System information and uplink periodic signal adaptation in wireless communications

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) is configured to: decode a first configuration for enhanced network power saving (eNES) support based on signals received from an anchor cell, the first configuration including cell parameters and carrier parameters of at least one eNES cell; decode a second configuration for eNES support based on signals received from the anchor cell, the second configuration including one or more eNES System Information Block 1 (SIB1) configurations; and activate a first eNES SIB1 configuration for a first eNES cell based on cross-carrier association between the first eNES SIB1 parameters received from the anchor cell and the first eNES cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates in general to wireless communication, and more specifically to the adaptation of system information and uplink periodic signals in wireless communication. Background Technology

[0002] Network Energy Saving (NES) is an operating mode for 5G New Radio (NR) that reduces network signaling and power consumption. NES technology was standardized in Release 18 (Rel-18) for the spatial and power domains, as well as for Discontinuous Transmit / Receive (DTX / DRX) in cells. Further technologies for additional network energy gains are being explored for Rel-19.

[0003] Operations used to provide System Information (SI) currently consume significant network power. The System Information Block (SIB) of the serving cell is sent by the serving cell itself. Up to 64 downlink (DL) beams can be deployed for Frequency Range 2 (FR2) operation, and each DL beam transmits its own SIB information via beam sweep, resulting in substantial signaling overhead and power consumption. In another issue, uplink (UL) activity (particularly listening for Random Access Messages (RACH)) can prevent the network from entering a deep sleep state. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Some example implementations relate to an apparatus for a user equipment (UE) including processing circuitry configured to: decode a first configuration for enhanced network power saving (eNES) support based on signals received from an anchor cell, the first configuration including cell parameters and carrier parameters of at least one eNES cell; decode a second configuration for the eNES support based on signals received from the anchor cell, the second configuration including one or more eNES System Information Block 1 (SIB1) configurations; and activate a first eNES SIB1 configuration for the first eNES cell based on cross-carrier association between the first eNES SIB1 parameters received from the anchor cell and the first eNES cell. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Figure 1 Example network layouts based on various example implementation schemes are shown.

[0006] Figure 2 Example user equipment (UE) is shown according to various example implementation schemes.

[0007] Figure 3 Example base stations based on various example implementation schemes are shown.

[0008] Figure 4An example diagram is shown illustrating how anchored cells provide SIB1-related information for multiple eNES cells according to various example implementations.

[0009] Figure 5 An example IE for configuring eNES support parameters is shown, based on one of these example implementation schemes.

[0010] Figure 6a A conventional DCI including payload, reserved bits, and CRC bits is shown according to an example.

[0011] Figure 6b An example of a DCI including a CIF field is shown according to one of these example implementation schemes.

[0012] Figure 7 A diagram illustrating the association of eNESSIB1 configuration with an eNES cell based on a cell indicator value, according to one of these example implementation schemes.

[0013] Figure 8 An example diagram of monitoring DCI is shown according to one of these example implementation schemes, where different monitoring times (MOs) are used for different cells.

[0014] Figure 9 Example diagrams are shown for various implementation schemes according to these examples, illustrating the default periodicity T_SIB1, the new periodicity T_new amplified by f_i=2, and the general new periodicity T_new amplified by f_i=X.

[0015] Figure 10a An example diagram illustrating a one-to-one mapping between a PRACH configuration and an eNES SIB1 configuration according to one of these example implementation schemes is shown.

[0016] Figure 10b An example diagram illustrating a one-to-many mapping between a PRACH configuration and an eNES SIB1 configuration according to one of these example implementation schemes is shown.

[0017] Figure 10c An example diagram is shown of a field to be included in the DCI for activating the eNES SIB1 configuration and PRACH configuration, according to one of these example implementation schemes.

[0018] Figure 11 An example diagram of a DCI format for eNES support is shown, based on one of these example implementation schemes. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The example implementations can be further understood with reference to the following description and related figures, wherein similar elements have the same reference numerals. The example implementations relate to enhanced network power saving (eNES) operations for system information (SI) and physical random access channel (PRACH) adaptation. Specifically, some example implementations involve the transmission by a network cell of configurations and / or parameters related to System Information Block 1 (SIB1) to be applied to different network cells, and the reception by a user equipment (UE) of these configurations and / or parameters. In these implementations, the network is allowed to provide SIB1 information to a second cell through a first cell, enabling the second cell to adapt its downlink (DL) operation and silence its own SIB1 transmissions. Other example implementations involve PRACH resource adaptation by a first cell for a second cell, enabling the second cell to adapt its uplink (UL) operation for listening to PRACH transmissions. In the following description, the first cell providing SIB1 and / or PRACH-related information may be referred to as the “anchor cell,” and the second cell to which the SIB1 and / or PRACH-related information is applied may be referred to as the “eNES cell.”

[0020] The example implementation is described with reference to a UE. However, reference to the UE is provided for illustrative purposes only. The example implementation can be used with any electronic component capable of establishing a connection with an accessory device and configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with the accessory device. Therefore, the UE described herein is used to represent any electronic component.

[0021] Example implementations are also described with reference to 5G New Radio (NR) networks. However, example implementations can also be implemented in other types of networks, including but not limited to LTE networks, future evolutions of cellular protocols (e.g., 5G evolved networks, 6G networks, etc.), or any other type of network.

[0022] The example implementation is also described with reference to carrier aggregation (CA). In CA, the UE can communicate with multiple cells of the network in the downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) to increase throughput. CA includes the UE associated with a primary cell (PCell) and one or more secondary cells (SCells). Different frequency band combinations of CA can be served by the PCell and SCell. For example, the PCell can supply the UE with a first component carrier (CC) (e.g., CC1) of the CA frequency band combination, and the SCell can supply the UE with a second CC (e.g., CC2) of the CA frequency band combination. Therefore, in CA, both the PCell and SCell are considered serving cells. CA mode can include multiple SCells. In the example implementation, the PCell and SCell can be considered co-located, for example, in the same general physical location (e.g., on the same cell tower). The PCell and SCell can be cells of different gNBs or a single gNB. In the embodiments of the invention, the PCell can be an anchored cell, and the SCell can be an eNES cell.

[0023] The example implementation is also described with reference to System Information (SI) (specifically System Information Block 1 (SIB1)) and Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). SIB1 can be transmitted by the cell for the UE to receive and can include parameters crucial for operations including, for example, initial access. Based on the parameters decoded from SIB1, the UE can transmit a RACH preamble on the PRACH to attempt access to the cell. Even after entering a connected state with the cell, the UE can continue to monitor SIB1, for example, to detect changes in SIB1 parameters (such as, for example, scheduling information), thereby adapting to changing network conditions. The PRACH configuration carried in SIB1 can also be changed after connection establishment. Although PRACH is typically transmitted as Msg1 for initial access, it can be used in other scenarios, such as handover after initial connection establishment or RACH. Therefore, even after entering a connected state, SIB1 can be periodically transmitted by the cell and periodically decoded by the UE. Some SIB1 transmissions may include the complete set of SIB1 parameters, while others may include a subset of SIB1 parameters, such as those that have changed since the last SIB1 transmission.

[0024] The example implementations provide the operation for a UE to receive configuration parameters for SIB1 and / or PRACH from a first cell, which are then applied to a second cell to achieve enhanced network energy saving (eNES). The example implementations also provide signaling details of these configuration parameters, including the downlink control information (DCI) format used to carry various indicators to activate and / or modify the SIB1 / PRACH configuration. Each example implementation of these example implementations will be described in more detail below.

[0025] Figure 1 An example network arrangement 100 according to various example implementations is shown. Example network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110. UE 110 can be any type of electronic component configured to communicate via a network, such as a mobile phone, tablet computer, desktop computer, smartphone, phablet, embedded device, wearable device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc. A real network arrangement may include any number of UEs used by any number of users. Therefore, for illustrative purposes, only one example of UE 110 is provided.

[0026] UE 110 can be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of network deployment 100, the network with which UE 110 can wirelessly communicate is the 5G NR Radio Access Network (RAN) 120. However, UE 110 can also communicate with other types of networks (e.g., 5G cloud RAN, next-generation RAN (NG-RAN), legacy cellular networks, etc.), and UE 110 can also communicate with the network via a wired connection. Referring to the example implementation, UE 110 can establish a connection with 5G NR RAN 120. Therefore, UE 110 may have a 5G NR chipset to communicate with NR RAN 120.

[0027] 5G NR RAN 120 can be part of a cellular network that can be deployed by network operators (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.). RAN 120 can include cells or base stations configured to transmit and receive services from UEs equipped with appropriate cellular chipsets. In this example, 5G NR RAN 120 includes gNB 120A and gNB 120B. However, the reference to gNB is provided merely for illustrative purposes, and any appropriate base station or cell can be deployed (e.g., Node B, eNodeB, HeNB, eNB, gNB, gNodeB, macro cell, micro cell, small cell, femtocell, etc.).

[0028] Any association procedure can be performed to connect UE 110 to 5G NR RAN 120. For example, as discussed above, 5G NR RAN 120 can be associated with a specific network operator 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 send the corresponding credential information to associate with 5G NR RAN 120. More specifically, UE 110 can be associated with a specific cell (e.g., gNB 120A).

[0029] In this example, UE 110 can be considered to be operating in CA mode, where gNB 120A is the PCell and gNB 120B is the SCell that will operate in Enhanced Network Power Saving (eNES) mode. As described above, CA mode can include multiple SCells, but for illustrative purposes, only a single SCell is shown. In the example implementation, the PCell and SCell can be considered to be co-located, for example, in the same general physical location (e.g., on the same cell tower). Furthermore, although the PCell and SCell are shown as different gNBs, a single gNB can include multiple cells. Therefore, the PCell and SCell can be cells of the same gNB.

[0030] Network deployment 100 also includes a cellular core network 130, an Internet 140, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network services backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 manages traffic flowing between the cellular network and the Internet 140. The IMS 150 can generally be described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the UE 110 using IP protocols. The IMS 150 can communicate with the cellular core network 130 and the Internet 140 to provide multimedia services to the UE 110. The network services backbone 160 communicates directly or indirectly with the Internet 140 and the cellular core network 130. The network services backbone 160 can generally be described as a collection of components (e.g., servers, network storage deployments, etc.) that implement a set of services that can be used to extend the functionality of the UE 110 in communicating with various networks.

[0031] Figure 2 Example UE 110 according to various example implementations is shown. (Refer to...) Figure 1 The network layout 100 is used to describe UE 110. 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 limited power, data acquisition devices, ports for electrically connecting UE 110 to other electronic devices, sensors for detecting the status of UE 110, etc.

[0032] Processor 205 may be configured to execute multiple engines of UE 110. For example, these engines may include eNES engine 235, which performs operations related to receiving SIB1 and / or PRACH-related information from the serving cell (e.g., anchor cell) for application to different cells (e.g., eNES cells). eNES engine 235 may receive configuration information and / or activation signaling for applying configuration to a given eNES cell, and perform operations on the eNES cell based on this information / signaling, such as sending PRACH. Each of these example operations will be described in more detail below.

[0033] The engines described above, as applications (e.g., programs) executed by processor 205, are merely exemplary. The functionality associated with these engines can also be represented as separate, combined components of UE 110, or as modular components coupled to UE 110, such as integrated circuits with or without firmware. For example, the integrated circuit may include input circuitry for receiving signals and processing circuitry for processing signals and other information. The engine can also be embodied as one or more separate applications. Furthermore, in some UEs, the functionality described for processor 205 is split between two or more processors, such as a baseband processor and an application processor. Example implementations can be implemented according to any of these or other configurations of the UE.

[0034] 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 a user to input data. Display device 215 and I / O device 220 may be separate components or may be integrated together (such as a touchscreen).

[0035] Transceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish connections with 5G NR-RAN 120, LTE-RAN (not shown), legacy RAN (not shown), WLAN (not shown), etc. Accordingly, transceiver 225 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., a continuous set of frequencies). Transceiver 225 includes circuitry configured to transmit and / or receive signals (e.g., control signals, data signals). Such signals may be encoded using information used to implement any of the methods described herein. Processor 205 may be operatively coupled to transceiver 225 and configured to receive signals from and / or transmit signals to transceiver 225. Processor 205 may be configured to encode and / or decode signals (e.g., signaling from a base station in the network) for use in implementing any of the methods described herein.

[0036] Figure 3 An example base station 300 according to various example embodiments is shown. Base station 300 may represent a gNB 120A, gNB 120B, or any other access node that UE 110 can use to establish connections and manage network operations. Base station 300 can be considered as an anchored cell according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Base station 300 may include processor 305, memory arrangement 310, input / output (I / O) devices 315, transceiver 320, and other components 325. These other components 325 may include, for example, audio input devices, audio output devices, batteries, data acquisition devices, ports for electrically connecting base station 300 to other electronic devices and / or power sources, etc.

[0038] Processor 305 may be configured to execute multiple engines of UE 110. For example, these engines may include eNES engine 330 for performing operations related to eNES configuration and / or signaling. These operations include, but are not limited to, configuring the UE for eNES operations and signaling the activation and / or modification of a specific eNES configuration. Each of these example operations will be described in more detail below.

[0039] The memory 310 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the base station 300. The I / O device 315 may be a hardware component or port that enables a user to interact with the base station 300.

[0040] Transceiver 320 may be a hardware component configured to exchange data with UE 110 and any other UE in network arrangement 100. Transceiver 320 may operate on a variety of different frequencies or channels (e.g., a continuous set of frequencies). Transceiver 320 includes circuitry configured to transmit and / or receive signals (e.g., control signals, data signals). Such signals may be encoded using information used to implement any of the methods described herein. Processor 305 may be operatively coupled to transceiver 320 and configured to receive signals from and / or transmit signals to transceiver 320. Processor 305 may be configured to encode and / or decode signals (e.g., signaling from a UE) for use in implementing any of the methods described herein.

[0041] As described above, the example implementation involves Network Energy Saving (NES) operations. In Rel-18, NES techniques, considering their impact on network activity-time energy consumption in terms of spatial and power domain adaptation, provide relatively large energy savings across all load scenarios from low to high. NES techniques for discontinuous transmission / reception (DTX / DRX) in cells are also standardized in Rel-18. Discussions are underway regarding the scope of Release 19 NES to explore other techniques for additional energy gains.

[0042] Operations used to provide System Information (SI) currently consume significant network power. In Rel-15, the System Information Block (SIB) of the serving cell is transmitted on the serving cell itself. For FR2, up to 64 DL beams are deployed, and each DL beam transmits its own SIB information in a beam-sweep manner, resulting in substantial signaling overhead and power consumption. Furthermore, uplink (UL) activity (particularly listening for Random Access Messages (RACH)) can prevent the network from entering a deeper sleep mode than microsleep.

[0043] The 5G NR initial access procedure typically includes the following operations. However, this example is provided only to illustrate specific aspects of the general 5G NR initial access procedure, as they are relevant to the example implementation. Other access procedures may be used according to existing or future 5G NR specifications. The example implementation is not limited to any particular access procedure or sequence of operations. Furthermore, various aspects of the procedure described below are applicable to scenarios other than initial access. Therefore, the example implementation is not limited to the example initial access procedure below.

[0044] Base stations (e.g., gNBs) periodically broadcast system information (SI) using beam sweeping. This system information (SI) can be categorized into minimal system information (MSI) and other system information (OSI). Beam sweeping typically refers to transmitting multiple transmitter beams over a specific spatial area at a predetermined periodicity for a predetermined duration. Each beam transmitted during transmitter beam sweeping may include a reference signal. The UE can measure one or more transmitter beams based on the corresponding reference signal and select one transmitter beam from the transmitter beams based on the measurement data.

[0045] The transmitter beam broadcast by the gNB during beam sweep operation may include a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB), which comprises a Synchronization Signal (SS) (Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) and Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS)) and a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). The PBCH transmission includes a Main Information Block (MIB) containing an MSI. The MSI includes parameters indicating the location and resources of Control Resource Set 0 (CORESET#0) on the resource grid. This Control Resource Set carries downlink control information (DCI) for decoding System Information Block 1 (SIB1). Specifically, the parameter PDCCHConfigSIB1 transmitted in the MIB has an 8-bit length. The first 4 bits (most significant bit (MSB)) determine the “controlResourceSetZero” index, which indicates the number of resource blocks / symbols used to determine the common search space of type 0 PDCCH. The last 4 bits (least significant bit (LSB)) determine the “searchSpaceZero” index, which indicates the PDCCH monitoring timing.

[0046] The DCI on CORESET#0 is used to decode SIB1 on the PDSCH. SIB1 can be referred to as the Residual Minimal System Information (RMSI) or a subset of the MSI, and is carried on the PDSCH. The SSB (including the MIB) and CORESET#0 / RMSI (SIB1) are transmitted on the same beam, which will be used by the UE for transmission on the Random Access Channel (RACH) when selected by the UE, until a dedicated connection is established and the beam is switched. The OSI includes additional SIBs (e.g., SIB2, SIB3, etc.), which can be broadcast or allocated to the UE via dedicated RRC signaling.

[0047] Therefore, for initial access purposes, the UE performs beam measurement, detects the optimal SSB (e.g., the strongest beam), and selects that beam. The UE then decodes the SSB and, based on the extracted MSI parameters, searches the Type 0 PDCCH common search space (CSS) of the downlink control information (DCI) on CORESET#0, then uses it to decode SIB1. The extracted SI allows the UE to initiate random access (RACH procedure) using the same beam by sending Msg1 of the RACH procedure (i.e., RACH preamble) on the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). The gNB listens for the RACH preamble (Msg1) and, upon detecting it, sends a Random Access Response (RAR) (Msg2) on the PDSCH to provide additional information to continue the access procedure. Finally, a dedicated connection is established, at which point the UE and gNB can switch to different beams.

[0048] As described above, beam sweeping operations used to provide SI consume significant power. Additionally, listening to RACH may, for example, prevent the serving cell from entering deep sleep mode under low-load conditions such as late at night and early morning.

[0049] Enhanced Network Energy Saving (eNES) operations for reducing network signaling overhead and UL operations are described based on various example implementations described herein. In some aspects, reference can be made to sending System Information (SI) (specifically System Information Block 1 (SIB1)) to reduce and / or otherwise adapt network signaling. In other aspects, reference can be made to monitoring PRACH transmissions to reduce and / or otherwise adapt network UL operations for certain cells.

[0050] In some aspects of these example implementations, the UE can be configured using SIB1 information for one cell based on signaling received from another cell. In other aspects, the UE can be configured using multiple PRACH configurations, which can be dynamically selected and indicated by the network for PRACH resource adaptation. In still other aspects, signaling details for updating and / or activating SIB1 / PRACH configurations are provided. Hereinafter, the first cell providing SIB1 and / or PRACH-related information may be referred to as the “anchor cell,” while the second cell to which the SIB1 and / or PRACH-related information is applied may be referred to as the “eNES cell.”

[0051] A desired objective in 5G NES development is likely to silence all signals typically carried during beam sweep operations performed by eNES cells, including, for example, SSB, PBCH, PDSCH, etc. Further specification is needed to silence all these signals on an eNES cell, thereby allowing the eNES cell to enter a deeper sleep state. The example implementation relates to SIB1, and details relating to silencing signals other than those in SIB1 are outside the scope of this invention.

[0052] In some aspects of these example implementations, system information (SI) (specifically, system information block 1 (SIB1)) may be provided by the first serving cell (anchor cell) to one or more other serving cells (eNES cells). Thus, eNES cells may silence their own SIB1 transmission. The anchor cell may provide SIB1 information to one or more eNES cells in various ways, which will be explained in detail below.

[0053] Figure 4An example diagram 400 illustrates an anchor cell 402 providing SIB1-related information to a plurality of eNES cells 404a to 404n according to various example embodiments. As will be explained in detail below, the anchor cell 402 may send SIB1 information mapped to one or more eNES cells 404, enabling the eNES cells 404 to silence their own SIB1 information. In some aspects of embodiments of the invention, the eNES cell 404 to which the SIB1 information is applied may be explicitly indicated by the anchor cell 402. Figure 4 As shown, eNES cell 404 can be indicated via a physical cell identifier (PCI) and carrier frequency (e.g., absolute radio frequency channel number (ARFCN)), which will be described in more detail below. Anchor cell 402 can transmit SIB1 information for any number of “n” eNES cells 404, such as a first eNES cell 404a identified by a first PCI and a first carrier, a second eNES cell 404b identified by a second PCI and a second carrier, or an nth eNES cell 404n identified by an nth PCI and an nth carrier.

[0054] Anchor cell 402 and eNES cell 404 may correspond to carriers deployed by the same base station or different base stations. Therefore, the PCI field identifying eNES cell 404 may be the same or different for different eNES cells 404, and may be the same as the PCI field of anchor cell 402.

[0055] The number of eNES cells that can be configured by anchored cells may be limited only by the available space in various signaling (e.g., DCI) used to indicate a particular one in the eNES cell and / or SIB1 configuration, as will be described in further detail below.

[0056] In some aspects of these example implementations, the UE can be configured for eNES support for one or more eNES cells by an anchored cell. The eNES support configuration (e.g., an eNES support information element (IE)) may include parameters (e.g., sub-IEs) for identifying the eNES cell and SIB1 parameters that can be applied to the eNES cell.

[0057] eNES support configurations can include one or more new eNES SIB1 configurations, such as eNES-SIB1-r19 information elements (IEs). Each eNES-SIB1-r19 configuration can include multiple SIB1-related IEs and / or parameters.

[0058] In some implementations, a subset of IEs typically included in SIB1 messages are included in the eNES-SIB1-r19 configuration. In some designs, to minimize signaling overhead, if an IE exists in SIB1 (for cell anchoring) but not in eNES-SIB1-r19, the UE may assume that the same value of the IE applies to the eNES-SIB1-19 configuration (e.g., incremental signaling for SIB1 adaptation operations).

[0059] In one implementation, eNES-SIB1-19 may include IEs for scheduling information (si-SchedulingInfo) and SIB1 periodicity (SIB1-periodicity). In this implementation, it may be assumed that the SIB1 parameters of the eNES cell, except for the scheduling information and periodicity, are the same as those of the anchor cell.

[0060] As described above, the eNES-SIB1-19 configuration is included in the eNES support configuration. The eNES support configuration can be provided by fields at the end of the traditional SIB1 message (e.g., the nonCriticalExtension field), or it can be provided in a new SIB (referred to as "SIB-X" in this document) that was introduced to include the eNES support IE.

[0061] In another aspect of the example implementation, a cross-carrier indication mechanism can be introduced for SIB1 indication. In these aspects, eNES supports configurations that provide one or more eNES cell configurations.

[0062] In one aspect of these example implementations, the eNES cell configuration (e.g., eNES-Cell-Config-r19IE) includes an IE and / or parameters for identifying the eNES cell and carrier. In some example implementations, eNES-Cell-Config-r19 includes parameters for the Physical Cell ID (PCI) and carrier frequency.

[0063] In various example implementations, the eNES SIB1 configuration may be provided in the same eNES support IE as the configuration of at least one eNES cell. In some implementations, the eNES SIB1 configuration may be provided, for example, in a separate eNES support IE after the eNES support configuration of at least one eNES cell. The eNES SIB1 configuration may be activated for a given eNES cell according to the following options.

[0064] In one option, each eNES-SIB1-19 configuration is associated with an eNES cell, such that when an eNES-SIB1-19 configuration is activated, the UE knows which eNES cell to apply the eNES SIB1 configuration to based on the eNES support configuration. In this option, the eNES support IE includes at least one eNES-Cell-r19 IE, which includes one eNES-Cell-Config-r19 IE and at least one eNES-SIB1-19 configuration. Therefore, an eNES-Cell-r19 IE identifies a cell and also includes a single eNES SIB1 configuration or a list of eNES SIB1 configurations. An eNES support IE may include multiple eNES-Cell-r19 IEs, each with one or more eNES-SIB1 configurations associated with it.

[0065] Figure 5 An example IE500 for configuring eNES support parameters is shown as an example of one of these example implementation schemes. The IE 500 can be sent by the anchor cell to configure the UE using SIB1 parameters that can be applied and / or activated for the eNES cell. In this example, the IE 500 includes extensions to SIB1, such as the non-critical extension field 502. In other examples, the IE500 may be included in a new SIB (SIB-X).

[0066] Non-critical extended field 502 provides eNES support 504. In this example, eNES support 504 provides a list 506 of eNES cells 508 (eNES-Cell-r19). In other examples, a single eNES cell 508 may be provided. eNES cell 508 includes a single eNES cell configuration 510, which includes, for example, PCI and carrier. In this example, eNES cell 508 also provides a list 512 of eNES SIB1 configurations 514 (eNES-SIB1-r19). In other examples, a single eNES SIB1 configuration 514 may be provided. eNES SIB1 configuration 514 includes SIB1 periodicity and SI scheduling information. In other examples, additional eNES SIB1 parameters may be provided in eNES SIB1 configuration 514.

[0067] As shown above, in this option, the anchor cell can provide multiple eNES SIB1 configurations for one or more eNES cells within a single eNES support configuration. One eNES-SIB1-r19 configuration can be dynamically selected for the anchor cell or one eNES cell within the eNES cell configuration. Assuming the SIB information from the anchor cell provides… R If an eNES-SIB1-r19 configuration is used, then a configuration with "S=[log2" can be introduced. R The new field “SIB1 Activation” in the unit field is used to indicate the active eNES-SIB1-r19 for a given eNES cell.

[0068] According to the following text, please refer to Figure 11 The various options described may include the SIB1 activation field in the DCI format. The value of the SIB1 activation field is mapped one-to-one to the eNES SIB1 configurations in the list based on their sequential positioning. For example, the first eNES SIB1 configuration should be mapped to the value "00..0", and the second eNES SIB1 configuration should be mapped to the value "00…1", and so on. Note that in some designs, a corresponding value in the SIB1 activation field of an eNES SIB1 configuration may be associated with the anchor cell. Using this association, the SIB1 configuration of the anchor cell can be dynamically updated by using the "SIB1 activation field" to indicate the corresponding SIB1 configuration.

[0069] In another option, a Cell Indicator Field (CIF) can be introduced and associated with the eNES cell configuration via SIB1 on the anchor cell. In this option, the eNES Support IE included in the first SIB message from the anchor cell includes multiple eNES cell configurations, each associated with a corresponding Cell Indicator Value. The CIF field can be indicated by DCI 1_0, which has a CRC scrambled by the SI-RNTI on the anchor cell through the reuse of reserved bit fields. Figure 6a A conventional DCI 600, including payload 602, reserved bit 604, and CRC bit, is shown according to an example. Figure 6b An example of a DCI 610 including the CIF field 612 is shown according to one of these example implementation schemes.

[0070] Based on the CIF value in the DCI, the UE knows that the second SIB message carried in the PDSCH scheduled by the DCI is associated with the eNES cell indicated by the CIF value. The second SIB message may carry the eNESSIB1 configuration activated for the eNES cell associated with the CIF value. In one example, CIF=000 indicates that SIB1 is used for the serving cell (e.g., a legacy cell), CIF=001 indicates that the scheduled SIB1 is applied to the first eNES cell, and CIF=010 indicates that the scheduled SIB1 is applied to the second eNES cell.

[0071] Figure 7 A diagram 700 illustrates an example of associating an eNES SIB1 configuration with an eNES cell based on a cell indicator value, according to one of these example implementations. In 702, the UE detects CIF=1 in the first DCI. In 704, the UE receives the first eNES SIB1 configuration on a PDSCH scheduled by the first DCI containing the CIF field. The UE can activate the first eNES SIB1 configuration for the first eNES cell associated with CIF=1. In 706, the UE detects CIF=2 in the second DCI. In 708, the UE receives the second eNES SIB1 configuration on a PDSCH scheduled by the second DCI containing the CIF field. The UE can activate the second eNES SIB1 configuration for the second eNES cell associated with CIF=2.

[0072] In another option, for each eNES cell configured in eNES support (identified by {PCI, carrier frequency}), a separate Type 0 PDCCH common search space set (CSS) can be configured for receiving SIB1 for the eNES cell. The UE monitors the Type 0 PDCCH CSS for the eNES cell on the anchor cell for possible SIB1 scheduling.

[0073] In one implementation, the Type 0 CSS configuration includes monitoring periodicity and offset parameters for each eNES cell. In another implementation, it is assumed that the periodicity is the same as that of the anchor cell. The offset value can be defined relative to the time slot of the Type 0 PDCCH MO of the anchor cell. In an example implementation, the offset values ​​of the corresponding CSSs of the anchor cell and one or more eNES cells are different, such that the monitoring times (MOs) of SIB1 on the anchor cell and different eNES cells can be interleaved. Based on the MO in which SIB1 information is received, the UE can determine which cell the SIB1 information should be applied to.

[0074] Figure 8An example diagram 800 illustrating a monitoring DCI according to one of these example implementation schemes is shown, where different monitoring times (MOs) are used for different cells. In this example, corresponding Type 0 CSSs are configured for the anchor cell, the first eNES cell, and the second eNES cell. The MOs for the respective cells each have different offset values, such that MO 802 for the anchor cell is offset relative to MO 804 for the first eNES cell and MO 806 for the second eNES cell. If a DCI is received in one of the MOs 802, a SIB message scheduled by the DCI can be applied to the anchor cell. If a DCI is received in one of the MOs 804, a SIB message scheduled by the DCI can be applied to the first eNES cell. If a DCI is received in one of the MOs 806, a SIB message scheduled by the DCI can be applied to the second eNES cell.

[0075] In another aspect of these example implementations, a method with " The Scaling Factor Indicator (SFI) field for individual digits is used to select candidate values ​​{ Select a candidate value from}, where The SFI value can amplify the periodicity of SIB1 scheduling. Candidate values ​​include "infinity" representing a cell shutdown operation.

[0076] In these implementations, the UE assumes that SIB1 transmits a new periodicity By scaling factor Compared to the default periodicity Magnified (e.g.) ),in Indicated by the SFI field and periodic by default. For example, 160ms. Figure 9 Example diagram 900 shows various examples of implementation schemes according to these examples, illustrating default periodicity. ,according to Amplified new periodicity and according to Amplified universal new periodicity .

[0077] In other aspects of these example implementations, various methods can be considered to support PRACH resource adaptation. In these implementations, multiple PRACH configurations can be provided within the eNES support IE.

[0078] In some implementations, each PRACH configuration can be mapped one-to-one to a corresponding eNES-SIB1-r19 configuration. In these implementations, the PRACH configuration to be activated can be determined based on the activated eNES-SIB1-r19 configuration. For example, a UE receiving a DCI carrying the SIB1 activation field can apply a PRACH configuration mapped to the activated eNES SIB1 configuration.

[0079] Figure 10a A sample diagram 1000 illustrates a one-to-one mapping between PRACH configurations and eNES SIB1 configurations according to one of these example implementations. In this example, a first PRACH configuration 1008 is mapped to a first eNES SIB1 configuration 1002; a second PRACH configuration 1010 is mapped to a second eNES SIB1 configuration 1004; and a third PRACH configuration 1012 is mapped to a third eNES SIB1 configuration 1006. Therefore, when one of the eNES SIB1 configurations is activated, the UE knows which PRACH configuration should be activated.

[0080] In other implementations, each PRACH configuration can be mapped one-to-many to an eNES-SIB1-r19 configuration. In these implementations, for each eNES-SIB1-r19 configuration, a " Each PRACH configuration has a periodicity that can be different by setting the prach-ConfigurationIndex value appropriately.

[0081] Figure 10b A sample diagram 1020 illustrates a one-to-many mapping between a PRACH configuration and an eNES SIB1 configuration according to one of these example implementations. In this example, a first PRACH configuration 1028 is mapped to both a first eNES SIB1 configuration 1022 and a second eNES SIB1 configuration 1024; and a second PRACH configuration 1030 is mapped to a third eNES SIB1 configuration 1026. Therefore, the eNES SIB1 configuration and the PRACH configuration require separate activation indications.

[0082] It is possible to introduce features for "PRACH configuration activation" A new DCI field is added to dynamically select one of the PRACH configurations for eNES purposes. The UE can receive a DCI carrying both the SIB1 activation field and the PRACH activation field.

[0083] Figure 10cAn example diagram 1040 illustrates fields to be included in a DCI for activating eNES SIB1 and PRACH configurations, according to one of these example implementations. In this example, the DCI may carry an S-bit SIB1 activation field 1042 and an L-bit PRACH configuration activation field 1044.

[0084] It should be noted that, compared to one-to-many mapping, the one-to-one mapping between eNES SIB1 and PRACH minimizes signaling overhead. However, this comes at the cost of coupling the operations of SIB1 and PRACH adaptation, resulting in less flexibility.

[0085] In other aspects of these example implementations, various methods may be considered to indicate new fields introduced in the foregoing implementations in various DCI formats, such as SIB1 activation, scaling factor indication, and PRACH configuration indication. In these implementations, block fields may be included in the DCI format and include one or more of the following subfields: SIB1 activation field or scaling factor indication field; and PRACH configuration activation field.

[0086] Figure 11 An example diagram of a DCI format 1100 for eNES support is shown, representing one example implementation of these examples. The DCI format 1100 includes an existing field 1102, a reserved field 1104, and a CRC 1106. The reserved field 1104 can be reused to include one or more block fields 1108, such as a first block 1110, a second block 1112, and an nth block 1114. In this example, each block may carry one or more of a SIB1 activation field 1116 or a PRACH configuration activation field 1118. In other examples, the block may carry a scaling factor indication field.

[0087] In the first option, one or more block fields can be indicated in DCI format 1_0 with a CRC scrambled by the Paging Radio Network Temporary Identifier (P-RNTI). For each eNES cell, the starting location of the block is provided by an SIB1 message transmitted on the anchor cell. This allows for different block sizes across different eNES cells, thus minimizing DCI overhead.

[0088] In the second option, one or more block fields may be indicated in DCI format 2_7 with a CRC scrambled by the Paging Early Indicator Radio Network Temporary Identifier (PEI-RNTI). For each eNES cell, the starting location of the block is provided by the SIB1 message transmitted on the anchor cell.

[0089] In the third option, one or more block fields can be indicated in the newly introduced DCI format 2_X with CRC scrambled by a dedicated RNTI (e.g., X-RNTI). The size of DCI format 2_X can be configured by SIB1. The common search space (CSS) is further configured by SIB1 to monitor DCI format 2_X. The aggregation level and number of PDCCH candidates can be hardcoded in the specification.

[0090] Example In a first embodiment, a method performed by a user equipment (UE) includes: decoding a first configuration for enhanced network power saving (eNES) support based on signals received from an anchor cell, the first configuration including cell parameters and carrier parameters of at least one eNES cell; decoding a second configuration for eNES support based on signals received from the anchor cell, the second configuration including one or more eNES System Information Block 1 (SIB1) configurations; and activating a first eNES SIB1 configuration for the first eNES cell based on cross-carrier association between first eNES SIB1 parameters received from the anchor cell and the first eNES cell.

[0091] In a second embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, the first configuration and the second configuration are received in one or more SIB messages from the anchored cell, the one or more SIB messages including one or more SIB1 messages with extended fields or one or more new SIB messages introduced for eNES support for at least one eNES cell, the extended fields indicating configuration for supporting eNES for at least one eNES cell.

[0092] In a third embodiment, according to the method of the second embodiment, the first eNES SIB1 configuration is associated with the first eNES cell in the single eNES support configuration by explicitly indicating the physical cell ID (PCI) and carrier frequency of the first eNES cell in a single eNES support configuration carried in a single SIB message from the anchored cell.

[0093] In a fourth embodiment, according to the method of the third embodiment, wherein a plurality of eNES SIB1 configurations are received, and each of the plurality of eNES SIB1 configurations is explicitly associated with an eNES cell, the method further comprising: decoding downlink control information (DCI) based on a signal received from the anchored cell, the downlink control information (DCI) including an indication of the first eNES SIB1 configuration; and activating the first eNES SIB1 configuration for the first eNES cell associated with the first eNES SIB1 configuration.

[0094] In the fifth embodiment, according to the method of the fourth embodiment, the DCI includes a SIB1 activation field, the SIB1 activation field including a value associated with the first eNES SIB1 configuration.

[0095] In the sixth embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, the first configuration includes corresponding cell and carrier parameters of a plurality of eNES cells, each eNES cell being associated with a corresponding cell indicator value.

[0096] In a seventh embodiment, according to the method of the sixth embodiment, the method further includes: after receiving the first configuration and before receiving the second configuration, decoding downlink control information (DCI) including a cell indicator field (CIF) based on a signal received from the anchored cell, the cell indicator field (CIF) indicating a first cell indicator value associated with the first eNES cell; and after receiving the second configuration including the first eNES SIB1 configuration, activating the first eNES SIB1 configuration for the first eNES cell based on the indication of the first cell indicator value.

[0097] In the eighth embodiment, according to the method of the seventh embodiment, the method further includes: decoding an additional DCI including a CIF based on a signal received from the anchor cell, the CIF indicating a second cell indicator value associated with the second eNES cell; decoding a third configuration including a second eNES SIB1 configuration based on a signal received from the anchor cell; and activating the second eNES SIB1 configuration for the second eNES cell based on the indication of the second cell indicator value.

[0098] In the ninth embodiment, according to the method of the seventh embodiment, the DCI message includes a DCI 1_0 having a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a System Information Radio Network Temporary Identifier (SI-RNTI), the DCI 1_0 including a Cell Indicator Field (CIF) by reusing one or more bits reserved in the DCI 1_0 in 3GPP Release 18.

[0099] In the tenth embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, the first configuration includes corresponding cell and carrier parameters of a plurality of eNES cells, each eNES cell being associated with a corresponding search space set (SSS) configuration.

[0100] In the eleventh embodiment, according to the method of the tenth embodiment, wherein each SSS is a Type 0 PDCCH common SSS (CSS), the method further includes: monitoring each Type 0 PDCCH CSS for each eNES cell after receiving the first configuration and before receiving the second configuration; decoding downlink control information (DCI) based on a signal received from the anchored cell, the downlink control information (DCI) being received during a monitoring opportunity (MO) of the first Type 0 PDCCH CSS associated with the first eNES cell; decoding the second configuration, which includes the first eNES SIB1 configuration, in an SIB message scheduled by the DCI; and activating the first eNES SIB1 configuration for the first eNES cell based on the second configuration being received in the first Type 0 PDCCH CSS in the SIB message scheduled by the DCI.

[0101] In the twelfth embodiment, according to the method of the eleventh embodiment, the method further includes: continuing to monitor each type 0 PDCCH CSS for each eNES cell; decoding additional DCIs in the MO of the second type 0 PDCCH CSS associated with the second eNES cell based on signals received from the anchored cell; decoding a third configuration in an additional SIB message scheduled by the additional DCI, which includes a second eNES SIB1 configuration; and activating the second eNES SIB1 configuration for the second eNES cell based on the fact that the third configuration is received in the second type 0 PDCCH CSS in the additional SIB message scheduled by the additional DCI.

[0102] In the thirteenth embodiment, according to the method of the tenth embodiment, each SSS configuration includes a corresponding periodicity and offset parameter for the monitoring timing (MO) on each eNES cell.

[0103] In the fourteenth embodiment, according to the method of the tenth embodiment, each SSS configuration includes a corresponding offset parameter for a monitoring opportunity (MO) associated with each eNES cell, and wherein it is assumed that the periodicity of the MO is the same as the periodicity of the SSS configuration associated with the anchored cell.

[0104] In the fifteenth embodiment, according to the method of the fourteenth embodiment, each offset parameter of the MO of each eNES cell is defined relative to the time slot of the MO of the anchor cell.

[0105] In the sixteenth embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, each eNES SIB1 configuration includes at least parameters for system information (SI) scheduling information and SIB1 periodicity, wherein if there is a specific SIB1 parameter in the set of SIB1 parameters of the anchor cell that is not present in the eNES SIB1 configuration parameters, it is assumed that the specific SIB1 parameter of the anchor cell is the same value used for the eNES SIB1 configuration parameters.

[0106] In the seventeenth embodiment, according to the method of the sixteenth embodiment, the method further includes: decoding a third configuration for a scaling factor indicator (SFI) field to be present in downlink control information (DCI) based on a signal received from the anchored cell, wherein the SFI value amplifies the SIB1 periodicity; receiving a DCI indicating the SFI value; and scaling the SIB1 periodicity according to the SFI value.

[0107] In the eighteenth embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, each eNES SIB1 configuration includes a plurality of Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) configurations, each PRACH configuration being associated with a different PRACH configuration index value and including different periodicities for PRACH timing.

[0108] In the nineteenth embodiment, according to the method of the eighteenth embodiment, the method further includes: decoding downlink control information (DCI), the downlink control information (DCI) including an indication of a first PRACH configuration index value; and activating a first PRACH configuration associated with the first PRACH configuration index value.

[0109] In the twentieth embodiment, according to the method of the nineteenth embodiment, the method further includes: decoding an additional DCI, the additional DCI including an indication of a second PRACH configuration index value; and activating a second PRACH configuration associated with the second PRACH configuration index value to modify the periodicity of the PRACH timing.

[0110] In the twenty-first embodiment, according to the method of the eighteenth embodiment, wherein each PRACH configuration is mapped one-to-one to an eNES SIB1 configuration, the method further includes: decoding downlink control information (DCI), the downlink control information (DCI) including an indication of the first eNES SIB1 configuration; and activating the first PRACH configuration associated with the first eNES SIB1 configuration.

[0111] In the twenty-second embodiment, according to the method of the eighteenth embodiment, wherein at least one PRACH configuration is mapped one-to-many to more than one eNES SIB1 configuration, the method further includes: decoding downlink control information (DCI), the downlink control information (DCI) including an indication of the first eNES SIB1 configuration and a first PRACH configuration index value; activating the first eNES SIB1 configuration; and activating the first PRACH configuration associated with the first PRACH configuration index value.

[0112] In the twenty-third embodiment, according to the method of the first embodiment, the method further includes: decoding downlink control information (DCI) including a first block field, the first block field including at least one of a first indication for configuring a first SIB1 or a periodic scaling factor value for amplifying SIB1 reception and a second indication for configuring an index value for a first physical random access channel (PRACH).

[0113] In the 24th embodiment, according to the method of the 23rd embodiment, the first block field includes the first SIB1 configuration, and the second block field included in the DCI message includes the second SIB1 configuration.

[0114] In the twenty-fifth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-third embodiment, the DCI message includes a DCI 1_0 with a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI), the first block field being provided by reusing one or more bits reserved in the DCI 1_0 in 3GPP Release 18.

[0115] In the twenty-sixth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-fifth embodiment, the method further includes decoding a third configuration for the initial positioning of the first block field in the DCI 1_0.

[0116] In the twenty-seventh embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-third embodiment, the DCI includes a DCI 2_7 having a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by the Paging Early Indication Radio Network Temporary Identifier (PEI-RNTI).

[0117] In the twenty-eighth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-seventh embodiment, the method further includes decoding a third configuration for the initial positioning of the first block field in the DCI 2_7.

[0118] In the twenty-ninth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-third embodiment, the DCI includes a new group-specific DCI 2_X having a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a dedicated radio network temporary identifier (RNTI).

[0119] In the thirtieth embodiment, according to the method of the twenty-ninth embodiment, the method further includes: decoding a third configuration for the size of the new DCI 2_X and a fourth configuration for the common search space to monitor the new DCI 2_X.

[0120] In the thirty-first embodiment, a processor is configured to perform any of the methods described according to the first to the thirtieth embodiments.

[0121] In the thirty-second embodiment, a user equipment includes: a transceiver configured to communicate with a base station; and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform any of the methods described according to the first to the thirtieth embodiments.

[0122] Those skilled in the art will understand that the example embodiments described above can be implemented with any suitable software or hardware configuration or combination thereof. Example hardware platforms for implementing the example 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. Example embodiments of the methods described above may be embodied as programs containing lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, at compile time, can be executed on a processor or microprocessor.

[0123] Although this application describes various embodiments that have different features in various combinations, those skilled in the art will understand that any feature of one embodiment can be combined with features of other embodiments in any way that is not expressly denied or that is not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation of the device or the specified function of the disclosed embodiment.

[0124] 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 any permitted use should be clearly explained to the user.

[0125] 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 modifications and variations thereof, provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising processing circuitry configured to: Decoding a first configuration for enhanced network energy saving (eNES) support based on signals received from the anchored cell, the first configuration including cell parameters and carrier parameters of at least one eNES cell; Decoding a second configuration for eNES support based on signals received from the anchored cell, the second configuration including one or more eNES System Information Block 1 (SIB1) configurations; and The first eNES SIB1 configuration is activated for the first eNES cell based on the cross-carrier association between the first eNES SIB1 parameters received from the anchored cell and the first eNES cell.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first configuration and the second configuration are received in one or more SIB messages from the anchored cell, the one or more SIB messages including one or more SIB1 messages with an extended field or one or more new SIB messages introduced for eNES support for at least one eNES cell, the extended field indicating a configuration for supporting eNES for at least one eNES cell.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first eNES SIB1 configuration is associated with the first eNES cell in the single eNES support configuration by explicitly indicating the physical cell ID (PCI) and carrier frequency of the first eNES cell in a single eNES support configuration carried in a single SIB message from the anchored cell.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a plurality of eNES SIB1 configurations are received, and each of the plurality of eNES SIB1 configurations is explicitly associated with an eNES cell, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: The downlink control information (DCI) is decoded based on signals received from the anchored cell, the downlink control information (DCI) including an indication of the first eNES SIB1 configuration; and Activate the first eNES SIB1 configuration for the first eNES cell associated with the first eNES SIB1 configuration.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first configuration includes corresponding cell and carrier parameters for a plurality of eNES cells, each eNES cell being associated with a corresponding cell indicator value.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: After receiving the first configuration and before receiving the second configuration, downlink control information (DCI) including a cell indicator field (CIF) is decoded based on signals received from the anchored cell. The cell indicator field (CIF) indicates a first cell indicator value associated with the first eNES cell. After receiving the second configuration including the first eNES SIB1 configuration, the first eNES SIB1 configuration is activated for the first eNES cell based on the indication of the first cell indicator value.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: The additional DCI, including the CIF, is decoded based on the signal received from the anchored cell, wherein the CIF indicates a second cell indicator value associated with the second eNES cell; as well as The third configuration, including the second eNES SIB1 configuration, is decoded based on the signal received from the anchored cell; as well as The second eNES SIB1 configuration is activated for the second eNES cell based on the indication of the second cell indicator value.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the DCI message includes a DCI 1_0 having a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a System Information Radio Network Temporary Identifier (SI-RNTI), the DCI 1_0 including a Cell Indicator Field (CIF) by reusing one or more bits reserved in the DCI 1_0 of 3GPP Release 18.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first configuration includes corresponding cell and carrier parameters for a plurality of eNES cells, each eNES cell being associated with a corresponding search space set (SSS) configuration.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each SSS is a type 0 PDCCH common SSS (CSS), wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: After receiving the first configuration and before receiving the second configuration, monitor each type 0 PDCCH CSS for each eNES cell; The downlink control information (DCI) is decoded based on the signal received from the anchored cell, which is received during the monitoring timing (MO) of the first type 0 PDCCH CSS associated with the first eNES cell; Decode the second configuration, which includes the first eNES SIB1 configuration, in the SIB message scheduled by the DCI; and The first eNES SIB1 configuration is activated for the first eNES cell based on the second configuration being received in the SIB message scheduled by the DCI in the first type 0 PDCCH CSS.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: Continue monitoring of each type 0 PDCCH CSS for each eNES cell; Decode additional DCI in the MO of the second type 0 PDCCH CSS associated with the second eNES cell based on the signal received from the anchored cell; Decode the third configuration, including the second eNES SIB1 configuration, in the additional SIB message scheduled by the additional DCI; and Based on the third configuration being received in the second type 0 PDCCH CSS in the additional SIB message scheduled by the additional DCI, the second eNES SIB1 configuration is activated for the second eNES cell.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each SSS configuration comprises: (i) the corresponding periodicity and offset parameters of the monitoring opportunity (MO) on each eNES cell; or (ii) the corresponding offset parameters of the MO associated with each eNES cell, wherein it is assumed that the periodicity of the MO is the same as the periodicity of the SSS configuration associated with the anchor cell, and wherein each offset parameter of the MO of each eNES cell is defined relative to the time slot of the MO of the anchor cell.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each eNES SIB1 configuration includes at least parameters for system information (SI) scheduling information and SIB1 periodicity, wherein, If there is a specific SIB1 parameter in the set of SIB1 parameters of the anchor cell that is not present in the eNES SIB1 configuration parameters, then it is assumed that the specific SIB1 parameter of the anchor cell is the same value used for the eNES SIB1 configuration parameters.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: The third configuration for the scaling factor indicator (SFI) field to be present in the downlink control information (DCI) is decoded based on the signal received from the anchored cell, wherein the SFI value amplifies the periodicity of the SIB1. Receive DCI indicating SFI value; as well as The periodicity of SIB1 is scaled according to the SFI value.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each eNES SIB1 configuration includes a plurality of Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) configurations, each PRACH configuration being associated with a different PRACH configuration index value and including different periodicities for PRACH timing.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: Decoding the downlink control information (DCI), which includes an indication of a first PRACH configuration index value; and Activate the first PRACH configuration associated with the first PRACH configuration index value.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: Decode an additional DCI, which includes an indication of a second PRACH configuration index value; and Activate the second PRACH configuration associated with the second PRACH configuration index value to modify the periodicity of the PRACH timing.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein each PRACH configuration is mapped one-to-one to an eNESSIB1 configuration, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: Decode the downlink control information (DCI), which includes an indication of the configuration of the first eNES SIB1; and Activate the first PRACH configuration associated with the first eNES SIB1 configuration.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one PRACH configuration is mapped one-to-many to more than one eNES SIB1 configuration, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: Decode the downlink control information (DCI), which includes an indication of the first eNES SIB1 configuration and a first PRACH configuration index value; Activate the first eNES SIB1 configuration; and Activate the first PRACH configuration associated with the first PRACH configuration index value.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: The downlink control information (DCI) including a first block field is decoded, the first block field including at least one of a first indication of the configuration of the first SIB1 or a periodic scaling factor value for amplifying the reception of the SIB1 and a second indication of the configuration index value of the first physical random access channel (PRACH).

Images