Dynamic random access channel resources

Abstract

Dynamic random access channel resource allocation is provided. A method for dynamic random access channel resource allocation may include receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one physical random access channel resource of a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources are available without separate activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with separate activation. The method may also include determining availability of at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources; and selecting at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources when it is determined that the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is available.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) access technologies, or post-5G or other communication systems. For example, certain example embodiments may relate to dynamic random access channel (RACH) resources. Background Art

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE) Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), MulteFire, LTE-A Pro, and / or fifth generation (5G) radio access technology or new radio (NR) access technology. Fifth generation (5G) wireless systems refer to next generation (NG) radio systems and network architectures. 5G network technology is mostly based on new radio (NR) technology, but 5G (or NG) networks can also be built on E-UTRAN radio. It is estimated that NR can provide bit rates of approximately 10-20 Gbit / s or higher and can support at least enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), as well as massive machine type communication (mMTC). NR is expected to deliver ultra-wideband and ultra-robust, low latency connectivity and large-scale networking to support the Internet of Things (IoT). Summary of the Invention

[0003] Various exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions may cause the apparatus to at least receive, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one physical random access channel resource from a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available with individual activation. The apparatus is further caused to determine the availability of at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource from the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources, and upon determining that the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is available, select at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0004] Some example embodiments may also provide an apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions may cause the apparatus to configure and provide at least one physical random access channel resource from a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources to a user equipment for network access. The plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available with individual activation. The apparatus is further configured to receive, from the user equipment, a preamble from at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0005] Certain exemplary embodiments may also provide a method, comprising receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one physical random access channel resource from a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available with individual activation. The method may also include determining the availability of at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource from the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources, and upon determining that the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is available, selecting at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0006] Various exemplary embodiments may provide a method that includes configuring and providing, to a user equipment, at least one physical random access channel resource from a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available with individual activation. The method may also include receiving, from the user equipment, a preamble from at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or at least one resource from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0007] Some exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus comprising a component for receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one physical random access channel resource from a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available with individual activation. The apparatus may also comprise a component for determining the availability of at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource from the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources; and a component for selecting, when determining that the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is available, at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0008] Various exemplary embodiments may provide an apparatus comprising means for configuring and providing, to a user equipment, at least one physical random access channel resource from a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available with individual activation. The apparatus may also comprise means for receiving, from the user equipment, a preamble from at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or at least one resource from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0009] Various exemplary embodiments may provide a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a device, may cause the device to at least perform one or more of the methods herein. Furthermore, certain exemplary embodiments may provide a computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a device, may cause the device to perform one or more of the methods herein.

[0010] Certain example embodiments may provide an apparatus comprising one or more circuits configured to perform one or more methods herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] For a proper understanding of the example embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, as follows:

[0012] Figure 1 Examples of conventional two-step and four-step random access procedures are shown;

[0013] Figure 2 An example of a process for dynamic PRACH resource control according to various example embodiments is shown;

[0014] Figure 3An example of a flow chart for selecting between dynamic PRACH and semi-static PRACH according to various example embodiments is shown;

[0015] Figure 4 An example of a flow chart for a UE performing random access and configured with dynamic PRACH resources according to various example embodiments is shown;

[0016] Figure 5 An example of a process is shown in which activation of downlink control information may occur prior to configured dynamic PRACH resources, according to some example embodiments;

[0017] Figure 6 An example of a flow chart illustrating a method according to various example embodiments is shown;

[0018] Figure 7 shows a set of apparatuses according to various example embodiments; and

[0019] Figure 8 An example of a flow chart of another method according to various example embodiments is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] It will be readily understood that the components of certain example embodiments, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, can be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. The following is a detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatus, and non-transitory computer program products for dynamic RACH resources. Although the devices discussed below and illustrated in the figures refer to 5G or next-generation NodeB (gNB) devices, the present disclosure is not limited to gNBs. For example, the following description can also be applied to any type of network access node.

[0021] In an NR network, a communication connection can be initiated between a device such as a user equipment (UE) and a network device such as a base station or gNB through a random access (RA) procedure using a physical random access channel (PRACH). For example, the base station can send PRACH configuration information to the UE. The PRACH configuration information can indicate the conditions that trigger the selection of a two-step or four-step RA procedure at the UE. Based on the PRACH configuration information, the UE can determine the reference signal received power (RSRP) value of the synchronization signal or reference signal received from the base station. The UE can then select a two-step RA procedure or a four-step RA procedure based on the RSRP value of the synchronization signal or reference signal relative to a threshold.

[0022] Figure 1Examples of traditional two-step and four-step RA procedures are shown. To obtain uplink (UL) synchronization or request UL radio resources, a UE can initiate an RA procedure by sending a preamble within a specific time period and waiting for an RA response (RAR) scheduled by the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) identified by a random access radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI).

[0023] exist Figure 1 In the four-step RA process, at 110, the UE may send a preamble (also referred to as Msg. 1) to a network entity (also referred to as the gNB). At 112, the gNB may send a RAR (such as Msg. 2) to the preamble, and at 114, the UE may send a scheduled Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) to the gNB, also referred to as Msg. 3. At 116, the gNB may acknowledge receipt of the PUSCH by sending a contention resolution (also referred to as Msg. 4). At 118, the UE may send an acknowledgment to the gNB on the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0024] In a two-step RA procedure, at 120, the UE may send a preamble, also referred to as MsgA, to the gNB, and at 122, the UE may send the corresponding PUSCH for the preamble to the gNB. In this example, Msg.1 and Msg.3 from the four-step RA procedure are combined into one message, e.g., MsgA, and sent to the gNB. At 124, the gNB may send a response to the UE. In this response, the gNB may combine Msg.2 and Msg.4 from the four-step RACH procedure for the UE into MsgB. At 126, when the cell RNTI (C-RNTI) is not present, the gNB sends an acknowledgment of the RAR success on the PUCCH.

[0025] The preamble response (Msg.2) of the contention-based four-step process confirms the reception of the preamble, while MsgB in the two-step process can be directed to a single UE (i.e., resolving contention upon successful reception of MsgA-PUSCH) or it can be just a preamble response (falling back to the four-step process when MsgA-PUSCH is not received). To address the response to the preamble, there is a mapping from the time and frequency resources of the preamble to the RA-RNTI in the four-step process, and a mapping from MsgB to the RNTI in the two-step process.

[0026] When the PRACH becomes congested, for example because preamble contention becomes too frequent, there may be a number of conventional procedures for compensating for the congestion, including, for example: (1) preventing the UE from performing random access by access barring, (2) by signaling a backoff indicator in the preamble response so that the network can indicate a wait period during which the UE waits before attempting random access again after a preamble transmission failure, and / or (3) by configuring more PRACH resources. Access barring and backoff indicators can directly affect the UE by delaying or preventing access. Configuring additional resources can allow for relief of congestion without affecting initial access delay, while having fewer resources for other types of communication.

[0027] According to the 3GPP specification, the network can semi-statically configure random access resources using system information. When the network determines that the PRACH allocation needs to be changed, for example, to increase or decrease the PRACH capacity corresponding to the load, the network can send a paging message to the UE. The paging message may indicate that the system information will change at the beginning of the next system information block (SIB) modification period. The SIB modification period can be configured in the system information as the product of a coefficient (2...16) and a default paging cycle (32...256 radio frames). When the default paging cycle has been configured to 256 radio frames (for greater UE power saving) and with a coefficient of 2, a total of 512 radio frames can be used to define the SIB modification period. For example, the system configuration can be updated only every 5.12 seconds.

[0028] Changing the PRACH configuration can be a slow process that may include indicating a system information change to the UE and the UE reading the new system information. System information changes can be minimized to avoid the UE having to read updated information more frequently. The SIB modification indication can indicate to all UEs in the cell that the configuration will change at the start of the next SIB modification period. This may lead to uncertainty as to whether the UE has read the updated configuration, as at least some UEs may have coverage issues that prevent the UE from reading the updated SIB information in the first SIB scheduling window.

[0029] According to various example embodiments, it may be advantageous to provide a more flexible and faster process for UEs to learn about changes in PRACH configurations. For example, certain example embodiments may provide a system with such flexibility where (one or more) subset UE groups can follow changes in PRACH resource allocations.

[0030] Various example embodiments may provide at least two types of PRACH resources, including, for example: (1) semi-statically configured resources that are available without separate activation, and (2) dynamic resources that become available only when they are activated. Activation may be signaled using Group Common Downlink Control Information (GC-DCI) or Media Access Control (MAC) signaling. Activation may be valid for a valid period, either according to the semi-static configuration or as indicated by activation signaling.

[0031] According to certain example embodiments, it may be advantageous to provide activation signaling that indicates the service or use case or UE capability to which the activation of dynamic resources applies. The indication may be direct or indirect. In an indirect indication, each service / use capability may be mapped to a partition of semi-statically configured resources, and the activation signal indicates the partition of semi-static resources targeted for the activation. For example, the activation may indicate which resource partition is extended or replaced with additional resources. An activation time window may be defined. The UE may need to search for an activation indication for a limited time within a longer period of time. The activation time window may be determined based on a RAR time window.

[0032] According to some example embodiments, it is advantageous to provide MAC-based activation signaling that can be included in the RAR as a new MAC control element (MAC-CE) or subheader. In addition, the activation of dynamic PRACH resources can use an existing fallback indicator value, where a fallback indicator value greater than a configured value means that dynamic RACH resources are available. This can limit the use of dynamic resources to cases of RACH congestion while avoiding the need for new L1 or MAC signaling. In addition, switching between semi-static and dynamic resources can be performed within the random access procedure based on the validity of the activation or configuration rules.

[0033] Figure 2 Examples of procedures for dynamic PRACH resource control according to various example embodiments are shown. The network may configure semi-static PRACH resources, which are available when configured by system information. Additionally, there may be PRACH resources that need to be dynamically activated before they become available, which can be determined in a variety of ways.

[0034] As a first example for determining dynamic resources, one or more dynamic PRACH resources may be semi-statically configured by system information, so that no PRACH configuration parameters are required in the activation signal. When more than one dynamic PRACH resource is configured, one or more indices of the active configuration may be included in the activation message.

[0035] As a second example for determining dynamic resources, the system information may include a one-bit indication that the network supports operation using dynamic PRACH resources. Parameters for determining dynamic resources may be included in activation signaling. Dynamic resources may not require a complete PRACH configuration. For example, a frequency or time offset relative to a semi-static PRACH resource may be sufficient.

[0036] As a third example for determining dynamic resources, some resource parameters may be provided semi-statically and other resource parameters provided by dynamic signaling with activation.

[0037] Example embodiments are not limited to these examples and may include additional processes for determining dynamic resources and / or any combination of processes for determining dynamic resources.

[0038] The activation may be associated with a specific UE. The associated UE may be the user to which improved or increased service is provided by activating dynamic PRACH resources for the associated UE. The associated UE may also have a relatively lower priority, and the RACH load from the lower priority UE may be moved to the dynamic resources to allow improved or increased service on the semi-statically configured resources for the remaining UEs.

[0039] There may be multiple services / use cases / capabilities defined for dynamic activation and different procedures for indicating which service / use case / capability the dynamic activation applies to. For example, the activation signaling may directly indicate the index of the service / use case / capability. As another example, the service / use case / capability may be mapped to a set of preamble identifiers (IDs), and the activation signaling may indicate the mapping from the set of preamble IDs to dynamic PRACH resources. As yet another example, the dynamic PRACH resources may be configured for the services / use cases / capabilities and associated with the indication carried by the activation signaling. For example, services 1 and 2 may be configured with dynamic resources 1 and 2, respectively, and the activation signaling may contain a first bit associated with service 1 and a second bit associated with service 2, such that the signaling bit string [1 0] activates only the resources for service 1, [0 1] activates the resources for service 2, and [1 1] activates the resources for both services. In the case where, before activation, X preamble IDs are available for a particular use, then after activation, there are X+64 IDs available. For example, after activation, there are X preamble IDs on semi-static and 64 preamble IDs on dynamic resources. The determination of the preamble ID can be split for different uses in the dynamic RACH resources, which can depend on the semi-static RACH configuration and activation signaling of the IDs for different services / use cases / capabilities.

[0040] Dynamic activation can occur via GC-DCI or MAC signaling. For methods based on DCI signaling, the system information configuration for dynamic resources may include the RNTI used to address the activation DCI. For methods based on MAC signaling, a resource activation MAC subheader or MAC CE may be defined and sent in conjunction with a RAR message. The RAR message may include an activation subheader or a response to a detected preamble.

[0041] When existing backoff (BO) signaling is used for activation, there may be multiple BO thresholds for activation. The dynamic resource(s) activated may depend on the severity of the overload, e.g., the greater the indicated BO, the greater the dynamically activated resource. Additionally, the BO threshold may depend on the use case, e.g., a higher priority may correspond to a smaller BO threshold for activation.

[0042] An activation time window may be defined. A UE that is eligible to use dynamic resources may need to search for an activation indication within a limited time over a longer period of time. The activation time window may be determined by the UE based on the RAR time window. With DCI-based activation signaling, the activation time window may be equal to or less than the RAR time window corresponding to the minimum RA-RNTI (or MsgB-RNTI in a two-step process) reserved for semi-statically configured RACH resources. When the UE does not find an activation DCI within the RAR time window, the UE may assume that the dynamic resources are not active unless the validity period of the previously detected activation has not expired. The activation and RAR time windows may have a common start time, but the length of the activation window may be a fraction of the RAR time window length in order to minimize the UE's effort to detect activation. For example, the RAR window may be equal to or less than 10ms.

[0043] With MAC-based signaling, activation may be sent in a RAR message, addressed with, for example, the minimum RA-RNTI / MsgB-RNTI for the dynamic RACH resources. For example, the RA-RNTI / MsgB-RNTI for the dynamic PRACH may be derived similarly for the semi-static PRACH resources. When a UE receives a RAR addressed with the minimum RA-RNTI / MsgB-RNTI and no MAC subheader or MAC CE is activated, the UE may assume that the dynamic resources are not available unless the validity period of the previously detected activation has not expired. Indication of the RAR via dynamic RACH resources rather than semi-static resources may be advantageous because the UE will not need to decode the RAR message if the dynamic resources are not active. The UE may instead search for the DCI of the RAR PDSCH.

[0044] The validity period of the activation may also be defined. After the UE has received the activation message, the UE may assume that the dynamic resources are available at least for the validity period. The validity period may be from the end of the timeslot in which the activation message is received until a certain number of timeslots have passed from the end of the activation time window in which the activation message is received. After the UE has received the activation message, the UE may use the dynamic resources during the validity period without searching for the activation message again. The UE may be allowed to start random access using semi-static PRACH resources and, if activation is detected, may switch to dynamic resources for preamble retransmission. When the activation validity expires after preamble transmission on the dynamic resources, the UE may switch to semi-static resources for preamble retransmission. In certain exemplary embodiments, the parameters defining the activation validity period (e.g., the number of timeslots) may be hard-coded in the specification, or semi-statically configured through system information, or included in the DCI or MAC signaling by flexibly indicating one of several configuration values.

[0045] In some exemplary embodiments, a UE that is eligible or obligated to utilize dynamic resources may operate under different circumstances when random access is required. As a first example, the UE may have detected an activation indication in the past, and the activation validity period will not expire before the next dynamic PRACH resource. In this case, the UE may use the next dynamic PRACH resource. After transmitting the preamble, the UE may search for an activation indication while attempting to receive a preamble response. If an activation indication is received / determined, the UE may restart the activation validity timer.

[0046] As another example, the UE may not know whether the dynamic resources are active. If the UE is instructed / required to use the dynamic resources when they are active, the UE searches for the activation signal from the next activation time window. When the UE does not detect activation, the UE may use the semi-static resources for RA attempts. When the UE is eligible to use dynamic resources but is not instructed / required to use dynamic resources, the UE may choose between using the semi-static resources or postponing the RA attempt to detect whether the dynamic resources are active. If the UE chooses to attempt RA via the semi-static resources and the attempt fails, the UE may switch to the dynamic resources after the UE detects that the dynamic resources are available. The detection of the availability of dynamic resources may occur at least in part simultaneously or in parallel with the search for a response to the preamble sent on the semi-static resources.

[0047] Figure 3 An example of a flow chart illustrating a process by which a UE similar to apparatus 710 may select between dynamic PRACH and semi-static PRACH according to various example embodiments is shown. Figure 3 In the example of , when there is no valid activation at the start of the process, the UE may be required or selected to check for an activation message.

[0048] like Figure 3 As shown, at 310, the UE may determine to perform RA, and at 320, the UE may determine whether dynamic PRACH resources are configured and whether the UE is allowed to use the configured dynamic resources. When dynamic PRACH resources are not configured and / or the UE is not allowed to use the configured dynamic resources (a "no" decision at 320), the process may proceed to 330. At 330, the UE may perform RA using semi-static PRACH resources. When dynamic PRACH resources are configured and the UE is allowed to use the configured dynamic resources (a "yes" decision at 320), the process may proceed to 340.

[0049] At 340, the UE may determine whether the dynamic PRACH resource is active. When the dynamic PRACH resource is active, i.e., the UE has received activation signaling and the validity timer has not expired (a "yes" decision at 340), the process may proceed to 350, where RA may be performed using the dynamic PRACH resource. When the dynamic PRACH resource is inactive, i.e., the resource has not been activated or the validity time has expired after activation (a "no" decision at 340), the process may proceed to 360. At 360, the UE may determine / detect whether activation of the dynamic resource has occurred during the UE preparation time for preamble transmission. When activation of the dynamic resource has occurred (a "yes" decision at 360), the process may proceed to 370, where RA may be performed using the dynamic PRACH resource. When activation of the dynamic resource has not occurred (a "no" decision at 360), the process may proceed to 380, where RA may be performed using the semi-static PRACH resource.

[0050] Figure 4 An example of a flow diagram of a process according to various example embodiments is shown in which a UE similar to apparatus 710 may attempt RA using either semi-static PRACH or dynamic PRACH. If dynamic resources are detected as active, the UE may switch to using dynamic resources when the UE fails to receive a response to a preamble sent on the semi-static resources or contention resolution fails or the UE receives an indication of active dynamic PRACH resources.

[0051] exist Figure 4In the example of FIG. 4 , at 400 , the UE may determine or may be instructed to perform RA. The network may be configured with dynamic PRACH resources, and the UE may be eligible to use the dynamic PRACH resources. At 410 , the UE determines whether the dynamic PRACH resources are active. When the dynamic PRACH resources are active, i.e., the UE has received activation signaling and the validity timer has not expired (a “yes” decision at 410 ), the process continues with 420 - 440 , as discussed in detail below, and when the dynamic PRACH resources are not active (a “no” decision at 410 ), the process continues with 470 - 490 .

[0052] At 420, when the dynamic PRACH resource is active, a preamble for the dynamic PRACH resource may be used / set and sent to the network entity for RA, and at 430, RAR reception and activation may be detected. If activation is detected, a validity timer for activation validity may be reset. As part of RAR reception, the UE may determine whether the preamble has been acknowledged. When the preamble has not been acknowledged, the process may proceed to 450. At 450, the UE may determine whether the maximum number of preambles has been reached. When the maximum number of preambles has not been reached (a "no" decision at 450), the process may return to 410 to continue. When the maximum number of preambles has been reached (a "yes" decision at 450), the process may continue to 460, where it may be determined that an RA problem exists and the process may terminate.

[0053] At 430, when it is determined that the preamble has been validated, the process may continue to 440. At 440, contention resolution, which may include Msg. 3 and Msg. 4, may be determined. In addition, when activation is detected, the UE may detect whether activation has occurred to reset a timer for activation validity. When it is determined that contention resolution has failed, the process may return to 450, and when it is determined that contention resolution has succeeded, the process may continue to successfully complete the RA.

[0054] When the dynamic PRACH resource is inactive (a "No" decision at 410), the process may continue to 470-490. At 470, a preamble for the semi-static PRACH resource may be used / set and sent to the network entity for RA. At 480, the UE may determine whether Msg.2 reception and activation have occurred. When activation is detected, the UE may reset a timer for activation validity. The UE may also determine whether the preamble has been confirmed based on Msg.2 reception. When the preamble is not confirmed, the process may proceed to 450. When the preamble has been confirmed, the process may continue to 490. At 490, contention resolution, which may include Msg.3 and Msg.4, may be determined. In addition, when activation is detected, the UE may detect whether activation has occurred to reset a timer for activation validity. When contention resolution is determined to have failed, the process may return to 450, and when contention resolution is determined to have succeeded, the process may continue to successfully complete the RA.

[0055] Figure 5 An example of a process whereby activation of DCI occurs before configured dynamic PRACH resources according to some example embodiments is shown. Figure 5 In

[15] , a base station such as a gNB may send a DL control message before each semi-statically configured PRACH resource. For example, this DL control message may be denoted as a RACH opportunity (RO). The UE may actively monitor the DL control messages, and when the base station signals "activation", the UE may be allowed to use additional resources as part of the resource pool to take into account the RA procedure. Thus, the base station may have the option to adjust the PRACH capacity in a dynamic manner, while the UE may have the flexibility to significantly increase the probability of contention avoidance (lower latency) of the RACH opportunity at the expense of slightly higher power consumption due to the reading of the DL control messages. The DL control message may be implemented as a DCI using group-based signaling (G-RNTI-based DCI) or a broadcast indication, which may associate the broadcast information with a specific RNTI for monitoring.

[0056] Figure 6 An example flow chart of a method according to certain example embodiments is shown. In an example embodiment, Figure 6 The method may be performed by a network element or a group of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system (such as LTE or 5G-NR). For example, in an exemplary embodiment, Figure 6 The method can be similar to Figure 7 The apparatus 710 shown is performed by a device (such as a UE).

[0057] According to various example embodiments, Figure 6The method may include receiving, at 610, a configuration of at least one of a plurality of semi-static and dynamic PRACH resources for network access from a network entity similar to apparatus 720. The plurality of semi-static PRACH resources are available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic PRACH resources are available with individual activation.

[0058] The method may further include determining availability of at least one dynamic PRACH resource from a plurality of dynamic PRACH resources at 620. The method may further include, at 630, selecting at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic PRACH resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic PRACH resources when the at least one dynamic PRACH resource is determined to be available.

[0059] Figure 8 An example flow chart of a method according to certain example embodiments is shown. In an example embodiment, Figure 8 The method may be performed by a network element or a group of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system (such as LTE or 5G-NR). For example, in an example embodiment, Figure 8 The method can be similar to Figure 7 The network device of the device 720 is shown to be executed.

[0060] According to various example embodiments, Figure 8 The method may include, at 810, configuring and providing at least one physical random access channel resource from a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access to a UE similar to apparatus 710. The plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available with individual activation. The method may also include, at 820, receiving, from the UE, a preamble of at least one resource from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0061] Figure 7 A set of apparatuses 710 and 720 according to various exemplary embodiments are shown. In various exemplary embodiments, the apparatus 710 may be an element in a communication network or an element associated with such a network, such as a UE, a RedCap UE, a SLUE, a mobile equipment (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a fixed device, an IoT device, or other device. For example, a UE according to the various exemplary embodiments discussed above may be an example of the apparatus 710. It should be noted that one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the apparatus 710 may include Figure 7Components or features not shown in FIG. In addition, the apparatus 720 may be a network, a network entity, an element of a core network, or an element in a communication network, or an element associated with such a network, such as a base station, NE, or gNB. For example, the network and gNB according to the various exemplary embodiments discussed above may be examples of the apparatus 720. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the apparatus 720 may include Figure 7 Components or features not shown.

[0062] According to various example embodiments, Figure 7 As shown, apparatus 710 may include at least one processor 712 and at least one memory 714. Memory 714 may store instructions that, when executed by processor 712, may cause apparatus 710 to receive, from a network entity similar to apparatus 720, a configuration of at least one PRACH resource from a plurality of semi-static and dynamic PRACH resources for network access. The plurality of semi-static PRACH resources may be available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic PRACH resources may be available with individual activation. The apparatus may also be caused to determine availability of at least one dynamic PRACH resource from the plurality of dynamic PRACH resources, and when the at least one dynamic PRACH resource is determined to be available, select at least one resource from the at least one dynamic PRACH resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic PRACH resources for preamble transmission.

[0063] In some exemplary embodiments, a dynamic resource may be determined to be available upon receipt of an activation message activating at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource, or when the device determines that an earlier received activation is still valid. Furthermore, the activation message may be configured to indicate restrictions on the activation, applicable to the service or use case for initiating random access, or applicable to an indicated capability or set of capabilities of the device.

[0064] According to certain exemplary embodiments, the configuration of at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource among the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be received in system information or at least in part through an activation message.

[0065] According to various exemplary embodiments, the activation message may be monitored within a monitoring time window defined relative to the start of a random access opportunity or the start of a random access response window. Furthermore, the activation may apply to a specific random access opportunity, or to multiple random access opportunities within a specified validity period, which is configured by system information and indicated in the activation message, or to the next upcoming monitoring time window.

[0066] In some exemplary embodiments, upon receipt of the activation message, a new valid time period may begin, and the start of the valid time period may be correlated to a monitoring time window for the activation message.

[0067] According to various exemplary embodiments, the availability of at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource from among the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be determined for each preamble transmission during a random access procedure. Furthermore, when the availability of at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource from among the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources changes during the procedure, the apparatus 710 may be further configured to switch between using dynamic and semi-static dynamic physical random access channel resources based on the availability.

[0068] In certain exemplary embodiments, the activation message is attached to the random access response message. In addition, when the value of the backoff indicator in the random access response message exceeds a configured threshold, at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource may be activated.

[0069] According to various example embodiments, Figure 7 As shown, apparatus 720 may include at least one processor 722 and at least one memory 724. Memory 724 may store instructions that, when executed by processor 722, may cause apparatus 720 to configure and provide, to a UE similar to apparatus 710, at least one physical random access channel resource from a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources are available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with individual activation. Apparatus 720 is further caused to receive, from the UE, a preamble from at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0070] According to various example embodiments, the apparatus 720 may be further caused to provide an activation message configured to indicate restrictions of activation applicable to the service or use case for initiating random access, or applicable to an indicated capability or set of capabilities of the apparatus 720. Furthermore, the configuration of at least one of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be transmitted in system information or at least in part via the activation message.

[0071] In some exemplary embodiments, the activation message may be sent within a monitoring time window defined relative to the start of a random access opportunity or the start of a random access response window. Furthermore, the activation may apply to a specific random access opportunity, or to multiple random access opportunities within a specified validity period, which is configured by system information and indicated in the activation message, or to the next upcoming monitoring time window.

[0072] In various exemplary embodiments, when an activation message is sent, a new valid time period may begin, and the start of the valid time period may be correlated to a monitoring time window for the activation message.

[0073] According to certain exemplary embodiments, the activation message may be attached to the random access response message. In addition, when the value of the backoff indicator in the random access response message exceeds a configured threshold, at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource may be activated.

[0074] The various exemplary embodiments described above may provide several technical improvements, enhancements, and / or advantages. For example, some exemplary embodiments may provide advantages in that activating dynamic RACH resources may (i) minimize the effort and processing power required by the UE to search for activation signals when an activation time window is defined, (ii) allow activation signaling to be combined into RAR messages, which minimizes resource usage, (iii) provide flexibility in activating dynamic resources for service / usage capabilities, (iv) provide a process for specifying and providing effective signaling when service / usage capabilities are mapped to different partitions of semi-static resources, thereby reducing complexity and processing power, (v) minimize specification effort by leveraging existing fallback signaling for activation, and (vi) define switching between dynamic and semi-static resource usage within the RA process to minimize delay.

[0075] In some example embodiments, apparatus 710 and / or 720 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some example embodiments, apparatus 710 and / or 720 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology.

[0076] like Figure 7As shown in the example of , the device 710 and / or 720 may include or be coupled to a processor 712 or 722, respectively, for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processors 712 and 722 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In fact, as examples, the processors 712 and 722 may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although in Figure 7 A single processor 712 (and 722) is shown for each of the devices 710 and / or 720, but according to other example embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some example embodiments, the devices 710 and / or 720 may include two or more processors, which may form a multi-processor system that can support multi-processing (e.g., in this case, the processors 712 and 722 may represent multiple processors). According to some example embodiments, the multi-processor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0077] Processors 712 and 722 may perform functions associated with the operation of devices 710 and / or 720, respectively, including, as some examples, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and overall control of devices 710 or 720, including Figure 2-Figure 6 The process shown.

[0078] Devices 710 and / or 720 may also include or be coupled to memory 714 and / or memory 724 (internal or external), respectively, which may be coupled to processors 712 and 722, respectively, for storing information and instructions that can be executed by processors 712 and 722. Memory 714 (and memory 724) may be one or more memories and may be any type of memory suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, memory 714 (and memory 724) may be composed of any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static storage devices such as magnetic or optical disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer-readable media. The instructions stored in memory 714 and memory 724 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by processors 712 and 722 , enable apparatus 710 and / or 720 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0079] In certain example embodiments, the apparatus 710 and / or 720 may further include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disc, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processors 712 and 722 and / or the apparatuses 710 and / or 720 to perform Figure 2-Figure 6 Any method shown.

[0080] In some exemplary embodiments, the device 710 may further include or be coupled to one or more antennas 715 for receiving downlink signals from the device 710 and for transmitting from the device 710 via an uplink. The devices 710 and / or 720 may further include transceivers 716 and 726, respectively, configured to transmit and receive information. The transceivers 716 and 726 may further include a radio interface that may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by the downlink or uplink, such as OFDMA symbols.

[0081] For example, transceivers 716 and 726 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission and demodulate received information for further processing by other components of apparatus 710 and / or 720. In other example embodiments, transceivers 716 and 726 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, apparatus 710 and / or 720 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In certain example embodiments, apparatus 710 and / or 720 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0082] In certain example embodiments, memory 714 and memory 724 store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processors 712 and 722, respectively. The modules may include, for example, devices 710 and / or 720 that provide an operating system with operating system functionality. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide devices 710 and / or 720 with additional functionality. The components of devices 710 and / or 720 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to certain example embodiments, device 710 may optionally be configured to communicate with device 720 via a wireless or wired communication link 730 according to any radio access technology (such as NR).

[0083] In some example embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., apparatus 710 and / or apparatus 720) may include components for performing a method, process, or any variants discussed herein. Examples of such components may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program code for performing operations.

[0084] Certain exemplary embodiments may be directed to an apparatus comprising means for receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one physical random access channel resource from a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available with individual activation. The apparatus may also include means for determining the availability of at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource from the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources, and / or means for selecting, upon determining that the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is available, at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0085] Various exemplary embodiments may be directed to an apparatus comprising means for configuring and providing, to a UE, at least one physical random access channel resource from a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access. The plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources may be available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources may be available with individual activation. The apparatus may also comprise means for receiving, from the UE, a preamble from at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or at least one resource from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

[0086] According to certain example embodiments, processors 712 and 722 and memories 714 and 724 may be included in, or may form part of, processing circuitry or control circuitry. Furthermore, in some example embodiments, transceivers 716 and 726 may be included in, or may form part of, transceiver circuitry.

[0087] As used herein, the term "circuitry" may refer to a pure hardware circuit implementation (e.g., analog and / or digital circuitry), a combination of hardware circuitry and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, any portion of a hardware processor(s) with software, including a digital signal processor, that works together to enable a device (e.g., device 710 and / or 720) to perform various functions, and / or hardware circuit(s) and / or processor(s) or portions thereof that use software to operate but may not be present when the software is not required for operation. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" may also cover an implementation of only a hardware circuit or processor or multiple processors, or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry may also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0088] The computer program product may include one or more computer executable components that, when executed, are configured to perform some example embodiments. The one or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or portion thereof. Modifications and configurations required to implement the functionality of some example embodiments may be performed as routines, which may be implemented as added or updated software routines. The software routines may be downloaded to the device.

[0089] As an example, software or computer program code or portions thereof may be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and may be stored on some type of carrier, distribution medium, or computer-readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, such carriers may include recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunications signals, and software distribution packages. Depending on the processing power required, a computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or may be distributed among multiple computers. The computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

[0090] In other example embodiments, the functionality may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device (e.g., device 710 and / or 720), such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In yet another example embodiment, the functionality may be implemented as a signal, a non-tangible component that may be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

[0091] According to certain example embodiments, an apparatus (such as a node, device or corresponding component) may be configured as a circuit system, a computer or a microprocessor, such as a single-chip computer element, or as a chipset, including at least a memory for providing storage capacity for arithmetic operations and an operation processor for performing arithmetic operations.

[0092] The features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the use of the phrases "certain embodiments," "one example embodiment," and "some embodiments," or other similar language, throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of the phrases "in certain embodiments," "one example embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification does not necessarily refer to the same group of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. Furthermore, the terms "cell," "node," "gNB," or other similar language may be used interchangeably throughout this specification.

[0093] As used herein, “at least one of: ” and “at least one element of ” and similar expressions (where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) mean at least any one element, or at least any two or more elements, or at least all elements.

[0094] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the disclosure discussed above may be practiced with processes in a different order and / or with hardware elements in configurations different from those disclosed. Therefore, while the present disclosure has been described based on these example embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications, variations, and alternative configurations will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments. While the above embodiments relate to 5G NR and LTE technologies, the above embodiments may also be applied to any other current or future 3GPP technologies, such as Advanced LTE and / or fourth generation (4G) technologies.

[0095] Partial Glossary

[0096] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0097] 5G fifth generation

[0098] 5GCN 5G Core Network

[0099] 5GS 5G system

[0100] ACK

[0101] BO Rollback

[0102] CE control elements

[0103] DCI Downlink Control Information

[0104] DL Downlink

[0105] EMBB Enhanced Mobile Broadband

[0106] GC Group Public

[0107] gNB 5G or Next Generation NodeB

[0108] L1 Layer 1 - Physical Layer

[0109] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0110] MAC Media Access Control

[0111] Msg

[0112] MTC Machine Type Communication

[0113] NR New Radio

[0114] PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0115] PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0116] PRACH Physical Random Access Channel

[0117] PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel

[0118] PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel

[0119] RA Random Access

[0120] RAN Radio Access Network

[0121] RAR Random Access Response

[0122] RACH Random Access Channel

[0123] RedCap Reduced Capacity

[0124] RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identity

[0125] RO RACH Timing

[0126] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0127] UE User Equipment

[0128] UL Uplink

[0129] URLLC Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication

Claims

1. A device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one physical random access channel resource of a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources are available without individual activation and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with individual activation; determining availability of at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource among the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources; as well as When the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is determined to be available, at least one resource for preamble transmission is selected from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource, or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic resource is determined to be available when an activation message activating the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is received, or when the apparatus determines that an earlier received activation is still valid.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the activation message is configured to indicate restrictions of the activation to apply to a service or use case for which the random access is initiated, or to an indicated capability or capability set of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the configuration of the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource among the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is received in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The activation message is monitored in a monitoring time window defined relative to the start of a random access opportunity or the start of a random access response window, and The activation is applicable to a specific random access opportunity, or to multiple random access opportunities within a specified validity period, where the validity period is configured by system information and indicated in the activation message, or to the next upcoming monitoring time window. 6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is received, and the start of the validity period is related to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The availability of the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is determined for each preamble transmission during a random access procedure; and When the availability of at least one of the multiple dynamic physical random access channel resources changes within the process, the device is also caused to: switch between using dynamic and semi-static dynamic physical random access channel resources according to the availability.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when a value of a backoff indicator in a random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

10. A device comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: configuring and providing, to a user equipment, at least one physical random access channel resource from among a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources are available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with individual activation; as well as A preamble is received from the user equipment from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource, or at least one resource from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further configured to provide an activation message configured to indicate restrictions on the activation applicable to the service or use case for which the random access is initiated, or to an indicated capability or capability set of the apparatus.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the configuration of the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource among the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is sent in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein: The activation message is sent in a monitoring time window defined relative to the start of a random access opportunity or a random access response window, and The activation is applicable to a specific random access opportunity, or to multiple random access opportunities within a specified validity period, where the validity period is configured by system information and indicated in the activation message, or to the next upcoming monitoring time window.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is sent, and the start of the validity period is related to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

15. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

16. The apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when a value of a backoff indicator in a random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

17. A method comprising: receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one physical random access channel resource of a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources are available without individual activation and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with individual activation; determining availability of at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource among the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources; as well as When the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is determined to be available, at least one resource for preamble transmission is selected from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource, or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a dynamic resource is determined to be available when an activation message activating the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is received, or when the apparatus determines that an earlier received activation is still valid.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the activation message is configured to indicate restrictions of the activation to apply to the service or use case for which the random access is initiated, or to an indicated capability or capability set of a device.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the configuration of the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is received in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

21. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein: The activation message is monitored in a monitoring time window defined relative to the start of a random access opportunity or the start of a random access response window, and The activation is applicable to a specific random access opportunity, or to multiple random access opportunities within a specified validity period, where the validity period is configured by system information and indicated in the activation message, or to the next upcoming monitoring time window.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is received, and the start of the validity period is related to a monitoring time window of the activation message.

23. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 22, wherein: The availability of the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is determined for each preamble transmission during a random access procedure; as well as When the availability of the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource among the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources changes within a process, the method further comprises switching between using dynamic and semi-static dynamic physical random access channel resources according to the availability.

24. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 23, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

25. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 24, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when the value of the backoff indicator in the random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

26. A method comprising: configuring and providing, to a user equipment, at least one physical random access channel resource from among a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources are available without individual activation, and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with individual activation; as well as A preamble is received from the user equipment from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource, or at least one resource from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising: An activation message is provided, the activation message being configured to indicate restrictions of the activation applicable to the service or use case for which the random access is initiated, or to an indicated capability or set of capabilities of a device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the configuration of the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is sent in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

29. A method according to claim 27 or claim 28, wherein: The activation message is sent in a monitoring time window defined relative to the start of a random access opportunity or a random access response window, and The activation is applicable to a specific random access opportunity, or to multiple random access opportunities within a specified validity period, where the validity period is configured by system information and indicated in the activation message, or to the next upcoming monitoring time window.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is sent, and the start of the validity period is related to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

31. The method according to any one of claims 27 to 30, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

32. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 31, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when the value of the backoff indicator in the random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

33. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, from a network entity, a configuration of at least one physical random access channel resource of a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources are available without individual activation and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with individual activation; means for determining availability of at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources; as well as means for selecting at least one resource for preamble transmission from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource or from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources when it is determined that the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is available.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein a dynamic resource is determined to be available when an activation message is received to activate the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource, or when the apparatus determines that an earlier received activation is still valid.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the activation message is configured to indicate restrictions of the activation to apply to a service or use case for which the random access is initiated, or to an indicated capability or set of capabilities of the apparatus.

36. The apparatus according to any one of claims 33 to 35, wherein the configuration of the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource among the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is received in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

37. The apparatus according to any one of claims 33 to 36, wherein: The activation message is monitored in a monitoring time window defined relative to the start of a random access opportunity or the start of a random access response window, and The activation is applicable to a specific random access opportunity, or to multiple random access opportunities within a specified validity period, where the validity period is configured by system information and indicated in the activation message, or to the next upcoming monitoring time window.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is received, and the start of the validity period is related to a monitoring time window of the activation message.

39. The apparatus according to any one of claims 33 to 38, wherein: The availability of the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is determined for each preamble transmission during a random access procedure; as well as When the availability of the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource among the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources changes within a process, the apparatus further comprises means for switching between using dynamic and semi-static dynamic physical random access channel resources according to the availability.

40. The apparatus according to any one of claims 34 to 39, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

41. The apparatus according to any one of claims 33 to 40, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when a value of a backoff indicator in a random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

42. An apparatus comprising: means for configuring and providing, to a user equipment, at least one physical random access channel resource of a plurality of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources for network access, wherein the plurality of semi-static physical random access channel resources are available without individual activation and the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources are available with individual activation; as well as Means for receiving, from the user equipment, a preamble from the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource, or at least one resource from a combined set of semi-static and dynamic physical random access channel resources.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising: Means for providing an activation message configured to indicate restrictions on the activation applicable to the service or use case for which the random access is initiated, or to an indicated capability or set of capabilities of the apparatus.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the configuration of the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource of the plurality of dynamic physical random access channel resources is sent in system information or at least in part through the activation message.

45. Apparatus according to claim 43 or claim 44, wherein: The activation message is sent in a monitoring time window defined relative to the start of a random access opportunity or a random access response window, and The activation is applicable to a specific random access opportunity, or to multiple random access opportunities within a specified validity period, where the validity period is configured by system information and indicated in the activation message, or to the next upcoming monitoring time window.

46. ​​The apparatus of claim 45, wherein a new validity period begins when the activation message is sent, and the start of the validity period is related to the monitoring time window of the activation message.

47. The apparatus according to any one of claims 43 to 46, wherein the activation message is attached to a random access response message.

48. The apparatus according to any one of claims 42 to 47, wherein the at least one dynamic physical random access channel resource is activated when a value of a backoff indicator in a random access response message exceeds a configured threshold.

49. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a device, cause the device to at least perform the method according to any one of claims 17 to 25.

50. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a device, cause the device to at least perform the method of any one of claims 26 to 32.

51. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 17 to 25.

52. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 26 to 32.

53. An apparatus comprising one or more circuits configured to perform the method of any one of claims 17 to 25.

54. An apparatus comprising one or more circuits configured to perform the method of any one of claims 26 to 32.

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