruction is configured to cause the device, when executed by the at least one processor, to: determine the frequency band of the cell based on a list of frequency bands received from the cell via a system information block message.

[0040] According to an example embodiment of the third aspect, when the cell is prohibited for the device, the device is not allowed to access the cell.

[0041] According to the fourth aspect, an access node is disclosed. The access node may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the access node to at least: send an indication of the prohibited state of a cell to a device, where the prohibited state is associated with the capabilities of the device, where the indication of the prohibited state includes: an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting single receiver branch operation or whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation, and where the capabilities of the device include: the ability to support single receiver branch operation or dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0042] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the indication of the prohibited state is for a device belonging to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0043] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the capabilities of the device include: the device belongs to the category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0044] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the device belongs to the category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0045] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the category of devices with reduced capabilities includes: the category of RedCap devices, or the category of eRedCap devices.

[0046] According to an example embodiment of the fourth aspect, the indication of the prohibited state is associated with the current frequency band of the cell, or the capabilities of the device are related to the receiver operation of the device.

[0047] According to the fifth aspect, a device is disclosed. The device may include: components for determining the frequency band of a cell; components for receiving an indication of the prohibited state of the cell, where the prohibited state is associated with the capabilities of the device; components for determining the capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell; and components for determining whether the cell is prohibited for the device based on the prohibited state and the capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell. The device may include components for performing any example embodiment of the method of the first aspect.

[0048] According to the sixth aspect, an access node is disclosed. The access node may include: components for sending an indication of the prohibited state of a cell to a device, where the prohibited state is associated with the capabilities of the device, where the indication of the prohibited state includes: an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting single receiver branch operation or an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation, and where the capabilities of the device include: the ability to support single receiver branch operation or dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0049] According to the seventh aspect, a computer program, a computer program product, or a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium is disclosed. The computer program, computer program product, or (non-transitory) computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to the first aspect or the second aspect or any of its example embodiments.

[0050] Thus, the example embodiments of the present disclosure may provide devices, methods, computer programs, computer program products, or computer-readable media for improving various aspects of wireless tethering. Any example embodiment may be combined with one or more other example embodiments. These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be apparent from the (multiple) example embodiments described below. According to some aspects, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. Some additional aspects are defined in the dependent claims. Description of the Drawings

[0051] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the exemplary embodiments and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate the exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:

[0052] Figure 1 An example of a communication network is illustrated;

[0053] Figure 2 An example of an apparatus configured to practice one or more exemplary embodiments is illustrated;

[0054] Figure 3 An example of signaling and operation of cell barring based on the receiver capabilities of a user equipment (UE) on a specific frequency band is illustrated;

[0055] Figure 4 An example of a method for cell barring is illustrated; and

[0056] Figure 5 An example of a method for controlling cell barring is illustrated.

[0057] In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same components. Detailed Description

[0058] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description provided below in connection with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of the present examples and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present examples may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions of the examples as well as the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the examples. However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be achieved by different examples.

[0059] One goal of cellular communication networks is to accelerate industrial transformation and digitization, such as increasing flexibility, productivity, and efficiency, reducing maintenance, or improving operational safety. For example, industrial sensors can be utilized to achieve such vision. In addition to industrial automation and digitization scenarios, industrial sensors can also be used in general environmental monitoring use cases, such as for monitoring infrastructure (e.g., buildings, bridges, or dams), or for monitoring natural disasters (e.g., wildfires, floods, tsunamis, or earthquakes).

[0060] Another class of use cases for cellular connectivity is the smart city vertical, which can include data collection and processing to enable more efficient monitoring and control of urban resources or to provide services to urban residents. Surveillance cameras are an integral part of smart cities, but they can also be related to factories and industries.

[0061] In addition, use cases can be provided for wearable devices such as smartwatches, electronic health-related devices, or medical monitoring devices. For example, compared to enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) devices, these use cases may have different design considerations and different preference requirements in terms of form factor, UE complexity, or energy efficiency.

[0062] Support for industrial sensors, video surveillance, and wearable devices can be considered as a goal for enabling reduced-capability (RedCap) access to cellular communication networks, such as those specified in the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) 5G New Radio (NR) standard. Thus, RedCap devices can include 3GPP RedCap devices. A goal of such work can be to establish a framework to enable the implementation of reduced-capability devices suitable for a range of use cases with requirements for low UE complexity, low UE power consumption, or both, including industrial sensor, video surveillance, and wearable device use cases. To expand the market for RedCap use cases with relatively low cost, low energy consumption, or low data rate requirements, such as industrial wireless sensor network use cases, further reduction in complexity can therefore be considered. For example, it may be desirable to provide support for lower-layer devices, such as between the capabilities of low-power wide-area (LPWA) UEs and RedCap UEs. The target for the supported peak data rate can be, for example, 10 Mbps. A RedCap device can be a type of device that has at least one reduced capability compared to another type of device (e.g., a non-RedCap device). For example, the capabilities of devices belonging to the RedCap category or other categories can be defined in the standard.

[0063] As described herein, the desired enhancements can be achieved while maintaining the integrity of the RedCap ecosystem and leveraging the economic benefits of scale. A goal can be to consider enhancements applicable to the RedCap framework, including the network awareness principle for device capabilities.

[0064] Figure 1Illustrates an example of a communication network. The communication network 100 may include one or more access nodes 120, 122, 124. The (multiple) access nodes 120, 122, 124 may be part of a radio access network (RAN), which is configured to enable a device (represented by UE 110 throughout the description) to access communication services provided by the core network 140. In conjunction with the communication network 100, the (multiple) access nodes 120, 122, 124 and the core network 140 may be collectively referred to as the 'network'. The UE 110 may be referred to as a user equipment, a terminal device, a terminal equipment, a mobile device, etc. The UE 110 may be configured to communicate with the (multiple) access nodes 120, 122, 124 via a radio interface (also referred to as an air interface). The access nodes 120, 122, 124 may also be referred to as network devices. The terminal equipment may include the equipment at which the connection from the communication network terminates.

[0065] The radio interface may be configured, for example, based on the 5G NR (New Radio) standard defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) or any future standard or technology (e.g., 6G). The access nodes 120, 122, 124 may include, for example, fifth-generation access nodes (gNBs). Transmissions from the access nodes to the UE 110 may be referred to as downlink (DL) transmissions. Transmissions from the UE 110 to the access nodes may be referred to as uplink (UL) transmissions. Thus, the UE 110 may be configured to act as a transmitter for uplink transmissions and a receiver for downlink transmissions. The (multiple) access nodes 120, 122, 124 may be configured to act as receivers for uplink transmissions and transmitters for downlink transmissions. The communication network 100 may include a wireless communication network or a mobile communication network, such as, for example, a cellular communication network. The UE 110 may be configured to communicate with the (multiple) access nodes 120, 122, 124 using one or more logical channels and / or physical channels, such as control channels like the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), or data channels like the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), or the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). Shared data channels (e.g., PDSCH and PUSCH) may be shared by multiple UEs. The access nodes may also be referred to as access points or base stations.

[0066] The core network 140 can be implemented with various network functions (NFs), including: for example, one or more user plane functions (UPFs), and one or more access and mobility management functions (AMFs). The UPF can be configured to handle the user data part of a communication session. Thus, the UPF can provide an interconnection point between the radio access network and the data network, which is configured to provide application services to the UE 110 via the core network 140 and the radio access network. For example, the UPF can be configured to handle the encapsulation and decapsulation of (multiple) user plane protocols, such as the GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) tunneling protocol (GTP-U) for the user plane. The AMF can be configured to receive connection and session request related data from the UE 110 (via an access node). The AMF can be configured to control connection and mobility management in the communication network 100.

[0067] The access nodes 120, 122, 124 can be configured to communicate with the UE via one or more cells. For example, the access node 120 can be configured to serve one or more UEs at the cell 130. The access node 122 can be configured to serve the UEs at the cell 132. The access node 124 can be configured to serve the UEs at the cell 134. A cell can be configured to serve UEs at a specific geographical area with a specific radio frequency or a range of radio frequencies around the center frequency of the cell. The frequency of the cell can belong to a specific frequency band, such as for example frequency range 1 (FR1, e.g., 450 MHz to 6 GHz) or frequency range 2 (FR2, e.g., 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz), as specified by 3GPP for example. Generally, a frequency band can include a set of predefined radio frequencies, e.g., a set of continuous frequencies between the lower and upper limits of the frequency band.

[0068] The communication network 100 can operate based on a protocol stack including multiple protocol layers. The protocol stack can be arranged based on the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model or a layer model of a specific standard. In one example, the protocol stack can include a service data adaptation protocol (SDAP) layer, which can receive data from the application layer for transmission. The SDAP layer can be configured to exchange data with the packet data convergence (PDCP) layer. The PDCP layer can be responsible for generating, for example, a data burst including one or more data packets based on the data obtained from the SDAP layer.

[0069] The PDCP layer may provide data to one or more instances of the radio link control (RLC) layer. For example, PDCP data may be sent on one or more RLC transmission branches. Each RLC instance may be associated with a corresponding MAC instance of the MAC layer. The MAC layer may provide a mapping between the logical channels of the (multiple) upper layers and the transport channels of the physical layer, and handle the multiplexing and demultiplexing of MAC service data units (SDUs). In addition, the MAC layer may provide an error correction function based on packet retransmission, such as according to the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process. Physically separate transmission branches may be provided by the physical (PHY) layer (also referred to as layer 1 (L1)). The corresponding protocol stack may be applied at both the access nodes 120, 122, 124, and the UE 110.

[0070] In a split access node architecture, parts of the protocol layer may be implemented at the central unit (CU) of the access node (e.g., gNB-CU), which may be configured to handle the upper layers of the protocol stack, such as the SDAP and PDCP layers. In addition, the gNB-CU may be configured to handle radio resource control (RRC) operations. The central unit of the access node may be associated with one or more distributed units (DUs) (e.g., gNB-DU) configured to control the access node, and the DU may be configured to handle the lower layers of the protocol stack, such as RLC, MAC, and L1. The radio units of the (multiple) gNB-DU(s) may be configured to send / receive data to / from the (multiple) UEs via a radio interface.

[0071] The radio resource control (RRC) of the UE 110 may be implemented based on different RRC states, alternatively referred to as RRC modes. When the UE 110 is powered on, it may be in a disconnected state or an idle state (e.g., RRC_IDLE). The UE 110 may move to a connected state (e.g., RRC_CONNECTED) by, for example, establishing a connection to the network. When the UE 110 is in the connected state, (multiple) signaling radio bearers may be configured to enable RRC data exchange between the UE 110 and the network. If the UE 110 is inactive for a certain period of time, the UE 110 may move from the connected state to an inactive state (e.g., RRC_INACTIVE).

[0072] In the idle state, the UE 110 may not be associated with an RRC context. From the perspective of the network, there may be no connection for the UE 110 between the radio access network and the core network 140. Therefore, the UE 110 may not be able to transmit application data to the network. The UE 110 may also be in a sleep mode and wake up only intermittently, for example, for receiving paging messages. However, the UE 110 may perform cell reselection and other idle state operations.

[0073] In the connected state, the UE 110 can be associated with an RRC context. In the connected state, the UE 110 can communicate with the core network 140 via a radio access network (e.g., access node 120). The RRC context can include parameters configured to enable the UE 110 and the network (e.g., access node 120) to transmit RRC data. In the connected state, the UE 110 can perform radio resource management (RRM) measurements, such as measurements related to a mobility (handover) procedure. The UE 110 can report its measurement results to the network (e.g., via the access node 120) periodically and / or in response to detecting a reporting trigger criterion to be satisfied, for example.

[0074] In the inactive state, the UE 110 can remain registered with the network, but the connection to the radio access network can be suspended. However, the radio access network can store the UE context, which enables the connection to be quickly restored. The UE context can include parameters configured to enable the UE 110 and the network (e.g., access node 120) to transmit user plane data (e.g., application data). The connection to the core network can be maintained. Even though specific states such as RRC_CONNECTED, RRC_INACTIVE, or RRC_IDLE are used as examples, it can be understood that references to such states generally refer to connection, inactive, or idle states having similar characteristics to these specific states.

[0075] During idle mode operation, the UE 110 can be configured to, for example, search for a suitable cell on a particular Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), select the cell to provide available services, and tune to its control channel. The process of selecting a cell and preparing to listen to its control channel can be referred to as camping on the cell. For example, during this process, the UE 110 can register its presence in the registration area of the selected cell, for example, through a location registration process. If the UE 110 subsequently finds a more suitable cell, it can reselect an alternative cell and camp on that cell. When the UE 110 has camped on a cell, the UE 110 can enable receiving system information from the associated PLMN, for example, as one or more System Information Block (SIB) messages. When registered and wishing to initiate a call, the UE 110 can initially access the network on the control channel of the cell on which the UE 110 is camping. If the PLMN receives user data for the registered UE 110, the network generally knows the registration area of the cell on which the registered UE 110 is camping. The network can then send a paging message for the UE 110 on the control channel of a cell in the registration area. The UE 110 can receive the paging message because it can be configured to tune to the control channel of the camped cell in the registration area. Camping on a cell also enables the UE 110 to receive cell broadcast messages. When the UE 110 has camped on a cell, the UE 110 may have completed the cell selection / reselection process and may have selected a cell. When camping on a cell, the UE 110 can be configured to monitor system information and optionally also monitor paging information on the camped cell.

[0076] In addition to or instead of Figure 1 As shown, the communication network 100 can include additional network functions, network devices, or protocols. The network devices can be configured to implement the functions of one or more network functions. Although some embodiments have been described in the context of 5G, it should be understood that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this example network. Thus, the example embodiments can be applied to any current or future communication network. Devices such as, for example, the UE 110 or the access node 120 can include or be configured to implement one or more of the protocol layers described herein, for example, by means of software. Example embodiments of the present disclosure can be enhanced, for example, for:

[0077] Power saving / energy efficiency enhancement: For example, enhanced eDRX (extended discontinuous reception) in RRC_INACTIVE (e.g., >10.24 s).

[0078] Complexity / cost reduction: For example, reduced UE complexity in FR1:

[0079] -UE baseband (BB) bandwidth reduction: For example, 5 MHz BB bandwidth for PDSCH (e.g., for both unicast and broadcast) and PUSCH, e.g., for uplink (UL)

[0080] and 20 MHz radio frequency (RF) bandwidth for downlink (DL). Other physical channels and signals can be configured to use bandwidth parts (BWPs) up to a 20 MHz combined maximum of the UE RF and BB bandwidths. Support for (multiple) additional separate early indications.

[0081] -UE peak data rate reduction: For example, relax the constraints on peak data rate reduction (v Layers ·Q m ·f ≥ 4), where v Layers is the number of MIMO layers, Q m is the modulation order (e.g., number of bits per constellation symbol), and f is a scaling factor, e.g., as defined in 3GPP TS

[0082] 38.306. The relaxed constraint can be, for example, equal to 1 (e.g., instead of 4).

[0083] Both 15 kHz and 30 kHz subcarrier spacings can be supported.

[0084] Furthermore, example embodiments of the present disclosure enable coexistence of RedCap and non-RedCap devices and support applicable duplex modes.

[0085] As described above, RedCap UEs have reduced capabilities, e.g., with the aim of having lower complexity compared to non-RedCap UEs. RedCap UEs can be configured to support a maximum UE channel bandwidth of 20 MHz in FR1. RedCap UEs can be configured to support a maximum UE channel bandwidth of 100 MHz in FR2. eRedCap UEs (enhanced-capability-reduced UEs) can be UEs with further reduced capabilities, e.g., with the aim of having lower complexity compared to RedCap UEs. eRedCap UEs can be configured to support a reduced DL / UL peak data rate of 10 Mbps and can have or not have a reduced baseband bandwidth of 5 MHz for unicast PDSCH / PUSCH in FR1. Generally, RedCap or eRedCap devices can be configured to support a first maximum channel bandwidth at a first frequency band and a second maximum channel bandwidth at a second frequency band. The second maximum channel bandwidth can be higher than the first maximum channel bandwidth. The second frequency band can be higher than the first frequency band. However, a UE (e.g., an (e)RedCap UE) can be configured to support more than two frequency bands and more than two channel bandwidths. (e)RedCap devices can include 3GPP (e)RedCap devices.

[0086] The capabilities of RedCap devices (which may also include the category of eRedCap devices) may have reduced (e.g., non-existent) capabilities in one or more of the following aspects: carrier aggregation (CA), multi-RAT (radio access technology) dual connectivity (MR-DC), dual active protocol stack (DAPS), conditional PSCell (primary-secondary cell) addition, conditional PSCell change, or integrated access and backhaul (IAB). However, there may be other limitations. The network (e.g., access node 120) may be configured to prevent RedCap UEs from using radio capabilities that are not suitable for them.

[0087] The network (e.g., access node 120) may be configured to identify RedCap UEs during the random access procedure, e.g., via MSG3 / MSGA from the RedCap-specific logical channel ID(s) (LCIDs) or via MSG1 / MSGA (e.g., physical random access channel (PRACH) occasion or PRACH preamble). The network (e.g., access node 120) may be configured to identify eRedCap UEs during the random access procedure, e.g., via MSG3 / MSGA from the eRedCap-specific LCID(s) or via MSG1. For RedCap UE identification via MSG1 / MSGA, a RedCap-specific random access configuration may be configured by the network. For eRedCap UE identification via MSG1, an eRedCap-specific random access configuration may be configured by the network. For MSG3 / MSGA, the network may identify the (e)RedCap UE based on the dedicated LCID(s) indicated for common control channel (CCCH) identification, e.g., regardless of whether an (e)RedCap-specific random access configuration is configured by the network.

[0088] Regarding the number of receiver (Rx) branches supported by the UE, (e)RedCap UEs with a single Rx (1Rx) branch and two Rx (2Rx) branches can be allowed via system information, respectively. Supporting 1 Rx or 2 Rx branches can mean that the UE is capable of or is configured to operate with 1 Rx or 2 Rx branches on a specific frequency band, respectively. Regarding the duplex mode, (e)RedCap UEs in the half-duplex frequency division duplex (FDD) mode can be allowed via system information. Allowing UE 110 (here representing the RedCap UE) via system information can include the network (e.g., access node 120) indicating to UE 110 that it is allowed to access the network, e.g., for a specific cell that UE 110 is not prohibited from accessing. A device supporting single Rx branch operation on a frequency band can be configured to support one and no more than one Rx branch operation at that frequency band. A device supporting dual Rx branch operation on a frequency band can be configured to support operation with at least two Rx branches at that frequency band.

[0089] RedCap Inband Frequency Reselection Indication (IFRI) can be provided to UE 110, e.g., in a System Information Block (SIB) type 1 (SIB1) message, to indicate the allowance of UE 110. Based on the absence of such an indication, UE 110 can determine that access is not allowed. Similarly, eRedCap-specific IFRI can be provided in SIB1. And when absent, access may not be allowed for the eRedCap UE. Information on which frequencies (e)RedCap UE access is allowed can be provided in the system information. (e)RedCap UEs with 1 Rx branch can be configured to apply an associated offset to the random access, small data transfer (SDT), cell-edge conditions, and the received signal strength indication (RSRP) threshold for cell (re)selection criteria of the broadcast cell-specific reference signal, e.g., as specified in 3GPP TS 38.133. The network (e.g., access node 120) can be configured to avoid attempts by (e)RedCap UEs to hand over to a target cell that does not support (e)RedCap devices. (e)RedCap UEs can be configured with UE-implemented specific components for recovering from handover attempts to target cells that do not support (e)RedCap UEs.

[0090] Regarding radio resource management (RRM), the RRM measurement relaxation of a RedCap UE can be configured to be enabled or disabled by the network. Under RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE, (e)RedCap UE may be allowed to relax the RRM measurement of neighboring cells, for example, in response to determining a stationary criterion to be met (e.g., the UE is stationary), or in response to determining both a stationary criterion and a non-cell-edge criterion to be met. The network may configure a fixed criterion for (e)RedCap UE, for example, during the RRC_CONNECTED mode. (e)RedCap UE may report its RRM measurement relaxation fulfillment to the network using UE assistance information when the stationary criterion is met or no longer met, for example.

[0091] Regarding bandwidth part (BWP) operation, a (e)RedCap UE in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE may be configured to monitor paging in the initial BWP (instead of other BWPs) (e.g., the default BWP or the (e)RedCap-specific BWP), which may be associated with the cell-defined synchronization signal block (CD-SSB). A (e)RedCap UE may be configured to perform cell (re)selection (e.g., related measurements) on the CD-SSB. If a RedCap-specific initial UL BWP is configured and the normal uplink (NUL) is selected, a (e)RedCap UE may be configured to use the RedCap-specific initial UL BWP (instead of other BWPs) to perform the RACH procedure under RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE, or to perform the configured grant (CG) small data transfer (SDT) procedure under RRC_INAACTIVE.

[0092] For example, when each BWP is configured with at most one SSB, a (e)RedCap UE may be configured with multiple non-cell-defined (NCD) SSBs. The NCD-SSBs may be configured for a (e)RedCap UE, for example, when the UE is in the RRC_CONNECTED state, for example, when the active BWP does not contain a CD-SSB, to perform radio link monitoring (RLM), bidirectional forwarding detection (BFD), RRM measurement, or random access resource selection.

[0093] (e)RedCap UE may be configured with NCD-SSBs for the (e)RedCap-specific initial downlink BWP, for example, to perform the SDT procedure in the RRC_INACTIVE state, for example, when the (e)RedCap-specific starting downlink BWP does not contain a CD-SSB.

[0094] As described above, the (e)RedCap UE with 1 Rx branch and 2 Rx branches can be individually permitted via system information, e.g., based on the following exemplary operations (plural) configured to be performed by the UE:

[0095] 1> If the UE is a RedCap UE and it is in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE, or if the RedCap UE is in RRC_CONNECTED while the timer T311 is running:

[0096] 2> If intraFreqReselectionRedCap does not exist in SIB1:

[0097] 3> For example, according to 3GPP TS 38.304, consider the cell as prohibited;

[0098] 3> Perform the prohibition as if intraFreqReselectionRedCap were set to permitted;

[0099] 2> Otherwise:

[0100] 3> If cellBarredRedCap1Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited, and the UE is equipped with 1 Rx branch;

[0101] Or

[0102] 3> If cellBarredRedCap2Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited, and the UE is equipped with 2 Rx branches;

[0103] Or

[0104] 3> If halfDuplexRedCapAllowed does not exist in the obtained SIB1, and the UE only supports half-duplex FDD operation:

[0105] 4> Consider the cell as prohibited, e.g., according to 3GPP TS 38.304;

[0107] 4> Based on intraFreqReselectionRedCap, perform the prohibition, e.g., as specified in 3GPP TS 38.304; 1> If the UE is an eRedCap UE and is in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE, or if the eRedCap UE is in RRC_CONNECTED while T311 is running:

[0108] 2> If intraFreqReselection-eRedCap does not exist in SIB1:

[0109] 3> Consider the cell as barred, e.g., according to 3GPP TS 38.304;

[0110] 3> Perform the barring as if intraFreqReselection-eRedCap were set to allowed, and then the process ends;

[0111] 2> Otherwise:

[0112] 3> If cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to barred, and the UE is equipped with 1 Rx branch;

[0113] Or

[0114] 3> If cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to barred, and the UE is equipped with 2 Rx branches;

[0115] Or

[0116] 3> If halfDuplexRedCapAllowed does not exist in the obtained SIB1, and the UE only supports half-duplex FDD operation:

[0117] 4> Consider the cell as barred, e.g., according to 3GPP TS 38.304;

[0119] 4> Perform the barring based on intraFreqReselection-eRedCap, e.g., as specified in 3GPP TS 38.304, and then the process ends.

[0120] In this example, timer T311 is used to represent the RRC connection reestablishment timer. T311 can be initialized by UE 110 when initiating the RRC connection reestablishment process. T311 can be stopped by UE 110 after the selection of a suitable cell (e.g., a 5G NR cell or a cell of another RAT). When T311 expires, UE 110 can be configured to enter the RRC_IDLE mode.

[0121] The field intraFreqReselectionRedCap may include an indication of whether intra-frequency cell reselection is allowed for a Redcap UE, e.g., based on the values "allowed" or "not allowed". The UE 110 may be configured to exclude a barred cell as a candidate for cell selection / reselection within a predetermined time such as 300 seconds in response to determining that intraFreqReselectionRedCap received, for example, in the SIB1 message, is set to "allowed". In this case, the UE 110 may be configured to select another cell on the same frequency in response to determining that the reselection criteria are met.

[0122] If the field intraFreqReselectionRedCap is set to "not allowed", the UE 110 may be configured to determine whether the cell operates in the licensed spectrum, or whether the cell belongs to a public land mobile network (PLMN) that is indicated to be equivalent to the UE's registered PLMN or selected PLMN, or whether the cell belongs to the UE 110's registered standalone non-public network (SNPN) or selected SNPN. If it is determined that any of these criteria will be met, the UE 110 may determine that there is no need to reselect to another cell on the same frequency as the barred cell and exclude such (a) cell(s) as a candidate(s) for cell selection / reselection, e.g., within a predetermined time such as 300 seconds. If any of the above criteria are not met, the UE 110 may select another cell on the same frequency if the reselection criteria are met. The UE 110 may exclude a barred cell as a candidate for cell selection / reselection, e.g., within a predetermined time such as 300 seconds. The cell selection of another cell may also include a change of RAT.

[0123] The field cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx may include an indication of whether the cell is barred for an eRedCap UE with one Rx branch. The value "barred" may indicate that the cell is barred for an eRedCap UE with one Rx branch, e.g., as defined in 3GPP TS 38.304. Non-eRedCap UEs may ignore this field.

[0124] The field cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx may include an indication of whether the cell is barred for an eRedCap UE with two Rx branches. The value "barred" may indicate that the cell is barred for an eRedCap UE with two Rx branches, e.g., as defined in 3GPP TS 38.304. Non-eRedCap UEs may ignore this field.

[0125] The field cellBarred-RedCap1Rx may include an indication as to whether the cell is barred for a RedCap UE with one Rx branch. The value "barred" may indicate that the cell is barred for a RedCap UE with one Rx branch, e.g., as defined in 3GPP TS 38.304. Non-RedCap UEs may ignore this field.

[0126] The field cellBarred-RedCap2Rx may include an indication as to whether the cell is barred for a RedCap UE with two Rx branches. The value "barred" may indicate that the cell is barred for a RedCap UE with two Rx branches, e.g., as defined in 3GPP TS 38.304. Non-RedCap UEs may ignore this field.

[0127] The value "not barred" may indicate that the cell is not barred for a device with the capabilities defined by the corresponding field.

[0128] Thus, the cell may be barred for UEs equipped with 1 Rx branch or 2 Rx branches (e.g., (e)RedCap UEs). However, UE 110 may support 2Rx operation on a certain frequency band while supporting 1Rx operation on a certain other frequency band. In other words, UE 110 may be equipped with 1 Rx branch and / or 2 Rx branches, but it may only be able to use the two Rx branches on a certain (certain) frequency band. Therefore, if it is intended to determine whether the cell is barred based on whether UE 110 is equipped with 1 Rx or 2 Rx, the behavior of UE 110 may not be clear. For example, if 1Rx is barred in the cell while 2Rx is not barred in the cell, UE 110 equipped with 1Rx and 2Rx capabilities may determine in this case that the cell is always barred, or never determine the cell to be barred (e.g., regardless of how UE 110 supports 1Rx / 2Rx operation in that particular cell). Example embodiments of the present disclosure improve cell barring, e.g., by enabling UE 110 to consider its capabilities at the relevant frequency band when determining whether the cell is barred for UE 110.

[0129] Figure 2Illustrated are examples of apparatuses configured to practice one or more example embodiments. The apparatus 200 can be a device such as a UE 110, or an access node 120, 122, 124, an access point, a base station, a radio network node, or a split part thereof (e.g., a central or distributed unit of an access node), a network device, a terminal device, or any device generally configured to implement the functions described herein. The apparatus 200 can include at least one processor 202. The at least one processor 202 can include, for example, one or more of various processing devices, such as, for example, a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), processing circuitry with or without an attached DSP, or various other processing devices, the processing device including an integrated circuit, such as, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a dedicated computer chip, etc.

[0130] The apparatus 200 can also include at least one memory 204. The memory 204 can be configured to store, for example, computer program code 206, such as operating system software and application software. The memory 204 can include one or more volatile memory devices, one or more non-volatile memory devices, and / or a combination thereof. For example, the memory can be embodied as a magnetic storage device (such as a hard disk drive, magnetic tape, etc.), a magneto-optical storage device, or a semiconductor memory (such as a mask ROM, PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (random access memory), etc.). The memory 204 is provided as an example of a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium. The term “non-transitory” as used herein is a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0131] The apparatus 200 can also include: a communication interface 208 configured to enable the apparatus 200 to send and / or receive information. The communication interface 208 can include an external communication interface, such as, for example, a radio interface between a UE 110 and the (one or more) access nodes 120, 122, 124, or a communication interface between a central unit of an access node and the (one or more) distributed units (e.g., F1-U and / or F1-C interfaces). The communication interface 208 can include one or more radio transmitters or receivers, which can be coupled to one or more antennas or the apparatus 200, or configured to be coupled to one or more antennas external to the apparatus 200.

[0132] The apparatus 200 may also include other components and / or functions, such as a user interface 210, which includes at least one input device and / or at least one output device. The input device may take various forms, such as a keyboard, a touch screen, or one or more embedded control buttons. The output device may include, for example, a display, a speaker, and the like.

[0133] When the apparatus 200 is configured to implement some functions, one component and / or some components of the apparatus 200 (such as, for example, at least one processor 202 and / or at least one memory 204) may be configured to implement the function. In addition, when at least one processor 202 is configured to implement some functions, the function may be implemented using, for example, program code 206 included in at least one memory 204.

[0134] The functions described herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more computer program product components, such as software components. According to an example embodiment, the apparatus 200 includes a processor or processor circuitry, such as, for example, a microcontroller, which is configured by the program code 206 to perform, when executed, embodiments of the operations and functions described herein. The program code 206 is provided as an example of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor 202, cause the performance of the apparatus 200.

[0135] As an alternative or in addition, the functions described herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components. For example, but not limited to, illustrative types of hardware logic components that may be used include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application specific standard products (ASSPs), system on a chip (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), graphics processing units (GPUs), and the like.

[0136] Apparatus 200 may be configured to perform or cause to perform the (multiple) methods described herein, or include components for performing the (multiple) methods described herein. In one example, the components include at least one processor 202 and at least one memory 204 including instructions (e.g., program code 206) that are configured to cause apparatus 200 to perform the (multiple) methods when executed by at least one processor 202. Generally, computer program instructions may be executed on components that provide general processing capabilities. Such components may be embedded, for example, in a personal computer, a smart phone, a network device, etc. Thus, the (multiple) methods may be implemented by a computer, for example, based on the (multiple) algorithms executable by general processing capabilities, an example of which is at least one processor 202. The components may include transmission or reception components, such as one or more radio transmitters or receivers, which may be coupled to or configured to be coupled to one or more antennas. Apparatus 200 may include, for example, a network device, such as an access node, an access point, a base station, or its central / distributed unit. Although apparatus 200 is illustrated as a single device, it should be understood that, where applicable, the functions of apparatus 200 may be distributed among multiple devices.

[0137] Figure 3 An example of signaling and operation of cell barring based on the receiver capabilities of a user equipment (UE) on a specific frequency band is illustrated.

[0138] At operation 301, UE 110 may send UE capability information to access node 120. UE capability signaling may be implemented as part of RRC signaling and may enable UE 110 to notify the network (e.g., access node 120) of its capabilities via cell 1. UE 110 may send UE capability information in response to a UE capability query received from access node 120 ( Figure 3 not shown in the figure). UE capability information may include, for example, various parameters associated with the communication capabilities of UE 110.

[0139] An example of such a parameter is the maximum number of downlink MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) layers, which may indicate the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers configured at or supported by UE 110 in cell 1, e.g., for PDSCH. UE 110 may be configured, for example, to indicate the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers by the value of a corresponding parameter (e.g., maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH) in the UE capability information or the absence of the parameter.

[0140] The maximum number of downlink MIMO layers can depend on the frequency band of cell 1. For example, UE 110 may be configured with 1 Rx branch for a first frequency band (e.g., belonging to FR1) and 2 Rx branches for a second frequency band (e.g., belonging to FR2). UE 110 may be configured to determine the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers based on the frequency band of cell 1. UE 110 may be pre-configured, for example, with information on the number of supported Rx branches at different frequency bands. UE 110 may directly determine the frequency band, the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers, or the number of supported Rx branches based on the frequency of cell 1.

[0141] Note that cell barring can also be implemented without transmitting UE capabilities to the network, and thus operation 301 may be optional. Alternatively, UE capabilities may be transmitted during a previous connection (e.g., an RRC connection) when the UE is in the RRC connected state, stored by the network, or transmitted after cell (re)-selection when the UE is in the RRC connected state. Thus, in some example embodiments, the RRC connection may be released after operation 301. Operations 302 to 307 may be performed during the idle, inactive, or connected mode, for example, when timer T311 (e.g., the (RRC) connection re-establishment timer) is running. Generally, the inactive mode procedure of UE 110 may be almost the same as in the idle mode, including, for example, cell (re)-selection and cell barring.

[0142] At operation 302, UE 110 may receive system information from access node 120. The system information may include various parameters and configurations for enabling UE 110 to communicate with the network. The system information may include information associated with the cell and / or one or more other cells. The system information may include a master information block (MIB) and one or more system information blocks (SIBs), such as, for example, SIB1, SIB2, SIB3, SIB4, etc., which may also be referred to as SIB messages. The MIB and SIB1 may be configured to carry information for enabling initial access and receiving other SIBs at cell 1. UE 110 may be configured to decode the MIB and SIB1 in order to camp on cell 1.

[0143] SIB1 may include one or more of the following items: cell selection information, barring information, (e)RedCap device configuration, band list, PLMN list, cell identifier of the cell, tracking area code, RAN area code, cell reservation flag, connection establishment failure control information, system information scheduling information, common uplink and downlink configurations of the serving cell (e.g., for random access channel or paging), supplementary uplink configuration, synchronization signal block (SSB) scheduling information, cell-specific time domain duplex (TDD) UL / DL configuration, IMS (Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem) emergency bearer support flag of the cell, IMS emergency call support flag, (multiple) timers and (multiple) constants of the UE, or access control information.

[0144] The barring information may include an indication of the barred state of the cell, e.g., an indication of whether the cell is barred for a UE having one or more specific capabilities (e.g., the ability to support 1Rx branch operation or the ability to support 2Rx branch operation). Thus, the barred state may be associated with at least one capability of the UE. The indication of the barred state may be associated with the current band. For example, there may be an indirect association via the cell. In such a case, the indication of the barred state or the barred state itself may be associated with the cell, which may be associated with the current band. Even in this example, although the barred state is included in SIB1, UE 110 may generally receive the barred state in any suitable control signal or message, examples of which include any SIB message.

[0145] If the indication of the barred state is for an (e)RedCap UE, such (multiple) indications may be provided, for example, by parameters cellBarredRedCap1Rx, cellBarredRedCap1Rx, cellBarredeRedCap1Rx, or cellBarredeRedCap1Rx. Directing the indication of the barred state to a class of devices may include configuring the indication such that it applies to that class of devices, e.g., to (e)RedCap UEs but not to non-(e)RedCap UEs. Thus, non-(e)RedCap UEs may ignore the indication of the barred state. However, it should be noted that the example embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to the UE capabilities of any type of UE, e.g., regardless of whether they belong to the category of devices with reduced capabilities.

[0146] SIB2 may include one or more of the following: cell reselection information, cell reselection serving frequency information, or intra-frequency cell reselection information, such as, for example, a band list.

[0147] SIB3 may include information on serving frequencies and intra-frequency neighboring cells related to cell reselection, such as cell reselection parameters common to the frequency and / or cell-specific reselection parameters. SIB3 may, for example, include intra-frequency neighboring cell information, such as intra-frequency neighboring cell list information (e.g., IntraFreqNeighCellInfo), including, for example, the cell identifiers (e.g., physCellId) of neighboring intra-frequency cells. For example, the SIB3 received by UE 110 at cell 1 from access node 120 may include the cell identifier of cell 2 as an intra-frequency neighboring cell.

[0148] SIB4 may include information on the same RAT (e.g., 5GNR) related to cell reselection and / or the frequencies of inter-frequency neighboring cells, such as cell reselection parameters common to the frequency and / or cell-specific reselection parameters. SIB4 may, for example, include inter-frequency neighboring cell information, such as inter-frequency carrier frequency list information (e.g., interFreqCarrierFreqList), including, for example, downlink carrier frequencies, or inter-frequency neighboring cells, frequency band list (e.g., frequencyBandList), etc. For example, the SIB4 received by UE 110 at cell 1 from access node 120 may include an indication of the frequency of cell 2 as an inter-frequency neighboring cell. Other SIBs may include additional signaling information. The SIB may be sent on the downlink shared channel (DL-SCH) transport channel, which may be a carrier on the PDSCH.

[0149] At operation 303, UE 110 may receive the system information of cell 2 from access node 122, such as the MIB and / or one or more SIBs as described above. In this case, the system information may generally include information specific to cell 2. However, in this case, SIB3 may include the cell identifier of cell 1 as an intra-frequency neighboring cell, or SIB4 may include an indication of the frequency of cell 1 as an inter-frequency neighboring cell.

[0150] It should be noted that Figure 3 additional operations of the process may be performed by UE 110 based on the system information received from cell 1, cell 2, or both. Thus, operations 301 and 302 may be mutually optional, but in some example embodiments, UE 110 may be configured to perform both operations. Receiving the system information may include, for example, extracting and decoding the system information from one or more SIBs of the downlink signal (e.g., PDSCH).

[0151] At operation 304, the UE 110 may determine the frequency band of a cell. The cell under discussion may be the cell on which the UE 110 intends to camp. Cell 1 is used as an example of such a cell in this document. Thus, the UE 110 may determine the frequency band of Cell 1, for example, based on the carrier frequency of Cell 1 (e.g., as indicated in the system information). The UE 110 may, for example, determine whether the carrier frequency of Cell 1 belongs to FR1, FR2, or another frequency band. The UE 110 may determine the frequency band of Cell 1 based on the system information received from Cell 1, Cell 2, or another cell (e.g., based on the list of frequency bands received in the SIB (e.g., SIB2 or SIB4)).

[0152] For example, the UE 110 may determine the current frequency band of the UE 110, e.g., the current frequency band of the UE 110, based on the frequency band of the cell on which the UE 110 intends to camp (e.g., Cell 1) or based on the frequency band of the cell from which the UE 110 has received a barring message (e.g., Cell 2). Alternatively or additionally, the UE 110 may determine the current frequency band of the UE 110 based on the list of frequency bands received via the system information (e.g., (a) SIB). The list of frequency bands may include a list of one or more frequency bands to which these (a) carriers belong.

[0153] At operation 305, the UE 110 may determine the capabilities of the UE 110 at the frequency band of Cell 1 (see the current frequency band of the UE 110). For example, the UE 110 may consider its capabilities at the frequency band determined at operation 304 and accordingly determine its capabilities on that frequency band. Thus, the determination of the UE capabilities may be based on the frequency band determined at operation 304. This provides the benefit of improving the cell barring configuration by enabling consideration of the different capabilities of the UE 110 at different frequency bands. Thus, when determining whether a cell is barred, the UE 110 is able to consider its capabilities in the current frequency band, thereby enabling, for example, deterministic behavior of the UE 110.

[0154] The capabilities of the UE 110 may be related to the receiver operation of the UE 110. The capabilities of the UE 110 may, for example, indicate whether the UE 110 supports (e.g., is capable of using or is configured to use) 1Rx branch operation or 2Rx branch operation at the frequency band of Cell 1. As described above, this improves the configuration of cell barring. For example, without considering the frequency band-specific capabilities regarding support for 1Rx or 2Rx branch operations, when determining whether a cell is barred, the UE 110 may be restricted to using information about whether the UE 110 is equipped with one or two receiver branches instead of whether the UE 110 is able or is configured to apply two receiver branches at a specific frequency band.

[0155] UE 110 can determine its ability to support 1Rx branch operation or 2Rx branch operation based on its downlink MIMO capability at the frequency band of cell 1 (e.g., based on the maximum number of supported downlink MIMO layers at the frequency band of cell 1). This provides the benefit of obtaining information about the 1Rx or 2Rx branch capabilities of UE 110 without the need to separately store such information at UE 110. UE 110 can determine its ability to support 1Rx or 2Rx branch operation based on the value of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the UE capability information of UE 110 for the current frequency band (see the frequency band of cell 1) or the absence of this parameter. For example, UE 110 can determine that it has the ability to support 1Rx branch operation at the frequency band of cell 1 based on the absence of an indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the UE capability provided to cell 1. Alternatively, if the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the UE capability information indicates two downlink MIMO layers for the current frequency band (e.g., by setting the value of maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH to twoLayers), then UE 110 can determine that it has the ability to support 2Rx branch operation. The UE capability information configured to indicate the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers can be associated with cell 1 and thus with the current frequency band of cell 1.

[0156] UE 110 can determine its ability to support 1Rx branch operation or 2Rx branch operation based on the frequency band of cell 1 belonging to a specific frequency range (such as, for example, FR1 or FR2). For example, in response to determining that the frequency band of cell 1 belongs to FR2, UE 110 can determine that it has the ability to support 2Rx branch operation. UE 110 can determine this based on a pre-configured mapping between the frequency band or range and the number of supported receiver branches on the corresponding frequency band or range.

[0157] At operation 306, UE 110 can determine whether cell 1 is prohibited for UE 110. UE 110 can determine whether cell 1 is prohibited for UE 110 based on the prohibited state of cell 1 (e.g., whether cell 1 is prohibited for a UE with a specific capability such as supporting 1Rx or 2Rx branch operation) and the capability of UE 110 at the frequency band of cell 1 (e.g., whether UE 110 supports 1Rx or 2Rx branch operation at the frequency band of cell 1).

[0158] For example, in response to determining a prohibited state (e.g., received at operation 302 or 303), indicating that cell 1 will be prohibited for a UE supporting 1Rx branch operation, and UE 110 supports 1Rx branch operation at the frequency band of cell 1, UE 110 may determine that cell 1 is prohibited for UE 110. Alternatively, in response to determining that the prohibited state indicates that cell 1 will be prohibited for a UE supporting 2Rx branch operation, and UE 110 supports 2Rx branch operation at the frequency band of cell 1, UE 110 may determine that cell 1 is prohibited for UE 110.

[0159] In addition, in response to determining that the prohibited state indicates that cell 1 is not prohibited for a UE supporting 1Rx branch operation, and UE 110 supports 1Rx branch operation at the frequency band of cell 1, UE 110 may determine that cell 1 is not prohibited for UE 110. Alternatively, in response to determining that the prohibited state indicates that cell 1 is not prohibited for a UE supporting 2Rx branch operation, and UE 110 supports 2Rx branch operation at the frequency band of cell 1, UE 110 may determine that cell 1 is not prohibited for UE 110.

[0160] At operation 307, UE 110 may determine whether to select or reselect cell 1 based on whether cell 1 is prohibited for UE 110. For example, in response to determining that cell 1 is prohibited for UE 110, UE 110 may determine not to select or reselect cell 1. Not selecting or reselecting a cell may include determining not to select or reselect the cell even if other cell selection or reselection criteria allow for the selection or reselection of the cell. If cell 1 is prohibited for UE 110, UE 110 may end the process or move back to operation 304 to consider (see operations 305 and 306) whether to select or reselect another cell. After initiating a new round of operations 304, 305, and 306, UE 110 may receive system information from any other relevant cell, similar to operations 302 or 303.

[0161] UE 110 may determine to select or reselect cell 1 based on determining that cell 1 is not prohibited for UE 110. UE 110 may also optionally consider other criteria (e.g., one or more conditions associated with idle / inactive state measurements, or configured cell (re)selection criteria) for determining whether to select or reselect cell 1. In response to determining that one or more criteria are met, including that the cell is not prohibited for UE 110, UE 110 may determine whether to select or reselect cell 1. If cell 1 is not prohibited for UE 110, UE 110 may move to perform operation 307.

[0162] Cell selection can include: selecting a suitable cell when the UE 110 is not camped on any cell. The UE 110 can be configured to perform initial cell selection when it has no prior knowledge of available radio frequency (RF) channels (e.g., 5G NR) of the RAT in question. The UE 110 can, for example, scan different RF channels in the relevant frequency bands according to its capabilities to find a suitable cell. The UE 110 can be configured to search for the strongest cell at each carrier frequency. When information about available carriers (optionally with information about cell parameters) is available, the UE 110 can search for a suitable cell based on the information stored at the UE 110. Once a suitable cell is found, the UE 110 can select that cell. The UE 110 can then camp on the selected cell.

[0163] When camped on a cell, the UE 110 can be configured to search for a better cell according to cell reselection criteria. If a better cell is found, the UE 110 can select that cell. This process can be referred to as cell reselection. A change of cell can include a change of RAT.

[0164] After the selection or reselection of a cell at operation 307, the UE 110 can camp on the selected or reselected cell and transmit application data with the network via the selected or reselected cell.

[0165] Figure 3 The process can be implemented, for example, based on one or more operations of the following process: 1> If the UE is a RedCap UE and it is in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE, or if the RedCap UE is in RRC_CONNECTED while the timer T311 is running:

[0166] 2> If intraFreqReselectionRedCap does not exist in SIB1:

[0167] 3> Consider the cell prohibited, for example, according to TS 38.304;

[0168] 3> Perform the prohibition as if intraFreqReselectionRedCap were set to allowed;

[0169] 2> Otherwise:

[0170] 3> If cellBarredRedCap1Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited, and the UE supports 1Rx operation on the current frequency band;

[0171] Or

[0172] 3> If cellBarredRedCap2Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to barred, and the UE supports 2Rx operation on the current frequency band;

[0173] Or

[0174] 3> If halfDuplexRedCapAllowed does not exist in the obtained SIB1, and the UE only supports half-duplex FDD operation:

[0175] 4> Consider the cell as barred, for example, according to 3GPP TS 38.304;

[0176] 4> Perform the barring based on intraFreqReselectionRedCap, for example,

[0177] As specified in TS 38.304;

[0178] 1> If the UE is an eRedCap UE and is in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE, or if the eRedCap UE is in RRC_CONNECTED when T311 is running:

[0179] 2> If intraFreqReselection-eRedCap does not exist in SIB1:

[0180] 3> Consider the cell as barred, for example, according to TS 38.304;

[0181] 3> Perform the barring as if intraFreqReselection-eRedCap were set to allowed, and then the process ends;

[0182] 2> Otherwise:

[0183] 3> If cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to barred, and the UE supports 1

[0184] Rx operation; or

[0185] 3> If cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to barred, and the UE supports 2

[0186] Rx operation; or

[0187] 3> If halfDuplexRedCapAllowed does not exist in the obtained SIB1, and the UE only supports half-duplex FDD operation:

[0188] 4> Consider the cell as prohibited, for example, according to TS 38.304; 4> Based on intraFreqReselection-eRedCap, perform the prohibition, for example, as specified in TS 38.304, and then the process ends.

[0189] UE 110 can determine whether a cell is prohibited based on the prohibited state (e.g., the (multiple) cell prohibition indications listed below) and the current frequency band.

[0190] If cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx indicates "not prohibited" and UE 110 is an eRedCap UE that supports 1Rx on the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, then UE 110 can determine that the cell is not prohibited.

[0191] If cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx indicates "not prohibited" and UE 110 is an eRedCap UE that supports 2Rx on the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, then UE 110 can determine that the cell is not prohibited.

[0192] If cellBarredRedCap1Rx indicates "not prohibited" and UE 110 is a RedCap UE that supports 1Rx on the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, then UE 110 can determine that the cell is not prohibited.

[0193] If cellBarredRedCap2Rx indicates "not prohibited" and UE 110 is a RedCap UE that supports 2Rx on the frequency band where UE 119 is currently located, then UE 110 can determine that the cell is not prohibited.

[0194] If cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx indicates "prohibited" and UE 110 is an eRedCap UE that supports 1Rx on the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, then UE 110 can determine that the cell is prohibited.

[0195] If cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx indicates "prohibited" and UE 110 is an eRedCap UE that supports 2Rx on the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, then UE 110 can determine that the cell is prohibited.

[0196] If cellBarredRedCap1Rx indicates "barred" and UE 110 is a RedCap UE that supports 1Rx on the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, UE 110 may determine that the cell is barred.

[0197] If cellBarredRedCap2Rx indicates "barred" and UE 110 is a RedCap UE that supports 2Rx on the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, UE 110 may determine that the cell is barred.

[0198] UE 110 may determine that if the cell is barred, UE 110 is not allowed to access on the cell.

[0199] UE 110 may determine that if the cell is not barred, UE 110 is allowed to access on the cell.

[0200] Supporting 1Rx or 2Rx may mean being able to operate using 1Rx or 2Rx.

[0201] UE 110 may determine the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located based on the frequency band on which UE 110 camps on the cell, or based on the frequency band of the cell on which the above cell barring indication is received.

[0202] UE 110 may determine the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located based on the frequency band list received via system information (SIB). The frequency band list may indicate a list of one or more frequency bands to which these (multiple) carriers belong.

[0203] UE 110 may determine the support for 1Rx or 2Rx on the current frequency band based on whether UE 110 indicates that maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH of the current frequency band does not exist, or indicates maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH as twoLayers, respectively. If maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH does not exist, UE 110 may determine that it supports 1Rx.

[0204] UE 110 may determine the support for 1Rx or 2Rx on the current frequency band based on the frequency range. For example, if the current frequency band belongs to FR2, UE 110 may determine that it supports 2Rx.

[0205] The UE 110 can determine the support for 1Rx or 2Rx on the current frequency band respectively based on the UE indication that the maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH of the current frequency band in the UE capability information does not exist or the UE indication that the maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH is twoLayers. For example, if the maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH is set to twoLayers, the UE 110 can determine that it supports 2Rx.

[0206] Figure 4 An example of a method for cell barring is illustrated. The method can be performed by a device (e.g., UE 110), or by a control device configured to control its functions when installed therein.

[0207] At operation 401, the method can include: the device determining the frequency band of the cell.

[0208] At operation 402, the method can include: the device receiving an indication of the barring status of the cell, where the barring status is associated with the capabilities of the device.

[0209] At operation 403, the method can include: the device determining its capabilities at the frequency band of the cell.

[0210] At operation 404, the method can include: the device determining whether the cell is barred for the device based on the barring status and the capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell.

[0211] Figure 5 An example of a method for controlling cell barring is illustrated. The method can be performed by an access node, or by a control device configured to control its functions when installed therein.

[0212] At operation 501, the method can include: sending an indication of the barring status of the cell to the device, where the barring status is associated with the capabilities of the device, where the indication of the barring status includes: an indication of whether the cell is barred for a device supporting 1Rx branch operation or whether the cell is barred for a device supporting 2Rx branch operation, and where the capabilities of the device include: the ability to support 1Rx receiver branch operation or 2Rx branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0213] Other features of these methods directly result from the functionality of UE 110, (multiple) access nodes 120, 122, 124, as described throughout the specification, claims, and drawings, and thus will not be repeated here. A device (e.g., a device such as UE 110 or an access node) may be configured to perform any aspect of the (multiple) methods described herein or cause them to be performed. Additionally, a computer program or computer program product may include instructions for causing a device to perform any aspect of the (multiple) methods described herein when executed by the device. Further, a device may include components for performing any aspect of the (multiple) methods described herein. According to an example embodiment, the components include at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least any aspect of the (multiple) methods.

[0214] Any range or device value given herein may be extended or changed without losing the desired effect. Additionally, unless explicitly prohibited, any embodiment may be combined with another embodiment.

[0215] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or acts, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the above-described specific features or acts. Rather, the above-described specific features and acts are disclosed as examples for implementing the claims, and other equivalent features and acts are intended to be within the scope of the claims.

[0216] It should be understood that the above benefits and advantages may be associated with one embodiment or multiple embodiments. Embodiments are not limited to those that solve any or all of the stated problems, nor to those that have any or all of the stated benefits and advantages. It should also be understood that reference to 'an' item may mean one or more of these items.

[0217] The steps or operations of the methods described herein may be implemented in any suitable order or, where appropriate, simultaneously. For example, the order of operations 401 and 402 may be changed. This may occur, for example, when the SIB1 includes an indication of prohibition and UE 110 is configured to determine the frequency band of a cell based on the frequencyBandList in SIB1.

[0218] It is possible that UE 110 may use the frequencyBandList as a basis for determining the frequency band of a cell, and the indication of the prohibition indication may be received simultaneously. Thus, UE 110 may be configured to perform operations 401 and 402 in any order or in parallel. Alternatively, the reception of the indication of the prohibited state may be performed as a separate step, for example, as Figure 4 the first operation.

[0219] In addition, a single block may be removed from any method without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Aspects of any of the above example embodiments may be combined with aspects of any of the other example embodiments to form additional example embodiments without losing the sought-after effects.

[0220] The term 'comprising' is used herein to mean including the identified method, block, or element, but such block or element does not comprise an exclusive list, and the method or apparatus may contain additional blocks or elements.

[0221] As used herein, "at least one of the following: <list of two or more elements>" and "at least one of <list of two or more elements>" and similar phrases (where the list of two or more elements is joined by "and" or "or") refer to at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements. The expression "or" can be understood as a non-exclusive "or", and thus a list of two or more elements indicated as mutually alternative by the expression "or" refers to at least any one of these elements, or at least any two or more of these elements, or at least all of these elements.

[0222] Although an object may be referred to as a "first" or "second" object, this does not necessarily denote any order or importance of the object. Instead, such an attribute may be used only to distinguish the objects.

[0223] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) a pure hardware circuit implementation (such as an implementation only in analog and / or digital circuitry), and (b) a combination of hardware circuits and software, such as, as applicable: (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) any part of (multiple) hardware processors (including (multiple) digital signal processors) with software and (multiple) memories that work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone or a server) to perform various functions), and (c) (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or parts of (multiple) microprocessors, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may be absent when not needed for operation. This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of the term in this application, including in any claims.

[0224] As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses implementations that are only hardware circuits or processors (or multiple processors) or portions of hardware circuits or processors along with their attendant software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular claim element, the term circuitry also includes a baseband integrated circuit or a processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0225] It should be understood that the foregoing description is given by way of example only, and that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. The above specification, examples, and data provide a complete description of the structure and use of example embodiments. Although the various embodiments have been described above with a certain degree of particularity or with reference to one or more individual embodiments, many modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of this specification.

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising: determining, by a device, a frequency band of a cell; receiving, by the device, an indication of a prohibited state of the cell, wherein the prohibited state is associated with the capabilities of the device; determining, by the device, the capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell; and determining, by the device, whether the cell is prohibited for the device based on the prohibited state and the capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell.

2. A method for communication, comprising: sending to a device an indication of a prohibited state of a cell, wherein the prohibited state is associated with the capabilities of the device, wherein the indication of the prohibited state includes: an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting single receiver branch operation or whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation, and wherein the capabilities of the device include: the ability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

3. A device for communication, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least perform: determining a frequency band of a cell; receiving an indication of a prohibited state of the cell, wherein the prohibited state is associated with the capabilities of the device; determining the capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell; and determining whether the cell is prohibited for the device based on the prohibited state and the capabilities of the device at the frequency band of the cell.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the indication of the prohibited state includes: An indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting single receiver branch operation or whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation, and wherein the capabilities of the device include: the ability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

5. The device according to claim 4, further caused to perform: determining the ability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation based on the maximum number of downlink multiple input multiple output (MIMO) layers supported by the device at the frequency band of the cell.

6. The device according to claim 5, further caused to perform: Determine that the device has the ability to support the single receiver branch operation based on the absence of an indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capabilities information of the device; or responsive to determining the indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capability information of the device, determining that the device has the ability to support the dual receiver branch operation, the indication specifying two downlink MIMO layers; or responsive to determining that the frequency band of the cell belongs to frequency range 2, determining that the device has the ability to support the dual receiver branch operation.

7. The device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further caused to perform: responsive to determining that the prohibited state indicates that the cell is prohibited for a device supporting the single receiver branch operation and the device supports the single receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell, determining that the cell is prohibited for the device; or In response to determining that the prohibited state indicates that the cell is prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation and the apparatus supports the dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell, determine that the cell is prohibited for the apparatus.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 7, further configured to perform: In response to determining that the prohibited state indicates that the cell is not prohibited for a device supporting single receiver branch operation and the apparatus supports the single receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell, determine that the cell is not prohibited for the apparatus; or In response to determining that the prohibited state indicates that the cell is not prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation and the apparatus supports the dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell, determine that the cell is not prohibited for the apparatus.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 8, further configured to perform: In response to determining that the cell is prohibited for the apparatus, determine not to select or reselect the cell; or Based on determining that the cell is not prohibited for the apparatus, determine to select or reselect the cell.

10. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 9, wherein the indication of the prohibited state is for a device belonging to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 10, wherein the capabilities of the apparatus include: The apparatus belongs to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

12. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 11, wherein the apparatus belongs to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

13. The apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the categories of the capability reducing devices include: The category of RedCap devices, or the category of eRedCap devices.

14. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 13, wherein the indication of the prohibited state is associated with the current frequency band of the cell, or wherein the capabilities of the apparatus are related to the receiver operation of the apparatus.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 14, further configured to perform: Receive the indication of the prohibited state from the cell via a system information block message.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, further configured to perform: Determine the frequency band of the cell based on a list of frequency bands received from the cell via the system information block message.

17. The apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 16, wherein when the cell is prohibited for the apparatus, the apparatus is not allowed to access the cell.

18. A device for communication, comprising: At least one processor; And At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least: Send an indication of the prohibited state of a cell to a device, wherein the prohibited state is associated with the capabilities of the device, wherein the indication of the prohibited state includes: an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting single receiver branch operation or whether the cell is prohibited for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation, and wherein the capabilities of the device include: the ability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the indication of the prohibited state is for a device belonging to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18 or 19, wherein the capabilities of the device include: The device belongs to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

21. The apparatus according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein the device belongs to a category of devices with reduced capabilities.

22. The device according to any one of claims 18 to 21, wherein the categories of the ability reducing devices include: The category of RedCap devices, or the category of eRedCap devices.

23. The apparatus according to any one of claims 18 to 22, wherein the indication of the prohibited state is associated with the current frequency band of the cell, or wherein the capabilities of the device are related to the receiver operation of the device.

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