Base stations, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media that limit access by user equipment with reduced capabilities

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to base stations, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media that limit access by user equipment with reduced capabilities. A base station can limit access by user equipment (UE). The base station broadcasts access restrictions to one or more UEs within a cell coverage area of the base station, where the access restrictions include one or more predetermined criteria that must be satisfied in order to allow the UE to camp on the base station. When the UE satisfies the one or more predetermined criteria, the base station performs a random access channel (RACH) procedure to allow the UE to camp on the base station.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number 202080103678.6, application date August 6, 2020, entitled "Base station, method and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for accessing user equipment with reduced capability". Background Technology

[0002] 5G New Radio (NR) wireless communication supports a variety of user equipment (UEs). For example, in addition to mobile phones, 5G NR supports Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Industrial IoT (IIoT) devices, wearable devices, and more. Some of these devices are referred to as RedCap UEs, which have varying wireless capabilities compared to other UEs. There may be situations where the network wants to treat RedCap UEs differently from other types of UEs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Some exemplary embodiments relate to a base station having a processor and a transceiver communicatively connected to the processor. The processor is configured to perform operations. These operations include: broadcasting access restrictions to one or more user equipment (UEs) within the cell coverage area of ​​the base station, wherein the access restrictions include one or more predetermined criteria that must be met to allow the UE to camp on the base station; and performing a random access channel (RACH) procedure to allow the UE to camp on the base station when the UE meets one or more predetermined criteria.

[0004] Other exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by a base station of a wireless network. The method includes: broadcasting access restrictions to one or more user equipment (UEs) within the cell coverage area of ​​the base station, wherein the access restrictions include one or more predetermined criteria that must be met to allow the UEs to camp on the base station; and when the UEs meet the one or more predetermined criteria, performing a random access channel (RACH) procedure to allow the UEs to camp on the base station.

[0005] Another exemplary implementation relates to a baseband processor configured to perform operations. These operations include: broadcasting access restrictions to one or more user equipment (UEs) within the cell coverage area of ​​a base station, wherein the access restrictions include one or more predetermined criteria that must be met to allow the UE to camp on the base station; and performing a random access channel (RACH) procedure to allow the UE to camp on the base station when the UE meets one or more predetermined criteria. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 Exemplary network arrangements according to various exemplary implementations are shown.

[0007] Figure 2 Exemplary UEs according to various exemplary implementations are shown.

[0008] Figure 3 An exemplary base station configured to establish a connection with user equipment is shown according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0009] Figure 4 This is a signaling diagram illustrating the registration process according to various exemplary embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0010] The exemplary embodiments can be further understood with reference to the following description and related figures, wherein similar elements have the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments describe devices, systems, and methods for using 5G New Radio (NR) networks to restrict access to the network by certain types of user equipment (UEs).

[0011] Exemplary implementations are described with reference to networks including 5G New Radio (NR) radio access technology (RAT). However, the principles described herein can be used to implement exemplary implementations in other types of networks.

[0012] Exemplary embodiments are described with reference to the UE. However, the use of the UE is for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary embodiments can be used with any electronic component capable of establishing a connection to a network and configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with that network. Therefore, the UE described herein is used to represent any electronic component.

[0013] As mentioned above, there are various types of UEs, each with different capabilities to connect to a 5G NR network. However, in a given area, it may not be beneficial to have different UEs with different capabilities camp on the same cell because a UE with reduced capabilities can use different parameters for wireless communication (e.g., bandwidth, data rate, etc.) than other UEs (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, etc.). This means that the cell would need to tailor its communication for all types of UEs. Therefore, there may be situations where the network wants to treat UEs with reduced capabilities (RedCap) differently from other types of UEs.

[0014] Before describing exemplary implementations, several examples of RedCap UEs and their characteristics will be described. In a first example, devices in an industrial environment, such as temperature or humidity sensors, may be connected industrial devices. However, such devices are stationary, not latency-critical, and their capabilities and hardware are not particularly complex. These devices typically do not require low-latency data exchange provided by Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) or IIoT. These devices are also expected to operate in the field for many years with little or no maintenance (including battery replacement). Therefore, power-saving operation can be critical for these types of devices.

[0015] Another example of a RedCap-type device with capabilities different from other UEs is a surveillance device (e.g., a camera). These devices are similar to the devices in the first example because they are typically stationary and do not have strict latency requirements. However, they can differ from the first example because these devices can be connected to a permanent power source (although not required) and can have much higher upload data rates than many other UEs, for example, due to the video upload feeds they provide.

[0016] Another example of a RedCap-type device with capabilities distinct from many other UEs is the wearable device. Unlike the examples mentioned above, wearable devices typically offer mobility similar to mobile phones and the same types of operations that can be performed on mobile phones. However, due to their smaller form factor resulting in smaller batteries, these devices have more stringent power-saving requirements than mobile phones.

[0017] These examples of different types of UEs are by no means an exhaustive list of devices with 5G capabilities, but rather provide examples of the varying capabilities of different UEs connected to a 5G NR wireless network at any given time. Devices considered RedCap devices can be determined in various ways. For example, a RedCap device can be defined by the type of device (e.g., wearable device, surveillance device, etc.). In another example, a RedCap device can be defined by the device's capabilities / features (e.g., battery life, processing power, latency requirements, etc.). The definition of a UE's eligibility as a RedCap UE can be set by standards (e.g., 3GPP standards) or determined by individual network providers. Some examples of UE classifications are provided below.

[0018] According to some exemplary implementations, a 5G NR network can restrict RedCap UE access to one or more cells of the network based on one or more predetermined criteria. If the criteria are met, the RedCap UE is allowed to connect to (or reside on) a g-NodeB (gNB) and exchange information with the network. Otherwise, the RedCap UE is not allowed to connect to the gNB.

[0019] Figure 1 An exemplary network arrangement 100 according to various exemplary embodiments is illustrated. The exemplary network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110. It should be noted that any number of UEs may be used in the network arrangement 100. Those skilled in the art will understand that the UE 110 may alternatively be any type of electronic component configured to communicate via a network, such as a mobile phone, tablet, desktop computer, smartphone, phablet, embedded device, wearable device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc. It should also be understood that a practical network arrangement may include any number of UEs used by any number of users. Therefore, for illustrative purposes, only an example with a single UE 110 is provided.

[0020] UE 110 can be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of network arrangement 100, the networks with which UE 110 can wirelessly communicate are 5G New Radio (NR) Radio Access Network (5G NR-RAN) 120, LTE Radio Access Network (LTE-RAN) 122, and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) 124. However, it should be understood that UE 110 can also communicate with other types of networks, and UE 110 can also communicate with networks via wired connections. Therefore, UE 110 may include a 5G NR chipset communicating with 5G NR-RAN 120, an LTE chipset communicating with LTE-RAN 122, and an ISM chipset communicating with WLAN 124.

[0021] 5G NR-RAN 120 and LTE-RAN 122 can be parts of a cellular network that can be deployed by a cellular provider (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.). These networks 120, 122 can include, for example, cells or base stations (NodeB, eNodeB, HeNB, eNBS, gNB, gNodeB, macrocell base stations, microcell base stations, small cell base stations, femtocell base stations, etc.) configured to send and receive traffic from UEs equipped with appropriate cellular chipsets. WLAN 124 can include any type of wireless local area network (WiFi, hotspot, IEEE 802.11x network, etc.).

[0022] UE 110 can connect to 5G NR-RAN 120 via gNB 120A and / or gNB 120B. During operation, UE 110 can be within range of multiple gNBs. Therefore, simultaneously or alternatively, UE 110 can connect to 5G NR-RAN 120 via gNBs 120A and 120B. Additionally, UE 110 can communicate with eNB 122A of LTE-RAN 122 to transmit and receive control information for downlink and / or uplink synchronization relative to the 5G NR-RAN 120 connection.

[0023] Those skilled in the art will understand that any relevant procedures can be performed for UE 110 to connect to 5G NR-RAN 120. For example, as described above, 5G NR-RAN 120 can be associated with a specific cellular provider, where UE 110 and / or its user have protocol and credential information (e.g., stored on a SIM card). Upon detecting the presence of 5G NR-RAN 120, UE 110 can transmit the corresponding credential information to associate with 5G NR-RAN 120. More specifically, UE 110 can be associated with a specific base station (e.g., gNB 120A of 5G NR-RAN 120).

[0024] In addition to networks 120, 122, and 124, network deployment 100 also includes a cellular core network 130, an Internet 140, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network service backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 (e.g., NR's 5GC) can be viewed as an interconnected collection of components that manage the operation and traffic of the cellular network. The cellular core network 130 also manages the traffic flowing between the cellular network and the Internet 140.

[0025] IMS 150 can generally be described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to UE 110 using the IP protocol. IMS 150 can communicate with cellular core network 130 and Internet 140 to provide multimedia services to UE 110. Network service backbone 160 communicates directly or indirectly with Internet 140 and cellular core network 130. Network service backbone 160 can generally be described as a set of components (e.g., servers, network storage deployments, etc.) that implement a set of services that can be used to extend the functionality of UE 110 to communicate with various networks.

[0026] Figure 2 An exemplary UE 110 according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. Reference will be made to... Figure 1The network layout 100 is used to describe UE 110. For the purposes of this discussion, UE 110 may be considered a red-capped UE. However, it should be noted that UE 110 can represent any electronic device and may include processor 205, memory layout 210, display device 215, input / output (I / O) device 220, transceiver 225, and other components 230. Other components 230 may include, for example, audio input devices, audio output devices, batteries providing a limited power source, data acquisition devices, ports for electrically connecting UE 110 to other electronic devices, one or more antenna panels, etc. For example, UE 110 may be coupled to industrial equipment via one or more ports.

[0027] Processor 205 may be configured to execute multiple engines of UE 110. For example, these engines may include RedCap management engine 235. RedCap management engine 235 may perform various operations related to determining whether UE 110 meets the criteria identified in a broadcast received from the network, relaying the capabilities of UE 110 to the network, etc.

[0028] The engine described above, as an application (e.g., a program) executed by processor 205, is merely exemplary. The functionality associated with the engine may also be represented as a separate, integrated component of UE 110, or as a modular component coupled to UE 110, such as an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include an input circuitry for receiving signals and a processing circuitry for processing signals and other information. The engine may also be embodied as a single application or multiple separate applications. Furthermore, in some UEs, the functionality described for processor 205 is distributed among two or more processors, such as a baseband processor and an application processor. Exemplary implementations can be implemented according to any of these or other configurations of the UE.

[0029] Memory arrangement 210 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by UE 110. Display device 215 may be a hardware component configured to display data to a user, while I / O device 220 may be a hardware component enabling user input. Display device 215 and I / O device 220 may be separate components or may be integrated together (such as a touchscreen). Transceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish connections with 5G NR-RAN 120, LTE-RAN 122, WLAN 124, etc. Therefore, transceiver 225 may operate on multiple different frequencies or channels (e.g., a continuous set of frequencies).

[0030] Figure 3An exemplary network cell according to various exemplary embodiments is shown, in this example gNB 120A. gNB 120A can represent any access node of a 5G NR network that UE 110 can use to establish a connection. Figure 3 The gNB 120A shown can also represent gNB 120B.

[0031] The gNB 120A may include a processor 305, a memory arrangement 310, input / output (I / O) devices 320, a transceiver 325, and other components 330. These other components 330 may include, for example, a power supply, data acquisition devices, and ports for electrically connecting the gNB 120A to other electronic devices.

[0032] Processor 305 can be configured to execute multiple engines of the gNB 120A. For example, these engines may include RedCap Access Management Engine 335 for performing operations including managing RedCap UE access to the gNB 120A. Examples of managed access will be described in more detail below.

[0033] The engine described above, as an application (e.g., a program) executed by processor 305, is merely exemplary. The functionality associated with the engine may also be represented as a separate integrated component of gNB 120A, or as a modular component coupled to gNB 120A, such as an integrated circuit with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include an input circuitry for receiving signals and a processing circuitry for processing signals and other information. Furthermore, in some gNBs, the functionality described for processor 305 is split among multiple processors (e.g., a baseband processor, an application processor, etc.). Exemplary aspects may be implemented according to any of these or other configurations of the gNB.

[0034] Memory 310 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by UEs 110 and 112. I / O device 320 may be a hardware component or port enabling a user to interact with gNB 120A. Transceiver 325 may be a hardware component configured to exchange data with UE 110 and any other UE in network arrangement 100. Transceiver 325 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., a set of consecutive frequencies). Therefore, transceiver 325 may include one or more components (e.g., radio components) to enable data exchange with various networks and UEs.

[0035] Figure 4Signaling diagram 400 is shown illustrating a registration process according to various exemplary embodiments. As will be described in more detail below, the registration process for a RedCap UE may have two phases. The first phase can be considered as a coarse filter, while the second phase can be considered as a finer filter to determine whether the RedCap UE can access a specific gNB.

[0036] At 405, the gNB broadcasts System Information (SI) including access restrictions in System Information Block 1 (SIB1). The number and type of access restrictions can vary, and some examples are provided below. However, as mentioned above, Phase 1 access restrictions can generally be considered as a coarse filter.

[0037] In some implementations, UEs can be classified into different categories to determine access restrictions. For example, a UE can be simply classified as a RedCap UE or a non-RedCap UE. In such implementations, SIB1 may include access restrictions indicating that RedCap UEs are not allowed to access the gNB 120A.

[0038] In other exemplary embodiments, the UE may additionally or alternatively be classified using UE categories (categories 0, 1, 2, etc.) similar to those used in LTE, where each category has an assigned data rate. In such embodiments, in addition to the UE category, further details relating to the parameters of UE 110 may be utilized. For example, these details may include the bandwidth supported by the UE, the downlink and uplink data rates supported by the UE, parameter set support, minimum and maximum hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), and physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) delay requirements. Whether UE 110 is a RedCap UE will depend on the UE category and these additional details regarding the UE's capabilities. In such embodiments, at 405, the SIB1 broadcast by gNB 120A may include different permissible categories and / or additional details regarding UE capabilities, such as the examples provided above. In some exemplary embodiments, UE 110 may belong to more than one category.

[0039] In another exemplary implementation, RedCap UEs may additionally or alternatively be classified based on their capabilities. For example, in some implementations, RedCap UEs may be classified based on the uplink and downlink bandwidth supported by the RedCap UE. In such an implementation, the broadcast at 405 may include the minimum supported uplink and downlink bandwidth.

[0040] In some implementations, RedCap UEs can be categorized based on their uplink and downlink rate capabilities. In such an implementation, the broadcast at 405 may include the minimum supported uplink and downlink data rates. Alternatively, a range of uplink and downlink data rate values ​​may be broadcast at 405 instead of the minimum.

[0041] In some implementations, RedCap UEs can be classified based on their mobility. In such an implementation, the broadcast at 405 will include an indication of whether the network will support fixed or non-fixed RedCap UEs. Alternatively, variations of different mobility categories can be utilized in the broadcast at 405 (using the spectrum of mobility categories between static and non-static to group UEs).

[0042] In some implementations, RedCap UEs can be categorized based on their power-saving requirements. In such implementations, the broadcast identifier at 405 indicates the UE power level permitted to connect to the network. It should be clear from these examples that the gNB120A can broadcast any type of access restriction in Phase 1 and can broadcast one or more access restrictions during SIB1 transport.

[0043] return Figure 4 Following the broadcast of SIB1 on gNB 120A, at 410, UE 110 determines whether it meets the criteria identified in the broadcast. If the UE does not meet the criteria, UE 110 will not be allowed to camp on gNB 120A. However, if UE 110 does meet the criteria, UE 110 continues the registration process to camp on gNB 120A. As described above, stage 1 (e.g., the broadcast at 405 and the determination of whether the UE meets the criteria at 410) acts as a coarse filter or pre-filter to restrict access to gNB 120A to RedCap UEs that meet the predetermined criteria.

[0044] At 415, UE 110 performs a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure to attach / camp on gNB 120A. At 420, the network determines whether core network 130 has stored UE 110's capabilities. If core network 130 has stored UE 110's capabilities, then at 425, these capabilities are retrieved from core network 130. However, if UE 110's capabilities are not stored on core network 130, then at 430, gNB 120A requests UE capabilities from UE 110. In response, at 435, UE 110 transmits its capability information to gNB 120A. At 440, UE 110's capability information is stored in core network 130 for future use.

[0045] Phase 2 (UE capability determination in 420-440) acts as a secondary filter and includes one or more predefined parameters that the RedCap UE must meet to be allowed to exchange data with the core network 130 via gNB 120A. While the one or more predefined parameters that RedCap UE 110 must meet in Phase 2 can include any desired parameters, some examples of such parameters may include downlink and uplink rates supported by the UE, the number of supported MIMO layers, parameter set support, minimum and maximum HARQ, PDSCH or PUSCH delay requirements, etc. At 445, gNB 120A configures UE 110 based on its capabilities. If the capabilities of RedCap UE 110 meet the predefined parameters in Phase 2, the configuration of RedCap UE 110 at 445 is a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration that allows RedCap UE 110 to exchange information with the core network 130 via gNB 120A. However, if the capabilities of RedCap UE 110 do not meet the predetermined parameters in Phase 2, the configuration for RedCap UE 110 at point 445 is to deny UE 110 access to network 130 via gNB 120A. In some implementations, in addition to denying UE 110 access, gNB 120A may also notify RedCap UE 110 of nearby cells that do support the capabilities of RedCap UE 110.

[0046] In some implementations, the criteria that RedCap UE 110 must meet in Phase 1 before being allowed to camp on gNB 120A are less stringent than those in Phase 2. While Phase 1 criteria may include one or two parameters, Phase 2 criteria may include any number of parameters. If the update types for RedCap UEs are defined later than the initial network configuration, these update types can be used to update Phase 2. Adding new criteria to Phase 2 filtering instead of Phase 1 filtering allows updates to be made without having to rebroadcast the updated information or update any UEs that were previously denied network access due to non-compliance with the initial criteria defined in Phase 1.

[0047] Those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments described above can be implemented with any suitable software or hardware configuration or combination thereof. Exemplary hardware platforms for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, Intel x86-based platforms with compatible operating systems, Windows OS, Mac platforms and MAC OS, and mobile devices with operating systems such as iOS, Android, etc. In other examples, exemplary embodiments of the methods described above may be embodied as programs comprising lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, at compile time, can be executed on a processor or microprocessor.

[0048] Although this patent application describes various combinations of aspects, each with different features, those skilled in the art will understand that any feature of one aspect can be combined with features of other aspects or features that are not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation or function of the device of the aspect disclosed in this invention in any manner not disclosed to be denied.

[0049] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0050] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to this disclosure without departing from its spirit or scope. Therefore, this disclosure is intended to cover all modifications and variations thereof, provided that such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a processing circuitry system coupled to a memory, the processing circuitry system being configured to: Based on the signaling received from the base station, the indication of the uplink (UL) channel bandwidth is processed; Based on the signaling received from the base station, the indication of the downlink (DL) channel bandwidth is processed; Determine the UL bandwidth capability of the user equipment (UE); Determine the DL bandwidth capability of the UE; and Whether to access the base station is determined based on the UL channel bandwidth, the DL channel bandwidth, the UL bandwidth capability, and the DL bandwidth capability.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signaling includes a System Information Block (SIB) sent by the base station.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the UE includes a redcapped UE.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein access to the base station is permitted when the UL bandwidth capability is less than the UL channel bandwidth but greater than the initial UL bandwidth portion configured for the UE.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein access to the base station is permitted when the DL bandwidth capability is less than the DL channel bandwidth but greater than the initial DL bandwidth portion configured for the UE.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein access to the base station is prohibited when the UL bandwidth capability is greater than the UL channel bandwidth or less than the initial UL bandwidth portion configured for the UE.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein access to the base station is prohibited when the DL bandwidth capability is greater than the DL channel bandwidth or less than the initial DL bandwidth portion configured for the UE.

8. An apparatus comprising a processing circuitry system coupled to a memory, the processing circuitry system being configured to: Based on signaling from the base station, a broadcast including access restrictions is processed, wherein the access restrictions include a first set of predetermined criteria that must be met in order for a redcapped UE to remain camped on the base station; Determine whether the redcap UE meets the first set of pre-defined criteria; When the redcap UE meets the first set of predetermined criteria, a random access channel (RACH) procedure is performed to camp on the base station; as well as Redcap UE capability information is generated and sent to the base station. This redcap UE capability information is associated with a second set of predetermined criteria that must be met for the redcap UE to establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the base station.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first set of predetermined criteria includes a category of the UE.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the redcap UE is a member of one or more categories of UEs.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first set of predetermined criteria includes either the minimum downlink bandwidth or the minimum uplink bandwidth supported by the redcap UE.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: The request for the redcap UE capability information is processed based on the signaling from the base station.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the redcap UE capability information includes one of the following: downlink and uplink data rates, number of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers, parameter set, minimum and maximum hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) delay requirement, or physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) delay requirement.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: Based on signaling from the base station, when the redcap UE capability information meets the second set of predetermined criteria, radio resource control (RRC) configuration transmission is processed.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: Based on signaling from the base station, when the redcap UE capability information does not meet the second set of predetermined criteria, transmission is rejected.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the denial of transmission includes an indication from a second base station that supports the capabilities of the redcap UE.

Images