Avoiding prohibition of one RX / 2 RX devices

Abstract

An apparatus configured to: receive an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use of two receiver branches; receiving an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use of one receiver branch; determining that the device is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device. An apparatus configured to transmit to a user equipment an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for two receiver branch usage; transmitting, to the user equipment, an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use of one receiver branch; and receiving an access request from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application claims priority to GB application No. 2400966.4 filed on January 25, 2024, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] Examples and non - limiting embodiments generally relate to access prohibition, and more particularly, to prohibition of a reduced - capability device supporting 1 Rx branch usage or 2 Rx branch usage. Background Art

[0004] It is known that in reduced - capability device communication in a network, the use of 1 Rx branch and 2 Rx branches is separately permitted via system information. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following summary is intended to be illustrative only. The summary of the invention is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0006] According to one aspect, an apparatus includes means for performing the following operations: receiving an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for two receiver branch usages; receiving an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for one receiver branch usage; determining that the apparatus is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the apparatus.

[0007] According to one aspect, an apparatus includes: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for two receiver branch usages; receive an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for one receiver branch usage; determine that the apparatus is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determine that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the apparatus.

[0008] According to one aspect, a method includes: receiving, by a user equipment, an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for two receiver branch usages; receiving an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for one receiver branch usage; determining that the user equipment is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the user equipment.

[0009] According to one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following operations: causing an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches to be received; causing an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch to be received; determining that the network entity is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device.

[0010] According to one aspect, a device includes means for performing the following operations: transmitting to a user equipment an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; transmitting to the user equipment an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; and receiving an access request from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0011] According to one aspect, a device includes: 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: transmit to a user equipment an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; transmit to the user equipment an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; and receive an access request from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0012] According to one aspect, a method includes: transmitting, using a base station, to a user equipment an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; transmitting to the user equipment an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; and receiving an access request from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0013] According to one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following operations: causing an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches to be transmitted to a user equipment; causing an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch to be transmitted to the user equipment; and causing an access request to be received from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0014] According to some aspects, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. Some other aspects are defined in the dependent claims. Description of the Drawings

[0015] The foregoing aspects and other features are explained in connection with the drawings in the following description, wherein:

[0016] Figure 1 A block diagram of one possible and non-limiting example system in which example embodiments may be practiced is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the steps as described herein; and

[0018] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the steps as described herein. Detailed Description

[0019] The following abbreviations that may be found in the specification and / or drawings are defined as follows:

[0020] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0021] 5G Fifth Generation

[0022] 5GC 5G Core Network

[0023] A-IoT Ambient Internet of Things

[0024] AMF Access and Mobility Management Function

[0025] BB Broadband

[0026] BFD Bidirectional Forwarding Detection

[0027] BWP Bandwidth Part

[0028] CA Carrier Aggregation

[0029] CCCH Common Control Channel

[0030] CD-SSB Cell Defining Synchronization Signal Block

[0031] CG-SDT Configured Grant Small Data Transmission

[0032] CPA Conditional Primary and Secondary Cell Addition

[0033] CPC Conditional Primary and Secondary Cell Change

[0034] cRAN Cloud Radio Access Network

[0035] CU Central Unit

[0036] DAPS Dual Active Protocol Stack

[0037] DL Downlink

[0038] DU Distributed Unit

[0039] eDRX Enhanced Discontinuous Reception

[0040] eMBB Enhanced Mobile Broadband

[0041] eNB (or eNodeB) Evolved Node B (e.g., LTE base station)

[0042] EN-DC E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity

[0043] en-gNB or En-gNB A node that provides NR user plane and control plane protocol termination to the UE and acts as the secondary node in EN-DC

[0044] eRedCap Enhanced Reduced Capability

[0045] E-UTRA Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access, LTE radio access technology

[0046] FDD Frequency Division Duplexing

[0047] gNB (or gNodeB) 5G / NR base station, a node that provides NR user plane and control plane protocol termination to the UE and is connected to the 5GC via the NG interface

[0048] IAB Integrated Access and Backhaul

[0049] I / F Interface

[0050] IFRI Intra-frequency Reselection Indication

[0051] IoT Internet of Things

[0052] L1 Layer 1

[0053] LCID Logical Channel ID

[0054] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0055] MAC Media Access Control

[0056] MIMO Multiple Input Multiple Output

[0057] MME Mobility Management Entity

[0058] MR-DC Multi-Radio Access Technology Dual Connectivity

[0059] NCD-SSB Non-Cell Defining Synchronization Signal Block

[0060] ng or NG New Generation

[0061] ng-eNB or Next Generation eNB

[0062] NR New Radio

[0063] N / W or NW Network

[0064] O-RAN Open Radio Access Network

[0065] PDCP Packet Data Convergence Protocol

[0066] PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0067] PHY Physical Layer

[0068] PRACH Physical Random Access Channel

[0069] PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel

[0070] RA Random Access

[0071] RACH Random Access Channel

[0072] RAN Radio Access Network

[0073] RedCap Reduced Capability

[0074] RF Radio Frequency

[0075] RLC Radio Link Control

[0076] RLM Radio Link Monitoring

[0077] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0078] RRH Remote Radio Head

[0079] RRM Radio Resource Management

[0080] RS Reference Signal

[0081] RSRP Reference Signal Received Power

[0082] RU Radio Unit

[0083] Rx Receiver

[0084] SCS Subcarrier Spacing

[0085] SDAP Service Data Adaptation Protocol

[0086] SDT Small Data Transfer / Transmission

[0087] SGW Serving Gateway

[0088] SIB System Information Block

[0089] SMF Session Management Function

[0090] SSB Synchronization Signal Block

[0091] TDD Time Division Duplexing

[0092] Tx Transmitter

[0093] UE User Equipment (e.g., wireless, typically a mobile device)

[0094] UL Uplink

[0095] UPF User Plane Function

[0096] VNR Virtualized Network Function

[0097] Steering Figure 1 , which shows a block diagram of one possible and non - limiting example in which the example can be practiced. The illustration shows a user equipment (UE) 110, a radio access network (RAN) node 170, and a network element 190. In Figure 1 example, the user equipment (UE) 110 communicates wirelessly with a wireless network 100. The UE is a wireless device that can access the wireless network 100. The UE 110 includes one or more processors 120, one or more memories 125, and one or more transceivers 130 interconnected via one or more buses 127. Each of the one or more transceivers 130 includes a receiver Rx 132 and a transmitter Tx 133. The one or more buses 127 can be an address bus, a data bus, or a control bus, and can include any interconnecting mechanism, such as a string of wires, optical fibers, or other optical communication devices on a motherboard or integrated circuit, etc. "Circuit" can include dedicated hardware or hardware associated with software executable thereon. The one or more transceivers 130 are connected to one or more antennas 128. The one or more memories 125 include computer program code 123. The UE 110 includes a module 140, which includes one or both of parts 140 - 1 and / or 140 - 2, and which can be implemented in a variety of ways. The module 140 can be implemented in hardware as module 140 - 1, such as being implemented as part of one or more processors 120. The module 140 - 1 can also be implemented as an integrated circuit or via other hardware such as a programmable gate array. In another example, the module 140 can be implemented as module 140 - 2, which is implemented as computer program code 123 and executed by one or more processors 120. For example, the one or more memories 125 and the computer program code 123 can be configured to, together with one or more processors 120, cause the user equipment 110 to perform one or more operations as set forth herein. The UE 110 communicates with the RAN node 170 via a wireless link 111.

[0098] In this example, the RAN node 170 is a base station that provides access for wireless devices such as the UE 110 to the wireless network 100. The RAN node 170 can be, for example, a base station for 5G, also known as New Radio (NR). In 5G, the RAN node 170 can be an NG-RAN node, which is defined as a gNB or an ng-eNB. A gNB is a node that provides NR user plane and control plane protocol termination to the UE and is connected to the 5GC (such as the network element 190) via the NG interface. An ng-eNB is a node that provides E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol termination to the UE and is connected to the 5GC via the NG interface. The NG-RAN node can include multiple gNBs, and the multiple gNBs can also include a Central Unit (CU) (gNB-CU) 196 and a Distributed Unit (DU) (gNB-DU), where the DU 195 is shown. It should be noted that the DU can include or be coupled to and control a Radio Unit (RU). The gNB-CU is a logical node that is in charge of the RRC, SDAP, and PDCP protocols of the gNB or the RRC and PDCP protocols of the en-gNB, and controls the operation of one or more gNB-DUs. The gNB-CU terminates the F1 interface connected to the gNB-DU. The F1 interface is illustrated as reference 198, but reference 198 also illustrates the link between the remote element and the centralized element of the RAN node 170, such as the link between the gNB-CU 196 and the gNB-DU 195. The gNB-DU is a logical node that hosts the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers of the gNB or en-gNB, and its operation is partially controlled by the gNB-CU. One gNB-CU supports one or more cells. One cell is supported by only one gNB-DU. The gNB-DU terminates the F1 interface 198 connected to the gNB-CU. It should be noted that the DU 195 is considered to include the transceiver 160, for example, as part of the RU, but in some such instances, the transceiver 160 can be part of a separate RU, for example, under the control of the DU and connected to the DU 195. The RAN node 170 can also be an eNB (evolved Node B) base station for LTE (Long Term Evolution), or any other suitable base station, access point, access node, or node.

[0099] The RAN node 170 includes one or more processors 152, one or more memories 155, one or more network interfaces (N / W I / F) 161, and one or more transceivers 160 interconnected via one or more buses 157. Each of the one or more transceivers 160 may include a receiver Rx 162 and a transmitter Tx 163. The one or more transceivers 160 are connected to one or more antennas 158. The one or more memories 155 include computer program code 153. The CU 196 may include the processor 152, the memory 155, and the network interface 161. It should be noted that the DU 195 may also contain its own one / more memories and processors, and / or other hardware, which are not shown.

[0100] The RAN node 170 includes a module 150, which includes one or both of parts 150-1 and / or 150-2, and which can be implemented in a variety of ways. The module 150 can be implemented in hardware as module 150-1, such as being implemented as part of one or more processors 152. The module 150-1 can also be implemented as an integrated circuit or via other hardware such as a programmable gate array. In another example, the module 150 can be implemented as module 150-2, which is implemented as computer program code 153 and executed by one or more processors 152. For example, the one or more memories 155 and the computer program code 153 are configured to, together with the one or more processors 152, cause the RAN node 170 to perform one or more operations as set forth herein. It should be noted that the functionality of the module 150 can be distributed, such as being distributed between the DU 195 and the CU 196, or implemented only in the DU 195.

[0101] One or more network interfaces 161 communicate via a network, such as via links 176 and 131. Two or more gNBs 170 can communicate using, for example, link 176. The link 176 can be wired or wireless or both, and can implement, for example, the Xn interface for 5G, the X2 interface for LTE, or other suitable interfaces for other standards.

[0102] One or more buses 157 can be an address bus, a data bus, or a control bus, and can include any interconnection mechanism, such as strings of wires on a motherboard or integrated circuit, fiber optic or other optical communication devices, wireless channels, etc. For example, one or more transceivers 160 can be implemented as a remote radio head (RRH) 195 for LTE or a distributed unit (DU) 195 implemented for a gNB for 5G, where other elements of the RAN node 170 may be physically located at a different location from the RRH / DU, and one or more buses 157 can be partially implemented as, for example, a fiber optic cable or other suitable network connection for connecting other elements of the RAN node 170 (e.g., a central unit (CU), gNB-CU) to the RRH / DU 195. Reference 198 also indicates those suitable network links.

[0103] It should be noted that the description herein indicates that a "cell" performs functions, but it should be clear that the devices forming the cell will perform the functions. A cell forms part of a base station. That is, there can be multiple cells for each base station. For example, for a single carrier frequency and associated bandwidth, there can be three cells, each cell covering one-third of a 360-degree area, such that the coverage area of a single base station covers an approximately elliptical or circular shape. In addition, each cell can correspond to a single carrier, and a base station can use multiple carriers. Thus, if there are three 120-degree cells for each carrier and two carriers, the base station has a total of 6 cells.

[0104] The wireless network 100 can include one or more network elements 190, the one or more network elements can include core network functionality, and the network elements provide connectivity to another network (such as a telephone network and / or a data communication network (e.g., the Internet)) via one or more links 181. Such core network functionality for 5G can include an access and mobility management function (AMF) and / or a user plane function (UPF) and / or a session management function (SMF). Such core network functionality for LTE can include MME (mobility management entity) / SGW (serving gateway) functionality. These are only illustrative functions that the network element 190 can support, and it should be noted that both 5G and LTE functions can be supported. The RAN node 170 is coupled to the network element 190 via a link 131. The link 131 can be implemented as, for example, an NG interface for 5G, or an S1 interface for LTE, or other suitable interfaces for other standards. The network element 190 includes one or more processors 175, one or more memories 171, and one or more network interfaces (N / W I / F) 180 interconnected via one or more buses 185. One or more memories 171 include computer program code 173. One or more memories 171 and the computer program code 173 are configured to cause the network element 190 to perform one or more operations together with one or more processors 175.

[0105] The wireless network 100 can implement network virtualization, which is the process of combining hardware and software network resources and network functionality into a single software-based management entity (i.e., a virtual network). Network virtualization involves platform virtualization and is usually combined with resource virtualization. Network virtualization is classified as external, i.e., combining many networks or parts of a network into a virtual unit, or internal, i.e., providing network-like functionality to software containers on a single system. For example, the network can be deployed in a remote cloud, where virtualized network functions (VNFs) run on, for example, data center servers. By way of example, network core functions and / or radio access networks (e.g., CloudRAN, O-RAN, edge cloud) can be virtualized. It should be noted that hardware (such as processors 152 or 175 and memories 155 and 171) can still be used to some extent to implement the virtualized entities resulting from network virtualization, and likewise, such virtualized entities produce technical effects.

[0106] It should also be noted that the operations of the example embodiments of the present disclosure can be performed by a plurality of cooperating devices (such as a cRAN).

[0107] The computer-readable memories 125, 155, and 171 can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, flash memory, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The computer-readable memories 125, 155, and 171 can be components for performing storage functions. The processors 120, 152, and 175 can be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and can include one or more of the following: general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures, as non-limiting examples. The processors 120, 152, and 175 can be components for performing various functions, such as controlling the UE 110, the RAN node 170, and other functions as described herein.

[0108] Generally, various example embodiments of the user equipment 110 can include, but are not limited to, cellular phones such as smart phones, tablet computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) with wireless communication capabilities, portable computers with wireless communication capabilities, image capture devices such as digital cameras with wireless communication capabilities, gaming devices with wireless communication capabilities, music storage and playback devices with wireless communication capabilities, Internet devices that allow wireless Internet access and browsing, tablet computers with wireless communication capabilities, and portable units or terminals incorporating combinations of such functions.

[0109] A suitable but non-limiting technical background for practicing the present disclosure has thus been introduced, and the example embodiments will now be described more specifically.

[0110] Features described herein may generally relate to Reduced Capability (RedCap) UEs and / or enhanced Reduced Capability (eRedCap) UEs. Compared to UEs with NR enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) capabilities, RedCap devices have reduced capabilities as they are targeted to serve in Internet of Things (IoT)-like scenarios, with reduced UE complexity and thus do not support carrier aggregation (CA) nor enforce dual connectivity (DC). A RedCap UE may have reduced capabilities such as: a bandwidth (BW) of 20 MHz in frequency range 1 (FR1), a BW of 100 MHz in frequency range 2 (FR2), reduced number of antennas (e.g., 1 Tx antenna, 1 or 2 Rx antennas, depending on FR and band), limited peak data rate, etc. RedCap devices may include devices with relatively low complexity, cost, and / or size.

[0111] Use cases of RedCap UEs and example embodiments of the present disclosure may include but are not limited to industrial IoT sensors, wearable devices, and / or devices for transportation, tracking, infrastructure, agriculture, smart cities, etc. Wearable devices may include but are not limited to sensors in contact with or near the skin, smart fabrics, heart rate monitors, temperature monitors, etc.

[0112] An important use case of RedCap UEs can be for industrial sensors. For this type of device, the battery life can last for several years, and the end-to-end latency in the connected mode can be less than 100 ms, which can make this type of device somewhat suitable for delay-tolerant applications. To minimize power consumption and increase battery life, RedCap industrial sensors can be configured with relatively infrequent Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring periods (e.g., every 10 - 20 ms).

[0113] Features described herein may generally relate to enhanced support for Reduced Capability NR devices. Work items regarding enhancing support for Reduced Capability NR devices include the following reasons:

[0114] “…… reasons

[0115] One goal of 5G is to accelerate industrial transformation and digitization, thereby increasing flexibility, productivity, and efficiency, reducing maintenance, and enhancing operational safety. Industrial sensors play an important role in realizing such a vision. Industrial sensors are widely used not only in industrial automation and digitization use cases but also in general environmental monitoring use cases, such as monitoring critical infrastructure (e.g., buildings, bridges, dams, etc.) or monitoring natural disasters (e.g., wildfires, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc.).

[0116] Another emerging category of 5G new use cases is the smart city vertical, which encompasses data collection and processing to more effectively monitor and control urban resources and provide services to urban residents. In particular, the deployment of surveillance cameras is an important part of smart cities and also of factories and industries.

[0117] In addition, there is a growing interest in wearable use cases such as smartwatches, e-health related devices, and medical monitoring devices. These use cases require different design considerations compared to eMBB devices and have different requirements in terms of form factor, UE complexity, and energy efficiency.

[0118] The support for industrial sensors, video surveillance, and wearable devices is the motivation behind Rel-17 RedCap. Through the Rel-17 NR RedCap work item, 3GPP established a framework for implementing low-capability NR devices suitable for a range of use cases, including industrial sensor, video surveillance, and wearable device use cases, which require low UE complexity and sometimes also relate to low UE power consumption.

[0119] To further expand the market for RedCap use cases with relatively low cost, low energy consumption, and low data rate requirements (e.g., industrial wireless sensor network use cases), some enhancements to further reduce complexity should be considered.

[0120] Rel-18 RedCap should provide NR support for low-layer devices between the capabilities of existing LPWA UEs and Rel-17 RedCap UEs. The target peak data rate supported by Rel-18 RedCap is 10 Mbps. Rel-18 RedCap should not overlap with existing LPWA solutions.

[0121] Enhancements should be introduced while maintaining the integrity of the RedCap ecosystem and maximizing the benefits of economies of scale. The WI targets enhancements applicable to the RedCap framework defined in Rel-17, including the network awareness principle of device capabilities.

[0122] Techniques for further reducing UE complexity have been studied in research projects documented in TR 38.865...

[0123] The work item on enhancing support for reduced-capability NR devices also includes the following objectives:

[0124] “... objectives

[0125] The objectives will specify support for the following enhancements:

[0126] Power saving / energy efficiency enhancements

[0127] Enhanced eDRX in RRC_INACTIVE (>10.24s) [RAN2, RAN3, RAN4]

[0128] Note that this objective requires the participation of SA2, CT1, and CT4.

[0129] Complexity / Cost Reduction

[0130] Further reduces UE complexity in FR1 [RAN1, RAN2, RAN4]

[0131] UE BB Bandwidth Reduction

[0132] 5MHz BB bandwidth is only used for PDSCH (unicast and broadcast) and PUSCH, and 20MHz RF bandwidth is used for UL and DL.

[0133] Other physical channels and signals are still allowed to use the BWP with a maximum UE RF + BB bandwidth of up to 20MHz.

[0134] Supports additional individual early indication [RAN1, RAN2]

[0135] UE Peak Data Rate Reduction

[0136] Relax the constraint (vLayers·Qm·f ≥ 4) to reduce the peak data rate.

[0137] The relaxation constraint is, for example, 1 (instead of 4).

[0138] The parameters (vLayers, Qm, f) can be as in Rel-17 RedCap.

[0139] Supports 15kHz SCS and 30kHz SCS.

[0140] Aims to define at most one Rel-18 RedCap UE type to further reduce UE complexity.

[0141] Uses the existing UE capability architecture and only specifies changes to the capability signaling when necessary. By default, all UE capabilities applicable to Rel-17 RedCap UEs apply unless otherwise stated.

[0142] Note:

[0143] The work defined as part of this WI does not overlap with LPWA use cases.

[0144] Coexistence with non-RedCap UEs and Rel-17 RedCap UEs should be ensured.

[0145] Unless otherwise stated, this WI considers all applicable duplex modes.

[0146] Regarding the following check-in to RAN#99:

[0147] Is the reduction of the UE peak data rate of the UE limited to the reduction of the UE BB bandwidth or used separately...

[0148] The work item also includes the following descriptions of RedCap and eRedCap NR devices:

[0149] "... 16.13 supports reduced-capability (RedCap) and enhanced reduced-capability (eRedCap) NR devices

[0150] 16.13.1 Introduction

[0151] RedCap UEs have reduced capabilities and are designed to have lower complexity compared to non-RedCap UEs. RedCap UEs must support a maximum UE channel bandwidth of 20 MHz in FR1 and 100 MHz in FR2. eRedCap UEs have further reduced capabilities and are designed to have lower complexity compared to non-RedCap UEs. For unicast PDSCH / PUSCH in FR1, eRedCap UEs must support a reduced DL / UL peak data rate of 10 Mbps, regardless of whether they have a reduced baseband bandwidth of 5 MHz.

[0152] 16.13.2 Capabilities

[0153] (e) RedCap UEs do not support CA, MR-DC, DAPS, CPA, CPC, and IAB-related capabilities, as defined together with other restrictions in TS 38.306

[11] . It is up to the network to decide whether to prevent (e) RedCap UEs from using radio capabilities not intended for (e) RedCap UEs.

[0154] 16.13.3 Identification, access, and residency restrictions

[0155] A RedCap UE can be identified by the network during the random access procedure via MSG3 / MSGA from a RedCap-specific LCID and optionally via MSG1 / MSGA (PRACH occasion or PRACH preamble). An eRedCap UE can be identified by the network during the random access procedure via MSG3 / MSGA from an eRedCap-specific LCID and optionally via MSG1. For RedCap UE identification via MSG1 / MSGA, a RedCap-specific random access configuration can be configured by the network. For eRedCap UE identification via MSG1, an eRedCap-specific random access configuration can be configured by the network. For MSG3 / MSGA, whether the network configures an (e)RedCap-specific random access configuration or not, the (e)RedCap UE is identified by the dedicated LCID (CCCH or CCCH1) indicated for CCCH identification.

[0156] The use of 1 Rx branch and 2 Rx branches by (e)RedCap UEs can be allowed separately via system information. Additionally, (e)RedCap UEs in the half-duplex FDD mode can be allowed via system information. RedCap-specific IFRI can be provided in SIB1, and when it does not exist, RedCap UEs are not allowed to access. eRedCap-specific IFRI can be provided in SIB1, and when it does not exist, eRedCap UEs are not allowed to access. Information on which frequencies (e)RedCap UEs are allowed to access can be provided in the system information.

[0157] (E)RedCap UEs using 1 Rx branch apply associated offsets to the broadcast cell-specific RSRP threshold, SDT, cell edge conditions, and cell (re)selection criteria for random access, as specified in TS 38.133

[13] .

[0158] Note: If possible, the E-UTRA network decides to avoid attempts by (e)RedCap UEs to handover to a target NR cell that does not support (e)RedCap. If possible, recovery from the handover attempt to a target NR cell that does not support (e)RedCap depends on the (e)RedCap UE implementation.

[0159] 16.13.4 RRM Measurement Relaxation

[0160] The relaxation of RRM measurements is enabled and disabled by the network. In RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE, when the inactivity criterion is met or when both the inactivity criterion and the non-cell-edge criterion are met, (e)RedCap UEs are allowed to relax RRM measurements for neighboring cells. The network may configure the inactivity criterion for (e)RedCap UEs in RRC_CONNECTED, and when the inactivity criterion is met or no longer met, the UE reports its RRM measurement relaxation fulfillment status using UE assistance information.

[0161] 16.13.5 BWP operation

[0162] (e)RedCap UEs in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE monitor paging only in the initial BWP (preset or RedCap-specific) associated with the CD-SSB, and perform cell (re)selection and related measurements on the CD-SSB. If a RedCap-specific initial UL BWP is configured and NUL is selected, (e)RedCap UEs shall use only the RedCap-specific initial UL BWP to perform the RACH procedure in RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE or the CG-SDT procedure in RRC_INACTIVE (as described in Clause 18.0).

[0163] (e)RedCap UEs may be configured with multiple NCD-SSBs, provided that each BWP is configured with at most one SSB. The NCD-SSBs may be configured for (e)RedCap UEs in RRC_CONNECTED to perform RLM, BFD, and RRM measurements and RA resource selection when the active BWP does not contain a CD-SSB.

[0164] (e)RedCap UEs may be configured with NCD-SSBs for the RedCap-specific initial DL BWP to perform the SDT procedure in RRC_INACTIVE (as described in Clause 18.0) when the RedCap-specific initial DL BWP does not contain a CD-SSB...

[0165] It should be noted that (e)RedCap UEs may receive using 1 Rx branch, 2 Rx branches, or either 1 Rx branch or 2 Rx branches.

[0166] In this disclosure, although example embodiments may refer to UEs, RedCap UEs, or eRedCap UEs, this is not restrictive; the example embodiments of this disclosure may apply to one or both of UEs, RedCap UEs, or eRedCap UEs.

[0167] In the present disclosure, when access is allowed for a UE, the UE may be allowed to camp on a cell provided by a network entity, and the UE may be allowed to initiate access, such as an RRC establishment request or an RRC resume request procedure. Alternatively, the UE may be allowed to transmit an RRC re-establishment request. Otherwise, the UE may consider the cell to be prohibited (e.g., not accessible). In the present disclosure, when the UE is prohibited or the UE considers the cell to be prohibited, the UE is not allowed to camp on the cell, nor is it allowed to initiate an access procedure with the network entity providing the cell.

[0168] Features as described herein may generally relate to a prohibited scenario in which the network allows access for 1 Rx device but prohibits access for 2 Rx devices; the current specification allows for this. In other words, even if (e)RedCap UE is capable of receiving using 1 Rx branch or 2 Rx branches, according to the current specification, the UE may be prohibited because it is capable of receiving using at least 2 Rx branches.

[0169] In the present disclosure, the UE, the cell, the frequency band of the cell, or access to the network entity may be described as "prohibited". Each of these phrases refers to a situation where, based on a prohibition indication, the UE is not allowed to access the network or a part of the network (e.g., the cell).

[0170] The (e)RedCap UE that can use 1 Rx branch and 2 Rx branches may be allowed separately via system information. The following is specified in TS38.331:

[0171] "... 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 when T311 is running:

[0172] 2> If intraFreqReselectionRedCap does not exist in SIB1:

[0173] 3> Consider the cell to be prohibited according to TS 38.304

[20] ;

[0174] 3> Perform the prohibition as if intraFreqReselectionRedCap were set to allowed;

[0175] 2> Otherwise:

[0176] 3> If cellBarredRedCap1Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited and the UE is equipped with 1 Rx branch; or

[0177] 3> If cellBarredRedCap2Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited and the UE is equipped with 2 Rx branches; or

[0178] 3> If halfDuplexRedCapAllowed does not exist in the obtained SIB1 and the UE only supports half-duplex FDD operation, then:

[0179] 4> Consider the cell as prohibited according to TS 38.304

[20] ;

[0180] 4> Perform the prohibition based on intraFreqReselectionRedCap as specified in TS 38.304

[20] ;

[0181] 1> If the UE is an eRedCap UE and it is in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE, or if the eRedCap UE is in RRC_CONNECTED when T311 is running:

[0182] 2> If intraFreqReselection-eRedCap does not exist in SIB1:

[0183] 3> Consider the cell as prohibited according to TS 38.304

[20] ;

[0184] 3> Perform the prohibition as if intraFreqReselection-eRedCap were set to allowed, and then the procedure ends;

[0185] 2> Otherwise:

[0186] 3> If cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited and the UE is equipped with 1 Rx branch; or

[0187] 3> If cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx exists in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited and the UE is equipped with 2 Rx branches; or

[0188] 3> If halfDuplexRedCapAllowed does not exist in the obtained SIB1 and the UE only supports half-duplex FDD operation, then:

[0189] 4> Consider the cell as prohibited according to TS 38.304

[20] ;

[0190] 4>Perform prohibition based on intraFreqReselection-eRedCap as specified in TS 38.304

[20] , after which the procedure ends;

[0191]

[0192] ...”

[0193] It should be noted that if a RedCap UE receives a System Information Block (SIB) indicating that a RedCap UE using 1 Rx branch is prohibited, the relevant RedCap UE is prohibited from camping on the network. It should be noted that if a RedCap UE receives a SIB indicating that a RedCap UE using 2 Rx branches is prohibited, the relevant RedCap UE is prohibited from camping on the network.

[0194] It should be noted that if an eRedCap UE receives a SIB indicating that a RedCap UE using 1 Rx branch is prohibited, the relevant eRedCap UE is prohibited from camping on the network. It should be noted that if an eRedCap UE receives a SIB indicating that a RedCap UE using 2 Rx branches is prohibited, the relevant eRedCap UE is prohibited from camping on the network.

[0195] TS38.331 specifies that (e)RedCap UEs using 1 Rx branch and 2 Rx branches can be individually permitted via system information.

[0196] According to the current specification, a cell can be prohibited for UEs equipped with 1Rx or 2Rx. Example embodiments of the present disclosure may relate to the problem of a network allowing 1Rx access but prohibiting 2Rx access. When 2Rx access is prohibited, some UEs may be able to operate in 1Rx (e.g., a UE may support both 1Rx and 2Rx operations). However, according to the current specification, such UEs will be prohibited from accessing.

[0197] In an example embodiment, the UE can determine that the access is permitted / not prohibited. For example, the UE can determine that since it supports both 1Rx and 2Rx operations and only 2Rx operations are prohibited, its access to the network can be permitted.

[0198] In an example embodiment, the UE can determine that the access is permitted / not prohibited in 1Rx mode.

[0199] In an example embodiment, the UE can consider the cell (or cells) as not prohibited.

[0200] In an example embodiment, the UE may not enforce the restriction prohibition. For example, when the UE is configured to perform access using 1 Rx branch or 2 Rx branches, the UE may consider that access to at least one cell or to / from a network entity is not prohibited, and the UE has determined that using 2 Rx branches is prohibited, but using 1 Rx branch to perform access is not prohibited.

[0201] In an example embodiment, the UE may camp on a cell and start operating in 1Rx mode. For example, the UE may transmit an RRC establishment request, an RRC resume request, an RRC reestablishment request, etc. to a network entity that provides at least one cell.

[0202] In other words, if access is prohibited for the 2Rx branch operation mode, a UE that may be equipped with 2 Rx antennas but supports both 1Rx and 2Rx operation modes may restrict its operation mode to 1Rx mode. That is, use only 1 Rx branch while camping on the cell. Thus, the UE can communicate with the cell using only 1 Rx branch instead of 2 Rx branches at this time because 2Rx operation is prohibited for the cell. The UE may be able to switch its operation mode, or may be configured to have different operation modes for different frequency bands as described herein.

[0203] In an example embodiment, the UE may ignore or disregard the prohibition of 2Rx. In an example embodiment, the UE may ignore certain prohibition indication parameters, such as cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx or cellBarredRedCap2Rx. Other parts of the system information that include the ignored prohibition indication parameters (e.g., in one or more fields) may not be ignored. In other words, the UE may not attempt to perform access to the cell using 2 Rx branches, but may attempt to perform access to the cell using 1 Rx branch.

[0204] In yet other words, the UE may ignore certain prohibition indication parameters that may indicate that the cell is prohibited for the UE (e.g., those that indicate the prohibition of 2Rx), because other prohibition indication parameters (e.g., those that indicate the allowed access for 1Rx) have indicated that the UE (which supports both operation modes) can access the cell.

[0205] In an example embodiment, the UE may support 1Rx in certain frequency bands (e.g., frequency bands, Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) bands, Time Division Duplex (TDD) bands, etc.) but not in certain other frequency bands, and the UE may support 2Rx in certain frequency bands but not in certain other frequency bands. If the network allows access to 1Rx and prohibits access to 2Rx, and the UE supports 1Rx on the current frequency band, the UE may determine that access is allowed / not prohibited. For example, the use of 2 Rx branches may be prohibited on the current cell or on all cells belonging to a certain frequency. For example, the use of 1 Rx branch may be prohibited on the current cell or on all cells belonging to a certain frequency.

[0206] In an example embodiment, the UE may operate in 1RX mode and may receive using only 1 Rx branch. In an example embodiment, the UE may operate in 1RX mode to receive using only 1 DL multiple input multiple output (MIMO) layer.

[0207] In an example embodiment, the UE may use one or more of the following prohibition indicators to determine whether access is prohibited: cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx, cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx, cellBarred-RedCap1Rx, and / or cellBarred-RedCap2Rx.

[0208] In an example embodiment, if a RedCap UE receives a System Information Block (SIB) including a cellBarredRedCap2Rx field with a value of prohibited, the RedCap UE may ignore the field if the RedCap UE also supports 1Rx operation, e.g., when it does not receive a SIB including a cellBarredRedCap1Rx field, or when it receives a SIB including a cellBarredRedCap1Rx field with a value of not prohibited / allowed.

[0209] In an example embodiment, if an eRedCap UE receives a SIB including a cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx field with a value of prohibited, the eRedCap UE may ignore the field if the eRedCap UE also supports 1Rx operation, e.g., when it does not receive a SIB including a cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx field, or when it receives a SIB including a cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx field with a value of not prohibited / allowed.

[0210] The technical effect of the example embodiments of the present disclosure may be to achieve deterministic UE behavior.

[0211] The technical effect of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be such that UEs supporting 2Rx and 1Rx can camp on the cell when 2Rx on the cell is prohibited and 1Rx is permitted.

[0212] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be applicable to RedCap UEs. However, this is non - restrictive; the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can also be applicable to other types of UEs. For example, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be applicable to IoT devices and / or Ambient IoT (A - IoT) devices. Ambient IoT devices can be described as low - power devices, low - cost devices, and / or devices with limited functionality / processing capabilities. An example of an A - IoT device is a passive radio that can harvest energy from wireless signals transmitted on a specific carrier and / or bandwidth and charge a simple circuit, which, once activated, can transmit / reflex a signal that can at least encode the ID of the passive radio. Other examples of A - IoT devices include semi - passive devices, battery - less devices, and low - cost simplified mobility devices. A - IoT devices can be used for, for example, indoor / outdoor positioning.

[0213] Figure 2 Illustrate potential steps of an exemplary method 200. The exemplary method 200 can include: receiving an indication 210 that access to a network entity is prohibited for use with two receiver branches; receiving an indication 220 that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use with one receiver branch; determining that a user equipment is configured to use one receiver branch and two receiver branches 230; and determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the user equipment 240. The exemplary method 200 can be performed, for example, using a UE, a RedCap UE, an eRedCap UE, a low - complexity UE, a low - cost UE, etc.

[0214] Figure 3 Illustrate potential steps of an exemplary method 300. The exemplary method 300 can include: transmitting to a user equipment an indication 310 that access to a network entity is prohibited for use with two receiver branches; transmitting to the user equipment an indication 320 that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use with one receiver branch; and receiving from the user equipment an access request, wherein the user equipment is configured to use one receiver branch and two receiver branches 330. The exemplary method 300 can be performed, for example, in a base station, a network entity, a network node, a gNB, etc.

[0215] According to an example embodiment, a 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: receive an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use with two receiver branches; receive an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use with one receiver branch; determine that the device is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determine that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device.

[0216] The indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use with the two receiver branches may include that access to the network entity is prohibited for use with the two receiver branches on at least one of: at least one frequency with respect to the network entity, at least one cell provided by the network entity.

[0217] The indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use with the one receiver branch may include that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use with the one receiver branch on at least one of: at least one frequency with respect to the network entity, or at least one cell provided by the network entity.

[0218] The example device may be further configured to perform at least one of the following operations: reside in a cell of the network entity in response to determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device; perform an access procedure with respect to the cell; transmit a radio resource control establishment request to the network entity; transmit a radio resource control resume request to the network entity; transmit a radio resource control reestablishment request to the network entity; or determine that access to the cell is permitted for the device.

[0219] The example device may be further configured to: use the one receiver branch.

[0220] The device may be configured to use the one receiver branch on at least one first frequency band, wherein the device may be configured to use the two receiver branches on at least one second frequency band, and wherein determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device may include the example device being further configured to: determine that the at least one first frequency band at least includes a current frequency band of at least one cell provided by the network entity; and determine that access to the at least one cell on the current frequency band is not prohibited for the device.

[0221] The example device may be further configured to: perform reception using the one receiver branch with a downlink multiple-input multiple-output layer.

[0222] An indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use by the two receiver branches may be included in system information configured to indicate the prohibition of use by the two receiver branches.

[0223] The example device may be further configured to: ignore an indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use by the two receiver branches.

[0224] An indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by the one receiver branch may be included in system information configured to indicate permission or non - prohibition of use of the one receiver branch.

[0225] The device may include a reduced - capability user equipment or an enhanced reduced - capability user equipment.

[0226] According to one aspect, an example method may be provided, the method including: receiving, by a user equipment, an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; receiving an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; determining that the user equipment is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the user equipment.

[0227] The indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use by the two receiver branches may be on at least one of the following: at least one frequency with respect to the network entity, or at least one cell provided by the network entity.

[0228] The indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by the one receiver branch may be on at least one of the following: at least one frequency with respect to the network entity, or at least one cell provided by the network entity.

[0229] The example method may include at least one of the following operations: resident in a cell of the network entity in response to determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the user equipment; performing an access procedure with respect to the cell; transmitting a radio resource control establishment request to the network entity; transmitting a radio resource control resume request to the network entity; transmitting a radio resource control re - establishment request to the network entity; or determining that access of the user equipment to the cell is permitted.

[0230] The example method may further include: using the one receiver branch.

[0231] The user equipment may be configured to use the one receiver branch on at least one first frequency band, wherein the user equipment may be configured to use the two receiver branches on at least one second frequency band, and determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the user equipment may include: determining that the at least one first frequency band at least includes a current frequency band of at least one cell provided by the network entity; and determining that access to the at least one cell on the current frequency band is not prohibited for the user equipment.

[0232] The example method may further include: performing reception using the one receiver branch with a downlink multiple-input multiple-output layer.

[0233] An indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use of the two receiver branches may be included in system information configured to indicate prohibition of use of the two receiver branches.

[0234] The example method may further include: ignoring an indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use of the two receiver branches.

[0235] An indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use of the one receiver branch may be included in system information configured to indicate permission or non-prohibition of use of the one receiver branch.

[0236] The user equipment may include a reduced-capability user equipment or an enhanced reduced-capability user equipment.

[0237] According to one example embodiment, an apparatus may include: circuitry configured to perform the following operations: receiving, by a user equipment, an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use of two receiver branches; circuitry configured to perform the following operations: receiving an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use of one receiver branch; circuitry configured to perform the following operations: determining that the user equipment is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and circuitry configured to perform the following operations: determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the user equipment.

[0238] According to an example embodiment, a device may include: processing circuitry; a memory circuitry including computer program code, the memory circuitry and the computer program code being configured to, with the processing circuitry, enable the device to: receive an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use with two receiver branches; receive an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use with one receiver branch; determine that the device is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determine that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device.

[0239] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" or "component" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) only hardware circuit implementations (such as only in analog and / or digital circuitry), and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as, if applicable: (i) combinations of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, and (ii) hardware processors and software (including digital signal processors), any part of the software and memory, which work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or a server to perform various functions), and (c) hardware circuits and / or processors, such as a microprocessor or part of a microprocessor, whose operation requires software (such as firmware), but when operation without software is not required, the software may not be present. This circuitry definition applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses implementations of only hardware circuits or processors (or multiple processors) or parts of hardware circuits or processors and their attendant software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also encompasses, for example and when applicable to a particular technical element, 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.

[0240] According to an example embodiment, a device may include components for performing the following operations: receiving an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use with two receiver branches; receiving an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use with one receiver branch; determining that the device is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device.

[0241] The indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use with the two receiver branches may include that the access is prohibited for use with the two receiver branches on at least one of the following: at least one frequency with respect to the network entity, or at least one cell provided by the network entity.

[0242] The indication that the access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by the one receiver branch may include that the access is not prohibited for use by the one receiver branch on at least one of the following: at least one frequency relative to the network entity, or at least one cell provided by the network entity.

[0243] The device may further include components for performing at least one of the following operations: camping on a cell of the network entity in response to determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device; procedures for accessing the cell; transmitting a radio resource control establishment request to the network entity; transmitting a radio resource control resume request to the network entity; transmitting a radio resource control reestablishment request to the network entity; or determining that access to the cell is permitted for the device.

[0244] The device may further include components for performing the following operation: using the one receiver branch.

[0245] The device may be configured to use the one receiver branch on at least one first frequency band, wherein the device may be configured to use the two receiver branches on at least one second frequency band, and the components for performing the determination that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device may include components for performing the following operations: determining that the at least one first frequency band at least includes the current frequency band of at least one cell provided by the network entity; and determining that access to the at least one cell on the current frequency band is not prohibited for the device.

[0246] The device may further include components for performing the following operation: performing reception using the one receiver branch with a downlink multiple-input multiple-output layer.

[0247] The indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use by the two receiver branches may be included in system information configured to indicate the prohibition of use by the two receiver branches.

[0248] The device may further include components for performing the following operation: ignoring the indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use by the two receiver branches.

[0249] The indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by the one receiver branch may be included in system information configured to indicate the permission or non-prohibition of use by the one receiver branch.

[0250] The device may include a reduced-capability user equipment or an enhanced reduced-capability user equipment.

[0251] A processor, a memory, and / or instance algorithms (which may be encoded as instructions, programs, or code) may be provided as instance components for providing or causing operations to be performed.

[0252] According to one example embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: cause a reception of an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; cause a reception of an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; determine that the network entity is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determine that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device.

[0253] According to one implementation embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following operations: cause a reception of an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; cause a reception of an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; determine that the network entity is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determine that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device.

[0254] According to another implementation embodiment, a non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine may be provided that tangibly embodies instructions executable by the machine for performing operations including: cause a reception of an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; cause a reception of an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; determine that the network entity is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determine that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device.

[0255] According to another implementation embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the following operations: cause a reception of an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; cause a reception of an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; determine that the network entity is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determine that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device.

[0256] A computer-implemented system, the system comprising: at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to at least perform: causing a reception of an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; causing a reception of an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; determining that the network entity is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device.

[0257] A computer-implemented system, the system comprising: means for causing a reception of an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; means for causing a reception of an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; means for determining that the network entity is configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches; and means for determining that access to the network entity is not prohibited for the device.

[0258] According to an example embodiment, a device may comprise: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: transmit to a user equipment an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; transmit to the user equipment an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; and receive an access request from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment may be configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0259] The indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use by the two receiver branches may comprise that the access is prohibited for use by the two receiver branches on at least one of: at least one frequency with respect to the network entity, or at least one cell provided by the network entity.

[0260] The indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by the one receiver branch may comprise that the access is not prohibited for use by the one receiver branch on at least one of: at least one frequency with respect to the network entity, or at least one cell provided by the network entity.

[0261] The indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use by the two receiver branches may be included in system information configured to indicate a prohibition of the use of the two receiver branches.

[0262] The indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use of the one receiver branch may be included in system information configured to indicate permission or non-prohibition of use of the one receiver branch.

[0263] The user equipment may include a reduced-capability user equipment or an enhanced reduced-capability user equipment.

[0264] The access request may include at least one of the following: a radio resource control establishment request, a radio resource control resume request, or a radio resource control reestablishment request.

[0265] According to one aspect, an example method may be provided, the method including: transmitting, by a base station, an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use of two receiver branches to a user equipment; transmitting, to the user equipment, an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use of one receiver branch; and receiving, from the user equipment, an access request, wherein the user equipment may be configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0266] The indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use of the two receiver branches may be included in at least one of the following: for at least one frequency relative to the network entity, or for at least one cell provided by the network entity, that access to the network entity is prohibited for use of the two receiver branches.

[0267] The indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use of the one receiver branch may be included in at least one of the following: for at least one frequency relative to the network entity, or for at least one cell provided by the network entity, that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use of the one receiver branch.

[0268] The indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use of the two receiver branches may be included in system information configured to indicate prohibition of use of the two receiver branches.

[0269] The indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use of the one receiver branch may be included in system information configured to indicate permission or non-prohibition of use of the one receiver branch.

[0270] The user equipment may include a reduced-capability user equipment or an enhanced reduced-capability user equipment.

[0271] The access request may include at least one of the following: a radio resource control establishment request, a radio resource control resume request, or a radio resource control reestablishment request.

[0272] According to one embodiment, a device may include circuitry configured to perform the following operations: transmit, using a base station, an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; transmit to the user equipment an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; and receive an access request from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment may be configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0273] According to an example embodiment, a device may include: processing circuitry; a memory circuitry including computer program code, the memory circuitry and the computer program code being configured to, with the processing circuitry, enable the device to: transmit to a user equipment an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; transmit to the user equipment an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; and receive an access request from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment may be configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0274] According to one embodiment, a device may include means for the following operations: transmit to a user equipment an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; transmit to the user equipment an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; and receive an access request from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment may be configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0275] The indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use by the two receiver branches may include that the access is prohibited for use by the two receiver branches on at least one of the following: at least one frequency with respect to the network entity, or at least one cell provided by the network entity.

[0276] The indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by the one receiver branch may include that the access is not prohibited for use by the one receiver branch on at least one of the following: at least one frequency with respect to the network entity, or at least one cell provided by the network entity.

[0277] The indication that access to the network entity is prohibited for use by the two receiver branches may be included in system information configured to indicate the prohibition of use by the two receiver branches.

[0278] The indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by the one receiver branch may be included in system information configured to indicate whether use of the one receiver branch is permitted or not prohibited.

[0279] The user equipment may include a reduced-capability user equipment or an enhanced reduced-capability user equipment.

[0280] The access request may include at least one of the following: a radio resource control establishment request, a radio resource control resume request, or a radio resource control re-establishment request.

[0281] According to one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: cause an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches to be transmitted to a user equipment; cause an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch to be transmitted to the user equipment; and cause an access request to be received from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment may be configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0282] According to one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes program instructions stored thereon for performing at least the following operations: causing an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches to be transmitted to a user equipment; causing an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch to be transmitted to the user equipment; and causing an access request to be received from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment may be configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0283] According to another embodiment, a machine-readable non-transitory program storage device may be provided that tangibly embodies instructions executable by the machine for performing operations including: causing an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches to be transmitted to a user equipment; causing an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch to be transmitted to the user equipment; and causing an access request to be received from the user equipment, wherein the user equipment may be configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0284] According to another embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium includes instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the following operations: cause an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches to be transmitted to a user device; cause an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch to be transmitted to the user device; and cause an access request to be received from the user device, where the user device may be configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0285] A computer-implemented system includes: at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: cause an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches to be transmitted to a user device; cause an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch to be transmitted to the user device; and cause an access request to be received from the user device, where the user device may be configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0286] A computer-implemented system includes: means for transmitting to a user device an indication that access to a network entity is prohibited for use by two receiver branches; means for transmitting to the user device an indication that access to the network entity is not prohibited for use by one receiver branch; and means for receiving an access request from the user device, where the user device may be configured to use the one receiver branch and the two receiver branches.

[0287] As used herein, the term "non-transitory" is a limitation on the medium itself (e.g., tangible, rather than a signal), rather than a limitation on data storage persistence (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0288] It should be understood that the foregoing description is illustrative only. Those skilled in the art can devise various alternatives and modifications. For example, the features recited in the various dependent claims can be combined with each other in any suitable combination. Additionally, features from the different embodiments above can be selectively combined into new embodiments. Thus, the specification is intended to cover all such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A user equipment supporting one receiver branch and two receiver branches, the user equipment comprising means for performing the following operations: Receiving, at the user equipment, an indication that the two receiver branches of a cell of a network entity are prohibited from being used; Receiving, at the user equipment, an indication that the one receiver branch of the cell of the network entity is not prohibited from being used; Residing in the cell of the network entity based on the indication.

2. The user equipment according to claim 1, comprising means for performing the following operations: Determining that the cell of the network entity is allowed for use by the user equipment.

3. The user equipment according to claim 2, wherein the user equipment is configured to reside in the cell in response to determining that the cell of the network entity is allowed for use by the user equipment.

4. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the indication that the two receiver branches of the cell of the network entity are prohibited from being used includes an indication that the two receiver branches of the cell of the network entity are prohibited from being used on at least one frequency of the cell of the network entity.

5. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the indication that the one receiver branch of the cell of the network entity is not prohibited from being used includes an indication that the one receiver branch of the cell of the network entity is not prohibited from being used on at least one frequency of the cell of the network entity.

6. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the user equipment further comprises means for performing at least one of the following: An access procedure for the cell of the network entity; Transmitting a radio resource control establishment request to the network entity; Transmitting a radio resource control resume request to the network entity; Transmitting a radio resource control reestablishment request to the network entity.

7. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the user equipment comprises means for performing the following operation: Using only the one receiver branch for residing in the cell.

8. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the user equipment is configured to use the one receiver branch on at least one first frequency band, wherein the user equipment is configured to use the two receiver branches on at least one second frequency band, and wherein the user equipment comprises means for performing the following operations: Determining that the at least one first frequency band includes the current frequency band of the cell provided by the network entity; and Determining that the cell of the network entity is allowed for use by the user equipment on the current frequency band.

9. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the user equipment comprises means for performing the following operation: Using the one receiver branch to receive using one downlink multiple-input multiple-output layer.

10. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the indication that the cell of the network entity is prohibited from using the two receiver branches is included in system information configured to indicate the prohibition of using the two receiver branches.

11. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the user equipment further comprises means for performing the following operations: Ignoring the indication that the cell of the network entity is prohibited from using the two receiver branches.

12. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the indication that the cell of the network entity is not prohibited from using the one receiver branch is included in system information configured to indicate permission or non-prohibition of using the one receiver branch.

13. The user equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the user equipment comprises a reduced-capability user equipment or an enhanced reduced-capability user equipment.

14. A method, the method comprising: Receiving, at the user equipment, an indication that a cell of a network entity is prohibited from using the two receiver branches by a user equipment supporting one receiver branch and two receiver branches; Receiving, at the user equipment, the indication that the cell of the network entity is not prohibited from using the one receiver branch; Residing in the cell of the network entity based on the indication.

15. A network entity, the network entity comprising means for performing the following operations: Transmitting to a user equipment supporting one receiver branch and two receiver branches an indication that a cell of the network entity is prohibited from using the two receiver branches; Transmitting to the user equipment the indication that the cell of the network entity is not prohibited from using the one receiver branch; And Receiving an access request from the user equipment.

16. A method, the method comprising: Transmitting to a user equipment supporting one receiver branch and two receiver branches an indication that a cell of a network entity is prohibited from using the two receiver branches; Transmitting to the user equipment the indication that the cell of the network entity is not prohibited from using the one receiver branch; And Receiving an access request from the user equipment.

Images