Method and apparatus for wireless communication

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for wireless communication. The method comprises: identifying, by the UE, operation in a broadband mode and support for one of a coverage enhancement mode A or a coverage enhancement mode B; identifying, by the UE, that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by the network entity, where identifying operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by the network entity, including receiving, from the network entity, an indication that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted; identifying, by the UE, for an initial registration request to the network entity, a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer associated with operation in broadband mode and support for coverage enhancement mode A or coverage enhancement mode B; and applying, by the UE, an NAS timer for sending an initial registration request according to the identified duration based on the identified operation in coverage enhancement mode B being unlimited by the network entity.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with the application date of April 16, 2021, application number 202180027648.6, and invention name "Technology for dynamically adjusting user equipment (UE) of non-access stratum (NAS) timer in wireless communication system".

[0002] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0003] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 011,968, filed on April 17, 2020, entitled “TECHNIQUES FOR USER EQUIPMENT (UE) DYNAMICALLY ADJUSTING A NON-ACCESS STRATUM (NAS) TIMER IN AWIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM,” and U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 232,041, filed on April 15, 2021, entitled “TECHNIQUES FOR USER EQUIPMENT (UE) DYNAMICALLY ADJUSTING A NON-ACCESS STRATUM (NAS) TIMER IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM,” the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0004] Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to a user equipment (UE) that dynamically adjusts a non-access stratum (NAS) timer.

[0005] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, etc. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (such as time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, and single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems.

[0006] These multiple access technologies have been used in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate at a city, country, region, and even global level. For example, the fifth generation (5G) wireless communication technology (which may be referred to as NR) is envisioned to extend and support various use cases and applications associated with current mobile network generations. In certain aspects, 5G communication technologies may include: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), which addresses human-centric use cases for accessing multimedia content, services, and data; ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), which has specific specifications for latency and reliability; and massive machine type communications (mMTC), which may allow for a very large number of connected devices and the transmission of relatively small amounts of non-delay-sensitive information.

[0007] For example, for various communication technologies (such as, but not limited to, NR), certain embodiments may increase transmission speed and flexibility, but may also increase transmission complexity. Therefore, improvements in wireless communication operations may be desirable. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects and is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that will be presented later.

[0009] Example embodiments include a method of wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising determining operation in broadband and support for extended coverage (EC) restrictions. The method may also include identifying a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer based on determining the operation in broadband and the EC restrictions. The method may also include sending an access request message to a network entity to trigger a mobility management process. The method may also include receiving an acceptance message from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of the EC restrictions. The method may also include: applying a duration to the NAS timer based on the acceptance message received from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of the EC restrictions, or a history of EC restrictions for a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographic area; and starting the NAS timer according to the identified duration.

[0010] Another aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include a memory containing instructions and a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to execute the instructions to determine operation in broadband and support for EC restrictions. The processor may also be configured to identify a duration of a NAS timer based on the determination of operation in broadband and EC restrictions. The processor may also be configured to send an access request message to a network entity to trigger a mobility management process. The processor may also be configured to receive an acceptance message from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state for EC restrictions. The processor may also be configured to: apply a duration to the NAS timer based on the acceptance message received from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state for EC restrictions, or a history of EC restrictions for PLMNs in a defined geographic area; and start the NAS timer based on the identified duration.

[0011] Another aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus may include components for determining operation in broadband and support for EC restrictions. The apparatus may also include components for identifying a duration of a NAS timer based on the determination of operation in broadband and EC restrictions. The apparatus may also include components for sending an access request message to a network entity to trigger a mobility management process. The apparatus may also include components for receiving an accept message from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of EC restrictions. The apparatus may also include components for applying a duration to the NAS timer based on the accept message received from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of EC restrictions, or a history of EC restrictions for PLMNs in a defined geographic area; and components for starting the NAS timer based on the identified duration.

[0012] Another aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure may be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium including stored communication instructions, the instructions being executable by a processor to determine operation in broadband and support for EC restrictions. The non-transitory computer-readable medium also includes instructions for identifying a duration for a NAS timer based on the determination of operation in broadband and EC restrictions. The non-transitory computer-readable medium also includes instructions for sending an access request message to a network entity to trigger a mobility management process, and receiving an accept message from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state for EC restrictions. The non-transitory computer-readable medium also includes instructions for applying a duration to the NAS timer based on the accept message received from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state for EC restrictions, or a history of EC restrictions for PLMNs in a defined geographic area. The non-transitory computer-readable medium also includes instructions for starting the NAS timer based on the identified duration.

[0013] Another aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE). The method may include: identifying, by the UE, operation in broadband mode and support for one of coverage enhancement mode A or coverage enhancement mode B; identifying, by the UE, that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by a network entity, wherein identifying that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by the network entity includes receiving an indication from the network entity that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted; identifying, by the UE, for an initial registration request to the network entity, a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer associated with operation in broadband mode and support for coverage enhancement mode A or coverage enhancement mode B; and applying, by the UE, the NAS timer according to the identified duration for sending the initial registration request based on identifying that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by the network entity.

[0014] Another aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus includes: a transceiver; a memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to: identify operation in wideband mode and support for one of coverage enhancement mode A or coverage enhancement mode B; identify that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by a network entity, wherein to identify that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by a network entity, the at least one processor is further configured to receive an indication from the network entity that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted; for an initial registration request to the network entity, identify a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer associated with operation in wideband mode and support for coverage enhancement mode A or coverage enhancement mode B; and based on the operation in coverage enhancement mode B being not restricted by a network entity, apply the NAS timer according to the identified duration for sending the initial registration request.

[0015] Yet another aspect of the subject matter described in the present disclosure can be implemented in an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus includes: means for identifying operation in wideband mode and support for one of coverage enhancement mode A or coverage enhancement mode B; means for identifying that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by a network entity, including means for receiving an indication from the network entity that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted; means for identifying a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer associated with operation in wideband mode and support for coverage enhancement mode A or coverage enhancement mode B for an initial registration request to the network entity; and means for applying the NAS timer for sending the initial registration request according to the identified duration based on the operation in coverage enhancement mode B not being restricted by the network entity.

[0016] To accomplish the foregoing and related ends, one or more aspects comprise the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the accompanying drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative features of one or more aspects. However, these features are indicative of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the various aspects may be employed, and this description is intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 The figure illustrates an example of a wireless communication system.

[0018] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a network entity (also referred to as a base station).

[0019] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a user equipment (UE).

[0020] Figure 4 Figure 1 is an example communication flow between a UE and a network entity (e.g., gNB) for an initial access attempt to a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN).

[0021] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an example method of wireless communication at a UE.

[0022] Figure 6 is a flow chart of an example method of wireless communication at a UE.

[0023] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communication system including a base station and UEs.

[0024] Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Various aspects will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of one or more aspects. However, it will be apparent that such aspects may be practiced without these specific details.

[0026] The described features generally relate to a user equipment (UE) that dynamically adjusts the duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer. Specifically, a UE operating under category extended coverage (EC) can operate in at least two modes, for example, EC Mode A or EC Mode B. Coverage enhancement or EC can be achieved through transmission repetition according to one of two defined modes - EC Mode A or EC Mode B. For example, in typical 4G operation, each transmission may span 1 millisecond, but in EC mode, each transmission may be repeated tens, hundreds, or even thousands of times to improve the chance of a successful transmission. EC Mode A can be optimized for moderate coverage enhancement, with no or a small number of repeated transmissions, while EC Mode B provides deeper coverage by allowing a large number of repeated transmissions. Unrestricted EC operation will allow the UE to operate according to one of EC Modes A or B. Restricted EC operation will not allow the UE to operate according to one or both of EC Modes A and / or B.

[0027] If the UE supports EC Mode B, the UE may operate in Wideband (WB)-S1 mode and the UE's usage setting may not be set to voice centric. The UE may apply extended NAS timer values ​​to cover slow network responses in such deployments (i.e., WB-S1 or WB-N1). Examples of extended NAS timer durations at the UE include "T3410" set to 85 seconds for sending an Attach request, and "T3430" set to 77 seconds for sending a Tracking Area Update (TAU) request. Although the UE may support EC Mode B, the network may still determine to restrict EC Mode B to a number of UEs. For example, the UE may indicate support for restricted use of EC by setting "RestrictEC" to "Supported" in the UE Network Capability Information Element (IE) of an Attach or TAU Request message. The network may allow use of EC by sending an Attach or TAU Accept message with the setting of "RestrictEC" included in the Evolved Packet System (EPS) Network Feature Support IE. However, in some cases, the UE may trigger the initial access procedure without knowing whether access to EC mode is allowed or restricted for a particular PLMN. The UE may typically use this information to set the duration of one or more NAS timers. Without this information, the UE may not be able to accurately set the duration of the NAS timers, resulting in initial access failure.

[0028] Thus, the present disclosure includes methods, apparatus, and non-statutory computer-readable media for wireless communication at a UE, including: determining operation in broadband and support for EC restrictions; identifying a duration of a NAS timer based on determining the operation in broadband and the EC restrictions; sending an access request message to a network entity to trigger a mobility management process; receiving an accept message from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of the EC restrictions; applying a duration to a NAS timer based on the accept message received from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of the EC restrictions or a history of EC restrictions for a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographic area; and starting the NAS timer according to the identified duration.

[0029] As used in this application, the terms "component," "module," "system," and the like are intended to include computer-related entities such as, but not limited to, hardware, software, a combination of hardware and software, or software in execution. For example, a component can be, but is not limited to, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable file, an execution thread, a program, or a computer. By way of illustration, both applications running on a computing device and a computing device can be components. One or more components can reside in a process or execution thread, and a component can be located on one computer or distributed between two or more computers. In addition, these components can be executed from various computer-readable media having various data structures stored thereon. Components can communicate via local or remote processes, such as based on signals having one or more data packets, such as data from a component that interacts via signals with another component in a local system, in a distributed system, or across a network, such as the Internet with other systems. Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

[0030] The technology described herein can be used in various wireless communication systems, such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA, and other systems. The terms "system" and "network" are generally used interchangeably. A CDMA system can implement radio technologies such as CDMA2000 and Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA). CDMA2000 covers IS-2000, IS-95, and IS-856 standards. IS-2000 versions 0 and A are often referred to as CDMA2000 1X, 1X, etc. IS-856 (TIA-856) is often referred to as CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, High Rate Packet Data (HRPD), etc. UTRA includes Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) and other variants of CDMA. A TDMA system can implement radio technologies such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). OFDMA systems can implement radio technologies such as Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB), Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, Flash-OFDM, and the like. UTRA and E-UTRA are parts of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) are new versions of UMTS that use E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE, LTE-A, and GSM are described in documents from an organization called the "3rd Generation Partnership Project" (3GPP). CDMA2000 and UMB are described in documents from an organization called the "3rd Generation Partnership Project 2" (3GPP2). The technology described herein can be used for the above systems and radio technologies as well as other systems and radio technologies, including cellular (such as LTE) communications on shared radio frequency spectrum bands. However, for purposes of example, the following description describes an LTE / LTE-A system, and LTE terminology is used in much of the description below, although the techniques are applicable beyond LTE / LTE-A applications (such as fifth generation (5G) NR networks or other next generation communication systems).

[0031] The following description provides examples, but is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or examples set forth in the claims. The functions and arrangements of the elements discussed may be changed without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Various examples may omit, replace, or add various processes or components as appropriate. For example, the described methods may be performed in an order different from that described, and individual steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Similarly, features described with respect to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0032] Various aspects or features will be presented in terms of systems, which may include a number of devices, components, modules, etc. It should be understood and appreciated that the various systems may include additional devices, components, modules, etc., or may not include all of the devices, components, modules, etc. discussed in connection with the figures. Combinations of these approaches may also be used.

[0033] Figure 1 The figure illustrates an example of a wireless communication system. The wireless communication system (also referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN)) includes an access network 100, a base station 102, a UE 104, an evolved packet core (EPC) 160 or a 5G core (5GC) 190. The base station 102 (also referred to as a network entity) may include a macro cell (a high-power cellular base station) or a small cell (a low-power cellular base station). A macro cell may include a base station. A small cell may include a femto cell, a pico cell, and a micro cell. In an example, as further described herein, the base station 102 may also include a gNB 180.

[0034] In one example, as described herein, certain nodes, such as base station 102 / gNB 180, can have a modem 240 and a communication component 242 for performing an initial access procedure with UE 104 for accessing a PLMN when UE 104 is unaware of EC mode restrictions. Although base station 102 / gNB 180 is shown as having modem 240 and communication component 242, this is an illustrative example, and substantially any node can include modem 240 and communication component 242 to provide the corresponding functionality described herein.

[0035] In another example, as described herein, certain nodes (such as UE 104 of a wireless communication system) can have a modem 340 and a communication component 342 for operations including: determining that information associated with EC restrictions for a PLMN of a current service coverage area does not exist; identifying a duration of a NAS timer based on determining that information associated with EC restrictions for the PLMN does not exist; sending an access request message to a network entity associated with the PLMN to trigger a mobility management process; and, in response to sending the access request message to the network entity, starting the NAS timer according to the identified duration. Although UE 104 is shown as having a modem 340 and a communication component 342, this is an illustrative example, and substantially any node or node type can include a modem 340 and a communication component 342 to provide the corresponding functionality described herein.

[0036] A base station 102 configured for 4G LTE (which may be collectively referred to as an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)) may interface with the EPC 160 via a backhaul link 132 (such as using an S1 interface). A base station 102 configured for 5G NR (which may be collectively referred to as a Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN)) may interface with the 5GC 190 via a backhaul link 184. The base station 102 may perform one or more of the following functions, among other things: delivery of user data, radio channel encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (such as handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection establishment and release, load balancing, non-access stratum (NAS) message distribution, NAS node selection, synchronization, radio access network (RAN) sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment tracking, RAN information management (RIM), paging, positioning, and delivery of warning messages. The base stations 102 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (such as through the EPC 160 or 5GC 190) via backhaul links 134 (such as using an X2 interface). The backhaul links 132, 134, or 184 may be wired or wireless.

[0037] Base station 102 can communicate wirelessly with one or more UEs 104. Each of base stations 102 can provide communication coverage for a corresponding geographic coverage area 110. There may be overlapping geographic coverage areas 110. For example, a small cell 102' can have a coverage area 110' that overlaps with the coverage area 110 of one or more macro base stations 102. A network that includes both small cells and macro cells can be referred to as a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network can also include a home evolved Node B (eNB) (HeNB), which can provide services to a restricted group that can be referred to as a closed subscriber group (CSG). The communication link 120 between base station 102 and UE 104 can include an uplink (UL) (also known as a reverse link) transmission from UE 104 to base station 102 or a downlink (DL) (also known as a forward link) transmission from base station 102 to UE 104. The communication link 120 can use multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, or transmit diversity. The communication link can be over one or more carriers. Base station 102 / UE 104 can use spectrum with a bandwidth of up to Y MHz (such as 5, 10, 15, 20, 100, 400, etc. MHz) per carrier allocated for transmission in the DL or UL direction in a carrier aggregation of up to a total of Yx MHz (such as for x component carriers). The carriers may or may not be adjacent to each other. The allocation of carriers may be asymmetric with respect to DL and UL (such as more or fewer carriers may be allocated for DL ​​than for UL). Component carriers may include a primary component carrier and one or more secondary component carriers. The primary component carrier may be referred to as a primary cell (PCell) and the secondary component carrier may be referred to as a secondary cell (SCell).

[0038] In another example, some UEs 104 can communicate with each other using a device-to-device (D2D) communication link 158. The D2D communication link 158 can use the DL / UL WWAN spectrum. The D2D communication link 158 can use one or more sidelink channels, such as a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), and a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH). The D2D communication can be carried out through various wireless D2D communication systems, such as, for example, FlashLinQ, WiMedia, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Wi-Fi based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, LTE, or NR.

[0039] The wireless communication system may also include a Wi-Fi access point (AP) 150 that communicates with a Wi-Fi station (STA) 152 in the 5 GHz unlicensed frequency spectrum via a communication link 154. When communicating in the unlicensed frequency spectrum, the STA 152 / AP 150 may perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) to determine whether the channel is available before communicating.

[0040] Small cell 102' can operate in licensed or unlicensed frequency spectrum. When operating in unlicensed frequency spectrum, small cell 102' can adopt NR and use the same 5 GHz unlicensed frequency spectrum used by Wi-Fi AP 150. Small cell 102' adopting NR in unlicensed frequency spectrum can improve coverage of access network or increase capacity of access network.

[0041] Base station 102, whether a small cell 102' or a large cell (such as a macro base station), may include an eNB, gNodeB (gNB), or other types of base stations. Some base stations, such as gNB 180, may operate in the traditional sub-6 GHz (sub-6 GHz) spectrum, millimeter wave (mmW) frequencies, or near-mmW frequencies to communicate with UE 104. When gNB 180 operates in mmW or near-mmW frequencies, gNB 180 may be referred to as a mmW base station. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is the RF portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. EHF ranges from 30 GHz to 300 GHz, with wavelengths between 1 mm and 10 mm. Radio waves in this band may be referred to as millimeter waves. Near-mmW can extend down to frequencies of 3 GHz and wavelengths of 100 mm. The super-high frequency (SHF) band extends between 3 GHz and 30 GHz and is also known as centimeter waves. Communications using the mmW / near-mmW radio frequency bands have extremely high path loss and short range. The mmW base station, which may correspond to a gNB 180, may utilize beamforming 182 with the UE 104 to compensate for the extremely high path loss and short distance. The base station 102 mentioned herein may include the gNB 180.

[0042] EPC 160 may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 162, other MMEs 164, a Serving Gateway 166, a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Gateway 168, a Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) 170, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway 172. MME 162 may communicate with a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 174. MME 162 is a control node that handles signaling between UE 104 and EPC 160. Generally, MME 162 provides bearer and connection management. All user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are delivered through Serving Gateway 166, which itself is connected to PDN Gateway 172. PDN Gateway 172 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. PDN Gateway 172 and BM-SC 170 are connected to IP Services 176. IP Services 176 may include the Internet, an intranet, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), PS streaming services, or other IP services. The BM-SC 170 may provide functionality for MBMS user service provisioning and delivery. The BM-SC 170 may serve as an entry point for content provider MBMS transmissions, may be used to authorize and initiate MBMS bearer services within a public land mobile network (PLMN), and may be used to schedule MBMS transmissions. The MBMS gateway 168 may be used to distribute MBMS services to base stations 102 belonging to a multicast broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) area broadcasting a specific service, and may be responsible for session management (start / stop) and collecting eMBMS-related billing information.

[0043] 5GC 190 may include an access and mobility management function (AMF) 192, other AMFs 193, a session management function (SMF) 194, and a user plane function (UPF) 195. AMF 192 may communicate with a unified data management (UDM) 196. AMF 192 may be a control node that handles signaling between UE 104 and 5GC 190. Typically, AMF 192 may provide QoS flow and session management. User Internet Protocol (IP) packets (such as from one or more UEs 104) may be passed through UPF 195. UPF 195 may provide UE IP address allocation for one or more UEs, as well as other functions. UPF 195 is connected to IP services 197. IP services 197 may include the Internet, an intranet, an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), a PS streaming service, or other IP services.

[0044] A base station may also be referred to as a gNB, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), an access point, a base transceiver station, a radio base station, a radio transceiver, a transceiver function, a basic service set (BSS), an extended service set (ESS), a transmit reception point (TRP), or some other suitable terminology. Base station 102 provides an access point to EPC 160 or 5GC 190 for UE 104. Examples of UE 104 include cellular phones, smartphones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), satellite radios, positioning systems (such as satellite, terrestrial), multimedia devices, video devices, digital audio players (such as MP3 players), cameras, game consoles, tablets, smart devices, robots, drones, industrial / manufacturing equipment, wearable devices (such as smart watches, smart clothing, smart glasses, virtual reality goggles, smart wristbands, smart jewelry (such as smart rings, smart bracelets)), vehicles / onboard equipment, meters (such as parking meters, electricity meters, gas meters, water meters, flow meters), gas pumps, large or small kitchen appliances, medical / healthcare equipment, implants, sensors / actuators, displays, or any other similarly functional device. Some of UE 104 may be referred to as IoT devices (such as meters, pumps, monitors, cameras, industrial / manufacturing equipment, appliances, vehicles, robots, drones, etc.). IoT UEs may include MTC / enhanced MTC (eMTC, also known as CAT-M, CatM1) UEs, NB-IoT (also known as CAT NB1) UEs, and other types of UEs. In the present disclosure, eMTC and NB-IoT may refer to future technologies that may evolve from or be based on these technologies. For example, eMTC may include FeMTC (further eMTC), eFeMTC (enhanced further eMTC), mMTC (massive MTC), etc., while NB-IoT may include eNB-IoT (enhanced NB-IoT), FeNB-IoT (further enhanced NB-IoT), etc. UE 104 may also be referred to as a station, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handheld device, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terminology.

[0045] Now turn Figure 2-Figure 7 , aspects are depicted with reference to one or more components and one or more methods that can perform the actions or operations described herein, where aspects in dashed lines may be optional. Figure 5 and Figure 6The operations described in the foregoing are presented in a particular order or as being performed by example components, but it should be understood that the order of actions and the components performing the actions may vary depending on the implementation. Furthermore, it should be understood that the following actions, functions, or components described may be performed by a specially programmed processor, a processor executing specially programmed software or computer-readable media, or by any other combination of hardware components or software components capable of performing the described actions or functions.

[0046] Figure 2 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a network entity (also referred to as a base station). Base station 102 (such as base station 102 or gNB 180, as described above) may include various components, some of which are described above and further described herein, including components such as one or more processors 212 and memory 216 in communication via one or more buses 244, and transceiver 202, which may operate in conjunction with modem 240 or communication component 242 for performing an initial access procedure with UE 104 for accessing a PLMN when UE 104 is unaware of EC mode restrictions.

[0047] In some aspects, the one or more processors 212 may include the modem 240 or may be part of the modem 240 using one or more modem processors. Thus, various functions associated with the communication component 242 may be included in the modem 240 or the processor 212 and, in some aspects, may be performed by a single processor, while in other aspects, different functions may be performed by a combination of two or more different processors. For example, in some aspects, the one or more processors 212 may include any one or any combination of a modem processor, a baseband processor, a digital signal processor, a transmit processor, a receiver processor, or a transceiver processor associated with the transceiver 202. In other aspects, some of the features of the one or more processors 212 or the modem 240 associated with the communication component 242 may be performed by the transceiver 202.

[0048] Likewise, the memory 216 can be configured to store local versions of data or applications 275 used herein, or one or more of the communication component 242 or its subcomponents executed by the at least one processor 212. The memory 216 can include any type of computer-readable medium usable by a computer or the at least one processor 212, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), tape, magnetic disk, optical disk, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and any combination thereof. In certain aspects, for example, when the base station 102 is operating the at least one processor 212 to execute one or more of the communication component 242 or its subcomponents, the memory 216 can be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores one or more computer-executable codes defining one or more of the communication component 242 or its subcomponents, or data associated therewith.

[0049] The transceiver 202 may include at least one receiver 206 and at least one transmitter 208. The receiver 206 may include hardware or software executable by a processor to receive data or code, the code comprising instructions and stored in memory (such as a computer-readable medium). The receiver 206 may be, for example, a radio frequency (RF) receiver. In certain aspects, the receiver 206 may receive signals transmitted by at least one base station 102. In addition, the receiver 206 may process such received signals and may also obtain signal measurements such as, but not limited to, Ec / Io, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), reference signal received power (RSRP), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), etc. The transmitter 208 may include hardware or software executable by a processor to transmit data or code, the code comprising instructions and stored in memory (such as a computer-readable medium). Suitable examples of the transmitter 208 may include, but are not limited to, an RF transmitter.

[0050] Furthermore, in certain aspects, the base station 102 can include an RF front end 288 that can operate in communication with one or more antennas 265 and the transceiver 202 for receiving and transmitting radio transmissions, such as wireless communications transmitted by at least one base station 102 or wireless transmissions transmitted by the UE 104. The RF front end 288 can be connected to the one or more antennas 265 and can include one or more low noise amplifiers (LNAs) 290, one or more switches 292, one or more power amplifiers (PAs) 298, and one or more filters 296 for transmitting and receiving RF signals. The antenna 265 can include one or more antennas, antenna elements, or antenna arrays.

[0051] In some aspects, the LNAs 290 can amplify received signals at a desired output level. In some aspects, each LNA 290 can have specified minimum and maximum gain values. In some aspects, the RF front end 288 can use one or more switches 292 to select a particular LNA 290 and its specified gain value based on the desired gain value for a particular application.

[0052] Furthermore, for example, one or more PAs 298 can be used by the RF front end 288 to amplify the signal for RF output at a desired output power level. In some aspects, each PA 298 can have a specified minimum and maximum gain value. In some aspects, the RF front end 288 can use one or more switches 292 to select a particular PA 298 and its specified gain value based on the desired gain value for a particular application.

[0053] Similarly, for example, one or more filters 296 may be used by the RF front end 288 to filter a received signal to obtain an input RF signal. Similarly, in some aspects, for example, a corresponding filter 296 may be used to filter the output from a corresponding PA 298 to produce an output signal for transmission. In some aspects, each filter 296 may be connected to a specific LNA 290 or PA 298. In some aspects, the RF front end 288 may use one or more switches 292 to select a transmit or receive path using a specific filter 296, LNA 290, or PA 298 based on a configuration specified by the transceiver 202 or the processor 212.

[0054] As such, the transceiver 202 can be configured to transmit and receive wireless signals via the RF front end 288 through one or more antennas 265. In certain aspects, the transceiver can be tuned to operate at a specified frequency so that the UE 104 can communicate with, for example, one or more base stations 102 or one or more cells associated with one or more base stations 102. In certain aspects, the modem 240 can configure the transceiver 202 to operate at a specified frequency and power level based on, for example, the UE configuration of the UE 104 and the communication protocol used by the modem 240.

[0055] In some aspects, the modem 240 can be a multi-band multi-mode modem that can process digital data and communicate with the transceiver 202, thereby sending and receiving digital data using the transceiver 202. In some aspects, the modem 240 can be multi-band and configured to support multiple frequency bands for a specific communication protocol. In some aspects, the modem 240 can be multi-mode and configured to support multiple operating networks and communication protocols. In some aspects, the modem 240 can control one or more components of the UE 104 (such as the RF front end 288, the transceiver 202) to enable the transmission and / or reception of signals from the network based on a specified modem configuration. In some aspects, the modem configuration can be based on the mode of the modem and the frequency band used. In another aspect, the modem configuration can be based on UE configuration information associated with the UE 104 provided by the network during cell selection or cell reselection.

[0056] In some aspects, the processor(s) 212 may correspond to a processor in conjunction with Figure 4 and Figure 6 Similarly, the memory 216 may correspond to one or more of the processors described in the UE. Figure 7 The memory described by the UE in .

[0057] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a UE 104. The UE 104 may include various components, some of which are described above and further described herein, including components such as one or more processors 312 and memory 316 in communication via one or more buses 344, and a transceiver 302, which may operate in conjunction with a modem 340 or communication component 342 configured to perform an initial access procedure for accessing a PLMN without knowledge of EC mode restrictions.

[0058] The transceiver 302, receiver 306, transmitter 308, one or more processors 312, memory 316, applications 375, bus 344, RF front end 388, LNA 390, switch 392, filter 396, PA 398, and one or more antennas 365 may be the same as or similar to corresponding components of the base station 102 described above, but configured or otherwise programmed for base station operations as opposed to base station operations.

[0059] In some aspects, the processor(s) 312 may correspond to a processor in conjunction with Figure 7 Similarly, the memory 316 may correspond to one or more of the processors described in the base station in the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 The memory of the base station description in.

[0060] Figure 4 is an example communication flow between a UE and a network entity (e.g., an eNB or gNB) for an initial access attempt to a PLMN. For the initial access attempt to a PLMN, without knowing whether EC Mode B is allowed or restricted in the PLMN, the UE 104 may trigger an attach procedure or a TAU procedure depending on the EPS Mobility Management (EMM) status by sending an Attach Request message to the gNB 102. For the initial access attempt to a PLMN when the UE 104 is not aware of the PLMN restriction, the UE may set the NAS timer to a restricted value (e.g., 15 seconds) or an unrestricted value (85 seconds). Figure 4 As shown, if the UE does not receive any indication of EC Mode B restrictions for the PLMN, the UE can determine the timer duration value of T3410. In addition, if the network triggers other procedures (e.g., authentication), the UE can also determine the timer duration value of the corresponding NAS timer. In some embodiments, the network can indicate the status of EC Mode B restrictions. In such cases, the UE can set the NAS timer accordingly. For example, as shown in T3430, the UE sets the NAS timer during T3430 based on network feedback.

[0061] In certain embodiments, when the UE is unaware of the EC Mode B restriction for the PLMN, the UE may set the NAS timer to any of several duration values. In a first embodiment, without any knowledge that the PLMN restricts EC Mode B, the UE may set the NAS timer to a restricted value (e.g., 5-15 seconds). The result may be that if the PLMN does not restrict EC Mode B for the UE, then the initial NAS procedure may take longer to complete due to the delays inherent in EC Mode B access, which in turn may affect the completion of the NAS procedure.

[0062] In a second embodiment, the UE may set the NAS timer to a timer value between a restricted value (e.g., 5-15 seconds) and an unrestricted value (e.g., 85 seconds) based on not knowing the EC Mode B restriction by the PLMN. In a third embodiment, the UE may set the NAS timer to an unrestricted value (e.g., 85 seconds) without any knowledge about the PLMN restricting EC Mode B. However, by doing so, if the PLMN restricts EC Mode B for the UE, then in some cases the UE may have to wait longer than usual for a network response. In a fourth embodiment, the UE may store or maintain a history of the PLMN or other PLMNs in the same country (or geographic area or MCC) regarding the behavior of EC Mode B restrictions for the UE. The UE may use the historical data to predict possible outcomes for the new PLMN and set the NAS timer accordingly.

[0063] During an initial access attempt using an attach or TAU procedure, the network may trigger an authentication procedure such that several NAS timers may be configured as follows: T3416 for storing RAND / RES: duration set by the UE to 48 seconds (compared to the original value set by the network to 30 seconds), T3418 for authentication failure (MAC): duration set by the UE to 38 seconds (compared to the original value set by the network to 20 seconds), and / or T3420 for authentication failure (synchronization): duration set by the UE to 33 seconds (compared to the original value set by the network to 15 seconds).

[0064] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an example method 500 of wireless communication at an apparatus of a UE. In an example, the UE 104 may use Figure 1 、 Figure 3 and Figure 7 One or more of the components described in the method 500 may be used to perform the functions described in the method 500.

[0065] At block 502, method 500 may determine operation in broadband and support for EC restrictions for PLMNs currently serving coverage areas. In certain aspects, communication component 342 (such as in conjunction with processor(s) 312, memory 316, or transceiver 302) may be configured to determine operation in broadband and support for EC restrictions for PLMNs currently serving coverage areas. Thus, UE 104, processor(s) 312, communication component 342, or one of its subcomponents may define components for determining operation in broadband and support for EC restrictions for PLMNs currently serving coverage areas. For example, processor 312 of UE 104 (which may be in conjunction with one or more applications 375 residing at memory 316) may determine operation in broadband (i.e., WB-N1) and support for EC restrictions (i.e., CE Mode B) based on UE configuration.

[0066] In certain embodiments, the EC limit may correspond to an EC Mode B limit.

[0067] At block 504, method 500 may identify a duration of a NAS timer based on determining operation in wideband and support for EC restrictions for a PLMN. In certain aspects, communication component 342 (such as in conjunction with processor(s) 312, memory 316, or transceiver 302) may be configured to identify a duration of a NAS timer based on determining operation in wideband and support for EC restrictions for a PLMN. Thus, UE 104, processor(s) 312, communication component 342, or one of their subcomponents may define means for identifying a duration of a NAS timer based on determining operation in wideband and support for EC restrictions for a PLMN. For example, using information related to wideband operation and EC restrictions, processor 312 of UE 104 (which may be in conjunction with one or more applications 375 resident at memory 316) may identify a duration of a NAS timer.

[0068] In certain embodiments, method 500 may apply an initial duration of a NAS timer corresponding to a configured length of time set by the UE prior to receiving an accept message from a network entity, in the absence of an indication of an EC restriction from the network entity, and wherein the initial duration is less than the identified duration. In certain aspects, communication component 342 (such as in conjunction with processor(s) 312, memory 316, or transceiver 302) may be configured to apply an initial duration of a NAS timer corresponding to a configured length of time set by the UE prior to receiving an accept message from the network entity, in the absence of an indication of an EC restriction from the network entity, and wherein the initial duration is less than the identified duration. Thus, UE 104, processor(s) 312, communication component 342, or one of their subcomponents may define means for applying an initial duration of a NAS timer corresponding to a configured length of time set by the UE prior to receiving an accept message from the network entity, in the absence of an indication of an EC restriction from the network entity, and wherein the initial duration is less than the identified duration.

[0069] At block 506, method 500 may send an access request message to a network entity associated with the PLMN to trigger a mobility management procedure or a service request procedure. In certain aspects, communication component 342 (such as in conjunction with processor(s) 312, memory 316, or transceiver 302) may be configured to send an access request message to a network entity associated with the PLMN to trigger a mobility management procedure or a service request procedure. Thus, UE 104, processor(s) 312, communication component 342, or one of their subcomponents may define means for sending an access request message to a network entity associated with the PLMN to trigger a mobility management procedure or a service request procedure. For example, processor 312 of UE 104 may activate transceiver 302 and associated RF front end 388 components to send an access request message to a network entity associated with the PLMN to trigger a mobility management procedure or a service request procedure.

[0070] In some embodiments, the access request message may correspond to one of an attach request message, an authentication response message, an authentication failure message, a TAU request message, a mobility registration message, an initial registration request, or a service request message.

[0071] At block 508, method 500 may initiate a NAS timer based on the identified duration in response to sending the access request message to the network entity. In certain aspects, communication component 342 (such as in conjunction with processor(s) 312, memory 316, or transceiver 302) may be configured to initiate a NAS timer based on the identified duration in response to sending the access request message to the network entity. Thus, UE 104, processor(s) 312, communication component 342, or one of their subcomponents may define means for initiating a NAS timer based on the identified duration in response to sending the access request message to the network entity. For example, using the identified duration, processor 312 of UE 104 (which may be in conjunction with one or more applications 375 residing at memory 316) may initiate a NAS timer.

[0072] At block 510, method 500 may receive an accept message from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of an EC restriction during a mobility management procedure. In certain aspects, communication component 342 (such as in conjunction with processor(s) 312, memory 316, or transceiver 302) may be configured to receive an accept message from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of an EC restriction. Thus, UE 104, processor(s) 312, communication component 342, or one of their subcomponents may define means for receiving an accept message from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of an EC restriction. For example, processor 312 of UE 104 may activate transceiver 302 and associated RF front end 388 components to receive an accept message from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of an EC restriction during a mobility management procedure.

[0073] In certain aspects, the unrestricted state may indicate that usage of enhanced coverage is not restricted, or that CE Mode B is not restricted.

[0074] At block 512, method 500 may update the duration of the NAS timer based on the unrestricted or restricted status of the EC restriction received from the network entity. In certain aspects, communication component 342 (such as in conjunction with processor(s) 312, memory 316, or transceiver 302) may be configured to update or apply the duration of the NAS timer based on the unrestricted or restricted status of the EC restriction received from the network entity. Thus, UE 104, processor(s) 312, communication component 342, or one of their subcomponents may define means for updating the duration of the NAS timer based on the unrestricted or restricted status of the EC restriction received from the network entity. For example, processor 312 of UE 104 (which may be in conjunction with one or more applications 375 residing at memory 316) may update the duration of the NAS timer based on the unrestricted or restricted status of the EC restriction received from the network entity, or based on a history of EC restrictions for public land mobile networks (PLMNs) in a defined geographic area.

[0075] Figure 6 is used to combine Figure 5 Flowchart of further example implementation of wireless communication of . In the example, UE 104 may use Figure 1 、 Figure 3 and Figure 7 One or more of the components described in the method 500 may be used to perform the functions described in the method 500.

[0076] At block 602, to identify the duration of a NAS timer for a mobility management procedure, method 500 may set the duration of the NAS timer to a different value between a first value (e.g., 15 seconds) corresponding to an indication or confirmation of EC restriction (i.e., restriction on the use of EC), a second value corresponding to an indication of EC restriction, and a third value (e.g., 85 seconds) corresponding to an indication of unrestricted EC, or a third value corresponding to an indication or confirmation of unrestricted EC. For a service request procedure, the NAS timer is set to a duration based on prior knowledge of EC restriction on the current serving PLMN.

[0077] In certain aspects, the communication component 342 (such as in conjunction with the processor(s) 312, the memory 316, or the transceiver 302) can be configured to identify a duration of the NAS timer, and the method 500 can set the duration of the NAS timer to a different value between a first value corresponding to an indication of EC restriction (e.g., 15 seconds), a second value corresponding to an indication of EC restriction, and a third value corresponding to an indication of unrestricted EC (e.g., 85 seconds), or the third value corresponding to an indication of unrestricted EC.

[0078] Thus, the UE 104, the processor(s) 312, the communication component 342, or one of their subcomponents may define means for identifying a duration of the NAS timer, and the method 500 may set the duration of the NAS timer to a different value between a first value corresponding to an indication of EC restriction (e.g., 15 seconds), a second value corresponding to an indication of EC restriction, and a third value corresponding to an indication of unrestricted EC (e.g., 85 seconds), or the third value corresponding to an indication of unrestricted EC.

[0079] Implementations of blocks 604 to 608 relate to when the duration of the NAS timer is based on past EC restrictions of a PLMN and / or a dissimilar PLMN in a defined geographic area, and the defined geographic area includes the PLMN and the dissimilar PLMN. For example, the PLMN and the dissimilar PLMN may be part of or provide coverage within similar countries.

[0080] At block 604, method 500 may determine the number of EC restrictions for different PLMNs. In certain aspects, communication component 342 (such as in conjunction with processor(s) 312, memory 316, or transceiver 302) may be configured to determine the number of EC restrictions for different PLMNs. Thus, UE 104, processor(s) 312, communication component 342, or one of their subcomponents may define means for determining the number of EC restrictions for different PLMNs. For example, the number of EC restrictions may be a count of EC restrictions applied to the UE by a PLMN or different PLMNs for operation in EC mode B. The count may also represent a percentage or probability of EC restrictions based on a previous total number of EC restrictions and a total number of initial access attempts for a given PLMN, or a function of a previous total number of EC restrictions and a total number of initial access attempts for a given PLMN.

[0081] At block 606, method 500 may determine an EC restriction result for the PLMN based on the number of EC restrictions for different PLMNs. In certain aspects, communication component 342 (such as in conjunction with processor(s) 312, memory 316, or transceiver 302) may be configured to determine an EC restriction result for the PLMN based on the number of EC restrictions for different PLMNs. Thus, UE 104, processor(s) 312, communication component 342, or one of its subcomponents may define means for determining an EC restriction result for the PLMN based on the number of EC restrictions for different PLMNs.

[0082] In certain embodiments, the EC restriction result may correspond to a likelihood of EC restriction by the PLMN based on past EC restrictions of different PLMNs sharing the geographic area.

[0083] At block 608, method 500 may set the duration of the NAS timer based on the EC restriction result. In certain aspects, communication component 342 (such as in conjunction with processor(s) 312, memory 316, or transceiver 302) may be configured to set the duration of the NAS timer based on the EC restriction result. Thus, UE 104, processor(s) 312, communication component 342, or one of their subcomponents may define means for setting the duration of the NAS timer based on the EC restriction result.

[0084] Figure 7 1 is a block diagram of a MIMO communication system 700 including a base station 102 and a UE 104. The MIMO communication system 700 may be configured to implement the NAS timer configuration techniques described herein. The MIMO communication system 700 may illustrate a reference Figure 1 The base station 102 may be a reference to a wireless communication access network 100. Figure 1 7. An example of aspects of base station 102 is depicted. Base station 102 may be equipped with antennas 734 and 735, and UE 104 may be equipped with antennas 752 and 753. In MIMO communication system 700, base station 102 may be able to simultaneously transmit data over multiple communication links. Each communication link may be referred to as a "layer," and the "rank" of a communication link may indicate the number of layers used for communication. For example, in a 2×2 MIMO communication system in which base station 102 transmits two "layers," the rank of the communication link between base station 102 and UE 104 is two.

[0085] At the base station 102, a transmit (Tx) processor 720 may receive data from a data source. The transmit processor 720 may process the data. The transmit processor 720 may also generate control symbols or reference symbols. The transmit MIMO processor 730 may perform spatial processing (such as precoding) on ​​the data symbols, control symbols, or reference symbols, where applicable, and may provide an output symbol stream to transmit modulators / demodulators 732 and 733. Each modulator / demodulator 732 to 733 may process a corresponding output symbol stream (such as for OFDM, etc.) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator / demodulator 732 to 733 may further process the output sample stream (such as converting to analog, amplifying, filtering, and upconverting) to obtain a DL signal. In some examples, the DL signals from the modulators / demodulators 732 and 733 may be transmitted via antennas 734 and 735, respectively.

[0086] UE 104 may be a reference Figure 1 and 2An example of aspects of UE 104 is described. At UE 104, UE antennas 752 and 753 can receive downlink signals from base station 102 and can provide received signals to modulators / demodulators 754 and 755, respectively. Each modulator / demodulator 754 to 755 can condition (such as filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) a corresponding received signal to obtain input samples. Each modulator / demodulator 754 to 755 can further process the input samples (such as for OFDM) to obtain received symbols. A MIMO detector 756 can obtain received symbols from modulators / demodulators 754 and 755, perform MIMO detection on the received symbols where applicable, and provide detected symbols. A receive (Rx) processor 758 can process (such as demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) the detected symbols, provide decoded data for UE 104 to a data output, and provide decoded control information to a processor 780 or memory 782.

[0087] Processor 780 may, under certain circumstances, execute stored instructions to instantiate communication component 242 (see, for example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 ). Processor 740 may, in some cases, execute stored instructions to instantiate communication component 342 (see, for example, Figure 1 and Figure 3 ).

[0088] On the uplink (UL), at the UE 104, a transmit processor 764 may receive and process data from a data source. The transmit processor 764 may also generate reference symbols for a reference signal. The symbols from the transmit processor 764 may be precoded by a transmit MIMO processor 766, if applicable, further processed by the modulators / demodulators 754 and 755 (such as for SC-FDMA, etc.), and transmitted to the base station 102 according to the communication parameters received from the base station 102. At the base station 102, the UL signals from the UE 104 may be received by the antennas 734 and 735, processed by the modulators / demodulators 732 and 733, detected by the MIMO detector 736, if applicable, and further processed by the receive processor 738. The receive processor 738 may provide decoded data to a data output and to the processor 740 or memory 742.

[0089] The components of the UE 104 may be implemented individually or collectively using one or more ASICs adapted to perform some or all applicable functions in hardware. Each of the modules may be a component for performing one or more functions related to the operation of the MIMO communication system 700. Similarly, the components of the base station 102 may be implemented individually or collectively using one or more ASICs adapted to perform some or all applicable functions in hardware. Each of the components may be a component for performing one or more functions related to the operation of the MIMO communication system 700.

[0090] Some additional examples

[0091] Aspects described herein additionally include one or more of the following aspect examples described in the following numbered clauses.

[0092] 1. A method of wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

[0093] Determine operation in broadband and support for Extended Coverage (EC) limits;

[0094] identifying a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer based on determining operational and EC limitations in the broadband;

[0095] Sending an access request message to a network entity to trigger a mobility management process;

[0096] receiving an accept message from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of the EC restriction;

[0097] applying a duration to a NAS timer based on an accept message received from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of EC restriction, or a history of EC restrictions for a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographical area; and

[0098] A NAS timer is started according to the identified duration.

[0099] 2. The method of clause 1, further comprising, prior to receiving the accept message from the network entity, in the absence of an indication of EC restriction from the network entity, applying an initial duration of the NAS timer corresponding to a configured time length set by the UE, and wherein the initial duration is less than the identified duration.

[0100] 3. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the EC limits correspond to EC Mode B limits.

[0101] 4. A method as in any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of the EC restriction.

[0102] 5. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to a timer value between 5 and 15 seconds.

[0103] 6. A method as in any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is set to between a value corresponding to an indication of EC restriction and a value corresponding to an indication of unrestricted EC.

[0104] 7. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to a timer value between 15 seconds and 85 seconds.

[0105] 8. A method as in any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of the non-restricted EC.

[0106] 9. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to 85 seconds.

[0107] 10. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is based on past EC restrictions of a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographical area, and wherein the defined geographical area includes the PLMN and a different PLMN.

[0108] 11. A method according to any preceding clause, further comprising:

[0109] Determine the number of EC restrictions for PLMN;

[0110] determining an EC restriction result for the PLMN based on the number of EC restrictions for the PLMN; and

[0111] The duration of the NAS timer is set according to the EC restriction result.

[0112] 12. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the EC restriction result corresponds to a likelihood of EC restriction by the PLMN based on past EC restrictions of different PLMNs sharing the geographical area.

[0113] 13. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the EC restriction corresponds to enhanced coverage.

[0114] 14. The method of any preceding clause, wherein the access request message corresponds to one of:

[0115] Attach Request message,

[0116] Authentication response message,

[0117] Authentication failure message,

[0118] Tracking Area Update (TAU) request message,

[0119] Mobility Registration message, or

[0120] Initial registration request message.

[0121] 15. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

[0122] transceiver;

[0123] a memory configured to store instructions; and

[0124] at least one processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute instructions to:

[0125] Determine operation in broadband and support for Extended Coverage (EC) limits;

[0126] identifying a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer based on determining operational and EC limitations in the broadband;

[0127] Sending an access request message to a network entity to trigger a mobility management process;

[0128] receiving an accept message from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of the EC restriction;

[0129] applying a duration to a NAS timer based on an accept message received from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of EC restriction, or a history of EC restrictions for a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographical area; and

[0130] A NAS timer is started according to the identified duration.

[0131] 16. An apparatus as in any preceding clause, further comprising applying an initial duration of a NAS timer corresponding to a configured length of time set by the UE in the absence of an indication of EC restriction from the network entity prior to receiving an accept message from the network entity, and wherein the initial duration is less than the identified duration.

[0132] 17. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the EC limits correspond to EC Mode B limits.

[0133] 18. Apparatus as in any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of the EC restriction.

[0134] 19. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to a timer value between 5 and 15 seconds.

[0135] 20. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is set to between a value corresponding to an indication of EC restriction and a value corresponding to an indication of unrestricted EC.

[0136] 21. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to a timer value between 15 seconds and 85 seconds.

[0137] 22. Apparatus as in any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of an unrestricted EC.

[0138] 23. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to 85 seconds.

[0139] 24. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is based on past EC restrictions of a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographical area, and wherein the defined geographical area includes the PLMN and a different PLMN.

[0140] 25. An apparatus according to any preceding clause, further comprising:

[0141] Determine the number of EC restrictions for PLMN;

[0142] determining an EC restriction result for the PLMN based on the number of EC restrictions for the PLMN; and

[0143] The duration of the NAS timer is set according to the EC restriction result.

[0144] 26. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the EC restriction result corresponds to a likelihood of EC restriction by the PLMN based on past EC restrictions of a different PLMN sharing the geographical area.

[0145] 27. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the EC restriction corresponds to enhanced coverage.

[0146] 28. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the access request message corresponds to one of:

[0147] Attach Request message,

[0148] Authentication response message,

[0149] Authentication failure message,

[0150] Tracking Area Update (TAU) request message,

[0151] Mobility Registration message, or

[0152] Initial registration request message.

[0153] 29. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

[0154] Components for determining operation in broadband and support for Extended Coverage (EC) restrictions;

[0155] means for identifying a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer based on determining operating and EC limitations in the broadband;

[0156] means for sending an access request message to a network entity to trigger a mobility management procedure;

[0157] means for receiving an accept message from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of an EC restriction;

[0158] means for applying a duration to a NAS timer based on an accept message received from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of EC restriction, or a history of EC restrictions for a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographical area; and

[0159] Means for starting a NAS timer according to the identified duration.

[0160] 30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code executable by one or more processors to:

[0161] Determine operation in broadband and support for Extended Coverage (EC) limits;

[0162] identifying a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer based on determining operational and EC limitations in the broadband;

[0163] Sending an access request message to a network entity to trigger a mobility management process;

[0164] receiving an accept message from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of the EC restriction;

[0165] applying a duration to a NAS timer based on an accept message received from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of EC restriction, or a history of EC restrictions for a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographical area; and

[0166] A NAS timer is started according to the identified duration.

[0167] 31. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

[0168] Components for determining operation in broadband and support for Extended Coverage (EC) restrictions;

[0169] means for identifying a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer based on determining operating and EC limitations in the broadband;

[0170] means for sending an access request message to a network entity to trigger a mobility management procedure;

[0171] means for receiving an accept message from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of an EC restriction;

[0172] means for applying a duration to a NAS timer based on an accept message received from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of EC restriction, or a history of EC restrictions for a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographical area; and

[0173] Means for starting a NAS timer according to the identified duration.

[0174] 32. The apparatus of clause 31, wherein in the absence of an indication of EC restriction from the network entity, the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to a configured time length set by the UE.

[0175] 33. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the EC limits correspond to EC Mode B limits.

[0176] 34. Apparatus as in any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of the EC restriction.

[0177] 35. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to a timer value between 5 and 15 seconds.

[0178] 36. Apparatus as in any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is set to between a value corresponding to an indication of EC restriction and a value corresponding to an indication of unrestricted EC.

[0179] 37. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to a timer value between 15 seconds and 85 seconds.

[0180] 38. Apparatus as in any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of an unrestricted EC.

[0181] 39. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to 85 seconds.

[0182] 40. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is based on past EC restrictions of a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographical area, and wherein the defined geographical area includes the PLMN and a different PLMN.

[0183] 41. An apparatus according to any preceding clause, further comprising:

[0184] means for determining a number of EC restrictions for a PLMN;

[0185] means for determining an EC restriction result for the PLMN based on the number of EC restrictions for the PLMN; and

[0186] Means for setting the duration of the NAS timer according to the EC restriction result.

[0187] 42. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the EC restriction result corresponds to a likelihood of EC restriction by the PLMN based on past EC restrictions of a different PLMN sharing the geographical area.

[0188] 43. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the EC restriction corresponds to enhanced coverage.

[0189] 44. The apparatus of any preceding clause, wherein the access request message corresponds to one of:

[0190] Attach Request message,

[0191] Authentication response message,

[0192] Authentication failure message,

[0193] Tracking Area Update (TAU) request message,

[0194] Mobility Registration message, or

[0195] Initial registration request message.

[0196] 45. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising stored communications instructions, the instructions executable by a processor to:

[0197] Determine operation in broadband and support for Extended Coverage (EC) limits;

[0198] identifying a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer based on determining operational and EC limitations in the broadband;

[0199] Sending an access request message to a network entity to trigger a mobility management process;

[0200] receiving an accept message from the network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of the EC restriction;

[0201] applying a duration to a NAS timer based on an accept message received from a network entity indicating an unrestricted or restricted state of EC restriction, or a history of EC restrictions for a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographical area; and

[0202] A NAS timer is started according to the identified duration.

[0203] 46. ​​The non-transitory computer-readable medium of clause 45, wherein in the absence of an indication of EC restriction from the network entity, the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to a configured length of time set by the UE.

[0204] 47. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, wherein the EC restriction corresponds to an EC Mode B restriction.

[0205] 48. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of the EC restriction.

[0206] 49. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to a timer value between 5 and 15 seconds.

[0207] 50. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, wherein a duration of the NAS timer is set to between a value corresponding to an indication of EC restriction and a value corresponding to an indication of unrestricted EC.

[0208] 51. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to a timer value between 15 seconds and 85 seconds.

[0209] 52. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, wherein a duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of the unrestricted EC.

[0210] 53. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer corresponds to 85 seconds.

[0211] 54. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, wherein the duration of the NAS timer is based on past EC restrictions of a public land mobile network (PLMN) in a defined geographic area, and wherein the defined geographic area includes the PLMN and a disparate PLMN.

[0212] 55. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, further comprising instructions for:

[0213] Determine the number of EC restrictions for PLMN;

[0214] determining an EC restriction result for the PLMN based on the number of EC restrictions for the PLMN; and

[0215] The duration of the NAS timer is set according to the EC restriction result.

[0216] 56. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, wherein the EC restriction result corresponds to a likelihood of EC restriction by the PLMN based on past EC restrictions of different PLMNs sharing the geographic area.

[0217] 57. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, wherein the EC restriction corresponds to an enhanced coverage.

[0218] 58. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any preceding clause, wherein the access request message corresponds to one of:

[0219] Attach Request message,

[0220] Authentication response message,

[0221] Authentication failure message,

[0222] Tracking Area Update (TAU) request message,

[0223] Mobility Registration message, or

[0224] Initial registration request message.

[0225] As used herein, a phrase referring to "at least one of" a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, "at least one of a, b, or c" is intended to cover: a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, and abc.

[0226] The various illustrative logics, logic blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. The interchangeability of hardware and software has been generally described in terms of functionality and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0227] The hardware and data processing apparatus for implementing the various illustrative logics, logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose single-chip or multi-chip processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some embodiments, specific processes and methods may be performed by circuits specific to a given function.

[0228] In one or more aspects, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, digital electronic circuitry, computer software, firmware (including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents), or any combination thereof. Implementations of the subject matter described in this specification may also be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions, encoded on computer storage media for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus.

[0229] If implemented with software, the function can be stored or sent as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. The process of the method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented in a processor executable software module that can reside on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, and communication media include any media that can be enabled to transfer a computer program from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. As an example and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the required program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer. Similarly, any connection can be appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. The disk and optical disk used herein include compact disk (CD), laser disk, optical disk, digital versatile disk (DVD), floppy disk and blue disc, wherein the disk usually reproduces data magnetically, while the optical disk reproduces data optically with a laser. The combination of the above items should also be included in the scope of computer-readable media. Additionally, the operations of a method or algorithm may reside on a machine-readable medium and a computer-readable medium as one or any combination or set of codes and instructions, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.

[0230] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles, and the novel features disclosed herein.

[0231] In addition, persons skilled in the art will readily understand that the terms "upper" and "lower" are sometimes used for convenience in describing the drawings and indicate relative positioning corresponding to the orientation of the drawings on a correctly oriented page and may not reflect the correct orientation of any device being implemented.

[0232] Certain features described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately in multiple embodiments, or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as functioning in certain combinations, and even initially claimed as such, in some cases one or more features from a claimed combination may be deleted from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or a variation of the subcombination.

[0233] Similarly, although operations are depicted in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order or sequential order shown, or requiring that all illustrated operations be performed to achieve the desired result. In addition, the accompanying drawings may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of flow charts. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the schematically illustrated example processes. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the illustrated operations. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product, or packaged into multiple software products. In addition, other implementations are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in different orders and still achieve the desired result.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: identifying, by the UE, operation in wideband mode and support for one of coverage enhancement mode A or coverage enhancement mode B; identifying, by the UE, that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by a network entity, wherein identifying that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by the network entity comprises receiving an indication from the network entity that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted; identifying, by the UE for an initial registration request to the network entity, a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer associated with operation in wideband mode and support for coverage enhancement mode A or coverage enhancement mode B; and The UE, based on recognizing that the operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by a network entity, applies a NAS timer according to the identified duration for sending an initial registration request.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying that the usage setting does not correspond to a voice-centric setting.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein The duration of the NAS timer is identified during the NAS procedure.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying an initial duration of the NAS timer corresponding to a configured time length set by the UE in the absence of an indication of coverage enhancement restriction from the network entity before receiving an accept message from the network entity, and wherein The initial duration is less than the identified duration.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of coverage enhancement mode B.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein The duration of the NAS timer is set between a value corresponding to an indication of restricted coverage enhancement and a value corresponding to an indication of unlimited coverage enhancement.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein The duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of unlimited coverage enhancement.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein: The duration of the NAS timer corresponds to 85 seconds.

9. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: transceiver; a memory configured to store instructions; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the instructions to: Identify operation in wideband mode and support for either Coverage Enhancement Mode A or Coverage Enhancement Mode B; identifying that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by the network entity, wherein, to identify that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by the network entity, the at least one processor is further configured to receive an indication from the network entity that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted; identifying, for an initial registration request to the network entity, a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer associated with operation in the broadband mode and support for the coverage enhancement mode A or the coverage enhancement mode B; and Based on the fact that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by a network entity, a NAS timer is applied according to the identified duration for sending the initial registration request.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein The at least one processor is further configured to recognize that the usage setting does not correspond to a voice-centric setting.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein The duration of the NAS timer is identified during the NAS procedure.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein The at least one processor is further configured to, prior to receiving an accept message from the network entity, in the absence of an indication of coverage enhancement limitation from the network entity, apply an initial duration of the NAS timer corresponding to a configured time length set by the UE, and wherein the initial duration is less than the identified duration.

13. The device according to claim 9, wherein The duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of coverage enhancement mode B.

14. The device according to claim 9, wherein The duration of the NAS timer is set between a value corresponding to an indication of restricted coverage enhancement and a value corresponding to an indication of unlimited coverage enhancement.

15. The device according to claim 9, wherein The duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of unlimited coverage enhancement.

16. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising means for: means for identifying operation in wideband mode and support for one of coverage enhancement mode A or coverage enhancement mode B; means for identifying that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted by a network entity, comprising means for receiving an indication from the network entity that operation in coverage enhancement mode B is not restricted; means for identifying, for an initial registration request to the network entity, a duration of a non-access stratum (NAS) timer associated with operation in broadband mode and support of coverage enhancement mode A or coverage enhancement mode B; and Means for applying a NAS timer for sending an initial registration request according to the identified duration based on operation in coverage enhancement mode B being unrestricted by a network entity.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for identifying that the usage setting does not correspond to a speech-centric setting.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising means for applying an initial duration of the NAS timer corresponding to a configured time length set by the UE in the absence of an indication of coverage enhancement restriction from the network entity prior to receiving an accept message from the network entity, and wherein The initial duration is less than the identified duration.

19. The device according to claim 16, wherein The duration of the NAS timer is set to a value corresponding to the indication of unlimited coverage enhancement.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein The duration of the NAS timer corresponds to 85 seconds.

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